Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1908-10-22
THE STATE BARTIsTs
REPORTER SEES A HAPPY FUTURE
FOR SECTION WEST OF
PIERRE.

1IaI\INIA.
The annual meeting of the State
Baptist Convention, which was held
at Pierre two weeks ago, was, in
many respects, one of unusual i'm
portance, and for that reason we
make room for the following para
graphs, selected from the comprehen-
sive report of proceedings published
in the Chicago Standard, the organ of
the denomination in the Northwest:
Nearly 800 miles north and west of
Chicago lies Pierre, the capital of
South Dakota, on the banks of the
Missouri. Although the present city
was founded only in 1876, Pierre fora
century has been spot on the map
In the early part Of the nineteenth
century Fost Pierre-just across the
river from the present city-became
an Indian trading point, and this was
two years before Fort Smelling was
built 1t was once an island of civil
li2ati0n in sea of unknown wilder
ness; it became an outpost of civili-
zation; then the end of the railway:
then capital of the state, and then the
city in which met the South Dakota
Baptist Anniversaries of 1908. There
are now 1000 inhabitants in Pierre
and with the development of the
country which is sure to follow the
opening Of the Indian reservations
this very week, and the settling of the
great empire west of the Missouri,
the city is sure of continuous growth
In this interesting environment, the
new civilization touching some of the
old, primitive conditions, the Bap-
fists of South Dakota gathered last
week for their annual meetings. AS
was the case last year at Deadwood
so now this year at Pierre the Bap-.
fists held the first religious State con
yention in the history of the town.
South Dakota is land of marvel
GUS opportunities for Baptists. Four
years ago the population of the vast
area between the Missouri river and
the Black Hills did not exceed 1000
persons, all of whom directly or midi
rectly depended upon stock-raising
| for substance. At that time great
change began which will continue
until the state is transformed. With
the opening of a few thousand acres
Of the Rosebud Indian Reservation
in Gregory county, hundreds of thous-
ands tried to secure one of the $500
homesteads available. The disap-
pointed ones turned their attention to
the lands in Lyman, Stanley and
other counties and the movement
thus started has been accelerated by
the building of two lines of railway
across this country. Since the first
Of March Of the current year thous-
andS Of carloads Of settlers belong
ings have crossed the Missouri river.
AS they are almost without exception
English-speaking people, the chara G.
ter OF missionary work beyond the
river Will necessarily be different
than when the state was first settled.
Ihus there is open before us an area
as large as many states into which are
coming thousands of people who are
open to evangeliZstion. Is it not
/ time for South Dakota Baptists to
read the summons to mighty future?
South Dakota Baptists are like the
husband and wife to whom twins have
come while there are already four
other children to be fed, and clothed
and trained, and the four require
every cent of present income. The
new babies are gladly welcomed, but
things look blue in family councils
for time. The state is growing, the
older churches are slowly coming to
self-support, Sioux Falls college is
beginning to prosper. Just at this
Juncture comes the opening of the
great empire with it's thousands of
square miles of land made available
for settlement. Trainloads of men,
women and children are streaming
into the new territory They must be
evangelical, missionaries must be
sent to them. Churches must be or-
ganized and church houses must be
built. But the emigration to the new
country west of the Missouri, in some
! Instances, has sapped the life blood
from the older churches. The older
churches are called upon to do m ore
for the twins, but have a&depleted in
come with which to do it. In the
meantime, ''the folks in the East, .
in this instance the Home Mission
Society, are sending word that the
regular yearly gifts are to be cut
down. What shall South Dakota
Baptists do? Shall they give up the
fight and leave the new state within
the old one without Baptist churches:
Shall the religious triumphs achieved
i'll the early days be now without dup.