Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1904-12-14
NCOMPLEMENT
OF LEWISTOWN
Or. Donaldson Writes Of His Early
Experiences Here as Compared
With Those Of 1904.
FUTURE HOLDS GREAT PROMISE
Rev. George Edwards Scheme to Eat
the Church Out of Debt-Pleas-
ant Memories Survive.

DR.. R. NJ. Donaldson, of Bozeman,
who was n OF the ministers attend
ing the meeting of Synod here in Oc-
tober, writes in the Rocky Mountain
Presbyterian as follows:
Lewistown wanted the meeting of
Synod, and got 1t. II the people are
as well satisfied with the results as
are the members of Synod, there is
mutual satisfaction as to place and
treatment. Pastor and people spared
no effort to insure the comfort and
good will of the visitors. Most of
these were making their first visit in
the Judith basin. II was a revelation
to them of the undeveloped resources
OF our state and of the land yet to
be occupied for the Master. But moi
all were tender feet" Elder Peter
Koch went back after an absence of
more than thirty years, to try to To-
cate the site Of the first building erect
ed on the site of Lewistown-erected
by himself. Not even the most ell
thusiastic residents took more pride
in its progress than did this pioneer.
To we editor" the visit brought
back many memories of a visit ten
years ago. and in many particulars
the contrasts were striking. | went
to assist Edwards with evangelistic
services. He was alone in the manse,
but had devolved a scheme to "eat
the nianse out of debt II was in
geniously wrought out, and he receiv-
ed some material assistance that
week. He had built the manse, in
part, with his own hands, and was
helping to pay for the balance. His
sister had returned to the east, and
Edwards must either maintain bach
elor's quarters, or find some way out.
He proposed to some of the house
Keepers that II they would board the
preacher, he would pay the amount
into the manse fund, and thus assist
in relieving them of the burden of
debt. The scheme was d success, un-
fSSS thO w tdluCIo udu oil duttTSt
opinion. The services of the week
were concluded by a lecture on the
mission of Music" The choir fur.
nished a brief popular program. The
Judge adjourned court to increase the
crowd. The church was packed and
the proceeds amounted to $50. Half
this amount paid the speakers expen.
ses, and the other half applied on the
aforesaid debt on the manse. The la
tervening decade has brought many
experiences, east and west, but has
not blotted out the delightful recol
lectiOns of that former visit with the
fellowship that grew out of IL. The
recent visit served TO intensity the
favorable impressions of "auld lang
syne."
In that earlier day Lewistown was
reached by a stage ride of 1875 miles
from Great Falls. The Concord
coaches" were not palace cars, but
made the trip in n day, at the rate
Of eight miles per hour. While the
springs did not look 1t, they were
spiral in their action, and reaction
The gyrations of the coach with its
n passenger could not be recorded
by any device I have seer in an.
laboratory. 1t played football with
its victim, and Rugby ball at that
You could not glue yourself to the
seat, and there was no street ca
strap to hold you near the roof. How
ever that did not prevent your strik
ing the roof with your neck and shoul
ders. and the floor with your knees
apparently about the same time. I'll,
only alternative was 10 ride with tn,
driver. And such swearing! TIL,
blue Of the sky was an envious tin
OF green in comparison with the at
mosphere about the driver; for 1t wa
he that did the swearing. The bron
chos furnished the apparent provoca
ton. We returned through a blizzaI,
that brought the thermometer to q
below.
Now there is a difference. From
Lombard, almost the entire member
ship of Synod went in, 157 miles. owe
the Montana railroad. We went Ii
comparative comfort and speed
through rs miles of canyon SO majec
tic and beautiful that thousand
would crowd it daily, through all tn
year, If it was within so miles o
New York or Chicago. We wer