Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-02-22

talk. have received so many prom
ises of the kind that they do not now
begin to excite hope. If your profess
sors would write and say that the
whole class would start for Iowa In
two weeks would expect to see In
the course Of two years one or two
of them who could find no other rest
ing place for the soles of their feet"
But the young men of Andover
counted themselves called Of God to
Iowa and probably they did not mis-.
understand the fun loving Iowa agent.
On September 8, 1912, the call had
public recognition in great meeting
held in South church. A month later
they were on their way, meeting in
Albany, N. Y, and on October their
journey to the west began, the first
stage Of it by rail. A Sunday was
spent in Buffalo, one in Chicago, then
a great metropolis of the west. with
a population of 5000. From Chicago
on October % they had sight of the
promised land and few were taken
over to Burlington in a canoe. Bur
lington gave them royal welcome
and Denmark opened wide her cabin
doors to receive them. So intimately
connected with the history of our
early churches did Denmark and its
pastor become that it Is regarded as
the cradle of Congregationalism in
Iowa.
November was a notable day at
Denmark. Seven young ministers from,
Andover and three others were to be
ordained. Julius A. Reed preached
the sermon; Asa Turner offered pray
er and Reuben Gaylord gave the right
hand of fellowship Each of the three
names suggest whole chapters Of
splendid history.
The next day after the ordination
the band was broken, each going tt
his chosen field; and never again were
they all together. Practically the
band disbanded on it's first day OF
service, it's members becoming fellow
workers with other in the new terri
tory.
Rev. B. A. Spaulding, the one in
whose work we are in special way
interested at this time, reached his
field, the outpost Of the western
frontier, five days after his ordination
and began his work. The following
year church was organized and
communion service held where less
than two years before savages were
sitting, smoking their pipes and sing.
ing their songs. He preached on the
very ground where the capitol now
stands with Indians about. On Feb.
8, 1S43, he formed a church at Eddy.
Vile and the next year organized one
in Ottumwa. On reaching this place
hS,i1S oil
but two.
The members Of the band have all
closed their work and lives long ago,
but the sum total of the results ct
their work in Iowa can never be COM
puted and can scarcely be exagger'
ated. DR.. Salter, scholar, student.
writer of books and everybody's friend
was spared until August, 1910, having
been pastor at Burlington church for
over sixty years. DR.. Adams living to
80 years of age, thirty-flve years pas
tor, ten years superintendent of home
missions, trustee of Iowa college from
the beginning and lived until 1907
These men came saying, IF each OF
us can plant one good permanent
church and all together build college,
what a work it would BEL" In the
planting of churches they far exceed.
ed their expectations. ut is possible"
says one writer CDR. Moguon) that no
equal number Of young ministers leav
ing a theological seminary together,
ever founded so many churches in five
or ten years after their graduation, as
these men,"
The college which they, with tina
patriarchs on the field before them
founded, is one Of the very best in the
Mississippi valley. It was one Of the
band that in 1916, put down a dollar
on the table and said, Nov appoint
your trustees to take care of that dol
lar for Iowa college,"
The coming of the band gave great
| impetus to the Congregational Rena1s
! sance. None of the band was positive
as to church polity, but coming under
the influence of Asa Turner and others
settled it and they were ordained by q
Congregational church and by so do
| ing settled the question that Congre'
gationalism was to become power 1C
Iowa, and, indeed in the middle west.
Iowa and the west are at least IN
part indebted to the band for the in
| PRODUCTION of Thanksgiving day. They
were pronounced in their attitude to-
wards temperance, slavery and other
questions Of reform and progress.
Probably in the making of the COM
monwealth they had larger share
than any other group of men within
her borders. ut has been accepted by
all Students" says DR.. Gunsalus, chat
the people of Iowa combine more of
the qualities of good citizenship than
the people of any other state in the
union" "That this is So" Senator
Cummins af1rms, "is due to DR.. Salter
and his associates in the pioneer per-
! iod of the state. Somebody gave us
! this impetus that still keeps us true
to the doctrines Of good life, good NOR
| ais and good judgment"
At our state capitol some time ago
the portrait of man thought to be
worthy Of such an honor was I'M
yelled. Who was this man? An old
pioneer preacher, one OF our Iowa
band. DR.. VIM. Salter Of whom the
governor said, Men of his type are
the men that have made Iowa what
she is-a great, noble, peerless Christ
l ..