The Press., 1898-02-17
LETTER FROM COLORADO.

The following extract Is from letter
from a missionary at Flagler, Col, sent
in acknowledgment of missionary bar
rel sent by the Congregational churches
of West Stafford and Staffordville:
Flagler, COL, Jan. 20, 1898.
need not say that your love and sacri-
flee in behalf OF unknown and distant fell
low-workers in the Masters vineyard is
, deeply appreciated. Everything sent finds
its place Of usefulness in the missionary's
house, and the goods, both new and sec
ond-hand, are of SO much better quality
than we can purchase in the small towns
of our western frontier. 1t will appear
more fully how helpful our missionary
barrel is when tell you that we have
family of nine Gncluding wife's father,
who now lives with us, } and a salary OF
$400 without a parsonage, and our own
horses and vehicles to keep for travelling
field forty miles long, and In climate
requiring fires for warming most of eight
months each year. But, while the ma
terial comfort we get from your timely
help Is very great, we appreciate 1t most
highly from the encouragement 1t brings.
Our field is isolated. We seldom see an
other Congregational Cor other) minister
Except once or twice year at assocfa-
tione, VIII Oh we must travel hundred to
a hundred and. fifty miles to reach.
j. We have our work In the Great Plains
region of Colorado, in the eastern part of
the state. It is peopled mostly by cattle
ranchmen. The plains are treeless; one
could travel far more than across the
longest extent of your state and never
see tree or shrub, or what could be
Justly named a. hill. The plains would
seem barren to one from the Mississippi
valley or Atlantic slope, but myriads of
cattle feed and grow fat on the short but
rich buffalo grass, and often live through
severe winters with little other feed.
Except along the railroad the population
Is sparse in fact, an eastern man would
have difficulty in finding any. If you
were here l could pilot you through
hundred miles Of grazing land, and let
you use your eyes all you could and you
would never see a house, or possibly a
human being. Our work, of course, is
confined to the villages along the lail-
road. My field occupies territory around
which could draw limits including twice
as many square miles as your state, and,
excepting one Congregational church
of 90 members, served by q preacher
ranchman, and one monthly appointment
by Methodist preacher, our four small
churches are thu only churches, and fur
nish all the gospel privileges and do all
the gospel work of this vast field. We
have room, at least, to grow, you see. We
have, as said, four churches, with an ag-
gregate membership of SO or 81, with our
Sunday schools and prayer services. /
preach semi-month1y at each church, but
only once each Sabbath at each place,
except Flagler. But this makes much
travel necessary, Let me outline my
next ten days work I will attend Sun
day school at ,Fiagler at 10 a. m. to-mor-
ROW, preach at II, drive 12 miles, with
only cold lunch for dinner as ride,
preach at Aniba at 80 p. M, and return
the 12 miles, catching supper as can,
and preach again at Flagler at 7.3O.
About Thursday 1 will go to Claremont,
25miles east, and whereI have just closed
q Sprotracted revival meeting. Then /
mean to work from house pastorally,
probably preach at night two or three
times, help to organize Y. P. s. G. E.,
preach Sunday at IL, drive back toward
home Il miles, preach at Seibert at p.
M, and very probably return to FIagler,
IL miles further, to preach, beginning a
protracted meeting here. This, IL you
will add an occasional spice of blizzard.
with snow driving in the eyes with blind
ing fury, through which one must try to
find his way, will give an idea of our
work.
We want to thank you again for your
part in cheering this sometimes very dis
couraging work. We are growing some
in our work, Notwithstanding the Difficult
ties of our sparsely settled region.
CHARLES w. SMITH, Missionary.