davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Monroe City Democrat. (Monroe City, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1916-06-08

more than their four hundred EACH
OF town population, and will prosS
per. The rest will gradually die Il
lingering and painful death andil
they ought to die. People. even
worldly people, will support the
church that can make this life bet1
ter worth living every day in thel
week as we'll as Oh the Sab bath
and every week in the year.
am the last man to suggest anyl
letting down On the fundamentals
OF Christianity, any conformity to
the world, any soft pillows for those
that are at ease in Zion" any een.
tie scratching of itching ears, any
preaching Of smooth thugs. any
substitution Of "indis lretion" for
sin" All men are sinners. and
they know it. Hence they have
scant respect for the pulpit palaver-
er who rOarS like a cooling dove
when he is speaking of the fate of
the finally impenitent or who fears
to offend the tisht-wdd saint.
An ambassador may not soften
or change the terms Of the ultima
tum the king has commanded him
to deliver; neither must the ambas-
sador of the King of Heaven fail to
deliver His exact message Every
man needs to be born again. and he
knows it. He knows that no
amount of culture will make a sour
apple tree bear Mcintosh Reds or
BalfwinS or Newton Pippins: but
grating with new life, followed
by spraying and pruning and cult
walton, will give new fruit.
The moral condition Of some of
The country towns is ptiable Some
one has said and there is some
truth in it that God made the
country man the city but the devil
made the small town" And yet
do not know Of a town 50 tegenate
that II does not have enough good
men and "omen in it to save il and
to make 1t, not saints rest but
saints workshop if it but had the
leadership, The pity of II is that
the cities with larger salaries and
other aliurementS, are rObhine the
country church Of its leadership.
The theoIotcal spminaries are
training the country-born students
for city work
The serious problem is: Whence
shall come the leadership? From
ministers with whom spiritual life
is more than dogma, from the
country life work of the Young
Mems AMI Young Women, Chris.
tian Associations from the Amer
lean Sunday School Union from
Christian COLLEGES and especially
from Christian graduates Of our
colleges who a. back 10
the farm from eoilv women Ike
Mary and Susanna, Who followed
the Master and mlniSterci To Him
Of their substance and from women
like Claudia ana Priscilla, vino held
up the hands Of Paul. whether he
was WORKING in the country or in
the city.
Monroe City Democrat. (Monroe City, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1916-06-08

length and breadth and height and
depth Of Gods manifestation of
His love to US Our real creed is
what we really believe. whether
written or unwritten; and our real
belief is that party of divine truth
which we honestly endeavor to
work into our lives.
Nor is it desirable that all sects
should be merged into one In that
case we should have bishops and
archbishops and prelates. thrones
and dominions, principalities and
powers; in fast, a hierarchy in
which the religious liberties of the
people would be in the direct dan.
ger. Ministerial sanctification has
not yet reached a point where it
can be trusted with the powers in.
seperable from a hierarchy. II
would be sad day for the world if
the non-Roman Catholic Churches
were merged into ereat Protest
ant hierarchy. 1t would lead inev-
itably to monarchical and despot-
ic form Of church government,
against which liberty.loving people
naturally and rightly rebel.
How, then. are we to reduce the
number Of our sects and congrega.
tons so that believers may work
effectively for the Master? know
OF but one way-namely. to get the
Masters vision. that religion is for
every man in the community and
in the world. and for every part Of
man body. soul and spirit. In
other words. we must get the ideal
that the duty of the congregation
is not to its members alone but to
the whole community.
To put it concretely, if crudely.
The pastor of the church in the
open country is under obligations
to the landlord, whether he belongs
to his church or any other church
or to no church; but he is under
greater obligations to the poorer
than to the richer tenant. He is
under obligations 10 the hirei
hand.
The pastor in the small town is
under obligation to everybody in
town. He owes it to him to see
that he is shielded from the temp.
tations of the saloon. the pool hall.
livery stable and the corner store
If the pastor will quit thinking of
his ministerial brethren as his
competitors. and will ask them to
cooperate with him in making the
town clean town, in providing
some suitable social center. in
awakening an interest in clean
sports and recreation, in helping
the young folks to the best in liter
allure and music. he will soon for
get about the peculiaritieS of his
sect.
Then the practical business man
who is not opposed to the church
but really wishes his wife and
to be professed Christians
will begin to see that religion is not
a matter Tor the women aud chill !
dren alone, but the really big thing
in life.
At corn-judeing school in Iowa !
a teacher was trying to inoculate |
the farmers with the idea that re-
lieion should apply to every part of
a mans life his farming. to his
home life, to his buying and selling
One young man rose up and said,
Professor, if you viii, find us
man who tries to work religion in
that fashion. I'll give IA hundred
dollars year to his support and
I'll see that my father gives ant tn
Monroe City Democrat. (Monroe City, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1916-06-08

community and scant meas of sat.
isIying it. The church building
was old. He suggested that base
ment be put under the structure
and that II be made a place OF
social entertainment for the COM
munity. a social center The peo-
pie had a mind to work and it was
done. The basement was dedicat-
ed with two days program The
Sunday program was strictly re-
lieious; Mondays was devoted To
community betterment and sOcia-
bility.
The work of remodeling the build
ing moved slowly, but it was found
that the interest was constantly
increasing. The improvement cost
about $4,000. This was three years
ago Now there is a boys chorus.
and large group of special, course
students is making a study of corn
and grain growing. milk testing, bee
keeping, history and government of
state. There are manual training,
daily practice in music, penman-
ship and public speaking. The
church remade the country around
it, and is prospecting.
These churches that have surviv-
ed and prospered have all had as a
nucleus homogeneous community
and membership. But all stand for
the bi things of Christianity which
all sects hold in common In every
case there was an active band of
women and all took an active part
in the upbuildinG of the community
not as a means for upbuilding the
church but a sort of applied Chris
tianity in which the fundamental
doctrines of the church are applied
to every department of human life
its sports and recreations. its ed.
ucation and business, its farming
and housekeeping. While these
things are not religion they may all
be made religious.
1t will be said that only here and
there in the open country are there
enough Christians of any sect to
form a nucleus for an efficient or
eanization; that there are a few
Baptists, a few Methodists. a few
Presbyterians. few Friends or
Brethren or Disciples. and that they
cannot work together Certainly
not, so long as they put emphasis
on the minor things on which
Christians differ, instead of on the
big things on which they agree
This cannot be remedied until they
get confidence in one another
through the development of a
social life which will make it pos
sible to cooperate with one another
Were farmers united, the problems
of both city and country wUuld
soon be solved: and there is no
stronger bond of union than com.
mon faith in the Master.
Farmers of middle age are be-
ginning to fear for the morals of
their sons and daughters who are
drawn by the barrenness of their
social life to seek amusement and
recreation in the town Landowners
are beginning to see that the spec
ulative values of land will sooner
or later pass; that their declining
productive value must be reenforc-
ed by social value, and that there
can be no social value without a |
social life that is worth while
Hence this drawing together of
farmers of the community in every |
state in the Union in various forms
Of cooperation and for a better
social life. Its leaders as yet see
men as trees walking" These vari-
BUS movements in the Grange, the
Monroe City Democrat. (Monroe City, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1916-06-08
The Country Church Problem
BY Henry Wallace.
from last week

tue IduieS organizations ana tnelr
social activities, the rurual church
past and future, and why not reliei-
GUS cooperation
In all three churches it should be
noted that there has been no letting
down, no compromise with the
world on the great fundamentals:
but vast amount of work for the
upbuilding of the community life.
In the first mentioned the men,
bers are the leaders in cooperative
movements; for instance, a cooper
alive creamery, a cooperative ele-
vator, a cooperative COW testing as
ISOLATION In all of them it is not
the community building up the
church, but the church building UP
the community.
A Methodist church in Iowa, once
highly prosperous, declined until it
could raise only $500 a year for
services part of the time. Some
good women conceived the idea that
it should be made a social center.
A right-minded rural minded
preacher in less than two years
brought it up to point where it
takes his whole time and pays him
$1,000 year and a parsonage.
A Catholic church in Minnesota
was slowly disintereating A wise
priest was sent there He made a
study of the situation and found
that through modes of farming not
adapted to the locality the farmers
were not making any money He
made study of dairying and or
eanized cheese factory. In ten
years they built him a church cost
ing over $4,000; and this is practi-
cally open country.
4 two-point circuit of once Meth.
Odist stroneholds covers about
twenty. five square miles of country
with mixed population of natives
and foreigners A man of vision
came in who believed that no rural
church can really prosper that does
make the church community cen
ter. Capturing the heart and the
imagination of the people with this
idea, he interested them IN every
thing that pertained to their life
physical, intellectual, social. spirit
ual He organized a young mems
Bible Class. cooperative societies
for buying grain and selling apples,
farmers institute, and special
lectures on agricultural topics. He
threw out the goody eoody books of
the old Sunday school library and
built up community library of a
thousand volumes, of which more
than fifty Jews are patrons. As
you enter this church you will see
its ideal in black and white.
This is it:
To make our church the best
church of its size in the best COM
munity of its size in Connecticut.
Why not?
To make our church place
where the real spirit of brotherhood
prevails, and to spread that spirit
in the community. Il
To make our church furnish
wholesome, happy social center for
our community.
To promote in every possible way
the spirit of business cooperation
and mutual helpfulness among
farmers.
To encourage in every possible
way. and especially by example, en-
ereetic, up.to-date. know-your. bust .
ness farming.
To make our community a com
munity where people read good
things and think high thoughts and
where as fine type of American
Monroe City Democrat. (Monroe City, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1916-06-08

interests of the farm fimilie,
would be hest subserved BY
churches in the villaIe nearest to
them. II these villages have suf-
ficient grace. as most of them have
to see that no saloon is tolerated,
and sufficient intelligence to see
their possibilities, and if they are
so fortunate as to have but one
congregation Ono matter what the
sect. the can be made the center
of the social and religious as well
as the business life of the COM
munity.
In little hamlet in Iowa there
was a declining Methodist church
A spiritually minded. energetic and
capable man of God has in short
time made it the center of the re-
ligious and social life of that COM
munity.
But let no man think he can do
this without putting emphasis on
the great essential doctrines of
Christianity: sin, repentance, re-
demption through faith in God man.
ifest in the flesh-and a standard
of morals for above the standard of
the community. For after all. man
is religious being. "incurably re-
ligious" someone has aptly said;
and the themes Of the preacher are
the biggest themes with which the
mind can deal Why. then, should
we emphasize things about which
the best Of men differ and put the
soft pedal on the things on which
all good men agree?
The problem becomes increasing
ly difficult when there are two con.
eregatiOns in a community where
there is room for but one: and still
more so as we reach the LARGER
towns. because as has been point
ed out, these towns are overchurch-
ed. and each chur, h feels bound to
stand up for its distinctive prlnci-
pie or principles and to emphasize
the difference betwixt it and the
rest
This brings us face to face with
the problem which is vexine Chris
tan people all over the United
STATES; how to reduce the number
OF sects or sections into which the
church has divided some fifty or
sixty main divisions and many
more subdivisions The larger the
country town the harder the prob
lem becomes because of the more
Sects. and because of the more men
higher up who are insterested in
maintaining them. not selfishly but
as matter of duty-a means of
promoting the general work of the
church. such as education. home
and foreign missions, etc. which
can be carried on only by some
sort of organization.
Ii is Of no use whatever to at
tempt to decrease the number of
churches 10y union of sects; for
the moment We begin to talk about
that we revive all the memories of
the differences which led to their |
formation and, it may be. invent
new ones, 1t is utter folly 10 argue
about differences of doctrine.
1t is as unwiSe as it is impossible |
to attempt to unsettle fixed beliefs.
Earnest souls take religion as the |
bass takes the bait: hook. line, bob
AMI sinker and all tied together
with the bait. Our peculiar beliefs
seem TO be inseparable from our
sacred experiences the memories
Of father and mother, brothers and
sisters, wife or husband. and chill.
dren
Neither is it wise To try to unite
tWo CONGREGATIONS even of kindrad
Monroe City Democrat. (Monroe City, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1916-06-08

HandIey 4 iawker viii buy hoes
seecp, butcher stuff for shipment
at Monroe City. IS
The day book. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1911-1917, 1916-05-22

take in purchasing some stock for
the business at a ruinously high fig
ure without obtaining the sanction
of his employer, whom he should
have wired. The next day the stOd1
went down to a low point, Tie
house lost eight hundred dollars 0
the deal Mr. Warner found fault
with Joel The latter had a high
spirit and could not brook compliant.
Il discharge myself" he announced
angTily. I'll never enter your DOCS
again until I am able to repay TIE
The day book. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1911-1917, 1916-05-22

M NOITS INOWI IIS WTUIITINT SN'
measIy sum you mourn about and
which, under the circumstances,
should be at the risk of the business"
Mr.. Wells descended the stairs. He
was on nettles until he saw how his
wife would take the abstraction of
the table leaf. It would be remind
full and he cherished a patient regard
for her feelings. To his surprise,
when Mrs. Wells came into the house
she simply looked grave and said,
evenly enough:
''Yes, we can get along with less
table space, Ira, but OH it looks SO
The day book. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1911-1917, 1916-05-22
= . I
THE LAST LEAF
= BY Frances Elizabeth Lanyon

BY Frances Elizabeth Ldnyon
IS = as
He's not coming back-I feel it, I
know It, sighed Ira Wells. Il hope
Janet don't take on"
The old man breathed hard amid
his mOUTnfUl sOlilOqUy. He was car
rying leaf of the dining room table
up the attic stairs. They were crook
ed and he was not supple or nimble.
He gTOaned a tTifle as a narrow turn
nearly upset him. Finally, however,
he reached the top Of the stairs, drag
ging the heavy black walnut board
after him.
THE last Ieafp' he voiced solemn
ly, and set it up against the slanting
rafter Then he rubbed his eyes and
stood viewing the board and its en-
virOnment sOlemnly.
"An gone now" he mUrmured. ct
had to come, l suppose; but JOEL
thought he'd stick it out. There is
Nellie, of course, but she is like an
own daughter and always counted on
making her home with us. And now
she's just as heartbroken as we
are"
The last leaf of the dining room
table had three companions. Once
all four had been in Use-but that
was in the long ago. Madge had mars
ried and she and her husband and his
sister and, later, the two little ones,
with Joel, the only son, had made the
old house ring with joy and laughter
Always was there a merry, happy
table full. Then the sisteT-in-law had
married, and one leaf came out Then
Madge and her husband and their
two children had gone to Canada,
and two more followed.
Only six months since there had
come the final break. Joel had gone
away-suddenIy, caprciously, his IA
Their thought. Joel had simply stated |
that there chad bppD a fuss that |
Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1916-12-29
Court House News
& \ 8 \ \ \ Z = y y = = \ + :


Mrs. i. H. johnson aud filda Ring.
mess, owner and driver Of the ear that
ellMck +. G. Keyt ON the Salon Silver.
ton road near the fair grounds on the
morning of october Is, filed this morn
inr their answer to the complaint
brought against them for damages for
injuries alleged TO have been sustained
hy Mr.. Keyt
The ownership Of the Ford ear Is
admitted and also the fact that Tuda
Ringness operated it on the morning
of the accident to Mr.. Kcyt. She says
however that at that time, the morn.
ing when Mrs. G. NJ. MatloeS was kill
ed In an automobile collision, there
were only about thirty people present
Instead Of about 200 as alleged N the
complaint.
Mrs. johnson admits she Is the sole
owner of the car, which she uses for
family purposes on the farm and that
no one had right to use it without
permission. She says Tilda Ringness
had permission to use the ear Tor her
own business on that morning.
Tilda Ringncss asserts she was tray.
cling only ten miles an hour and on
The right hand side of the read and was
exercising due care and attention She
saws that when she arrived about 100
feet from the gronp in the road where
flie MatIoeA accident occurred, she
slowed down and sounded the warning
born She declares the group Of pco
pie was on the left hand side Of the
Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1916-12-29
For World S Championship.

San Francisco, Dec. 29.--The world 's
championship match is what the promot-
crs are calling the wrestling bout to be
held here February % between Joe
Stecher, the Nebraska marvel, and the
winner of next Tuesday nights match
between Ad Santel and "Strangler" !"
Lewis
Joe Hetmanek, Steeher s manager, to-
day telegraphed the local promoters that
his protege would arrive here February
| to begin training for the event. Ii is
agreed that should next Tuesday night IS
bout result in draw Stecher shall have
the privilege of stating which of the
Two grapplers, Santel or Lewis, he pre-
fcrs to meet
Stecher has sanctioned a two and one
half hour match and he will get a cash
guarantee, with the privilege of taking
a percentage of the receipts.
Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1916-12-29

ease of William Brown & CO. against
Frank Duda, an action for breach of
contract for the inspection Of the copy
of the documents was sustained by
Judge Kelly. The defendant is to ans
wer before January ii, 1917
NNon-suit ON motion of the plaintiff
after the case had been tried in the cir
cult court and gone to the supreme court
and reversed in favor of the plaintiff,
was made today in the ease of the Yer
mont Farm Machine company against
Frank w. Hall, an action on promis-
sorry note.
On the ground that the plaintiff in
the case of the City of Silverton
against the Portland Railway. Light &
sower company, an action to condemn a
permanent eastment Is feet wide, did
not advance any legal defense, judg-
ment was given in favor of the defense
today by Judge Kelly
In the ease of the Ford Motor com
pany against $. +. and George Brune,
Judge Kelly granted the plaintiff un-
til January 25. 1917 to prepare a tran
script on appeal to the supreme court.
Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1916-12-29
Madden Bests Bronson.

Portland, Ore, Bee 29.-Lloyd Mad
den, Seattle lightweight, retains his
title today as 133 pound champion of
the northwest as result of his four
round draw last night with Muff Bron-
son, the Portland school boy boxer.
Bronson rut up the greatest battle of
his career ard although outweigher six
or seven pounds stood toe to toe with
Madden and swapped punches. Only
once did . knockout seem imminent
in the third round when Bronson sent
in hard right to the jaw, but Madden
recoy cred qpielkly and evened matters.
The 1,200 fans cheered the referees vr-
diet.
In the preliminaries Weldon Wing,
gained the decision over Jockey Ben
netr, fomer bantamweight champion.
Billy Nelson, of Spokane, won from
frankie Sullivan, of Los AAngeles, at
,i3j
Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1916-12-29

road and that the right side was clear
She declares the plaintiff carelessly
walked in front of the machine and
that she applied the brakes and did all
she could to stop the ear.
After being struck she says the plain
tiff lay on the running board of the
car and was carried ten on fifteen feet
She offered assistance, which was re.
fused She declares that his injury re-
suited from his own negligence and
asks the complaint against her be dis,
missed,
Replying to the answer of A. +.
I.aflar. ct al who charged I. q. Rligh
with making false representations con.
eerning the receipts OF a moving pie,
ture theater in Albany for the purpose
Of defrauding, MIR. Bligh admits that
the business in Albany was 5000 q
month as he represented. He denies
that the representations he made were
false OF made to defraud. He admits
he sold the theater equipment but de.
MES that he did not own il. He al.
leges the action brought against him
was for the purpose Of hamssing and
annoying him.
Rahne paulsen, administrator of the
estate OF Efe .Paulsen, deceased, filed
his report with the county court. which
shows that he complied with the orders
of the court in mailing TO John Noigt,
Marie Kuhr aud Anna Mever - each
IAN checks have been Acknowledged and
he asks to be relieved from his trust
IN the estate OF I. NJ Hamilton, 0l.
i've MekclNgs, aslministratrix, asked
the apuoiniment OF appraisers and the
county court appointed NJ. Burnap, VI