Our Brother in Red. (Muskogee, Indian Terr.), Vol. 3, No. 12, Ed. 1 Saturday, August 1, 1885 Page: 3 of 16
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OUR BROTHER IN RED.
Notes from the Field.
Chickasaw District Conference.
Leaving McAlister July 17, at
8:30 p. m.,at 11:30 I arrived at Cad
do, remaining over night. Monday,
at 8 a. m., in the buggy with Broth
er Keener, and in company with
Brothers Burrass and Cobb, we be
gan to travel east; Rome of us, the
first time in life, to the seat of the
District Conference, to be found
somewhere in the east part of the
Choctaw Nation, I knew not where.
Keeping our wheels in steady mo
tion, by 7 p. m. we found ourselves
at the residence of Col. Geo. Col
bert, about forty miles east of Cad
do, where we were pleasantly and
comfortably lodged for the night.
Tuesday morning at S we took
up our line of march, still on toward
the undiscovered east. Passing
through Doaksville, one of the
oldest towns in this nation, but one
whose name and fame is all in the
past, about 4 p. m , we found our
way to the prophet'd chamber, oc-
cupied by Rev. W. M. Keith, of the
Indian Mission Conference. Broth-
er Keithisone of those good-natured,
gcod-hearted fellows who always
knows just how to make you feel
at home. We found him in one of
hig moods, making preparations for
the Conference to which we were
bound, still several miles in the
distance.
Wednesday morning, in gocd
time, we all moved oiF to the east,
as usual; Brother Keith and his
family being in the company. About
3 p. m., to our joy, we found our-
selves at Water Hole, and at our
journey's end. I found that we
were one hundred miles from Cad
do, and about one hundred and six-
ty-five from McAlister—a consid
erable distance to go to meeting—
but we are here now, and as we
find a large, beautiful shed, and ex-
tensive preparations made for the
meeting, we will not complain, but
give to prayer, to the worship of
God, and to the business of the
Conference.
Having had religious services the
previous evening at 9 a. m., Thurs-
day, July 23, the District Confer
ence convened at Water Hole;
Kev. C. W. Myatt, presiding. Kev.
J. L. Keener was elected secretary.
The delegates being reported and
enrolled, it was found that the at
tendance of the official members
was good. The regular business
was then taken up, committees were
appointed to look after all the im
port ant interests of the Church.
After two days regular work, the
Conference adj urned to meet next
at Nelson's Chapel, Choctaw Na-
tion.
In this Conference meeting, as
the Discipline directs, prominence
was given to preaching and to pray-
er for the spiritual improvement of
the Church, and for the salvation
of sinners. We had three regular
services each day—four on Sunday.
The attendance was very good, there
being nine hundred or one thousand
persons present on Sunday. Quite
a number of sermons were preached
both in English and in Choctaw.
The meeting closed Sunday night
with several accessions to the
Church, several infants baptized,
and a number of penitents at the
altar. Upon the whole, I consider
the meeting quite a success. May
God bless the s:ed sown to his own
glory aud to the advancement of
his cause. J. jsj,
McAlister, I. T., Aug. 4,1885.
Mill Creek Circuit.
Mr T. F. Brewer—Dear Broth-
er:—Mill Creek Circuit lies on the
Wachita river, from old Cherokee
Town, down the river, through the
Arbuckle mountains, to Dresden,
south of the mountain, including
(on the east) Mill Creek, Buck
Horn Creek, and Oil Creek. There
has been considerable emigration
to this country the present year.
Times are very hard; money al-
most out of the question; stewards
very scarce at Quarterly Confer-
ences. Out of nine stewards, I had
at, my second and (hird Quarterly
•Conferences, only one, each Con-
ference. You can judge how our
finances are coming up. The most
of our people are poor, and hard
run this year. Nevertheless, we
believe they would come up with
their assessments if the Annual
Conference did not come so soon.
The farming class in this country
depend almost entirely on cotton
a? their money staple, and it will
be impossible for lliem to get their
cotton to market by time for their
preacher to start to Conference.
As a general thing, the wealthy
class on our work pay but little at-
tention to religion. We have a
good many of this class in the
Church, but wilh the exception of
a few, they pay less than the poor-
est men. in the Church. I have
members of the Church on my
work that are worth more than
$40,000, who have not paid me a
dime in the last two years. I have
some members of the Church
(citizens) who are worth over
$50,000 that think they do cash
business if they pay $5. Other
members who are not worth over
$250, who never think of paying
less than $8 or $10 a year.
We have some members—that is
of the wealthy class—who have
head religion only; and with some
it seems it has reached the heart,
but there are very few of Sam
Jones' kind—very few that have
enough religion to reach the pock-
et—nevertheless, we have some
noble-hearted men on our work
who take an interest in supporting
their preacher.
We have had no revivals as yet;
are engaged at present in a meet-
ing in Sorghum Flat; prospects
good for a revival at this point. The
outlook is flattering all over the
work. If we could get the Church
as much interested in the salvation
of sinners as they are in worldly
matters, we could take this country
for Christ.
The Sunday school cause is on
the increase in this country. I have
seven Sunday-schools on Mill Creek
Circuit. We are expecting to have
a Sunday-school celebration on the
24th of July in Sarghum Flat,
Our brethren on the Western
borders, to wit: the pastors of Beef
Creek, Rush Creek, and Johnson
Missions, are organizing Sunday-
schools all over that country.
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Our Brother in Red. (Muskogee, Indian Terr.), Vol. 3, No. 12, Ed. 1 Saturday, August 1, 1885, newspaper, August 1, 1885; Muskogee, Indian Territory. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc234418/m1/3/: accessed April 25, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.