The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1915-09-02
MRS. DRIVER, MODERN
CIRCUIT RIDERS WIFE

will. (" of the American Baptist Publi-
cation Society, with headquarters IN
Portland, is a modern circuit riders
wife. Or perhaps it would be more
nearly correct to say that hers is the
work of modern home missionary's
wife.
Rev. and Mrs. Driver are constantly
moving from place to place. penetrat.
ing districts that have no churches and
aiding with the organization Of Sunday
schools at the small communities
They travel, taking their church, the
chapel car, with them, about 5000
miles a year. Their home is aboard
the car, one end of which has been fit
ted with all the equipment of kitch-
en-, and in a little compartment adloin-
ing is the combined living room, dining
room and study of the travelling minis
ter and his wife.
The touches that have been given
this unique home by the minister's
wife, bear mute evidence to the OBJ
serving visitor that she is home loving.
The place is tidy, and pictures have
been hung on the walls. One may be
made to forget that he is aboard rail-
way coach. Needlework sets are seen,
and one may picture the minister's
wife, after the days services are over,
at task of mending, or engaged in
some piece of fancy work.
The American Baptist Publication
Society was the first religious organic
alton TO initiate the chapel car method
of spreading the gospel. The first car
was built and put into commission ~
years ago.
"We now have seven cars in the
field" says Rev. Driver, "all of them
west of the Mississippi, where they
are peculiarly adapted to the field, be-
cause of the great areas of thinly pop
uated territory. | have been on the
Good Will for year. having had call
last year while | was doing evangelis-
tic work in Vermont.
Mr.. Driver is native of Rocking
ham county in the Shenandoah valley
of Virginia. However, he removed
with his family while a small boy to
Missouri, where he received his educa-
tion. For 20 years he did religious
work on the Pacific coast, having filled
the pulpits of churches all the way
| from Mexico to Alaska.
But two other religious organizations
make use of chapel cars. The Roman
Catholic church has two cars that are
constantly travelling in America, and
the Greek church sends chapel cars
throughout Siberia and Russia. Five
of the American Baptist Publication
Society's cars are operated west of the
Rocky mountains, with their respective
headquarters in the following cities
Butte, Mont. Los Angeles, Calf.
Spokane, Wash. Denver, Colo, and
Portland.
Through the agency of our cars, "
says MIR. Driver, I'VE established $50
new churches last year and organized
300 new Sunday schools throughout the
country. The work resulted in 40, 600
converts"
The Good Will came here last week
from Mountain Home where Mr.. Driv-
er had been engaged in establishing
church and organizing Sunday schools.
Before we left" he said, I'VE as
sisted in the dedication of handsome
little religious edifice.
The chapel car spends two weeks or
longer time, if work is at hand, at
| the different communities visited. A
pulpit is built in one end and near it is
the organ. Comfortable pews are pro-
vided for several hundred people. In
the opposite end is the library of the
car, the books of which the people of
the community IN which the car is WIS.,
tng may read without charge.
"In fact" says Mr.. Driver. "all of
our work is done free of charge. We
are paid by the Society, and we only
ask for free will offerings at our meet
ings. We do our work just the same,
even though those among whom we are
visiting are not able to give. We have
nothing to sell. Because of this policy
the O.-W. R. & N. Co. and the Port
land Railway Light & Power Co.,
whose tracks we have used in getting
to our destinations. have never made
any charge. We are attached to pass
enger trains simply by request.
The Good Will has an individual
heating and ventiating system, and
can be made comfortable winter and
summer.
"The finest chapel car ever con-
structed, The Grace, was completed
by our society a few months ago, q"
says Mr.. Driver. "lts cost was S2l,
QUO. 1t is all steel. The Grace is now
on exhibition at the Panama exposi-
ton"
Wonderful changes have been made
in all methods of work and all modes
of living since the pioneers of the
northwest heard the gospel in the
shade of some grove or in the little log
school house half century ago. But
the change in the work of no one has
been greater than that of the modern
travelling missionary. Compare the
work of Minister Driver and his wife
with that of their predecessors of so
years ago, when the home was tent
and the means of transportation, by