Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1910-12-11
FINDS NEW USE
FOR GOOD BOOK
MISSOURI PREACHER FINDS IA.
SIS NOR MODERN FARMING.
SOLUTION FOR HIGH COST


There is Missourlan who has
found new use for the Bible His
rame is Albert Sitton and untl re-
Gently he has devoted his entire time
10 preaching the gospel TO such sin
crrs IN Southern and Central Mis-
scuri az might fam under the lnrm-
cucc of the Baptist Church. lie has
Tho title Of evangelist" and his
rough ana ready wit. his earnostnoss
ana compelling oratory have made
MIN famous through all the Ozark
region Not long ago he made a
radical change in the style OF his ser
mon. The "coyt Of living had been
echoed among the mountains and the
poor showing Of rural Missouri In the
census Of 1910 SGT him 10 thinking
"lf religion is any good, it ought 10
help the farmer in his battle FOR
NE he said 81 tell my people that
the Bible Is the only guide they need.
ana MS mp To me 10 mako good ON
This farming question"
So tho Baptist evangelist set to
work to Search the Scriptures" with
new purpose In view Then he
sent word 10 the immigration COM
mission in ST. Louis that he was pro
pared to do his part IN the uphuildlng
Of the state, Instead OF preaching
the doctrines Of his sect in the hope
Of adding now members IN the
churches, he proposed that ne make
his circuit preaching good farming
a. the men and women who were al
ready within the fold lie went on
ia say that In all the libraries and all
the files Of farm journals there was
NOT another text book ON farming,
horticulurc ana stock raising 20 be
compared with the Bible. lie would
teach the intensely religions hut pitt
mlly slipshod Missouri farmer that
ID IS his Christian duty 10 make the
e,il yield an it can. He had the
Bible for authority and he could
cirr passages Of Scripture showing
what the Almighty considered the
proper methods Of farming, as they
had been revealed to the chosen pco-
pie,
He had heard the Ozark farmer
rldiculc the methods that arc now
hCinG taught at the college Of agri-
culture in Columbia, and he begins
his sermon with rho assertion. "Therc
Is nothing taught in that state school
that doesn't 30 back 10 the Bible.
Men may have had Ia discover Il all
over again and dig ii out by hard
experience, but its.all lherc. in black
ana white ready for any one who
wants to know. aud It's been there
nll the time. The trouble with MS
Christians is that we don't make use
OF the wisdom that's all spread ont
in Inc Bible for us, free for thc talk
Ing"
This necessity for obcying FOR
putting the mind in n receptive att
ndo and accepting the teachings that
were given the ancients occupies q
largo place in the sermon. Tho evan
gclst goes 10 great lengths To show
that all the really successful farmers
and stock raiscrs Of Biblical times
were the good men. There was
Abraham, who trusted so fully that
he left his own country and went out
to occupy a wholly unknown land.
jrst as the immigrant is doing now
when he responds 10 the call 10 come
and occupy the fertile acres Of our
sparscly populated state, \ note OF
warning Is sounded whom the native
farmer Is reminded that when Abra-
ham arrived In this new region to
which God he'd sent him, the Cana
antc was then in the land" II was
Abraham the man who loved God,
10 whom the Canaanitc had TO give
place just as the native Missourian
Will have to give place 10 the new
conner If he fails TO apply himself to
his task The farmer has the option
or being like Abraham or like the
Canannlte. He can transform his
Mornont farm into new country
or he can be driven out ana hand
the place over 10 the man who will
make use Of the instruction that God
has given him. The man who fol-
lows the instructions in this greatest
textbook on horticulture will prosper
as Abraham aid.
In this wise the evangelist finds
Biblical authority for all tho modern
agricultural movements. and the ma
tive Mssourlan, who has been taught
"a accept everything in the Bible, Is
slowly hut surely changing his atti-
udc. II Is only q question OF tlmo
until he win change his method also.
lilo has boon in the habit Of regarding
Solomon ms n far-off dlgnltary with
whom he could not possibly have
anything in common. hut Sitton tells
him that any man who will follow In
tho footsteps Of Solomon can be a
'king Of his own land" solomon
went into horse raising on large
scale and the hilly pastures Of the
O2arks are ideal for the breeding Of
fine horses. The wso king also
planted vineyards and orchards. in
which he must be taken as an OK
ample II the Missouri farmer would
prosper. He did ono other thing
which tho native farmer has over
looked. "Ife mndo pools 10 wntcr
tho wood" Among all the modern
agricultural methods there Ia none
that comes In for greater rldicule
Than this new idea Of irrigation IN
decd the whole idca of tultlvating
trees nppenrs sonsccss and irrational
10 the old-timo farmer pruning ana
spraying. plowirg ana fcrtlllslng no.
ing regarded ns only little less an
surd than the now-fangled notion or
irrlgaiinr. A tree, they declare, IL ~
tree. and " Il can't hustle for itself
II ought To die. II is not liko corn