Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-11-04
An Iowa Circuit Rider.

| The first session OF the Upper Iowa
conference was held in Maquoketa In
l1S56. Bishop James held the reins.
The evening of the week of the con-
ference had come The work of the
| cabinet was not nearly completed
| There was n deadlock. The problem
| was to secure a presiding elder from
| the Sioux City district. Several OF
1.-THE older and more experienced men
were solicited, but generously declined
the honor,
| The bishop sent for Landon Taylor,
TO see if he could not be prevailed upon
to take the district, go to the western
part of the state. where flowed the Big
Muddy thru the encountered prairies
on its way to join the Father of Waters
and drive down a stake for the Meth
odist Episcopal church.
When advised of the real situation.
Taylor half seriously, half humorously,
replied. Bishop. II that is your only
hope. put me down" Then followed
such congratulations as have seldom
occurred in a cabinet of presiding eld-
ers. To the westward away lay dis
lance of three hundred and fifty miles
to be Travelled thru primeval prairies.
that knew no roads, to reach Sioux
City.
When Bishop James arose to read the
appointments there was hush, as sew
eral of the preachers knew about the
bishops embarra ssment in planning for
Sioux City district, and not man OF
them. with one exception, saw any
thing tempting in a presiding eldership
~. ~ "a rnu 1--WE
AS ne read on, Sioux City district
Landon Taylor" Sioux City station
(first church,, Landon Taylor" he
paused; and with peculiar personal
emphasis, which could not be initiated,
he exclaimed. GLORY enough for one
man. The district over which Taylor
was appointed comprised one-fcurth of
the state.
There was then no Algona district
with its forty-two appointments, no
Sheldon district with It's thirty -eight
good charges. no Fort Dodge district
with its thirty five fine circuits and
stations, and no Ida Grove district with
its thirty seven choice preaching plac-
es, nor a Sioux City district with thir-
ty-three pastorates.
Northwest Iowa conference with
these five districts, is one of the
strongest and most promising In Amer
lea. Look at the picture OF Its begin
nings:
There was little society at Sac
City, another at Smithland. one at Ser
ceant Bluff, and handful Of members
at Sioux City.
Landon Taylor was accompanied on
r1n Nv ox,
D. j. Havens Ravens was not in good
health. Sleeping in a wagon at night
was not very congenial to him. Three
days they travelled over the prairie ris-
ing and setting with the sun. On the
fourth day out the mosquitoes swarmed
around them in clouds. There was no
escape In the day, at night there was
no defense or rest. Havens concluded
that if this was foretaste OF the
bishops "glory"-referred to when
Taylor's appointment was read-that
the contamination must be decidedly
rich. In few days came two success
sive frosts, which killed all the corn
in the western part Of the state. and,
as Taylor recorded, closed up the mos
quito history for that fall.
At Sac City they rested and enjoy
ed a cup of coffee, the first they had
tasted since they had started out on
the trop.
From Sac City these pioneers jour-
neyed to Smlthland, down the Maple
Valley, thence to Sergeant Bluff. and
Sioux City. Which place should be
selected as the head of the district was
a proposition to be settled on the very
start by the presiding elder. sharp
rivalry was on between Sergeant Bluff
and Sioux City for precedence. Taylor
saw with sure keenness of vision
that the supremacy lay with Sioux
City. Sergeant Bluff was too far in
the country. But the Methodists had
neither church nor parsonage in the