Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1913-03-20
From Rev StrOther.

Ed. Register and Its Many Read
ers-To day finds us in the midst OF
spring time here in Southern Cali
fornia. The cold weather has injured
this country in fruit growing to the
extent of millions of dollars on this
years crop, and trees are frozen out
in many sections and will not bear for
years. Vast orange ranches are
total loss and thousands of car loads
of frozen oranges are laying on the
ground and all the beautiful climbing
roses and flower gardens I wrote
about were frozen and dead. In fact
we had ice IL inches thick here IN
Pasadena and in Los Angeles it was
8 inches thick. Now, folks, that would
freeze Missouri pumpkin,so you can
imagine what it did to ripening
oranges and lemons. Yet this is
great climate.
Well, l woke up this morning (Sun-
day) and viewed mountains Wilson
and Mt Lowe from my bedroom
before arose for the day. The
sun was shining and the birds warbling
and children running up and down
the streets barefooted, and the
mountains covered with snow. 1t al
forded beautiful scene. l arose and
thanked God for the privilege OF
breathing this sea breeze; yet, there is
sort of longing in my heart to get
back to the hills of Missouri and have
good old fashioned revivals and see
folks get saved and shout the victory
This country is preacher poor. l
never saw SO many preachers any
where as there are here. There are
preachers here from everywhere,
preaching every kind of doctrine from
everything to nothing, and hundred
of preachers have gone into real es-
tate business and others to horse
trading; in fact, you can find preach
ers in most every line of business.
But think so often of question once
asked in Sunday School lesson like
this: 'sIf God called man to preach
who calls him to quit?" But so many
of these men have never had an op-
portunity to make money before and
when they get into this madNrush OF
commercialism which prevails in this
country they seem to lose sight Of
their great calling, and their spiritual
interests die; and a lost, ruined, wreck
ed world of humanity no longer hangs
on their heart, but the glitter of gold
and the rush ofbusiness separate then
from God. And at the final end a.
the Judgment there will be preacher
to burn. Because they were no
faithful watchmen. 'Tis sad but true
am delighted to say | enjo,
preaching better than ever. Hav,
had many opportunities to enter bust
ness here but refused l traded one
half interest in my Oklahoma farm
for an Ice Cream factory and building
in Los Angeles, which was fin
wholesale and retail concern, but sol
it in less than week. am now ad
justing my affairs and am open for
good Missouri farm, near some goo
railroad town, that can realize an in
come from. My mission on earth
to be messenger for Jesus. hav
preached from the backwoods school
houses to the Camp meeting and
fine city churches, but must, confes
Ienjoy going to the neglected poe
people in cities or towns or rural dis
tricts, regardless of denomination
Now this would be fine country fc
me here in California If wanted to
q pastor, either in the Methodist {
Nazarene Church. The last call ha
was with the Nazarene people VIII
are doing great work. Pomoni
Venice and Long Beach will chang
pastors in June and am offered or
Of the three places II will stay
California, but I had rather work
Missouri than any place l have ev,
been. We appreciate the many le
ters from our friends in Missouri asl
ing US to come back, and when I &,
back will be the same Holinei
preacher that I have been over eigl
years. will never be called a Meth,
dist or Nazarene preacher or al
other denominational preacher, fro
the fact will not work with ther
and they can build churches and clan
or over who 10 right and who.