was the most western appointment, was a small town, and our Church
was very weak; but that little town has grown to a city, and that
little, weak Church to a strong one, and it is now one of the leading
stations of the North Nebraska Conference. Osceola, the county-seat
of Polk County, just south of Columbus, was then a small village,
with only a few houses. Among the first settlers at this point were
Rev. James Query, H. C. Query, Wm. Query, G. W. Kenyon, and J. F.
Campbell.
Rev. James Query was a local preacher
in the Methodist Episcopal Church, and, if I am rightly informed,
preached the first sermon ever preached where Osceola now stands.
Brother Query preached in private houses and school-house in Polk
County long before a circuit was organized. Under his faithful labors
many revivals took place, and many souls were saved. His crown of
rejoicing in the heavenly world will not be without stars. On the
foundations laid by him others are now building.
In 1875 we had a small society here,
but no Church. J. H. Mickey, L. J. Blowers, and Brother Campbell were
at the front, leading on the little band of Christians. These noble
men are still at the front, just as zealous, devoted, and active as
ever. It is not surprising that, with such men to lead a city and
Church, Osceola
|
|
FURTHER ACCOUNT OF
DISTRICT WORK.
|
289
|
should be one of the most enterprising cities, and the Methodist
Episcopal Church one of the best in the State.
Our quarterly meetings at Osceola were
always "seasons of refreshing from the presence of the Lord." I shall
never forget them.
The place where Rising City now stands
was then a farm, owned and cultivated by Albert Rising. Brother
Samuel W. Rising came to Nebraska in 1870, and pre-empted the land
adjoining the city of Rising, where he still lives. His sons took
land adjoining their father's; the city was located on their land,
and named in honor of them. They are all active members of the
Methodist Episcopal Church. Often while traveling the district I was
hospitably entertained by these large-hearted Christians, and I shall
never forget their kindness. We now have a splendid church and a
large and flourishing society at Rising City.
David City was then in the Omaha
District. It is situated upon the beautiful table-land near the
center of Butler County. It was designated as the county-seat in
1873, at which time it was nothing more than a broad expanse of level
prairie. I passed over the spot where the city now stands long before
there was a single house.
The first sermon ever preached here was
in 1871, and, I think, was preached by Rev. D.
25
|
290
|
SOLITARY PLACES MADE
GLAD
|
|
Marquette in the private house of Captain A. F. Coon. At the same
time a class was organized, composed of a few members. In 1876, under
the labors of Rev. A. J. Combs, a small church was built, and on the
5th day of March I preached the dedicatory sermon, and consecrated
the house to the worship of Almighty God. This church was afterwards
enlarged, and at length gave way to the present elegant structure.
The dedication took place in grasshopper times. While taking up the
collection, a man standing away back by the door, said: "If I thought
the grasshoppers would not come and destroy my crops again next year,
I would give twenty-five dollars." I said in reply: "That is just the
thing to do in order to keep the grasshoppers away;" and then I
quoted the words of Malachi: "Bring ye all the tithes into the
storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now
herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows
of heaven, and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room
enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your
sakes." He gave the twenty-five dollars, and the following year
the grasshoppers did but little harm.
At that time the outlook for Methodism
in Omaha was not the most hopeful. Dr. L. F. Britt was appointed
pastor of the First Church.
|
|
FURTHER ACCOUNT OF
DISTRICT WORK.
|
291
|
This church had been laboring for years under a constantly
accumulating and burdensome debt, and was just ready to succumb to
the fearful pressure when the Doctor took charge. The property all
passed into the hands of the creditors during the year, and the
society was left without any property, save the furniture of the
church and parsonage. But, notwithstanding the deplorable condition
of the finances, and the gloomy outlook generally, under God the
Doctor had a gracious revival of religion, and seventy-five members
were added to the Church. The next year, under the leadership of Dr.
H. D. Fisher, a new lot was purchased, a frame building was erected,
and the First Methodist Church started anew; and to-day this church
has one of the most beautiful and imposing structures in the
city.
Although the sad effects of the
grasshopper raid were felt all over the Conference, the year was one
of prosperity on all lines of Church work.
The next Conference met at Falls City
October 4, 1876, Bishop Foster presiding. On Sunday morning the
bishop preached from Gal. iv, 4, 5: "But when the fullness of the
time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under
the law, to redeem them that were under the law." His theme was the
fulfillment
|
292
|
SOLITARY PLACES MADE
GLAD
|
|
of prophecy touching the advent of Christ. When he announced his
subject we were not a little disappointed, and said: "Well, is it
possible he is going to preach to us on that threadbare subject?" It
was a subject we had all gone over time and again in our text-books,
and we did not care to hear a sermon on the old, dry theme. But the
bishop had proceeded but a short time until we were perfectly
satisfied with the theme selected. That familiar subject was
presented in a new light. It was clothed with a beauty and power such
as we had never seen or heard. The discourse was a perfect chain of
argument from the beginning to the close, and at the same time was
glowing with fervent heat. It was "logic on fire" all the way
through. He made a statement at the outset that shocked many for the
moment, and seemed to savor a little of the braggadocio. He said in
substance: "I intend to make an argument to-day that hell can not
overthrow." And when he reached the climax, and had driven and
clinched the last nail in his argument, every one in the vast
congregation felt he had made good his promise. A citizen of Falls
City, whom I had known well for years, heard the bishop until he was
about two-thirds of the way through, when he left the house, He
afterwards said to one of the members of the Conference: "I had no
idea you had
|
|
FURTHER ACCOUNT OF
DISTRICT WORK.
|
293
|
such arguments to prove the truth of Christianity. I remained as
long as I could. A very peculiar feeling came over me, such as I had
never felt before, and I was obliged to leave the house before the
bishop closed." Poor man! It seemed he did not know what was the
matter. We knew; he was smitten by the mighty power of the Holy
Ghost. He was convicted by the Holy Ghost of sin, and of
righteousness, and of judgment." Whether he ever yielded and gave his
heart to God or not, we never learned.
At the end of one year we moved back to
Lincoln, where we had a house of our own, and I traveled the district
from this place. This necessitated my being absent from home much of
the time, and the year was one of great toil and exposure.
At the next Conference, which met at
the Eighteenth Street Church, Omaha, October 11, 1877, we were
appointed to the Nebraska City District. This was my second term on
this district, having traveled it from 1861 to 1865. I was again on
old territory, although the most of the people were new and
strange.
I shall never forget a quarterly
meeting held at Highland, a few miles west of Peru. With great care
and much prayer I had prepared a sermon especially for the
unconverted, and I hoped to be able, under God, to reach their
hearts.
|
294
|
SOLITARY PLACES MADE
GLAD
|
|
Saturday afternoon we had a good congregation composed of members
of the Church, and I preached a sermon appropriate to the occasion.
Sunday morning came. The weather was forbidding, and a storm was
evidently brewing. A goodly number were at the love-feast, and we had
an excellent meeting. The meeting had hardly commenced when it began
to rain, and the rain increased throughout the whole service, and at
the close was literally pouring down. From the way the storm raged we
knew very well that all were present that could come. But then my
sermon was not appropriate for the congregation at all. It was for
sinners, and all present were Christians. It would not do for me to
preach to the unconverted alone, when there was not a single
unconverted person present in the congregation. For the life of me I
could not think of a single thing to preach that would in any way be
appropriate. I thought of the advice in our excellent Book of
Discipline, "Always suit your subject to your audience," and for a
moment my brain fairly whirled. Silently I breathed an ejaculatory
prayer to God for light and help. I opened my satchel, took out my
portfolio, and ran hurriedly over some skeletons of sermons, when my
eyes fell upon one from the text, "Ye are complete in him." Something
seemed to say: "That 's the sermon for you to preach. Afterwards I
knew
|
|
FURTHER ACCOUNT OF
DISTRICT WORK.
|
295
|
well that voice was the Holy Spirit. I looked over the sketch, and
almost instantly the whole sermon rose vividly before my mind. It
stood out beautifully in bold relief before me. I was satisfied. I
said to myself: "This is what God wants me to preach from." The
opening services over, I announced my text, and began to talk. As I
proceeded with the subject my soul warmed. My mind was wonderfully
illuminated, and my heart strangely fired. My tongue was as "the pen
of a ready writer." O how easy it was to talk! It is always easy when
under the divine afflatus--when the Holy Ghost inspires, and warms,
and fires. It was all of God, and it was marvelous to me and to
others as well. Having talked about forty minutes, I saw to my right
a man whispering to his wife. I did not know what it meant. I
afterwards learned that he was trying to get his wife to go with him
to the altar and seek for heart-purity. Presently he arose, slipped
around just in front of me, and fell upon his knees at the altar.
Then I said: "If there are any others here to-day who are not
satisfied with their religious experience, and desire 'full
salvation,' come to the altar while I continue to talk." Instantly
his wife followed, and in a few moments the railing all around the
altar was filled. I continued to talk for about ten minutes, then we
had an hour of prayer and song
|
296
|
SOLITARY PLACES MADE
GLAD
|
|
and testimony. Such a precious hour! Its memory lingers with me
to-day. A number on that stormy day received the witness that "the
blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin."
The General Conference of 1880 formed
the West Nebraska Mission, which included the greater part of the
Kearney District. Dr. T. B. Lemon had served the Kearney District as
presiding elder for two years, and no man was better acquainted with
the needs of that vast and rapidly growing territory than he. He was
appointed superintendent of the mission, which position he held until
the mission was organized into the West Nebraska Conference in 1885.
The touch of the Doctor's molding hand was felt throughout the entire
western part of the State.
The same General Conference passed an
enabling act, granting the Nebraska Conference the privilege of
dividing during the next four years, by a majority vote of the
members, and the bishop presiding concurring.
At the Conference held in York,
beginning September 14, 1881, the following resolution was adopted by
a vote of 39 to 32:
"Resolved, That under the enabling act
of the last General Conference, we deem it wise at this time to
divide the Nebraska Conference into the
|
|
FURTHER ACCOUNT OF
DISTRICT WORK.
|
297
|
Nebraska and North Nebraska Conferences, the Platte River to be
the boundary-line."
The most of the members of the
Conference living north of the Platte River voted against the
division. The question had been agitated for a number of years, and
it was thought best not to delay the matter longer. Time has proved
that the action of the Conference was eminently wise.
T
the Conference of 1875 we were appointed by Bishop Haven to the Omaha
District. The district extended as far west as Columbus, and embraced
territory on both sides of the Platte River. Columbus first appeared
as an appointment in the Minutes of the Nebraska Conference in 1867,
Joel Warner the pastor. At the end of the Conference year seven
members were reported. At this Conference the appointment was dropped
from the list, and did not appear again until 1871. At this
Conference it appears again in the Minutes as one of the
appointments, with L. F. Whitehead as pastor. For some years the
growth of the Society was very slow.
