The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-06-08
CLOSE OF CHURCH COUNCIL
DIOCESAN SESSION J. AND CHRIST
CHURCH SEMI-CENTENNIALC COM
IMMIGRATION CONCLUDED
HISTORY OF CHURCH WORK
Bishop WhippIe Gives Interesting
"Reminiscences of His Service in
Mission Work In Pio-
neer Days.

The semi of the founding Of
the Episcopal church In Minnesota was
celebrated yesterday afternoon and even
Ing at Christ church, making a fitting
close to the diocesan council which had
been in session Tuesday and yesterday
morning. The programme yesterday aft
ernoon consisted of series of addresses
that were largely personal "reminiscences
concerning the beginning of Episcopal
work in Minnesota and the people prom
inently connected with it. Bishop Whip
pie presided. A paper that showed much
his orical research was that of Dr.
George Z. Tanner, of FaIibault, on Mis-
s1onary Work After the Church Organi-
cation In Minnesota The date of the
completion of the organization was given
as Sept. IS, 1857. There We're but three
parishes in Minnesota, Christ's church
and st. PauPs church, in st. Paul, and
Gethsemane church, III Minneapolis. But
besides there there were six missionaries
or the board of missions, laboring at va
rlous points, and there was also the as
soclate mission. The associate mis-
s1on and the Indian work were supported
entirely through the correspondence of
Rev. j. Lloyd Brock, the head of the
work or the three parishes, none of
which received aid from the domestic
board, one had been in existence a single
year, second had lately become indie
pendent, while the third reported in 1858
a total offering Of $26292 Practically,
therefore, the entire territory Of Mime
sofa was missionary ground. The ma
t1ve-oorn population in 1850 was about
$4,000. In that year one-third of the pop
ulation was reckoned as foreign born.
The total number of communicates was
about 800, one to every 800 of the
American population. Rt Rev. Jackson
Kemper was missionary bishop of the
territory, residing at Delafield, Wis.
Rev. E. Steele Peake's paper preceded
Dr. Tanners, and was sort of an IN
PRODUCTION to it, the subject being mis-
sionary Work Before the Organization"
when the enligrant wagon, known as
the prairie schooner, the numbering stage,
the OK cart, or the canoe, were the only
means of transportation" said the speak
er, the United States, in 1920, sent her
troops to Fort Smelling. Many of the
wives of the soldiers accompanied their
husbands, and early in the twenties the
first Sunday school in Minnesota was
started by Mrs. Nathan Clark, daughter
of Mrs. Charlotte Van Cleve, and Mrs.
Smelling. Saltwater was settled in 1S46,
and q little later e. Greeley opened his
house for the first church service there.
r. A. Greenleaf received the appoint
ment as missionary of the board. Bishop
Kemper visited Saltwater in 1S4S, and held
confirmation
Mr.. Peake traced the growth Of the
church from those early settlement days
| until its complete organization.
Dr. Poole read a paper on Bishop Gil
bert and Later Developments" He paid
an eloquent tribute to the character of
the late bishop, laying particular stress
on his personal magnetism and the
! contagious enthusiasm that he had for
his work. eff the late bishop had a
| hobby" said the speaker. sit was Swe-
dish mission work. He 1abored earnestly
among that class of our, zforeign-born
population and with most gratifying re-
suits. Mr.. Poole also referred to the
| bishops work among the negroes, which
was equally painstaking.
DR.. Dobbins spoke on Bishop Whipple
and Laying Foundations" He spoke espe-
cially Of Bishop Whipples work among
the Indians and of the influence he was
able to exert over them for their own
good. He tCld of the bishops labor to
harmonic the various elements in his
diocese, and pointed out the wonderful
results.
An interesting collection Of relics, dat
ing back to early missionary days, was
en- exhibition in the guild room.