The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-03-27
CALLS FOR STEAM
REV, G. W. HOWES SAYS THE Ma
CBINERY is ALL RIGHT.


Methodist Doctrine and PoIity-The Old
Methodist Ship is staunch, Says he, But
There's Too Much Taking Her Machin-
cry Apart to See How It's Made, and
Not Enough Turning on of Steam and
Giving Her Searoom-Freight Rates.
Rev. G. W. Howes, presiding elder Of
the Newton district, gave the following
report of his district for the past year:
In submitting my first report of the
Newton district, do so with thanksglv-
ing, and with some misgivings.
The district is composed of twenty
eight pastoral charges. 1t has sixty
FIVE preaching places, forty-sx church
buildings, twenty-five parsonages, fifty
four Sunday schools, thirty-eight Ep-
worth league chapters with LIS mem
bers. All the pastoral charges with one
exception can be reached by rail, and
therefore of easy access; yet there is oc-
casion for all the hard work that any
one as presiding elder is able TO per
form. My predecessor, ]. T. Hanna, did
an immense amount Of hard and effic-
lent work the six years he was on the
district, leaving the work in good con-
dition. ! have tried hard 70 keep II up
to the high mark at which he left it
with what success will not undertake
to say.
MY relations with the brethren have
been pleasant and agreeable. 1 have
been cordially received and kindly
treated everywhere have gone on the
district; by both preachers and people.
There have been no changes of pastors
on the district during the year. Death
has not come to the dwelling of any of
the pastors, nor to many OF our people.
There have ben no severe cases of sick
ness among the pastors nor in their
families, with the exception Of Brother
Moan Asher, who was very i'll a few
weeks last summer. But through the
mercies Of God he recovered and has
been able to do a good years work, and
Is now in his usual health.
81 have given to each pastoral charge
Sunday preaching and sacramento
service each quarter. In order to do 50
It has been necessary to send supplies
In some instances, but have endeavOred
I'm ali cases TO hold the quarterly con-
ferences myself and have done so with
very few exceptions.
FINANCES.
Financially the year has been a hard
one, the hardest perhaps, in some res
poets the district has ever seen. This
Is true at least in some parts of the dis
trict, True we had much better corn
crop than for several years before, yet
II did not bring the financial prosperity
We hoped and had reason to expect it
would bring. The price of corn, by rea-
son Of the unjust discrimination of the
raj inst
reasons, has been so low that many of
the people have refused to sell their
crop, but are holding it for a better
price, and many of those who have sold
have been compelled TO apply the pro-
ceeds on old Indebtedness and the
money has not gone into channels that
reach the church. Therefore, the Salar-
les of the preachers are not paid in full
Many Of them have been, several have
not been, and some have received a very
meagre support. Yet I must say for
many Of the people Of the district that
they have done nObly in this matter.
Hundreds Of them have made real sac
rifices to support the church and pay
their prea cheers.
I'VE have not done all that we wished
on the benevoIences, yet they have not
been neglected, and good showing will
be made on them. All the charges will
report all collections taken.
I'VE viii report about 81 ,650.75 for
missions, which is a little, but not very
much below the apportiOnment to the
district for that cause this year. At
several points improvements and re-
pairs on church property have been
made. Something paid on old indebt-
edness, and some building has been done
At Peabody they repaired, reprinted,
re-rOOfed and recarpeted the church at
q cost of $3.50, and paid for 1t all, besides
paying the balance on the parsonage
debt Of $500. At Newton they put re-
pairs and improvements on their church
Notwithstanding carpentering, etc
TO the amount of $3.50. all of which is
paid. AT FL Dorado $3.50, which is paid.
Repairs and improvements have been
made at Leon, Burns, Partridge, Stat
ford, Sedgwick, Burton, Hadley Chap
e. st. John, and something paid on old
Indebtedness at FL Dorado, Turon and
Arlington. At Valley Center they have
built an excellent addition to their
church, almost doubling the seating ca
pacity, at a cost Of $3.50, all paid for.
At Plevna, a little town Of perhaps 100
inhabitants, where we have a member
ship of about thirty, on the Sylvia
charge. an elegant church on 70 A plan.
81, 500 and dedicated free of debt.
SOUL SAVING
an special efforts for soul saving our
pastors and people have been at work
all over the district and hundreds of
so is have been converted at our affairs
and brought into the church. At some
points meetings of unusual power and
remarkable for their far-rea ching in
fiuences, have been held. The one at
Peabody in which three hundred CONVEX
siOnS were reported, not only reached
the whole town but eXteE 4 for several
miles into the country. The same may
be said Of the one al Newton. with its
one hundred and fifty conversions. And
the same Of ST. John, with one hundred
conversions. LeeSburg with fifty-five,
end Stafford with sixty. These last
three were all in Stafford county, and
probably one third of that entire coun-
" was brought inside their influence.
These meetings were all rather extra
ordinary, and the one at Haven and
Elmer on the Haven charge. and the
one at Burton were probably no less so.
At other points very successful revival
meetings have been held and many souls
saved; and some have been held with
very gratifying results to the member
shin. even where there were not so many
conversions reported. And While We re-
jOice greatly that - many have been
saved. we rejoice also in the work of
unifying and solidifying that has been
done. There have been some great vic
tories achieved for God and the church