The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1902-04-30

Etore' outspoken. 1t now found in his
vote against having the Wamplers be-
fore the session what unconsciously it
had long been waiting fora point of
union and onset. The pastors friends,
however, were in the main stanch, and
open opposition only intensified their
ardor. The session divided again about
evenly, but the opponents of the pas
tor were the cunninger faction and
finally persuaded two of his supporters
to disregard personal preference and
join them in voting a request to Mr..
Holt for his resignation.
With his session thus become practi-
cally unanimous against him and a
good third of the congregation fiercely
urging the session on, the poor minister
would gladly have yielded up his
charge and fled away, but this, it SEEM
ed to him, would be moral weakness,
a clear violation of his duty to the
larger faction who devoutly besought
him to stay, so he refused to comply
with the sessions request. Appeals
followed to higher bodies, and a tedi-
Gus, complex, eXhausting contest re-
suited, ending in defeat for the oppos-
ing minority, which thereupon with
drew from the church in a body and
organized a new society.
And this is the origin of what is since
known in OSceola as the New church,
the church which in recent years has
been so maryelously blessed. But it
had hard struggle in the beginning.
1t began to prosper only after the Rev.
Mr.. Holliwe.l took charge. He is a
natural pulpit orator, man thorough
| ly abreast of the times. He began by
prefacing his sermons with a familiar
talk on current topics, and every three
months he preached a sermon eXclu-
sively for men and another exclusive
| ly for women and one for the young
people, and by these and other novel
ties he soon awakened an interest
which has continued until now the New
church congregation is much the lar
gest and wealthiest IN the town. Then
Andrew Jarboe, a rich old bachelor
farmer, died and left the church $1O,-
900, and that was great help to it.
In life Andrew had not been notable
supporter of churches, but Mr.. Holt
had once rebuked him sharply for fail
ing to supply a due weight of but
ter, and it is supposed that this had
somewhat to do with determining his
surprising bequest to the New church.
Poor Mr.. Holt after the New church
began to come up so conspicuously suf-
fered a certain decline in the regard of
his congregation. The members were
still free in expressions of devotion to
him, but it became evident that in their
feelings they had a little cooled, and
Mr.. Holt finally sought another charge.
And his departure is not the least i'm
portant item in a general change which
has now made Osceola a wholly differ
ent town from what it was at the time
when Hamlin Wampler disinterred
Mrs. Luther Gears holly sprig spoon
from the turkey stuffing. Winter at it's
visitations is still profuse, but the
householder and shopkeeper now sweep
and shovel the snow from their walks
!. down almost to the last flake, and but
J a slight moisture under foot deters the
ablest bodied men from going abroad
without their rubber shoes.
Even the revivals are not what they
were. So much have they suffered in
} their old time fervor that to the one
: church in which they still maintain
their former lustihood people now re-
Z sort in crowds out of mere curiosity tt
view the spectacle. Here as regularly
: as winter comes the best known repro
. bates of the town are brought under
tumultuous conviction. But when come
, the spring thaws, little by little theil
3 new virtue relaXes, and as the year ad
vances and all nature grows jocunt
and voluptuous they slip back for the
: most part into their old wild ways
Thus one winter opens with no les:
2 occasion than another for stentoriaI
= evangel. Last winter, however, amons