Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1908-12-22
The Presbyterian BANQUET

OF the board of Home Missions, was q
very enjoyable affair. DIR. E. J. Clark
acted as POSTMASTER and kept things
moving. Following is the program: a..
1 Invocation. Rev. Geo. H. Greenfield
2 Course
Pioneer "Reminiscences James Clark
Course
What can Elko do for her young
men. go. Rev. J. J. banks of Carlin
6 Course
Our Schools, Prof P. J. NIcWhinney
3 Course q
8 The good will of the Western Pa
cific.. ................F. S. Gedney
10 The Elko Presbyterian Church-Its
past. ..:..... 81. l.. Keyser
IL The Elio Presbyterian Church-Its,
future. ....... Lambert Henderson
IL Our guest. DIR. w. s. Holt
The POSTMASTER followed the reading
OF each toast with an appropriate senti-
ment. The speeches were all very good,
but to the writer's mind the speech of
the evening was made by Lambert
Henderson. The young man showed
oratorical ability which if he will cult
vate will make him a very popular after
dinner speaker. The "reminiscences of
the early church work in Elko by
Uncle Jimmy Clark brought peals of
laughter from every one present.
Principal McWhinney in his remarks
about the schools made the statement
that there were several boys under the
age of ID years in Elko who were al
lowed by their parents to run around
town till late at night and that they
frequented saloons and gambling games
Also that these boys had been known to
place money OH the roulette wheels.
This statement came as ~ shock to the
writer. If such condition of affairs
exists in this town, and we have no
reason to doubt Principal McWhinney's
word, it is high time the people of Elko
are waking up to the evils that sur
rounds their boys. Such conditions are
a disgrace to Elko and they should be
speedily removed
The speeches in regard to the past
and future of the Presbyterian church
gave a concise history of the church
since it's organization and predicted q
bright future. 1t seemed to the writer,
however that too much stress was laid
upon the poverty of the church and that
DR.. Holt must have been impressed with
the idea that the people of ElkO have
been a very misery lot in the past and
that there was but little hope of them
in the future. Not one of the speakers
mentioned what the people of Elllo
have done in the past twenty years for
the churches and what they are doing
today. 1t is true that for many years
church work languished in Elko. So
did all other work.
In 1892, the town of Elko was at q
very low ebb. The most of it's people
were poor and their prospects for the
future were not bright. But in that
year the old Presbyterian church was
abandoned and the present church was
begun and completed the next year at
1893 or 4, the people were called upon
for funds to build the Episcopal church.
They responded again, and st. Pauls
church stands as monument, to their
generosity.
The organization of the Episcopal
church doubled the burden the people
were already bearing. There were now
two churchs to support instead of one.
What would have made one prosperous,
thrifty church was divided and two
weak, struggling churches was the re-
suit. But still the end was not. Each
church decided that it must have hall.
Again the people were called on and
Mizpah and Leonard Halls were built.
But we cannot pursue the subject
further. When all the record is given,
the people of Elko do not show up so
miserly. We hope this will fall under
the eye of DR.. Holt and that he will not