Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1897-01-09
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES.


feSteroay was fnoepenQeuce Day FOR Ina
Densminatlon "a Las Vegas.
A small tut Interested audience, com
prising representative from all the
churches of the city, gathered at the Pres
by erian church, last evening, to celebrats
j the tenth anniversary Of self-support BY
this enterprIsing congregation. The first
Of January is Independence day for ths
First Presby church OF Las Vegas, fol
on that date II ceased to depend on the
board of home missions for any part Of it,
support, and has msintained this position
ever since, being ths' first Protestant chur Oh
In the two Territories Of New Mexico and
Arizona wholly to assume its own support.
The exercises were quite extended, but
were followed with unabated interest to the
close. After the organ voluntary and the
invocation, quartet, Miss Knickerbocker,
Mrs. Rankin, Mrs. gise and Mics Kate
Reynolds, exquisitsly rendered the alway s
lovely "Swanee River (" The next part
was the topic "Pionsering in Old Las ve-
A. Amin. from 1869 to 1880. Mr.. Amin
reached Las vsgas Oct. oath, 1869 and on
March goth, 1870, organized the church with
eight members He secured the property
where the Spanish Presbyterian church
and Mission school now stand, and COM
pleted that church building in 1873. He
labored with his own hands 10 the construc.
tion of the building and gave literally of
his own scanty income to the enterprise
His activities carried him as far as Aguab
Negr a and Ell Rito, and the mission school
was established and taught by him and his
daughter. Mr.. Amin is now pastor Of the
church at Rolla, Mo. A most interesting
aud cordial letter Of greeting from him was
read ny L. F. Adams, as follows:
Friends and Brethren of the Presbyterian
Church of East Las Vegas. N. M.
REV NORMAN SKINNER, d. D., PASTOR
Il am, of course, an entire stranger to
every one OF you, but as lived and iabored
ten years and six months In the near vicin
ity of your homes and church Dust over
on the west side Of the stream), and was
very often out over the very ground you
occupy, Iventure to address you 10 few
words OF bretheriy salutation and good
cheer, In view OF the memorial or celebra-
tion services which you are anticipating.
OIL6u tuOUSutt anu bOtucbituoa t4pTt6S
the idea, that hadn't wisdom enough to be
a missionary in New Mexico. / was COM
missioned by the old board OF domestic
missions in Philadelphia, DIR. Musgrave,
secretary. / was -la1s seiy under the -auspi-
ces OF nn association of ladies, mostly In
New York city. subsequently organized
and chartered, think, as the ladies'
board. Those ladies stood by me and sus |
tained and encouraged me wonderfully |
They raised the money to buy the house
on the brow of the bill on the west side, |
q two story house, l think. ! have under. |
stood it is now--then one-story.
Many and many time have i sat on
and traversed in slow pace, the stone
paved porch or portal OF that building, |
ninety three feet in length, il my memory
is not at fault. The Bible on the pulpit
(no doubt it's the one got from New York,
quite a large volume) was given to US or
10 the church Ito Mrs. A. and myself for
the cburch) by good friend in Brooklyn.
N. Y. at our request or solicitation. The
bell which calls you on the sacred day to
the house of worship, got from Troy, N.
Y, S31 pounds, think. 1t cost some $400.
l had the pleasure of giving 500. 1t was
considered q magnificent bell at that time.
Its sounds were very sweet and musical.
suppose / am not mistaken, understood
it was taken down from the steeple of the
church on the west side. l wonder IL you
will excuse all this. You see have a sort
of right to rejoice with you in your pros
perity. And most certainly do rejoice
and invoke upon you the abundant and
holy benediction ri God, Father, Son, and
Holy Ghost. May your anticipated cele-
bration be a joy to your every heart.
Your brother,
4 JOHN A. ANNIN.
Mr.. Adams also read the salutations and
of Rev Jose Ynez Perea,
Of Pajarito, who was in 1870, ordained the
first ruling elder in the church, and who
contributed lavishIy, both OF his toll and
substance, to opromate the work.
Following this, came L. H. Hof-
meister's effective and delightful "Czur
song,o and then congratulations
were real from the Rev. Josiah
now of Salt Lake City, who came
to the church In May, 1880, but whose
constrained him to relin-
luish the field by the middle Of June, before
he had thoroughly established himself.
.Building the East Side Church" was
recounted ina letter. read by
George Arnot, by the Rev. John G.
Eastman, D. D., of Sun Luis Qbispo, CAL,
the third minister of the church, 1880 to
1882 The Atchison railroad had then just
reached Las Vegas, and the incoming Of
the American population necessitated the
removal of the congregation to the new
town. With great enterprise and enthus-
Iasm, the new building was undertaken,
and in spite OF many discouragements, was
dedicated, frec Of debt, October 10th, 1881.
The next great day was Independence
lay. Rev. James Fraser, Phi. D., now pro-
lessor in the New Windsor college, Mary
was minister here from 1888 to 1883;
and his foresight and zeal speedily brought
he era OF self. support "The Story Of
Self support" was very effectively told
IN his letter, read by Hugh Loudon;
and re. counted with grateful appreciation,
The names of the. chief participants and
of the plan, the wisdom of