Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1903-11-05
THrRrY.rH1RD AEHrvERsARY,
Trinity Lutheran Church Celebrates
Special Event. s~s,

Lutheran church, yesterday, 10 ceie
brste Its thirty-third anniversary
The church was beautifully dscorstst
and an excellent musical program wsl
rendered BY quartette. Mrs. Niesley,
Mrs. Young. Mr.. Malott and Mr.. ELI
son, . duet by Mrs. Nissley and Mr.
Malott, and solo BY Mrs. Young.
The Trinity Lutheran church wei
organized on Oct. %. 1870. with Rev
William q. Crebbs for its Grst pastor,
For the first year and half after ths
organization, the meetings were held
In the old Baptist church, on tho
south side. and attsrward until thu
construction Of the present church
building in 1878. the congregation
hsld services 10 Metropolitan hall.
Commencing with charter mem,
bership Of IS, the church has grown
and prospered In the thirty-thrss
years Of its existence. II now hes
$50 members and owns several thous-
and dollars worth Of property.
The church has had ten pastors:
Revs. VIM. g. Crebbs. s. P. Herring
ton, W. H. Lilly, J. A. Kissell. g. A..
Bowers, E. B. Killinger, +. M. Porch,
W. L. Ssabrook, Il. G. Haithcox and
Fuller Bergstreaser.
Rev. Bergstresser's sermon, espe-
cially adapted to the occasion. was
full Of brightness and interesting
comments. He said In part:
When this church was organized In
October 1870 there was little more
here than station and . watering.
trough, but now this is one Of the lra-
portant towns Of the state.
The wisest thing the pioneer set
tiers Of Abilene did was to organize
this church. What . man earns N
the day gees into the pocketbook, but
wha: man gives to the church goes
into character. Our giving power
fully effects our character. S
Nothing fills so large place in the
world as the church. History cant
bs written without taking into
account the eharch. 1t 10 ssnctifed
agency for the moral upliit and
redemption Of the human race. The
mission Of the church 10 entirely un'
selfish.
! The keystone Of character is
chiselled and put in place BY the way
we use or abuse our church privileges.
This is decent and safe and fine
place to live because the church was
set up among the first things.
Thirty-three years in Kansas! I'm
glad it's Kansas, and not Missouri or
Nebraska or Utah.
Only thirty-three years in Kansas
and all this! Well, it's high time we
raised our Ebenezer for "hitherto
hath the Lord helped u.s." All
through these years Kansaas have
been the creatures Of his special
princely blessing.
Gods goodness and beauty and
wisdom and power are written oil
over Kansas soil and ell through Kan
sas sunshine. You don't have to
study Buffers Analogy to find out
God In Kansas. You can see him
easy enough in the blue heaven above
or in the bright eyed daisy and sun
flower on the prairie.
A man can leave Maryland or New
York or Pennsylvania and not desire
to return. But no genuine Kansan
can 20 away and be satisfied.
See the magic Of Kansas develop
mentl Now the Union Pacific runs
through q wheat field 3 hundred miles
long and ss many miles wide.
Every morning during the plowing
season the Kansas farmer goes into
. corn field as large a. the whole state
Of New Jersey. Every noon during
harvest the "hands" come TO dinner
from q wheat field 1000 acres more
than all the state CT Delaware. Every
night the htrsd-boy drives the cattle
home from . pasture larger than
Pennsyivania.
Once called ''debert," the state 10
now . garden. The mustang. who
could kick your feet out Of the StirruPs
and bite you in the back quicker than
you could say "WIld BILL" iS suo-
cosdsd BY the PerchsrOn. The buffalo
hss abandoned the prairie, and is
succeeded By the shOrthorn and
Hereford. Corn tasssls where ths