USA > Kansas > A history of Methodism in northwest Kansas > Part 4
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But Indian raids and border strife were not the only things that hindered the development of Kansas. Frequent crop failures or partial failures greatly re- tarded the growth of the state.
In 1874, drouth, chinch bugs and grasshoppers combined to devastate the country. In 1890 and 1894
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drouth prevailed throughout almost the entire state, and in 1911 and 1913 the experience was repeated. In addition to these, there have been partial failures which in some localities were complete. So that in some sections of the state full crops were not reaped for from two to seven years at a time.
Visitors in the state often remark as to the excel- ient character of our citizens. This is only what might be expected. Indeed, it would be strange if it were not so. The state having passed through so many trying ordeals, those who remained in it must, in the very nature of the case, have had staying qualities. Each new trial that has come through the years has served as an automatic screen through which our population has been sifted. This is not saying none left the state except undesirables, nor that all of inferior quality have been sifted out. From one cause or another many have gone whom it would have been desirable to re- tain, and some are here who might easily be spared. The purpose of the grain separator is to divide the straw and chaft and light grain from the marketable wheat; but some good grain goes into the straw, and some light grain and chaff remain with the wheat, but that which is garnered is in much more marketable condition than that which we used to gather from a machine which had no separator attachment. Other states got their population under such conditions, but Kansans passed through the separator. That the esti- mate which our visitors place upon our citizens is cor- rect and just is demonstrated by what has been achieved in the state out of conditions so unpropitious.
Back in the 60's, when everything looked so un- favorable, if one had predicted that Kansas would, in a half century, rival in achievement the most favored states, he would have been regarded as an idle dreamer. It would have been argued that there were natural conditions that could never be overcome. But
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today we find not only that Kansas is a rival of the best, but is surpassing some that were thought to be highly favored in soil, and climate, and in all essential characteristics. The very unfavorable conditions, which explorers reported to exist in Kansas, have been mentioned; also the very flattering prospects found by early settlers on the Pacific coast. They stand in bold contrast. Washington authorities estimate that the wheat crop of that state for 1915 was 50,495,601 bushels, while the Kansas crop for that year was 95,768,176 bushels. It will be recalled that three states, Oregon, Washington and Idaho, were carved out of the original Oregon country, and the favorable conditions were claimed for the whole of it. It com- prised a stretch of country more than three times the extent of Kansas. The grain inspector of Washington ventures an estimate of the wheat crop of 1915 for all three states, and reckons it to have been 84,160,000 bushels, and remarks that this is the largest,, by far, in the history of the Northwest, but Kansas surpassed all of them by more than 10,000,000 bushels.
Oregon authorities estimate the value of live stock and all farm products for the year 1914 at $135,500,- 000, but Kansas reports the value of the same products for the same year to be $638,253,261, or more than four times that of Oregon. Illinois is probably the first agricultural state in the Union, but if Kansas be compared with that great state, it will be found not to be greatly outdistanced. For Illinois reports her live stock and all farm products as having a value of $656,171,775, while Kansas reports hers at $652,- 217,080, or less than four million below that of the greatest state.
Considering the conditions which existed a half century ago, these results which have been wrought out are seen to be marvelous. How can they be ac- counted for? The answer to that question is in one
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word: the people. When John Adams pleaded that the Continental Congress should declare themselves free and independent, and they stood hesitant fearful as to what might be the result of so bold a stand, he said to them: "The people, the people, if we are true to them, will carry us, and will carry themselves gloriously through this struggle." So a seer standing back in the 60's, and contemplating the uncertainties, the danger, the hazard connected with the settlement and development of Kansas, might confidently have adopted the language of the revolutionary leader. For it has been the pluck and energy and perseverance of Kansas people, who in every instance, have brought succor and deliverance from impending peril, and suc- cess and prosperity out of threatened disaster. When savages invaded the territory, and by pillage and mur- der were terrorizing the settlers, a little band of Kan- sas men, marooned on an island in the Aricaree, bur- rowed in the sand and awaited the attack of a body of Cheyenne savages, twenty times their number, led by their fiercest warrior chief, Roman Nose. Nearly half the little band were killed or wounded at the first attack. Then the savages withdrew to reform their columns. On they came riding sixty abreast. As they approached the island, Roman Nose rose to his full height, and uttered a war cry fierce and fiendish, which, being taken up by the whole band was well calculated to strike terror to the stoutest heart. But in that hour of supreme peril, a Kansas boy, crouching in his frail shel- ter, with steady nerve and deadly aim, sent a ball crashing into the body of the fierce leader, caused him to bite the dust. The war whoop was changed into bitter wailings. "All night the Indians gathered up their dead and chanted their weird death songs." A band of fifty Kansas men had met and defeated a force twenty times their number. This victory on the Ari-
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caree broke up the combination of Indian forces for all future time.
Custer's victory over the Cheyennes, Kiowas and Arapahoes in November of the same year, together with the winter campaign of Crawford's Nineteenth Kansas, who were led by scouts recruited in the Kan- sas valleys, practically put an end to Indian raids in the state.
When the slave oligarchy, bent on extending that accursed system at whatever cost of principle or right, transported the ruffians from Missouri who sought by perjury and illegal voting to foist a proslavery consti- tution upon the state, it was Kansans who quietly bid- ed their time, until in 1859 a legal election was se- cured and a Free State constitution adopted. Then, in 1861, the proslavery members of Congress having withdrawn, to join the ranks of secessiondom, the state was admitted into the Union.
When in 1874 the grasshoppers had destroyed two plantings of corn, it was Kansans, who refusing to be outdone by insect pests, by a third planting, succeeded in raising a record breaking crop. So with succeed- ing crop failures; by persistent effort they finally achieved the signal successes which in recent years have crowned their efforts.
Lest I be accused of being prejudiced in favor of my adopted state, let another tell of her financial and intellectual condition. The Philadelphia North Ameri- can, in 1913, published the following :
"As a matter of fact Kansas, which last year pro- duced 325 million dollars worth of farm products, can better afford such a roasting and drying up, than any other state. It can better afford this or any other brand of calamity, for its people are not constantly paying out huge sums for the care and keep of crim- inals, paupers, insane and feeble minded. In 1887 its
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one hundred and five counties had no insane. In fifty- four of this number, there are no feeble minded. Ninety-six counties had no inebriates, and in the other nine they are as scarce as hens' teeth. Thirty-eight county poor houses are as empty as a last year's locust shell, and most of them have been so for the best part of a decade. The pauper population of the state is a little short of six hundred. That is one pauper for every three thousand of the kind, making a living, and a good one-the kind that now own two hundred and twenty-five million dollars worth of live stock, and in the last twelve months, have added more than forty- five million dollars worth to their taxable personal property. At one time not long ago, the jails in fifty- three counties were empty, and sixty-five counties were on the roll as having no prisoners serving sentences in the penitentiary. Some counties have not called a jury to try a criminal case in ten years and the attor- ney general says: "A grand jury is so uncommon, half our people would not know what it is, or how to use it!"
For still other reasons Kansas can afford to lose two-thirds of a cory crop, without having to renew the calamity howls which once went rasping through the nation, from that grassy quadrangle, whose dream is the realization of the impossible, and which, for twenty-five years have been making that dream come true. Instead of being plastered from end to end with mortgages held by easterners, as was the case two decades ago, its own people this year, hold more than sixty-seven million dollars, in this form of wealth, an increase of more than five hundred per cent in five years.
Instead of being hampered by a large list of illit- erates-its present ratio of two per cent is next to the lowest in the land, and two-thirds lower than Massachusetts."
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To all of this success, material and intellectual, the people called Methodists contributed their due propor- tion, and superadded to this what is more important, the refining influence of Christianity.
This book has for its object the tracing of the plant- ing, the growth and achievements of Methodism in the northwest section of the state.
CHAPTER II.
PIONEERING.
The growth of the church in the state was not un- like its material development. Small beginnings char- acterized both. Each was planted on the eastern bor- der and gradually pushed westward. Several localities received the gospel about the same time. In very many instances the credit for establishing public worship and organizing churches was due to local preachers. Whatever may be thought or said of this class of Christian workers at the present day, the time was when but for their devotion to Christ and fidelity to His cause, many sections of the country would have been without the gospel and the ordinances of the church much longer than they were. This was true not only of Kansas, but of every state in the nation. The writer recalls in grateful remembrance Daddy Birdsell of Clearmont County, Ohio, an old saint of God, who farmed to pay expenses, but spent much of his time preaching the gospel, visiting the sick, bury- ing the dead, and during the fall and winter season holding revivals and leading sinners to Christ. It was to him I gave my hand when I sought church mem- bership. God bless the memory of the dear old man! And God bless the memory of the host of local preach- ers in every land who were glad, and in many cases able, dispensers of the word; who preached not be- cause they were to receive a stipend, but gloried in the privilege of being ambassadors for Christ and, like Saint Paul, in paying their own way.
One of the first to conduct services within the ter- ritory now occupied by the Northwest Kansas Con- ference was J. P. Ryan. He came to Kansas in 1859
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from Iowa, though he had formerly resided in Indiana. He first settled in Riley County, not far from Man- hattan, where he was associated with Dr. Joseph Deni- son, R. L. Harford, James Lawrence, William Knipe, and others who were prominent members of the Kan- sas Conference. He lived for four years on Dr. Den- nison's farm and did the carpenter work on the Blue Mont College, which was a Methodist institution, afterward taken over by the State, and became the nucleus of the Agricultural College. In 1865 Brother Ryan took a homestead in Clay County, on the west side of the Republican River, about four miles from the present city of Clay Center. He conducted the first service held in Clay Center, and organized the first Sunday School. There were no school houses in the country. Religious services were held in the cabins and dugouts of the settlers, or in the groves in warm weather. In those days Indian raids were not uncommon. On one occasion a few people had met in a grove for a religious service, when somebody brought a report that the Indians were coming. Brother Ryan tried to restrain the people, but his efforts were vain, for they scattered forthwith. The rumored raid, how- ever, did not materialize.
As early as 1868 a class was organized on the west side of the Republican River, in Clay County, called Riverdale. It was connected with Clay Center circuit, under the supervision of Rev. Frank Cunningham, as- sisted by Rev. J. P. Ryan. This circuit was in the Manhattan district, Rev. G. S. Dearborn Presiding Elder.
The next year, 1869, J. P. Ryan was placed in charge of the work on the west side of the river. Two new classes were organized, Republican City and Washington. In 1870 the Washington and Republican City circuit was formed on the west side and was served by Richard Wake. The next year this circuit
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was in charge of George Nicholson, with J. P. Ryan assistant.
In 1872 the work was divided and the Riverdale circuit was formed, comprising Riverdale and Shirley, in Cloud County, and Bagby, Chapman Creek and Five Creeks. The circuit included all the territory north of Republican City, west of the river and as far north as Shirley, and west to the divide, between the Republican and Solomon Rivers. There were eight appointments, which were served by J. P. Ryan. It was in the Salina district, James Lawrence Presiding Elder.
In 1872 and 1873 three classes were organized in ter- ritory now in the Northwest Kansas Conference-the Star school house, three miles north of the present site of Miltonville, Sulphur Springs, three miles south of Aurora, and Shirley, a school house not far from where the town of Rice now is located. These were the be- ginning of the Miltonville, Aurora and Rice societies, and were organized by J. P. Ryan. In those days, the Quarterly meeting was an occasion of spiritual uplift. Sometimes the Presiding Elder would have his sched- ule arranged ahead, so that he would be able to an- nounce, at one Quarterly Meeting, when the next one would be, the time would be remembered and looked forward to with expectancy.
Reason and Levi Phelps were two persons very closely affiliated with the experiences of those times. Reason was class leader and Levi was a Steward. They would drive twenty miles, going sometimes on Friday and stay until Monday morning. It was the devotion of such as these, that kept the struggling charges alive in those times.
One of the earliest leaders in the northwest cor- ner of the Conference was R. P. West. He had a homestead eight miles southeast of where the town of Belleville was afterward located, in the year 1866. He
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was a local preacher of more than ordinary ability, was a good singer and a fluent talker. He was also of a cheerful disposition and had a fund of stories and anecdotes, that rendered him very acceptable to the people. And he neglected not the gift that was in him, but diligently dispensed the Gospel, preaching in the school houses and humble homes of the people. Classes were organized at Fairview (now Wayne), Clifton, Clyde, Cuba, Salt Creek, Haddam and Blocker's School house, now Morrowville. He also preached at the home of W. J. Christie on lower Salt Creek, now Hollis.
The first member of Annual Conference who preached in this vicinity was Rev. E. R. Brown, of the Kansas Conference. In the spring of 1868 he was ap- pointed to the Republican Valley circuit by Rev. N. Green, Presiding Elder of the Manhattan District. Green was at one time Lieutenant Governor and for a brief time acted as Governor, and was known in later years as Governor Green. The head of the Republican Valley circuit was Clyde, the society there having been organized by R. P. West. Brown says of the circuit: "It extended east into Clay county and north and west into Republic and Washington counties, requiring nine- ty miles of travel to reach the appointments. He trav- eled the circuit on foot, reaching the appointments once a month. Of the conditions he says: "There were but eight or ten shingle roofed houses within the bounds of the circuit. The school houses were of round logs, sod roofed with a section cut from one of the logs, and a single window glass set in for light and ventila- tion. People came twelve miles to church ; not entirely for the service, but they were hungry to see folks. Men came coatless and barefooted, not because they had not been accustomed to better things, but because they could not then afford such luxuries, as coats and shoes. Brown relates one experience that came to him which was remarkable. There was one family on
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the charge by the name of Spencer, the wife a mem- ber of the church. Up to a certain day in the fall of the year, he had not visited this family. On this par- ticular day, being in that neighborhood, he felt espe- cially impressed, that he ought to visit the Spencer family. He had eaten supper with a Brother McBride, a local preacher, who had insisted on his staying all night, and even refused to consent to Brown's going, but he was so forcibly impressed that he ought to go, that he went against McBride's protest. At this time he was using a borrowed pony. He arrived at the Spencer home about sundown and found that Spencer was away from home, leaving the wife and four chil- dren, two boys nine and twelve, and two little girls, one three, and the other a babe, and a lady seventy years old, and entirely blind. After prayer they re- tired, the preacher occupying a bed in one corner of the room, Mrs. Spencer and the blind lady and two lit- tle children, a bed in the opposite corner, and the boys a pallet on the floor. Early in the evening it began to rain, and continued through the night. About two o'clock one of the boys called out that he was wet. The preacher told him to come and get in his bed. As he came, it was noticed that the child was walking in water. Brown rose and found himself ankle deep in water. He dressed and noted that the water was ris- ing rapidly, and that they must vacate the dugout at once. All were finally removed and taken to ground sufficiently high to be out of danger from the rising flood. There they huddled together and protected themselves as best they could, with a bed comfort, which they had brought from the dugout, and waited till morning. At daylight the water was running furi- ously, four feet over the top of the dugout, which had caved in, and would have been the grave of the family if they had not been taken out.
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Three miles above the Spencer home in the same valley, were three families living in tents. As soon as he could well leave the family he had rescued, Brother Brown, and a young man who came along early next morning, went to see how the people who were living in tents had fared. They found a mother walking along the river bank who informed them that her own grown daughter and five chidren had been drowned, and that the mother of the children was lodged in a tree top, in imminent danger. They rescued the wom-' an from her perilous position, then busied themselves in bringing together the bodies of those who had been drowned, getting food for the living and on Sunday evening buried the deceased on the hillside.
As a counterpart to this sad experience, Brother Brown relates a revival experience that is inspiring. He was invited to hold a meeting seven miles north of Clyde on Elk Creek. There was no church organiza- tion, but there were four Christian families, two Meth- odist, one Baptist and one Presbyterian. The meeting was begun in a dugout, but the first night, so many attended they could not be comfortable, and they thought they would have to abandon the effort; but a Brother Dilly spoke up and said: "Brother Brown, you may have my house, and we will move into the cellar." The cellar was only a hole in the ground without walls or floor other than the soil, but the offer was accepted and the next day the furniture, what little they had, was moved into the cellar, and the next evening, serv- ices were held in the house. In a few evenings this was too small also, to hold all who wished to attend, and was uncomfortable for those who did attend. A maiden lady of the same name, Dilly, possibly a sister, spoke up and said: "Brother Brown, you can have my house, if you will move it over." This offer was also accepted, and the next day, men went with teams and skids and brought the house over. They took the
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east end out of one and the west end out of the other house, pulled the two together, closed over the crack and they had a hall eighteen feet wide and thirty-six feet long. The meeting lasted for three weeks, and a church was organized of nearly one hundred members. After such sacrifices is it any wonder that success at- tended the effort? The wonder would have been if it had not been successful. Some people think they make heroic sacrifices if they open their home for a serv- ice, and some call it sacrifice if they forego some work they had planned for the good of the church; but here was a lone woman, who voluntarily permitted her house to be moved from the foundation, and partly de- molished, that the people might have a roof under which to worship.
One thing in connection with this improvised church greatly impressed the people. One night dur- ing the service, the floor of the room dropped about four inches. It went down with a thud. Mrs. Dilly and her two children, and two other women with their children, were in the cellar with a hot stove and an oil lamp; but despite the imminent danger Brother Dilly sat calmly, and spoke up and said; "Everybody sit still," then speaking to the men near the door, asked them to pass quietly out. Thus he gave direction till most of the men had passed out, when he also went out, got his ax, cut two ports and with the help of the others, stayed up the joists and in a short time, re- turning to the room said to the preacher, "the floor is safe, you can go on with the service." A prayer of thanksgiving was offered. a hymn sung, the discourse concluded, and an invitation given for persons to come to Christ and thirty-five presented themselves as seek- ers at the improvised alter. Later investigation re- vealed that every joist was broken but one; and the conclusion was, that gracious Providence alone saved
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the congregation and the mothers and children in the cellar from an awful catastrophy.
Brother Brown says of church property at Clyde, "The first owned by our church was a town hall built by a stock company, and bought by the church in 1870. The first Board of Trustees were, Frank Rupe, J. B. Rupe, N. J. Smith, L. W. Brown and Wm. Bradley. This building was on Main street and is now used as a garage."
At Fairview, now Wayne, a church was built in 1870. This was the first church west of Waterville, forty miles away, from which point the lumber was hauled by Brother Brown and two other men. Noah Kunkle and James V. Brice and John Campbell were three of the trustees.
The year 1870 Brown and his mother lived on a homestead midway between where Cuba and Munden now stand. In 1871 Brown was married and made his home in Clyde. E. C. Chilson succeeded Brown on the Circuit and G. S. Dearborn succeeded N. Green on the District.
It is authoritatively stated that the first gospel sermon preached in Republic County was by a Method- ist preacher named Harshberger. This was in March, 1862. R. P. West, mentioned elsewhere, came in Oc- tober of the same year.
In the summer of 1870 Rev. E. R. Brown, pastor of Republican Valley Circuit, organized the Bethel class in the home of Joseph Northrop. The charter members were Joseph Northrop and wife, Sophronia Northrop (Mrs. McNeil), Amy Northrop (Mrs. Mun- son), Martha Northrop, (Mrs. Thompson) Sweedland Northrop, Robert Calvert and wife, Rueben and Hes- ter Templin, Grandma See, Phila and Mary See, Ad- rian and Amanda Canfield. Robert Calvert was the first class leader. He served for two years when R. T.
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Templin was appointed, who served till his death in 1889.
The following is the pioneer experience reported by Mrs. Allen Enyart:
We left Rochester, Indiana, October 11, 1872, and landed in Kurioin (Kirwin), October 18th. We stopped with Thomas Enyart, a brother to my husband. On the 27th of October, Mr. Enyart preached the first ser- mon ever delivered in Kirwin, in a store room owned by Shurtz and Belford, using a dry goods box for a pulpit.
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