The pioneer-review. [volume] (Philip, Haakon County, S.D.) 1920-current, 1920-08-05

borhoods formed rapidly and when
people heard of the little man who
had organized Sunday school in
his locality they invited and urged
him to assist In the organization
Of more schools. A report of Mr.,
Grants missionary work at last
reached Philadelphia and in 1883
he received a commission from the
Presbyterian board of Sunday
ssaxpd work to enter Immediately
upon such missionary work ex-
clusively. He accepted the commits
sion and provided himself with a
pair of ponies and picket ropes,
and started out with the purpose
of organizing a Bible school where
ever practical.
Mr.. Grant tells of his experiences
as follows:
i was monarch of all I survey
ed, My field extended from the
north boundary of Dakota terri
tory to Nebraska and from Mime
sofa to the Black Hills. For many
years my work was confined al
most entirely to rural communit-
les. In the early years | made oc-
casional trips into the range coun-
try west of the Missouri. When on
these trips | made headquarters at
the ranch of Napoleon Duechen-
out, a French squaw man. His
cabin was near the mouth of a
creek which empties into the Bad
river between the present towns of
Midland and Philip.
Just before the Milwaukee and
the Northwestern railroads extend
ed their lines west of the river
made three exploring trips. On my
first trip | ferried the Missouri
Just north of the present site of
Mobridge and followed the course
of the Grand river to its source.
My second trip was along the
Deadwood trail from Ft. Pierre to
the forks of the Cheyenne river.
My third trip was west from Cha
mberlain through the Bad Lands
to the !. present site of Interior.
Eight Sunday schools and seven
churches are landmarks along
the route | travelled"
Mr.. Grants experiences are re-
plete with countless interesting in
cldents, some of which he relates
as follows:
One day | dropped off a con-
struction train, struck for the cook
tent,l told who | was, and announc-
ed the fact that | was hungry
The boss said Shove over boys,
and give the sky-scraper a show .
After sharing their pork and
beans | went forth to do the town
and make acquaintance. | was
not long in finding a man and
wife who were interested in what /
came to do, and as a result week
iy Bible class was started, having
accomplished my purpose | started
for the next town. | was over
taken by wagon and was invited
to ride. On that wagon was
newspaper outfit, o saloon outfit,
and a Sunday school man going
west to start a town.
On one of my exploring trips
came upon crowd gathered
about country store and after
making my mission known / said
to bystander, after securing a
place for the meeting. ''The peo-
ole will come. won't they?" He
replied, You bet they will. Every
thing goes here, whether it's
Sunday school. a funeral or a
dance. Well all be there And
they were.
occasionally busy housewife
and mother in whose home I was
stopping over Sunday would say.
/ won't be able to go to school
house this morning. l just can't
do the mornings work and get
myself and the children ready in
time. That was my opportunity
to offer to wash the dishes. and
help put the house to rights, which
| proceeded to do, thus securing
the attendance of the entire fam
lily and their interest in the school
i spent four days in frontier
village bearing the classic name
of 'Bullhead.' Indians outnumbered
the whites and were very atten-
tave listeners at my meetings.
During nv stay | was entertain
cd by an Indian family, slept on
the floor, with a cowskin for bed
i have visited nearly every nook
and corner of South Dakota. and
with but one exception / have new
er received an unkind word. 7
have been tri0 many times by the
boys who sometimes joined forces
to smoke out" the sky-scraper.
as they put it. | have tried to see