The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1917-10-18
FROM THE NORTHWEST
A Highly Interesting Letter from
Rev. O, A. Bremen.
To the Editor of The Republican,
Oakland, Maryland.

| Oakland, Maryland.
Dear Mr.. Sincel: For the multitude OF
kindnesses | shall eyer remain indebted
but in the matter of correspondence
shall try to clear my conscience. Al
the same time if can throw this stone
beyond you and reach a few of my
friends through the columns of your
good paper. shall be glad. However
am in no mood to select words or weigh
phrases, so if you find this below the
standard of your paper, you may throw
it out without offence.
Our first impressions of Spokane were
not good. We reached here April 18th
and found it raining. This city is known
the country over as Sunny Spokane, "
but for six weeks we saw very little
of Mr.. Sun for l believe it rained every
day. You may believe me if you will,
those were hard days. and the homesick
feeling grew. Especially was this true
on Sundays when we came to our little
old store building that we had to call
church, and preach to six or seven
people.
Then on the fifteenth of June the sun
did come out of hiding. and we began to
have some wonderful weather, and for
ninety five days there was not a cloudy
sky and not drop of rain. We soon
began to miss the rain, but now we like
the dryness, and believe it has meant
much to all of US in the way of health.
The Spokane climate is very much
like that OF Oakland, except that we
have very little wind, and very little
| rain. But we are at an altitude of two
thousand feet, with wonderful days, and
still more wonderfully cool nights. We
have splendid CROPS here, but the highly
developed irrigating system alone
makes this possible.
From our home we can see Mount
| Spokane, the highest mountain point.
forty five miles away and at most times
| it seems but mile or so away. From
this point you may look down upon
twenty-five different lakes, which fur
nish the water for the thirsty fields.
| In the matter of game this is truly a
| sportsman's country for there is every
variety of wild life. At the present
time the lakes are covered with thous-
| ands of ducks, and leave in the morn
ing for two days of this kind of sport.
1t will be my first vacation except for
one happy day of fishing. In October,
the last two weeks, am gong to break
away from my work for a little longer
period, and spend two weeks with a
pack horse in the mountain for bear
and deer. l may report my success
later.
Now something concerning our work
which believe will be interesting to
the people with whom!:we worshiped
for three years of delightful service.
AS we said above, at first it seemed
like big hopeless task We started
out with six members, and an old partly
fallen store room as our place of wor-
| ship. Gradually we improved our
membership and then some weeks ago
| we improved our location. We now
have newly built, modern, and nicely
| decorated hall, as our church. The at
tendence is steady and on the increase.
On Sunday we had something over
thirty at church and over forty at
Sunday school. We have paid for a
church lot valued at two thousand dol
lars. on which we hope to build in the
| spring, and are now negotiating for a
| four thousand dollar property to be
used as parsonage later on. Wen
tion these facts only that the people
whom we counted as our friends may
know the truth as to what we are actu-
| ally doing. We are still far from max
ing good. The Organization we are de.
veloping is still frail, weak thing but
by the Grace of God it grows stronger
every day. We want the prayers of
our Christian friends. for when we
cease to believe in prayer we will no
| longer preach the Word.
Our hearts are hungry for the news
so richly crowded in your columns.
What splendid array of young men
Oakland and Garrett county have sent
forth to fight for Uncle Sam. In our
own home we didn't want the war; then
it came and now we are all for it. We
have brother already in the service
and he's volunteer.
Now, Mr.. Sincell, fear | am making
this long and tiresome and I'm going
to quit. Don't forget US back there,
and If you ever get started this way,
come all the way and visit US. We have
the promise of touring party in uine.
teen twenty. But that is a long way
off. How delighted we would be to en-
terrain some travel wearied parties
from Garrett county, Maryland. We
like this country, and it Is big with op-
portunities. and advantages, and our
work for the present and some years
in the future is here, and We'll stay
| till our work is done, but there is a