The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-01-31
gagged in manufacturing and selling
realize that to attempt to dodge the
law is we'll nigh useless.--Fred T.
Lincoln
MESSAGE FROM BISHOP nANN.


When was first appointed to North
Dakota most of my eastern friends ex-
pressed themselves in by no means
cheering phrases of COMMUNICATION.
And never having seen the state my
self, never known any Of It's people,
came to it with a certain doubtful
ness. Four years. residence have
enabled me to smile at the stories of
frozen thermometers and. rampant
billiards.. OF desolate deserts and un-
civilized towns.
l find the climate as good, taking
the whole year round, as anywhere
In the United States, and far better
than In many more populOus regions
bright sunshine. bracing dry air,
and with nights when sleep is always
easy and sound. l find the people
elsewhere in the republic. In every
village, and scattered over the coun-
tryside, are men and women who have
had the best educational advantages,
who know the customs of the past
and exhibit that of the present.
True there Is a large farming pop
ulation, and some Of that is quite un-.
schOOled and occasionally ignorant.
Yet it is one of the finest spectacles
presented in the state, this host of
people, who in their former habita-,
tons own no property and had no
chance. developing into vigorous and
prosperous farmers, sturdy yeo-
many. And the North Dakota inter-
est in and passion for education is
large and noble Nowhere else in
America is there more striking en-
hibition of the power and value of
our common school systems. Let us
all stand by it most Loyalty.
One popularity of our state is that,
as Homer often said, in words which
are literally true, 1T is state with
out millionaire and without q pau
per-" We have not yet had the con-
ditions which build up enormous in
dividual fortunes and at the same time
wreck a throng Of struggling men.
How much longer this state of things
can be maintained do not know, but
it is cheerful one while It lasts.
Save in the case of bodily incapacity
any honest and sober man or woman
can make comfortable livelihood in
North Dakota.
AS to the success of the Episcopal
church in the state l am glad and
proud to say, that it is large. l do
not mean that the results are COM
parable in size with these of some of
the other religious bodies-that in
number of members and buildings, in
amount Of contributions, ETC., the
Episcopal church holds front place.
But, mean that. considering the con-
tributions, considering that vast for
eign immigration hardly furnishes US
with single communicate, that the in
fluX of native Americans are not from
the states where our church is in the
ascendant, our growth and strength
are notable.
We have not nearly enough clergy;
yet we do manage to supply, at least
occasionally, the services and the sac
rament to all our scattered people.
Out of the 80 towns shown in the re-
cent census, as having q population
of over 200, we minister in g., and in
20 other places. Each of the last
five years has seen several new
churches erected, some of them beau
tiful stone buildings. All the regular
dues are fairly met, and there has
been evinced a genuine and helpful
interest in the general missionary
work of the church.
And this is perhaps best of all, l
feel that in this open tolerant atmos-
phere of this typical state of the
northwest, the Episcopal church has
the respect and esteem of the Inn
mense majority of the people outside
her fold; and is contributing to the
general life of the community those
special qualities which all men allow
that she possesses.
So l enter upon my fifth year of
residence in North Dakota with faith
in the future of the state and stronger
hope for the progress of the work in
which it is my privilege to share.
Cameron Mann, Bishop of North
Dakota.