Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1896-07-29
.AMP MEETING AT CIMARRON.
The Methodist Outing Party In Col
fax County a Frampton Affair.

To the Editor of the Optic.
CIMARRoN, N. NJ, July 25th, 1896.
Frampton camp meeting at Cimarron!
/ say Frampton, because it was on his
district. In the New Mexico Spanish
Mission Of the Methodist Episcopal
church, there are three presiding elder
districts, viz: Albuquerque district,
Las Vegas and Santa Fe. Once a year,
the presiding elder of his respective
district holds a camp meeting, an as
sembly or summer school, as each dis
tfict has agreed to call them. The
object of these meetings is intellectual,
social and spiritual culture. A pro-
gram is arranged in time, with some
theme assigned to each member, and
the preacher, or teacher, or others, as
the case may be, comes up with his
essay. Each reads his essay before the
assembly, and it is then open for criti-
cism, correction, approval, etc., as
the members may see fit. When the
membership is large, as in the Albu-
querque district, for example, and the
subjects are we'll arranged, we a
see that, thus once a year, nearly all
the special points of Bible doctrines
and d few of tina leading questions of
the day, can have an airing and a
hearing before all the preachers and
teachers of the district and before
many OF the people where the meeting
is held. The benefits of such a meet
ing car better be imagined than ex-
pressed.
The meeting just held at Cimarron,
under the locust grove Of the old Max
well residence, was not only well at
tended, but the essays, criticisms, SER
mons, exhortations, etc =, showed I'M
provement owe last year, and very
great improvement over a few years
ago.
When these meetings were first be-
gun. some five years ago, the criti-
cisms had to be a little cautious, but
now each a take almost perfect lib
erty, one with the other, in his crlti
cisms and the essayist will laugh over
the criticisms, if correct, and thank
the critic for pointing out the same.
The preachers of the Las Vegas dis.
trict were all present, mostly with their
families, except the pastor Of Las
Vegas.
Rev. j. J. Gilchrist, of Mora, was
with us. and rendered US good services !;
almost forgetting, at times, that he was
in a Methodist and not a Presbyterian
assembly.
Among the special features of the
meeting, was the ~sletter box' arrange.
ment. Any one who had some special
question was asked to prepare his ques-
ton and slip it in the box, and at the |
proper time it was taken up, read and
discussed by any who saw fit to take
part in the discussion.
The preaching and ~exhortatiop
seemed good, except a little too formal,
lacking a little, | thought, of the former
On Saturday, thu preachers all went
In a body, with quite a number of the
American and Mexican citizens of
Cimarron and the visitors who had
come up to attend the meeting, to visit
The grave of Rev. F. F. Toby, who
assassinated, September l4th, 1875,
almost twenty-one years ago. Several
speeches were made in English and
Spanish. reviewing the scenes OF early
and as connected with the sad
and tragic death of the above named
minister of the gospel.
In August, 19th to goth. will be
held the camp-meeting Of the Santa Fe
district at Taos, under the direction Of
Rev. Mr.. Jacobs, presiding elder OF
laid district.
September 18th to 23rd will be held
he summer school OF the Albuquerque
under the guidance OF the
writer. 1t will be held at Valverde.
Just after that, September Oath, will
commence the annual mission confer-
nee, presided over by Bishop j. II.
Vincent, d. d.
The American annual mission will
% held, the week previous, at Las
by Bishop Vincent.
THOs. HAYWOOD,
Supt. New Mexico Spanish Mission.
GI.~ DII-