Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1889-10-18
NEW FOUNDLAND.
From ship and Rail Car.


their fields northward | find myself
on board the ship also bound for a
northern port. Our steamer the
Plocer of composite build, that is,
both Of IRON and wood for contend
ing with the ice and her sister ship,
the Cnrle,c, leave st. Johns fort
nightly under the direction of the
Government, carrying the mails and
passengers, the former northward
the latter westward along the south
ern shore to ore or two distributing
points in each of the bays; by which
means the entire population of the
Island can be reached regularly at
least once a month; and taking into
account the constant coming and
going of sailing crafts, bankers fish
ing schooners, and traders, are
reached much more expeditiously
and frequently. Yet any one can
see how slow this is for correspond
ence, and how unfavorable to the
circulation of newspapers. The reg
ulation is that the steamer must re-
main in each port two hours at the
option of the postmaster; that the
business men might receive their
mail and forward by the same ad-
vancing post any business requiring
attention farther on, and to the
tourist, or sea sick voyager, com
mercial drummer, or an active
Methodist preacher, this hour and
half or two hours halt is neither
unpleasant nor Improbable. We
could call on several of the families
or visit a school and then hasten on
our way with JOY.
The fact that the ministers were
but now getting home from Confer
ance discloses some of their disadvan'
tages. OFF the railway route of
travel they are compelled often, to
reach Conference at all, to come a
week or two too early for it, and re-
main a week or two after it is over.
One of the ministers who had not
the advantage of any of the regular
routes Of travel, but was compelled
to ''chance" tito Conference reached
st. Johns the day Conference was
closing. Another minister, on the
Labrador coast, could not get there
at all; as the steamer had not begun
her trips for the year SO far north.
These men are cut off from inter
course with their brethren for six
months and often year at a time;
and so have immense difficulties and
unspeakable hardships and privations
III the prosecution of their work.
Socially, enthusiastically, intellectual
Iy, fraternally, it is enlistment for
Christ and the kingdom of heavens
sake. Think of seclusion among the
Esquimaux during the long and
dreary winter that this benighted
people might see the great light of
life. Especially is the case difficult
with young men; and many of their
fields are often occupied by the
young men. Such probationers are
of course deprived of council and
have no easy task in securing their
libraries and Their examinations. 1t
costs such laborers nice penny and
aqueer bit of time to reach Con
ference or a District Meeting; and !
feel sure some of them would like,
if only once in great while to see
something like an old fashioned
Presiding Elder, that could bring to
their missions council and Confer
ence examinations and experience and
news from the rest Of the brethren
and the work at large and the
sage discipline and the venerated
authority and the commercial spirit
and enterprise, the Divine revival
fire and power One man in such
circumstances could reach fifty on
their widely separated fields more
easily than fifty could gather into
one place. But we have written
much of orr wooden iron ship, re-
mindiug one of the chrys-elephantine
gold, ivory construction of ancient
statuary and Of our ships com
pany and yet not all that company
and still we are not out of the
harbor of ST. Johns. Let us cast off
and set sail. In fifteen minutes we