USA > Kansas > Fifty years in the Kansas Conference, 1864-1914 : a record of the origin and development of the work of the Evangelical Association in the territory covered by the Kansas Conference > Part 2
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The East Pennsylvania Conference, the oldest and strongest, was the first on the program to hold its session. The Conference met at Weisport, Pa., Feb. 24, 1858, but for some reason was not favorably impressed with the missionary project for the West, nor affected by the many earnest appeals for help which had been made. The following resolution, passed at her session, shows her attitude toward the projected mission in Kansas: "The Kansas question, or the forming of a mission Conference in Kansas, is considered a very unsafe and venturous step, not feasible under the present existing circumstances."
The West Pennsylvania Conference was held a few weeks later, March 11, 1858, when the following action was taken: "Resolved, That we establish a mission in Kansas, and, Whereas, J. Dunlap and S. Wolf, being requested by this Conference to serve as missionaries in said territory, have consented, therefore Resolved, That they be appointed as missionaries to Kansas, and that they be given one year to get ready to enter their field of labor."
The peculiar procedure of these two Conferences called forth the following editorial in the Botschafter of April 10, 1858: "We regret that the East Pennsylvania Conference has done nothing for Kansas, since she possesses both men and means to render assistance. We are far behind the urging conditions of the times in these matters. It is beautiful to sing: 'Kirche Christi, breite, breite deine Grenzen weit hinaus,' but if we will not even venture to our present borders, there is little hope that we will go beyond in our missionary operations.
"The West Pennsylvania Conference, at least, showed a dispo- sition to do something for Kansas. She appointed two of her men
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1858 FIFTY YEARS IN THE KANSAS CONFERENCE
to Kansas and then assigned them to fields of labor at home in Pennsylvania. That looks queer! Our missionaries hold they have one year's time to prepare for their new work. May the old maxim: 'Was lange währt geht öfters zu nichts' (What waiteth long ofttimes comes to naught) not be realized in reference to the proposed mission work in Kansas."
The Evangelical Messenger also severely criticised the con- duct of the East Pennsylvania Conference in failing to do any- thing for Kansas because she considered it an "unsafe and ven- turous step."
J. DUNLAP
An intimation of insincerity in the action of the West Penn- sylvania Conference, in sending two men to Kansas, and then giv- ing them appointments at home, from the editor of the Evangeli- cal Messenger, brought forth the following explanation from J. Dunlap, one of the appointed missionaries: "You seem not to understand why Brother Wolf and myself were given one year's time to prepare for our labors in the far-off field. By way of explanation I would say, therefore, that I have always been a warm friend of frontier missions, believing that our labors and our money would pay better, both for the cause of God and the church in the new territory, than in the older settled parts of our country.
"I was in favor, therefore, of the Kansas enterprise, but lit- tle did I think that I would be called upon to go there, for having served but one year in the office I hold (presiding elder), I had accordingly made my arrangements for a full term. But being requested to go to Kansas, Brother Wolf would only consent to go in case I would. Therefore I could not refuse. But if I go, I want my temporal affairs so arranged that I will have no further trouble on that account. To do this I believe will require the greater part of a year, although it will not monopolize my time to such an ex- tent as to prevent me from doing anything else. But not wishing to be idle during our leisure time we took a home appointment meanwhile, believing we could arrange our matters and attend to them besides. But you and the friends of the missions may rest assured, that if Providence permit, I will go there if no one else does." Suffice it to say, neither he nor his colleague entered upon their labors in Kansas.
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The Illinois Conference, which was held April 21, 1858, sup- plied the missions they located the previous year in Kansas and Nebraska by sending G. Fleischer and C. Berner to Kansas, and J. F. Schreiber to Nebraska. These three brethren entered upon their fields of labor as soon as possible after the session.
The New York Conference, held at Buffalo, N. Y., April 21, 1858, heartily approved of the Kansas mission project, but re- gretted very much not to be able to send a missionary because of the lack of a suitable man who would be available, and also be- cause of lack of missionary funds wherewith to support a man in the field
The Ohio Conference was next to hold its session, which oc- curred May 12, 1858, in the Salem Church, Marion County, Ohio. The following action was taken: "Resolved, That we locate two missions in the West, one in Kansas, and one in North-west Mis- souri. Further, Resolved, That it be made the duty of each preacher to collect as much as possible on his field of labor for these missions." M. J. Miller was sent to Kansas, and Philip Porr to Missouri.
The Pittsburg Conference, which was held March 24, 1858, resolved to locate a mission in Kansas and supply it as soon as they could. This was done in 1866, when J. G. Pfeifer came to the Kansas Conference.
Thus the initial step was taken and the work in Kansas be- gun. We will follow with intense interest the progress and de- velopment of the work through many adversities, hardships and trials. Soon the appointed missionaries assume their duties and move to the far West to take up the work assigned them. In the spring of 1858 the brethren Schreiber and C. Berner turn their faces westward and travel from Illinois through Iowa to Nebraska and Kansas. The following letter, written by J. F. Schreiber at Council Bluffs, Iowa, Sept. 27, 1858, contains a graphic descrip- tion of their trip.
J. F. SCHREIBER
"Dear Bro. Koch :- The trip which I made with Bro. Berner, missionary to Kansas, was, as may well be expected, connected with hardships, exertion and danger. The Lord, however, who protects his own, was with us on our journey and protected us. Our motto was: 'Forward.' How enchanted we were, after we reached Iowa's last heights from which we could see the Missouri
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FIFTY YEARS IN THE KANSAS CONFERENCE
valley spread out before us! The scene was romantic and glorious. How inviting the borders of Nebraska welcomed us through the rays of the setting sun !
"Arriving in Council Bluffs, we were received by friends, and we at once began to inquire about the German people. We also held service on Sunday. We found that the Germans were mostly very ungodly. The first place I visited was St. Mary's, on the Iowa side of the line, which contains about 100 to 125 families. This village is about four or five years old and has never had a religious service in English or German. I visited them three times, but found no reception. Possibly a door may open later.
"On June 28, 1858, I for the first time stepped on Nebraska soil. Nebraska, the great prairie territory, contains some of the best land that can be found; has good water, and a healthy cli- mate. The country along the Missouri River is especially beau- tiful. It is completely scattered over with Germans. My sphere of activity is quite extended, and I have my designated places for preaching. I could find considerable more to do if the work were not too scattered for me to serve alone.
"My beginning was tolerably hard. Every beginning is hard, especially for a preacher in a new country where he must begin friendless and brotherless. The moral condition of the people is depraved, as well among the Germans as the English. Sin and vice of all kind are at home. The region is like a field of death where Satan is constantly harvesting. A child of God is driven to ask in astonishment, 'Where will this end?' Our meetings up to this time have been rather small, for which the fever is, to a great extent, responsible. I am in most instances well received. Al- most everywhere I find open doors and friends who receive me, if not royally, yet heartily.
"On the 20th of September I attended a camp-meeting, held by the English Methodists. I felt at once that I was among God's children. The preachers were of the right type, some of them seemed to be genuine pioneers. The members seemed to be joined together in love. I came among them as a lonely sheep, but I went on my journey feeling strengthened, and rejoiced with the thought in my heart: When shall we, too, be able to hold camp- meeting in Nebraska ?"
While Bro. Schreiber labored in Nebraska, his colleagues, Geo. Fleischer and C. Berner, traveled southward into Kansas and found a landing place in Douglas County, in the vicinity of Frank-
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1858 BEGINNINGS
lin, a small town about four miles south-east of Lawrence. Here were located the families of James Epley, F. Eppert and Peter Brecheisen, who had been members of the Evangelical Association in the East. Here they began operations. From this place Bro. Fleischer sent the following correspondence to the Botschafter under date of July 4, 1858 :
G. FLEISCHER
"Dear Bro. Koch :- I hereby inform you that we have at least a small beginning in Kansas. We have a class here at Franklin of eight members. Bro. J. Epley and H. Eggert are the officers. Up to this time I could not devote proper attention to the work. In the first place I had to build a cabin, since there was no build- ing to rent, and rents are high. Small houses, poorly constructed, command from $15.00 to $20.00 per month. In addition to this the streams were so high that it was difficult to travel. My cabin is now finished, and the weather is favorable so that I shall now apply myself to the work and see what God will do for us.
"It will require courage, determination and self-denial be- cause the devil is loose here in all quarters. It is not advisable to buy a good horse, for it will be stolen. I and my family are well and have courage to carry on the Lord's work in Kansas. I have neither heard nor seen anything of my colleague, Bro. Ber- ner. I suppose he has been detained by high water."
From the foregoing we see that Bro. Fleischer organized the first class in Kansas at Franklin, prior to July 4, 1858, before his colleague, Bro. Berner, had arrived, and before the brethren Mil- ler and Porr of the Ohio Conference started upon their trip west.
We next turn our attention to the missionaries sent by the Ohio Conference, as they assume their labors in the Western ter- ritory. The following letter, written by Bro. Miller from his home in Canton, Ohio, will be of interest to the reader. It bears the date of July 10, 1858 :
M. J. MILLER
"To the Readers of the Messenger :-
"You have learned that Kansas has of late very much engaged the attention of the church. The Ohio Conference, at her session last week, after due consideration, esteemed Missouri on a level with Kansas, hence resolved to establish a mission in the north- eastern part of Kansas, and one in the north-western part of
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1858
FIFTY YEARS IN THE KANSAS CONFERENCE
Missouri, which were to be supplied with two preachers, who should extend their labors to both territories, or limit them to either one, wherever, according to their judgment, their labors will meet with the best results.
"Since Bro. Porr and I are appointed missionaries to that vast and promising field of labor, we shall be strangers and pil- grims away from home, separated from our fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters, not dwelling as before in the amicable taber- nacles of our thickly settled eight Conferences, where we might enjoy the presence and assistance of our venerable bishops, pre- siding elders, and others of the ministry, at quarterly meetings, camp-meetings, and other occasions, we beg an interest in your prayers for us and the mission.
"The brethren missionaries of the Illinois Conference, G. Fleischer and C. Berner, would oblige us very much if they would give us information of their residence in the territory of Kansas, and where they think we of Ohio should land and cast our nets."
About the time of the foregoing correspondence of Brother Miller, while he was in the act of preparing to enter upon his duties as missionary to Kansas, a letter appeared in the Evangeli- cal Messenger, written by Mrs. Sarah Packard of Humboldt, Kan- sas, bearing the date of June 19, 1858, in which she made an ear- nest appeal for missionaries in Kansas, and more particularly at the place of her residence. The letter reads as follows :
MRS. SARAH PACKARD
"Dear Editor :- As nothing has yet appeared from this place I myself will attempt to write. This is a beautiful country. There are different kinds of land, the high, the middle, and the low, or prairie. A richer soil cannot be found anywhere, and the climate, as far as I know is healthy. When we came here last fall there were but a few small huts put up, but there are now 15 houses, 4 stores, 2 saw-mills, and one grist-mill. There are ever so many more houses to be built as soon as the workmen can find time to put them up. The town company gives lots to all who put up houses on them, and there are 250 lots yet to be given away among such as will improve them. The stage is to run regularly from Lawrence to this place and back by July 1st, and the railroad company is making preparations for a railroad to run north and south, making a station here. We have all the most necessary conveniences to supply our temporal wants, but that one thing,.
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1858 BEGINNINGS
the most needful of all. The all-important requisite to make us happy and contented is still wanting. We are in great need of our Evangelical ministers.
"The people are gathering in here from nearly all nations, but about one-third of them are Germans, and these have never since they are here (and some of them have been here a year) heard a gospel sermon preached, simply because they have had no oppor- tunity. I trust, however, this may not be the case much longer. There are quite a number of members here of other denomina- tions, and a great many have warm feelings for our church, caused by reading the Messenger. This paper is sometimes entirely worn out by being handled.
"The inquiry here is, 'What does the Messenger say about sending preachers here?' When they read or are told what has been done they say, 'If they would only come now!' Let not the cry of sheep here be much longer heard for shepherds to come and feed their hungry souls with the plain gospel truth."
Surely the field was white to harvest, but no laborers to go forth into the field to garner the sheaves. How sad to hear those plaintive appeals and the church not able to respond by sending many workers. We must wait a while longer and continue in supplication till help comes.
August 12, 1858, the first- letter from Bro. Miller appeared in the Messenger after he had reached his field of labor at Leaven- worth, Kansas. We quote the following :
M. J. MILLER
"Dear Bro. Clewell :- I am happy to inform you and the readers of the Messenger that I am now in the territory of Kan- sas. Taking the cars at Canton, Ohio, Monday morning, Aug. 3, 1858, I arrived at Leavenworth at 10:00 on the evening of Aug. 9, being on the way eight days. While on the Missouri River we were in great danger. Our boat ran on a snag which broke a large hole through the floor in the aisle between the barber-shop and the cabin. A terrible alarm was created among the passengers, women and children, crying out, 'What is the matter? Has the boiler bursted?' All this took place at a time when dancing and card-playing were going on in full sway. Twice also the boat was grounded in the middle of the stream, and we were delayed for 18 to 20 hours. It was a tedious trip, with a troop of wicked men and women around us.
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FIFTY YEARS IN THE KANSAS CONFERENCE
"The first night in Leavenworth I lodged in a boarding-house with a man who came from New York. The next morning I took a walk through the city. The first German I met told me there were 3,000 Germans in the city. I succeeded in finding Brother Ettinger, who lives about four miles from the city, and in his home I am writing this letter. They live in one of the most beauti- · ful parts of the country and received and entertained me in the best possible manner. They take the Evangelical Messenger, and you cannot imagine how happy I was upon finding such a family here, and meet with the Messenger, too.
"In Leavenworth I found three members of our church and others who have been such, but profess no worthiness of being such now. I may succeed in getting a preaching place there, though it is doubtful. The city has a population of 10,000. The buildings are nearly all new, most of them having been put up within the last two years. If my health is spared I shall travel south-west next week to Lawrence and Franklin, and try and meet Brother Fleischer. Of Brother Porr, my colleague. I have heard nothing. He left Ohio five weeks before I did, and intended to meet me in Leavenworth. Where he is I do not know."
Bro. Miller left his family in Ohio with relatives, because of the politically disturbed condition in Kansas at the time, and made the trip alone. He writes that "Kansas needs not only a free constitution to liberate her slaves, but a free gospel to liberate her sinners."
M. J. MILLER
In a later correspondence, Sept. 15, 1858, Brother Miller again writes :
"Dear Editor :- I am, as you know, in Kansas, and I hope the Messenger will keep its columns supplied with Kansas missionary matter. Its readers must also be reminded of the expense of the Kansas and Missouri missionaries. Provision there is none raised yet in the territory of any account, and the river has fallen so that no boats come up from St. Louis, and the crops having failed in Missouri, causes the prices to rise here, which will continue, no doubt, to the close of the year.
"With regard to my missionary labors, I have nothing very encouraging to write yet. I made out to get a school-house to preach in, and preached to a small number of 10 or 13 hearers on the morning of Sept. 5. In the afternoon we held a good little
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BEGINNINGS
prayer-meeting, which was the first Evangelical prayer-meeting held in the city.
"I will continue to preach here, though the school-house is too far at one end of the city to get the people out. The Methodist Church, South, I could have to preach in, but at an unfavorable hour on the Sabbath. I have also preached twice in the German Methodist Church, which was dedicated three weeks ago. I have made visits to the west, north, and south, but have discovered no encouraging prospects. Twelve miles west, in the vicinity of Easton, I met a thickly settled neighborhood, but the people are Catholics and skeptical Lutherans, who will have neither preacher nor priest. Seven miles north of this city is the town of Kickapoo. The English people there have a preacher, and the few Germans want none. They have plenty of lager beer.
"In Kansas City I found a great many Germans, and no Ger- man preachers among them, but a Catholic priest. In this city I have the promise of a large hall to preach in, and will go there in a few weeks and make arrangements to preach on a Sabbath. I also left an appointment at Wiener, a town on the Missouri River, eight miles south of this city, which will, however, I have heard, fall through, because the house which was expected cannot be had. I made a visit also to Franklin and Lawrence to see Brother Fleischer, but he was away to Humboldt, so I did not see him. His family is quite well and in good spirits to live for Christ's cause in Kansas. They told me that Bro. Fleischer, too, was well and laboring with courage to promote God's Kingdom. He had at that time a few appointments for regular preaching. He has a fine field of labor, in the paradise of Kansas, but he lives in a cabin, indeed, as he says: 'The red men might shoot through it and not make a hole in it.'
"The country between Leavenworth and Lawrence, a distance of 35 miles, is all settled by Indians yet I am told, however, that they will soon sell out. Missionary operations in the country are a very difficult and discouraging enterprise here, because the few settlers that are in the territory are so scattered that you cannot get them together if you would for service. Then, also, they are so wild and degraded that they do not desire the gospel. It ap- pears that all the lovers of strife, and wars, and bloodshed, of all the states emigrated here to this territory, or else they became so since they are here."
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FIFTY YEARS IN THE KANSAS CONFERENCE
The foregoing communication of Brother Miller was written soon after he arrived in Kansas, and indicates his early impres- sion of the territory and her people, who certainly needed the transforming power and influence of the gospel, whether they de- sired it or not.
The hardships and privations of those sturdy pioneer mis- sionaries, and the courage and fortitude with which they met and endured them, certainly entitles them to a place in the Roll of Honor of the Heroes of the Cross. Many of their severe trials are not recorded here below, but rather in the book of God's re- membrance, who will repay his faithful servants for what they have done. Here and there the curtain is lifted sufficiently for us to catch a glimpse of the scenes on the stage of their activity, as the following thrilling letter from G. Fleischer, who at the time was living at Franklin, shows. This letter was dated Oct. 30, 1858, and appeared in the Christliche Botschafter.
G. FLEISCHER
"Dear Brother Koch :-
"Both Bro. Berner and I have had a pretty gloomy year up to this time. Brother Berner could hardly reach his destination on account of high water and bad roads. His horse also got lame, and he had to wait a long time on the road. As soon as I arrived here and got my things in order I purchased an Indian pony, be- cause I did not have enough money to buy a better horse, and started on a trip south, but was compelled to return on account of swollen streams. As soon as possible, then, I made a trip to Humboldt, about 90 miles from here, where I found one member, Sister Packard, who heartily rejoiced when she learned that I was a preacher of the Evangelical Association.
"There are many Germans here who are desirous for the Word of God. I could not preach to them, however, because it rained heavily on Sunday, and most of the German people live in the country. I left an appointment for three weeks later, but could not fill it at the appointed time because as soon as I re- turned home I contracted the climatic fever, which developed into typhoid. This sickness, with the medicine I took, prostrated me so that I have not yet recovered. As soon as possible I hitched my pony to an old buggy which my neighbor loaned me for the occasion, and started for Humboldt. The first night I had to sleep on the prairie because I missed the right road. I would not have
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1858 BEGINNINGS
minded that so much if I had been well, and the mosquitoes had not swarmed around me by the thousands, and the wolves had not howled so terribly, for when I opened my satchel I found that my thoughtful wife had carefully wrapped up a nice piece of meat and some bread so that I need not starve. I was afraid the night air would bring back my fever, and also the wolves might attack my little pony. I had nothing with me to defend myself except an old stone mason hammer which I was carrying for another brother. After placing the hammer where I could conveniently get it, and having provided for my pony, I put on my overcoat and doubled up in the buggy, fighting mosquitoes till 2:00 o'clock in the morning, when I fell asleep and rested till daylight. I then continued my journey to Humboldt where I remained over two Sundays. The first Sunday there were 12 to 14 Germans present, and we had a good meeting. The second Sunday there were about 20 persons present. The people seemed touched and tears flowed freely.
"Most of the people came to me after the service and ex- pressed their joy because they had the opportunity of hearing a German sermon. The prospect for God's work is good here. I had intended to move here, but when I returned home I found my two children sick with the fever, and later my wife took it also. We had to abandon the idea of moving to Humboldt.
"During my sickness my colleague, Brother Berner, made a trip west to near Fort Riley, where he found a large settlement of Germans, who, as it appears, border on brutality itself. The dear brother had a hard time of it. On his trip there he got the fever and had to sleep on the prairie all night, having nothing to eat from morning till the next day at noon, when he received a little corn bread and milk. He then got a high fever, lay up stairs in a house on a little straw where he almost perished, with no one to minister to him. Though he earnestly plead for a little water to drink, no one seemed humane enough to respond to his appeal, and he had to wait till he was able to arise and get a drink for himself. He had an appointment for Sunday, but got the fever again and could not preach, but started home in this wretched condition, and again spent the night on the prairie. Receiving another attack of the fever, he got lost on the prairie, and became unconscious. When he regained consciousness he was completely exhausted, and knew not where to go. He says he resigned him- self to his fate and let the pony walk whither it would. Led by
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