The San Francisco call., 1897-07-28
THE ENDEAVoRERs' JOURNEY
Chicago Times.

Chicago Times.
The visit of the Christian Endeavor dele
gates TO the coast has cost not less than
$5 00O 600 at the very lowest estimate. Pos
sibly many who spent from 800 10 5000 on
the trip would pay So subscription to a
church or mission fund with reluctance, but
even to people OF this sort the trip across the
continent will have most broadening effect.
Those who travelled through Western Kansas
and Nebraska and the barren Dakotas and
other bad lands must have found it hard to
believe that Christian men and women were
living in some OF the most uninviting places
sereneIy as do the God-fearing whose lines
are cast more pleasantly. Many OF the West
ern counties i'll States and Territories are mis-
sion fields now, and the men and women who
teach and preach there are supported by the
subscriptions OF the church boards and church
people Not one of the preachers is PAID more
than $50 or 800 month.
AS the Endeavorers moved westward they
learned that every Westerner holds his allie
glance to his parent STATE and stands on the
threshold of his adopted comm onwealth to
welcome the Easternor, the Soutkerner and
the Northerner TO the fullest enjoyment of his
home The good feeling and heartiness--
friend greeting friend. stranger greeting
stranger, all manklnd greeted as brotucrs-no
South, no North, no East, no West, no color
line drawn-has not failed to impress the
Endeavor delegates. Talk OF dividing our
country on section lines because of political
differences is most unreasonable so long as
dismayed. AS the excursiouists crossed the
prairies in July they found all about them
evidences of the greatness OF our Republic.
AS the Fourth approached patriotism and love
OF country were everywhere manifest. In
Nevada, where the broiling sun beats down
on the treeless mining districts. the citizens
came across lots" in wagons for fifty miles or
more to celebrate.
The cowboys ana Indians united In shouting
for Ola Glory and the mountaineers waved
our flag from the highest peaks and made the
cannon ring with their noise. The Endeayor
delegates took part in the fes tivities OF the
Western patriots with delight. They noted
that saloons were more plentiful than
churches; they saw the cowl oyS ride and
shoot and saw many men very drunk. When
it came their turn to do something they sang
and prayed. At one station their song was:
The dying thief rejoced to
hat fountain in his day,
Ind there may /. though vile as he,
Wash all my sins away.
Long before the hymn was done many of the
1t was grandly sung by trainload of people.
At one home on a mountain summit little
boy lay sick in a house near the railroad
track When the train stopped fifty or more
Endeavorers got off it, and standing by his
window sang "Scatter Sunshine All Along the
joined in singing "God Be With You Till We
Meet Again" And the last glimpse had of the
little sufferer revealed his pale face aglow
with ligh and happiness, his hands clu utch ing
a violin as II to hold in it the music he had
heard. 1t was worth while to sing to the cow
boys and this sick child: Travel makes a cos
mopoltan Christian. New lands, new faces,
rid one of nerrowness and cant and provincial
ism. The Endea avorers visit to the coast was
worth all it cost