Steele Co., Minn | AdventAI

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Apr 29, 1875

Steele Co., Minn.

Left home Dec. 30, 1874, to labor in the cause of present truth. Visited the little church at River Falls, Wis., by request of Conference Committee. Held, in all, twelve meetings with them. Two more embraced the Sabbath here. Our visit has been, we think, a profitable one for the church in this place.

January 20, went to Kingston, Meeker Co., Minn., where Bro. Hill had been laboring for some time with good success, but was now obliged to return home on account of sickness in his family. We remained here until Feb. 16, visiting and holding meetings here and in the vicinity. A few more were added to the company. I then went to Albion, an entirely new field; and held meetings there until March 7. Seven promised to keep all God’s commandments, and make preparation to meet the Lord.

Commenced a course of lectures at Corinna, about six miles from Albion, March 11, and continued until April 6, with a deep interest. The Methodists were holding a protracted meeting in the neighborhood when we commenced, but closed soon after for want of hearers. The Lord gave us great freedom in presenting the truth here, for which we feel very thankful and give him all the glory. We leave here a company of seventeen keeping the commandments of God.

Bro. Grant met with us here a few days before the close which greatly added to the interest of the meeting. At this meeting we had several pressing calls to present the truth in other places. While the Lord is opening up the way before us in such a wonderful manner, may he give us wisdom to present the truth with a sanctified mind and heart, that it may accomplish the desired result.

I now return home, after an absence of little more than three months, feeling that it is good to labor in the cause of the Lord. I intend to start out again in the service of the Master immediately after seeding, as the Lord shall open the way. Brethren, pray for me.

L. H. ELLS.

Medford, Steele Co., Minn., April 16, 1875.

Illinois.

I am now holding meetings five miles north-west of Kankakee City, with good interest. Some have already taken hold of the Sabbath, and others are investigating. May the Lord help me to give meat in due season.

T. M. STEWARD.

Letter from Texas.

We left our home in Battle Creek, March 16, at 1 P. M., and arrived at this place the 19th, at 9 P. M., having been detained in St. Louis, Mo., 24 hours by storm. We left Michigan when the snow was from one to three feet deep, and on our arrival here found the leaves putting forth, and all nature arrayed in green. This portion of the State is what is known as Northern Central Texas, and this county is about the southern edge of the wheat-growing district. The principal productions are cotton, wheat, corn, sweet and Irish potatoes, pecans, peanuts, apples, figs, peaches, plums, nectarines, &c. Every thing cultivated at the North can be successfully raised here, and many things that cannot be raised there.

It is the most beautiful face of country that I ever saw, being rolling prairie, with numerous little streams or branches, along the banks of which there is sufficient timber for fuel. Almost every farm may include prairie and timber, and have a stream or two running across it, formed by springs. The soil is very rich and productive. This country has been settled for thirty years, and the land has been tilled year after year without enriching, but shows no signs of being any poorer than at first. It has been sparsely settled until quite recently. Now northern emigration begins to pour in. Stock raising has been, until lately, the principal business.

There is no danger from Indians for at least 150 miles west of this place, I am told, and there their occasional raids are made for the sole purpose of stealing horses. I have been very kindly received everywhere I have been, and have found the people, without exception, hospitable and friendly, and far more intelligent than I had supposed. Everything seems very peaceable and prosperous, although money seems to be very scarce here, as well as at the North. I have been here over three weeks and have not yet so much as heard a word about “White Leagues,” and the many other formidable secret associations that are so much spoken about in northern newspapers, and cause such a terror to those desiring to go South. Tobacco-using is an almost universal custom here—the men chew and smoke, and the women “dip.”

Nearly one-fifth of the population are freedmen, and they are generally engaged by the white people to work their farms, the whites furnishing teams, seed, dwellings, and everything but the hand-labor, and giving them one-half the crops; and from all I can learn by talking with residents here, they are commendably industrious, taking all the circumstances into consideration. But from the life-long habit of looking upon everything belonging to their former masters as their own, they will steal, whenever they get out of food, from the nearest and fullest corn crib and smoke house.

There is at the present time a very large influx of northern immigration into this large, new, rich, and, as yet, undeveloped State, being no less than 33,527 from all quarters for the months of September, October, and November, last; and although I know of but two families of Sabbath-keepers in the State besides ourselves at present, I regard this State as one of the very best fields in the country for missionary labor, and look forward to no distant day when Texas shall number its hundreds, if not thousands, of faithful and consistent brethren and sisters, doing all in their power to advance the cause of the Master here, and spread the glorious news of his soon-coming kingdom. By careful management I believe that the ears of the people can be reached in nearly every place; for there is no prejudice existing in their minds either against the truth or those who occupy leading positions in the message.

Perhaps there is no spot on this continent where there is less known of Seventh-day Adventists than in Texas. Tents could be successfully run here the entire year. A good many of our people in the North are looking to a warmer climate, and I would say to such as have been writing me that perhaps there is no part of the country better adapted to persons of small means than Texas. As it is, strictly speaking, a new country, the manners and habits of the people are all very primitive; lands are cheap and very productive, and some crops can be raised the year round. It costs nothing to raise stock here, the mercury seldom running lower than 16° above zero in winter, or higher than 96° in summer. It is a very healthful country, the air being so pure and dry that meat will cure out in the open air in summer-time.

But I do hope that those who come here to make it their home will come thoroughly imbued with the spirit of the truth, and we can then form a southern wing to the great army of the Lord, which may be very efficient in the blessed cause of the Master.

There are very large bodies of Swedes, Danes, and Germans in the Brazos country, 150 miles west and south of here; this is said to be as fine a country as the sun ever shone upon, and it would afford a fine field for labor in those tongues.

E. G. RUST.

Rice, Navarro Co., Texas.