Los Angeles herald., 1907-01-10
WOMEN FARMERS
FOR THEIR CHURCH
PLANT AND HARVEST THIRTY
ACRES OF CORN
Pastor, In overaIIs and Hickory Shirt,
One Of the Leading Workers.
Tired Of Raising Funds in
the Ordinary Way
Special to The Herald.

Special to The Herald
MORAN, Kas., Jan. 9.-To get
money for their church the Presby-
terian women of the little town of
Moran, Kas., rented farm and cul-
tivated 1t. The men of the church
helped them, but the women went into
the field, drove sulkey plows and
shocked the crop of Kaffr corn.
The Presbyterian church was the first
church built I'm the town of Moran. 1t
has 105 members, none of whom are
rich. There was some difficulty, as
there Is in the majority of churches, in
raising enough money to pay the pas
tors salary and other expenses of the
church.
Cooperative Church Farming
Then the idea of cooperative farm
ing was mentioned and the members of
the church at once became enthusiastic
| That was last spring.
The women of the church agreed to
go into the field and do their share of
| the work.
A farm was rented from J. G. Strong
and the crop was planted.
Upon a certain day agreed upon the
members of the church who were
farmers took their teams, plows and
| harrows to the field and went to work.
| Men of the town who were not farmers
went into the field and drove harrows
and relieved the farmers when they
were tired. The women of the congre-
cation carried water and prepared an
excellent luncheon, which was served
at midday in a tent near the plowed
ground, and they served supper when
| the days work was done.
| All through the growing season the
crop of Kaffir corn was watched anx-
iously by the congregation of the
| Presbyterian church. The crop was re-
membered in the prayers that were Of
fered up both in the church and out
Of it. When dry weather threatened it
the whole church in a body prayed for
it's preservation, and when rain came
| and frightened 1t to a vivid green
again the Good Lord was thanked.
The crop grew and ripened well and
at last it was announced from the pull
pit that upon certain day the congre-
cation would meet upon the church
farm to reap as it had sown.
/ Church Women as Harvesters
The harvesting of the crop of Kaffir
corn has just been finished. There were
thirty acres of it and it will yield about
twenty-five bushels to the acre. The day
of the harvesting the women of the
church, in calico dresses and sunbon-
nets, were early upon the field. They
had a large cook tent at one edge of
the corn field and in front of 1t were
tables and benches for the men. The
men came in overalls and working
shirts. There were five corn binders In
the field. The women followed the
binders and helped the men shock the
. . corn. Enough women to do the cooking
2 stayed in the tent.
The Rev. E. L. Combs, pastor of the
Y church, was among the workers in the
! field. He wore overalls and hickory
shirt and worked as hard as any of the
: men. His hands were blistered when
the day closed.
The Church Dinner
At noon a blast from the dinner horn
called the workers from the field. They
gathered at the tent where long,
rough table of boards had been built
upon stakes driven into the ground.
Benches were upon each side. Upon
this table was spread as fine dinner as
was ever served to field hands upon a
farm.
It's better than ever I get at home"
one of the farmers declared.
A blessing was asked by the pastor,
! as all stood with bowed heads around
the table.
After dinner the work was resumed in
the field. 1t was sunset before the last
stalk of corn was cut and shocked. 1t
was Dig Qdy WOTk anu dll were llT6u.
Supper was served at the tent for the
weary workers. Afterward a big fire
was lighted and the men camped around
upon the grass until the women had
done up the dishes.
Then, in the moonlight, all marched
, away across the field singing hymns as
they went.
A threshing machine will be put into
: the field soon and the corn will be sold.
The congregation has field of twen-
ty-five acres of winter wheat which was
planted by the men and women of the
7 church.
; A Feeling of Brotherly Love
The Rev. Mr.. Combs, pastor of the
church. said about this agricultural ell
: terprise of the church,
Whatever We get for our crop will
be almost all profit, of course. The seed
itself was contributed by members of
: the church, the work was all contrib
uted and our only expense will be the
rental for the land, which has been
made exceedingly small in this special
case. We will have a nice little sum
from our farm.
But the greatest benefit has been the
Christian spirit of good will 1t has en-
gendered. Members of the church, work.
ing together in the field for the good of
the church, and sacrificing something
for it, have been brought closer to-