Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-10-04
Special to Times Republican.

! Special to Times Republican.
Maquoketa, Oct. 4.-The fiftieth ar
| nual session of the Upper Iowa con-
ference of the Methodist Episcopa
| church, met here yesterday at the M
q. church. The preliminary services
| consisted in the meeting Of the young
| ministers and their examiners, for the
purpose of passing the, examination
These are written and were all carried
out as planned.
The incoming trains were all loaded
with ministers, coming, from every
part of the district, and the people OF
Maquoketa seemed to be surprised at
the size Of the annual conference.
The Epworth League anniversary
and rally, was a very enjoyable oeca-
sion. DR.. Randall, of Chicago, delivered
the address.
The conference session proper open
ed this morning, Bishop Cranston in
tons, and, assisted by the sew
eral presiding elders. administered the
sacrament Of the Lords supper.
Rev. DR.. Slinglerland, of Des Moines
was reelected secretary, Rev. j. r. A.
Hammer, was reelected statistical Sec
rotary and Rev. T. II. Linn, of Rice
vile, treasurer. C. w. Cleveland, of
Urban, postmaster; G., II. Kennedy, of
Oelwein, agent of the Methodist Re-
view, and w. F. Spry, of Geneva, and
Mark Masters, Of Molltour, reporters.
The bishop was presented with a
gavel by DR.. Van Ness, brought from
the Holy Land by S. D. Barth. He
graciously accepted it, saying that he
usually used his lead pencil
Several visiting brethren, represents
ing large interests of the church, were
present, and there was a continuous
flow Of oratory during the remainder OF
the forenoon. DR.. NJ. G.. B. Mason, col-
ored, of Cincinnati, grew very eloquent
in his speech in regard to his own peo-
pie and the poor people of the south
DR.. Graham, the Junior agent Of the
Western Book Concern, was introduced.
and presented forcifully interests of the
book concern and introduced reso-
luton to the effect that the Methodist
Book Concern withdraw from the Unit
ed Typothetae of America and grant
an eight-hour day to all it's employees
d. d. Thompson, editor of the North
western Christian Advocate, spoke
briefly, and DR.. Hayward, secretary Of
the Porto Rico missions spoke at length
of the grand work being done on the
island. He asked for volunteers for
mission work and two volunteers re-
sponded.
4 The conference took. action. and
something of a tangible nature will be
done on every charge, for helping the
San Francisco churches.
The bishop in brief speech before
the closing of the session, said he came
to the conference without prejudices
or favors, to offer to any, and that
every minister should have fair con-
sideration and receive the best ap-
pointment possible in case Of moving
He appointed a time when any could
talk to him.
Rev. F. L. Loveland, of the First
church of Waterloo, who has recently
accepted a call to the First church at
Omaha, delivered remarkable tenn
perance address in the afternoon.
The amount OF money this confer
ence draws from the Book Concern
this year is 1884 more than for sew
eral years. This is the royalty paid on
books and periodicals purchased in
this conference, and is paid back to
the conference and put into the fund
for superannuated ministers,
Reports OF Districts.
Among the reports of the different
presiding elders DR.. w. +. Pitner. of
the Marshalltown district, showed his
district to be full of enthusiasm and
optimism. DR.. Pitner has proved him
self an able leader of men and has
wrought this year the greatest things
Of his ministry And all this in spite
Of the great sorrow which has hung
over him during the last half of the
year, in the death of his beloved wife,
who passed away May 1S
No deaths have occurred in the ranks
of the preachers during the year.
The Epworth leagues, the missionary
societies and the ladies' aid societies
have all done great work Only five
charges on the district now pay less
than $500. Pastoral support for the
year will aggregate $37,43O. Old debts
to the amount Of $7,732 have been
paid. Only $3.50 ir debts now remain
on the district, and all of that save
$3.50 is on two churches. The leading
charges to pay debts have been Mar
shalltown $4,000 Reinbeck, $1,000, ard
Geneva, $500. improvements amount
to nearly $4,000, Of which Mason City
has $4,000, Sheffield $3.50. Belle
Plaine S24SO. Tama $4,000 Reinheck
$1.122, and Geneva $780,
Under the leadership of DR.. Pitner,
the battle cry for the past three years
on the Marshalltown district has been
zone thousand conversions" The first
year it was 412, the second $50, and
this year with leaps and bounds it is
nearly 1900. All the benevolent inter-
ests Of the church have been looked
after and this years record is we'll in
advance of any preceding year.
MANY ATTEND PREsBYTERY.