The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1904-10-21
METAoDlsTs IN SESSION.
Dakota Conference in Its Twentieth
Annual Meetind at Mitchell

Canton. S. D., Oct. 1.-THE twentieth
annual session OF the South Dakota
conference of the Methodist church.
which is in session at Mitchell, will be
one of the most interesting if not the
most noteworthy of anS that has been
held in the state Bishop John w.
Hamilton of Los Angeles. Cal, will
preside, and G. r. Notson, pastor OF
the church at Pierre. will act as re-
cording secretary until a successor has
been selected.
The conference is composed of 1876
preachers, presiding elders, mission
aries, deacons and college professors.
Mitchell was selected as the place of
holding the conference this year by the
last annual gathering, which occurred
at Aberdeen in October, 1903.
The work of the conference this year
will consist of receiving and consider
ing reports from all the different APP
pointments in the state, reports from
presiding elders. laying plans for the
proper execution of the work during
the coming year, and making appoint-
ments of pastors to the 12S different
church societies, end tle five presiding
elder districts throughout the state.
The financial department of the
church in the state is one which abb
serbs more than ordinary interest
among the membership. According to
the reports made to he annual confer
ence last year the church expended
October, 1903, nearly 100000 in the ad-
ministration of it's business affairs. OF
this amount 100000 was paid out to
pastors and presiding elders in salaries,
$4,000 more was consumed in the workp
of building new churches and parson-
ages and making improvements on old
ones, and $4,000 was contributed for
(! missionary, church extension, educa-..
tional and other benevolent work Of
the church. This large sum will see a
substantial increase in the reports that
are to be submitted to the session of.
the conference which conveneS at
Mitchell today. The total amount of
cash expenditure will be found to have
reached the sum of $4,000 during the
past conference year ending the first
of this month. OF this amount 100000
has been paid out for salaries of
/ preachers and presiding elders, $65. 00o
for buildings. improvements and liqui-
dat1on of debts on same, and $35, 600 for
the various benevolences.
The Methodist church in South Da-
kota during the past conference year
has reached a membership of 1000, has
S42s 900, lO4 parsonages valued at s132.-
600. 2S6 Sunday schools with 210O Off
GERS and teachers and an enrolled
membership of 1900.
A good deal of speculation has arisen
| about what will be done with Elder d,
Reffenback of Watertown, and Elder
G. E. Hager of Mitchell and incident
ally who their successors will be. The
prevailing opinion is that DIR. N. A.
Swickard of Canton will be promoted
to the eldership on the Mitchell dis
trict, and that Elder D. ReifenbaclS will
be returned to Canton, where he served
very satisfactorily for five years before
he was made presiding elder. c. f.
Hager. now presiding elder at Mitchell,
= talked of for the appointment to the
Huron church. to take the place of DR..
L. III. Youngman, who is expecting to
superannuate. DR.. j. w. TAYLOR of Abb
erdeen. who leaves the conference to
take the place Offered him at Daven-
port. Ia. will make it necessary for the
conference to find another man as coed
as Taylor for the Aberdeen church. for
this church is one of the best in the
state and it will not be satisfied with a
pastor less than fully as good as Tay-
lor, and men of that variety are exceed
ingly scarce in the Dakota conference.
The shifting around that will become
necessary in order to supply the places
that are becoming vacated will make
many changes in pastoral opportunities
unavoidable. and there are not many
preachers in the conference this year
who may not reasonably expect to be
called on to move in the final adjust
nlent of the situation. 1t is probable
that the greatest number of changes
will be made among the ministers who
have not been moved for a number of
years, and over half of these have not
been changed in four years or more.
These places are Britton, Pierre Wes-
sington Springs, Chamberlain, Geddes,
Plankinton, Woonsocket. I3eresford,
Dell Rapids, Elk Point, Flandreau cir
cult, Hartford. Lennox, First church at
Sioux Falls, Arlington, Big Stone, Lake
Preston. Sisseton, Wauby, Henry. Web
ster. That comparatively few of these
places will escape the general shifting
process which is expected is reasonably
certain, unless ways and means can be
devised to avoid the expected.
Brookinss Wants to Be City.
Brookings, S. d.. oct. IA petition
is being circulated for the purpose OF
bringing the matter of re-organizing:
the city under the general law for cities
of the second class before the mayor
and council here. There has been a
feeling for some time among a number
of the leading citizens that something
ought to be done in the way or re-
organizing, as the needs of the city
have out grown the old charter, and
because of new conditions and of re-
cent legislation it is difficult to deter
mine what is the proper course to pur-
sue In many instances without judic-
ial decision in the matter.
0nAAlr Onoo st0~