Three years ago there were 27 saloons and two Sunday-schools in the
county, one school held in Mrs. St. Clair's tent and the other in a
blacksmith shop; now there are three saloons and 25 Sunday-schools, and
the good people are praying with much confidence that their prayers will
be answered for three less saloons and three more Sunday-schools. Mr. R.
F. Taft, of Worcester, Mass., was sent down to help in this field. His
labors were wonderfully blessed. Two churches, one at Robbins, the other
at Helenwood, were organized. He is not able to continue in our service,
but, in speaking of what has been accomplished, he has this to say:
"Wherever I went the people were so eager to hear the Gospel that it was
a joyous work to me. All came together, natives and Northerners, and our
colored brethren. If the A. M. A. has accomplished nothing more, it has
broken down the line of color, and to-day all mingle together in seeking
after the pearl of great price." The work of Mr. Taft has been taken up
by Rev. W. E. Barton, a recent graduate of Berea College, who finds
already so much on his hands that he is crying for help.
* * * * *
WORK AMONG THE INDIANS.
STATISTICS.
Churches 5
Members 301
Ministers 7
Schools 15
Teachers 52
Pupils 706
Sunday-school scholars 776
Our Indian work is chiefly in Nebraska and Dakota, among the great Sioux
nation that numbers about sixty thousand, and the tribes that mingle
with, or are located around, them. We have three main stations, Santee,
Oahe and Fort Berthold, all situated on the Missouri River, and at
points strategic for pushing missions out among the people.
_Santee._--Here is planted the Santee Normal School, under the care of
Rev. A. L. Riggs. This institution, pioneer of its kind, began work for
the higher training of Indian pupils fifteen years ago. Its history and
experience show the great advancement that has been made by the Indian
mind. At first the pupils came as to a sort of picnic, and expected to
slip out when the fun stopped. But now the discipline, attendance and
class work are of a high order and will compare favorably with schools
of similar grade elsewhere. One thing quite noteworthy about Santee is
that while it is often impossible to fill the desired quota of girls for
other schools, applications at Santee from girls and young women far
exceed the ability to receive them. This school, with its 177 pupils
busily engaged in their studies under the instruction of an able corps
of teachers, in possession of buildings that are up to the times in all
their equipments, reaching by its influence every Indian village of the
great empire of the Missouri River basin, is an institution from which,
with God's blessing upon its work, we have a right to expect great
things in the future.
Pilgrim Church, under the joint pastorate of the Rev. Artemas Ehnamani
and Rev. A. L. Riggs, honors the faith and polity of the Pilgrim Fathers
in its co-operation with the school, nurturing and extending the cause
of Christian education. Its roll numbers 164 names, and its
Sabbath-school reports an attendance of 183.
Great and urgent fields inviting missionary occupancy lie all around
Santee. Swift Bear's colony, numbering sixteen families, an offshoot
from Rosebud agency, has located along the Niobrara. Others are coming
down this fall as soon as their little crops are harvested. All the land
on the north side of the Niobrara, twenty miles east of the mouth of the
Keya-paba, and much of the land on the Ponca Creek close by, is now
taken. Here has just been built a school-house given by Deacon Burrill,
of Oberlin, Ohio, a little building of two rooms, one for the teacher's
residence, and the other for the school room and chapel. A son of Pastor
Ehnamani, of the Santee Church, is to take charge of this station.
Among the Poncas, since last December, we have had a missionary, Rev. J.
E. Smith, who, while maintaining Sabbath services with good attendance,
has during the week taught a government school. At the Upper Ponca
settlement, during the months of February and March, a mission day
school was kept by Albert Frazier, a native teacher.
_Oahe._--This mission, with its out-stations, is in charge of Rev. T. L.
Riggs. The native helpers are Titus Jugg, Elizabeth Winjan, William Lee,
Daniel Lee, Samuel Smiley, Stephen Yellow Hawk and Edwin Phelps, all,
with one exception, full-blood Dakota Indians.
The Indians of the Rosebud Agency on the White River have long been
calling for missionaries to be sent among them. The Park Street Church,
Boston, has given $400 to open a mission in that needy region, and Mr.
Riggs expects to have a well-established out-station on the White River
before the beginning of the coming winter.
During the year a movement has been made to establish an industrial
school at Oahe. The Indian Bureau gave twenty scholarships. Alonzo
Trask, Esq., executor in the Marquand estate, gave $1,500 toward a
building, on condition that an additional $1,500 be raised. This
additional amount Mr. Riggs secured. The beginning of the school was
made in January. Twelve scholars were all that could be accommodated.
They were promptly secured. The school has been continued by the
exercise of strictest economy and the willing self-sacrifices of all
concerned. The experiment has proved a success, and a good beginning has
been made for another year. The new building is now about, if not quite,
ready, and fitted to receive forty scholars.
The church at Oahe bears the significant name of Shiloh. A place of rest
it has proved to many a weary soul--yet of rest only as it has prepared
for activity. During the year God has been pleased to manifest His grace
in saving power. Seventeen new members have been received on profession
of their faith and three by letter. The total membership is 54. The
greater part of these are young men and women, not more than half being
over thirty years of age and not more than five being past forty-five
years. This church enjoys the ministrations of Stephen Yellow Hawk and
David Lee.
_Fort Berthold._--This point with the territory adjacent is held by Rev.
C. L. Hall. The day school has had 129 pupils during the year. Six of
the Indian girls have been taken into the teachers' home, with marked
benefit to the mission work. Increased interest has been manifested in
the church services, the average attendance being 75. At Fort Stevenson
a Government school (75 pupils) has been kept by Mr. and Mrs. B. F.
Wells. Religious meetings have been held fortnightly on Thursday evening
and Sabbath school each Sunday. The Crow agency, after waiting two
years, is still begging for us to send a missionary.
Leaving Fort Berthold and striking westward about 1,000 miles, we come
to Skokomish Agency, Washington Territory, where Rev. Myron Eells stands
almost alone to represent the interest our denomination takes in the
salvation of the Indians of that region. At Skokomish he has a church of
46 members; at Dunginess a church of 28 members, where he spends two
Sabbaths and the intervening week each month; and at Squakson, a small
reservation formerly in charge of the Presbyterians, who have now
withdrawn, he conducts public worship once a month. In these three
places he has under his pastoral care 102 families; average attendance
at public worship, 150; at Sabbath school, 84; at prayer meeting, 62.
Infant baptisms, 19; adult baptisms and reception to church membership,
11. Many of the Christian Indians are efficient helpers in the prayer
meeting and the Sunday school, assisting Mr. Eells when he is present
and carrying on the work when he is absent.
At Santa Fé, New Mexico, we have maintained during part of the year four
teachers who have had under instruction Pueblo Indian children, for whom
Government scholarships had been secured.
* * * * *
WORK AMONG THE CHINESE.
STATISTICS.
Schools 18
Missionaries 38
Pupils enrolled 1,457
Average attendance 810
Ceased from idol worship 171
Giving evidence of conversion 112
These figures show three more missions and twelve more missionaries than
the statistics of last year. In the missionary force there are eleven
Chinese helpers.
Four new schools have been opened at the following points: Alturas,
Fresno, San Diego and Tulare. The school at Alturas, in the
northeastern part of California, though established for the Chinese,
like all other A. M. A. schools, is open to everybody, irrespective of
race or color, and the Indians in the vicinity have so largely availed
themselves of the privilege that they greatly outnumber the Chinese.
This school is under the care of Mrs. Griffiths, wife of the pastor of
the Congregational Church in the place. She has the constant coöperation
of her husband, who welcomes to his church all who can be induced to
attend from the school. The mission at Stockton, the first one
established by us in California, was closed last year, but has been
reopened with an attendance and promise such as it never had before. Our
schools are all in the hands of devoted and efficient teachers, are well
located and well rooted. We are justified in feeling that they are all
fairly on the way to become permanent.
The California Chinese mission, whose superintendency has been under the
care of Rev. W. C. Pond ever since its organization in 1875, is
auxiliary to the American Missionary Association. It has its own
President and Board of Managers. It works in closest harmony with the
parent society, and while it must look to us for by far the largest part
of the funds necessary to carry its work forward, yet it does not rely
wholly upon our appropriations, but makes continuous efforts to raise
money itself.
It reports as having received into its own treasury the past year
$3,141.20. Its property consists of the Barnes and the West Mission
Houses in San Francisco, together with an interest in the North Mission
House of San Francisco and the new Mission House in Tulare. Mr. Pond has
made strenuous efforts to secure sufficient contributions to bring to
pass, without incurring debt, a transfer of these properties to the A.
M. A., and he informs us that this result is now assured and that the
transfer will soon be made. We shall thus come into possession of
property worth upward of $9,000, free from debt.
The past year has not been in garnered results so fruitful as our
Superintendent and his co-workers had expected; yet they have been
faithful in the cultivation of the field. Early in the year they
determined to be more aggressive than formerly. If the Chinese would not
come in greater numbers to the schools, then the missionaries would go
to them. Three men in the providence of God were at hand who were
impressed with the importance of this aggressive work, and who were able
to preach to the Chinese in their own language; Rev. D. D. Jones, who
had returned from missionary work in South China, Jee Gam and Wong Ock.
These brethren have been engaged in evangelistic work both at the
mission houses and on the streets in San Francisco and at several other
points. But "hard hearts," threatened persecution, and actively working
prejudice have everywhere stood in the way of progress.
Still God did not leave His children altogether without some evidence of
His favor. There were eighteen who professed conversion and twelve who
received baptism. The reflex influence of these evangelistic services
has been productive of great spiritual blessing to our missionaries and
to the Chinese Christians. It has driven them to realize that they must
more than ever trust in the power of God's spirit to overcome the
difficulties; that they must faithfully hold and work every point now
occupied; that they must pray on and labor on until the Holy Spirit
descend in power to break the stony hearts and dissipate the opposing
forces of Mongolian heathenism on the one hand and Caucasian
inconsistency and infidelity on the other. "Brethren, pray for us!" is
the almost heart-agonizing appeal Superintendent Pond makes to the
constituents of this Association. "Never before," he writes, "were we so
well prepared to do good service to the Master, and to move on with
saving power among these dark souls purchased with His blood, as now,
at the opening of this new fiscal year. Yet never before did we look on
into the year with such a sense of utter helplessness or such a despair
of real success except through the co-working of the Holy Ghost."
We commend this appeal for prayer to all our friends. Let there go up
such a cry to God for help that in Pentecostal power His spirit may be
outpoured upon our Chinese missions; and not only will the good results
be felt in our own country, but they will reach in blessing even the
vast empire of China and make strong and glad the hearts of our
Christian brethren there.
* * * * *
THE WOMAN'S BUREAU.
The Woman's Bureau has proved a most efficient agency in our work during
the past year. The family and the home where mother and sister are the
strong guard of purity and moral strength, the newly-freed people knew
nothing about from experience. Our missionaries, more than two-thirds of
whom were women, found themselves face to face with the duty of caring
for their unfortunate sisters. When the Christian women of the country
were taking up and discussing the special claims of degraded and lost
women for woman's special effort, and organizing societies to meet that
claim, the American Missionary Association had the whole business in
operation on a large and successful scale. When, therefore, the Woman's
Bureau was created, it was neither to inaugurate a new work nor in
imitation of other organizations. The purpose was to make the Christian
women of the country more intelligently acquainted with a branch of our
mission long in operation, and induce them by an increase of their
contributions and sympathy and prayers to make it more widely
successful. Miss D. E. Emerson, who not only by her experience as a
missionary in the field, but also by her experience as a clerk in the
New York office, was admirably qualified to take the Bureau in charge,
was made its Secretary. She has opened direct channels of communication
between the lady missionaries on the field and the Christian women of
the churches. Sunday schools and ladies' missionary societies have been
furnished an opportunity to assume, either wholly or partially, the
support of an assigned missionary from whom they have regularly received
letters. She has arranged to have addresses given upon the work at
missionary meetings and conferences, either by herself or by a lady
missionary, so far as she could, wherever and whenever such service has
been desired. The work has been steadily growing upon her hands. The
interest is widening and deepening. With no increase of machinery, with
but little increase of expense, and with no divisive disturbance, either
in the Association or in the churches, our Woman's Bureau quietly and
effectively carries forward its operations at the North and at the
South, at the East and at the West.
* * * * *
FINANCES.
_Receipts for 1884-5._
Donations from Churches and Individuals $191,698.35
Legacies 41,501.66
U. S. Government for Indian Schools 9,458.13
Slater Fund for Industrial Training 8,600.00
Tuition, Rents, etc. 39,635.92
-----------
Total $290,894.06
As compared with the receipts of last year, these figures show
$191,698.35 collections and donations this year, as against $164,056.77
last; legacies, $41,501.66 this year, as against $64,559.42 last; a gain
in contributions from the living of $27,641.58, a loss from legacies of
$23,057.76. The receipts from all sources for the past year,
notwithstanding the heavy loss in legacies, are in excess over the
receipts of the preceding year $3,299.87. The expenditures for the year
have been $306,345.93, leaving a debt on the year just closed of
$15,451.87. This, added to the deficit of the previous year, leaves us
with a total indebtedness of $29,237.73. But over against this and in
close connection with it, should be stated the fact that in both years
the indebtedness has been owing to an increase of appropriations to meet
the absolutely necessary demands of the new Indian missions transferred
to us by the American Board. In 1883-4, we expended on these missions,
including $11,495.19 received from the U. S. Government, $33,204.95. In
1884-5, including $9,458.13 from the Government, we spent $41,283.75.
The churches had laid this work upon us, and we could not avoid these
expenditures.
We began the year with a debt of $13,785.86. The task before us,
therefore, if our work was to be kept to its former scale, was to
increase our receipts over the previous year $27,571.72, or twice the
deficit. We have made that increase in donations from the living, with
$69.86 to spare, and that, too, in the face of the stringency of the
times. Had the legacies remained the same as the preceding year (which
were $61,807.31 less than the legacies of the year preceding that), we
should have closed this year without a debt, and had $7,605.89 on hand
to apply on the debt with which we started out.
* * * * *
CONCLUSION.
In conclusion, this review of the year inspires first of all songs of
thanksgiving to our Heavenly Father for His manifold blessings upon the
work and workers, and then our heartfelt gratitude to the pastors,
churches and friends that have so nobly and generously, many of them at
great self-sacrifice, contributed to sustain the work. With such
evidence from heaven that the work is God's, with such evidence from
earth that it rests upon the hearts and consciences of His people as a
sacred trust, we cannot but feel that in it all Providence is saying
unto us, _Go forward_. But what say our constituents? We present them
our report. We await their answer.
* * * * *
RECEIPTS FOR SEPTEMBER, 1885.
* * * * *
MAINE, $1,078.85.
Albany. Cong. Ch. $1.00
Augusta. Joel Spalding 10.00
Bangor. Hammond St. Ch., 100; Cen. Cong. Ch. and
Soc., 75 175.00
Bangor. Dudley Coe, 1; C. M., M. F. and A. B. Duren,
30c., _for Rosebud_ _Indian M._ 1.30
Bath. "A Friend" 5.00
Belfast. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 10.00
Biddeford. Second Cong. Ch. 75.00
Brownfield. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 8.00
Brownville. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 11.75
Cumberland Center. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 31.17
Deer Isle. Cong. Ch. 4.00
Foxcroft and Dover. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 30.00
Gardiner. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 13.25
Garland. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 7.00
Gilead Cong. Ch. 4.50
Gorham. Miss E. B. Emery 5.00
Kennebunkport. South Cong. Ch., 12; First Cong. Ch., 3 15.00
Machias. Center St. Cong. Ch. 9.30
Madison. "Friends in Cong. Ch.," by Mrs. Ezra Dinsmore 20.00
Oldtown. Cong. Ch. 10.00
Orono. Cong. Ch. 7.00
Portland. Second Parish Ch., 182.17, to const. HORACE
H. RICKER, G. R. FURBISH, E. A. BASCOM, MRS. LUCY A.
FOGG, MRS. MARY E. MERRILL and NATHAN WESTON L. Ms.;
State St. Ch., 150; Williston Cong. Ch., 95: West
Cong. Ch., 11; Abyssinian Cong. Ch., 10; T. B.
Percy, 5 453.17
Princeton. "A Friend" 2.00
Presque Isle. Cong. Ch. 5.00
Saco. First Cong. Ch. 10.42
Scarboro. Cong. Ch. 13.15
Sherman Mills. Washburn Memorial Ch. 5.00
South Bridgton. Cong. Ch. and Soc., 14.20; "Miss'y
Soc.," 5 19.20
Turner. Cong. Ch. 7.50
Wells. First Cong. Ch. and Soc. 20.00
Westbrook. Second Cong. Ch. and Soc. 13.26
West Brooksville. Cong. Ch. 4.00
Windham. Cong. Ch. 10.00
Winslow. Cong. Sab. Sch. 10.00
Wintersport. Miss. M. M. Morrell 2.50
Winthrop. Mrs. Otis Packard, 30, to const. DEA. GEO.
O. PACKARD L. M.; Cong. Ch. and Soc., 12.10 42.10
York Corner. Second Cong. Ch. 8.28
NEW HAMPSHIRE, $963.04.
Amherst. Miss M. C. Boylston 20.00
Auburn. Cong. Ch. 14.00
Bennington. Cong. Ch. 7.00
Canterbury. "Friend" 5.00
Chester. Mrs. Mary E. Hidden 10.00
Concord. First Ch., 125; Friend in North Cong. Ch., 5 130.00
Danbury. "A few members Cong. Ch." 6.00
Derry. First Cong. Ch. 23.85
Durham. Cong. Ch. 27.00
East Derry. Rev. H. M. Penniman 5.00
Epping. "Friend" 1.00
Fitzwilliam. Louisa Hill, 10; Fanny Hancock, 5; Cong.
Ch., 3.50 18.50
Franklin Falls. J. C. Neal 1.00
Goffstown. Mrs. M. A. Stinson 10.00
Gorham. Cong. Ch. 6.29
Great Falls. First Cong. Ch. 43.40
Hampstead. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 44.10
Hanover. Cong. Ch. Dart. College 79.90
Harrisville. Darius Farwell 2.00
Hinsdale. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 7.25
Jaffrey. N. P. Phelps 1.00
Keene. Mrs. D. W. Buckminster, and Miss Mason 3.00
Kensington. Cong. Ch. 2.00
Laconia. Cong. Ch. 35.00
Manchester. Mary A. Allison 3.00
Meriden. Cong. Ch. 21.00
New Boston. "A Friend" (50 of which _for Cal. Chinese
M._) 100.50
New Market. Cong. Ch. and Soc., 3.55, Dea. T. H.
Wiswall, 10 13.55
North Conway. Cong. Ch. 20.00
North Hampton. Cong. Ch. and Soc., 17.25; S. H. Leavitt,
Isabella Smith and Julia M. Philbrook, 10 ea., to
const. MORRIS H. SMITH, L. M. 47.25
Peterborough. Cong. Ch. 5.50
Piermont. Cong. Sab. Sch. 9.00
Pittsfield. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 10.00
Portsmouth. Rev. W. W. Dow 5.00
Rye. Cong. Ch. 11.75
Shelburne. Cong. Ch. 1.50
Sullivan. Cong. Ch. 6.10
Swanzey. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 8.95
Temple. Mrs. Geo. Goodyear and Sister 5.00
Troy. Trin. Cong. Ch. 8.42
Walpole. First Cong. Ch. 22.07
Webster. "A Friend" 5.00
West Concord. J. W. Chandler 1.00
Wilton. Second Cong. Ch. 12.00
By Geo. Swain--Amherst Cong. Ch., 11.40--Brookline
Cong. Ch., 8.82--Peterboro' Union Evan. Ch., 13.50 33.72
-------
$852.63
LEGACY.
Lebanon. Estate of Mary A. F. Tracy, by Stephen A.
Tracy, Ex. 110.41
-------
$963.04
VERMONT, $2,216.07.
Bakersfield. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 9.00
Barton Landing. Children's Miss'y Soc. by Katie B.
Joslyn, Treas. _for Share_ 13.00
Bradford. Mrs. C. D. Redington, by Mrs. Henry Fairbanks,
_for McIntosh, Ga._ 10.00
Brandon. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 21.86
Brattleboro. "A Friend," 33.35; Joseph Wilder, 10 43.35
Brownington. Dea. William Spencer, 5; S. S. Tinkham, 5 10.00
Burlington. First Cong. Ch. 188.58
Cambridge. Madison Safford and wife 38.52
Cambridge. E. Wheelock, B. Holmes, O. W. Reynolds, S. M.
Safford and Madison Safford, 5 ea.; Mrs. M. Blaisdell,
3; Mrs. M. Waterhouse, 2; J. W. Turner, 2; Mrs. L.
Eaton, 1; E. Bentley, 1 34.00
Castleton. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 19.50
Charlotte. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 32.58
Chester. J. L. Fisher 5.00
Enosburg. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 25.00
Fair Haven. "Light Bearers" Cong. Sab. Sch. (3 of which
_for Kindergarten, Atlanta, Ga._) 17.57
Franklin. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 5.00
Glover. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 15.50
Granby and Victory. Cong. Ch. 4.00
Greensborough. "A few friends," by Rev. S. Knowlton 12.00
Guildhall. Cong. Ch. 3.26
Hartford. E. Morris, 100; Mr. and Mrs. Albert Buel, 10 110.00
Hartland. Class in Cong. Sab. Sch., _for McIntosh, Ga._ 5.00
Lunenburg. Cong. Ch. 10.00
Lyndonville. Cong. Ch. 14.00
Manchester. Samuel G. Cone, 20; Mrs. S. G. Cone, 5 25.00
Marshfield. Rev. J. D. Bailey 7.44
Milton. "M. L. D.," 3; B. Fairchild, M. D., 2 5.00
Montgomery Centre. Cong. Ch. 7.77
Morrisville. Cong. Ch. 14.00
Newbury. Mrs. E. P. Keyes, 30, to const. J. T. ATKINSON
L. M.; H. E. Keyes, 30, to const. HELEN R. AIKEN L. M. 60.00
New Haven. Cong. Ch., 25, and Sab. Sch. 5, _for Indian
M._ 30.00
North Pownal. Cong. Ch. 15.00
Norwich. Ashley Blodgett, 5; Mrs. H. Burton, 2; Cong.
Ch., 1 8.00
Peacham. Miss Varnum, by Mrs. Henry Fairbanks, _for
McIntosh, Ga._ 2.00
Pittsfield. Cong. Ch. 5; "D.," 2 7.00
Pittsford. Mrs. E. H. Denison 5.00
Quechee. Rev. N. F. Carter 10.00
Royalton. A. W. Kenney, 30; First Cong. Ch. and Soc.,
17.75 47.75
Rutland. Mrs. Wm. D. Marsh 10.00
Saint Johnsbury. North Cong. Ch., 200; Rev. Henry
Fairbanks, 100 300.00
Saint Johnsbury. Union Meeting, North and South Chs.,
_for Indian M._ 168.81
Saxton's River. "Friend" 1.00
South Royalton. Mrs. S. H. Jones 10.00
Springfield. Mrs. Frederick Parks, 100; A. Woolson, 100 200.00
Stowe. Joseph Pike 1.00
Swanton. C. C. Long 10.00
Underhill. Chas. A. Birchard 5.00
Vergennes. Cong. Ch. 20.00
West Brattleboro. Cong. Ch. 32.53
Willamstown. Cong. Ch. 12.00
Windham. Cong. Sab. Sch. 13.01
Wolcott. Rev. J. F. Whitney 2.00
Woodstock. Ladies, _for McIntosh, Ga._, by Mrs. Henry
Fairbanks 10.50
Worcester. Cong. Ch. 5.63
----. "A Friend" 300.00
---------
$1,992.16
LEGACIES.
North Ferrisburg. Estate of Sylvia Dean, by J. M.
Dean, Ex. 15.00
Wilmington. Estate of Judah Moore 208.91
---------
$2,216.07
MASSACHUSETTS, $10,843.55.