Upper Columbia Conference.
By J. N. Loughborough
SINCE my last report I have visited Walla Walla, Dayton, Colfax, and Farmington, W. T. In Walla Walla I had a business meeting with the church. We found the list of members in a condition calling for patient and earnest labor. Walla Walla has many non-resident members, some of whom have failed to report. With some this had been neglected so long that it was with difficulty that even their post-office address could be obtained. Resolutions were passed, which as they are carried out, will bring the list where it will more truly represent the living members of the church, and not leave the church carrying some who have a name to "live" but who "are dead" spiritually. Two members, who had grossly violated their covenant vow to keep God's commandments, were disfellowshipped. So many of the members of this church are non-resident that the burden of keeping up the meetings is left with a few. We hope those members away from Walla Walla will do all possible to encourage and sustain the church. August 8 to 10, I was with the church at Dayton. On the Sabbath we had quite a full representation of the church, and we were enabled to ascertain something of the standing of the members. We hoped to have also a good attendance on first-day, that we might pass some resolutions and labor still further for the church. What was our astonishment, on first-day, to find only a congregation of ten, and less than half a dozen of these members of the church. So, as a matter of course, the resolutions had to be laid over till Brother Ings should visit them, Sabbath, August 23. It was pleaded in excuse for those who did not attend that it was the "hurry of harvest." Yes, but what do you imagine are the reflections of a minister under such circumstances. It seems to me that when we are all awake to a sense of the times we are in, and the necessity of improving these seasons for seeking God together, we shall not mind the sacrifice of one day, even in harvest. If the things of this world occupy the highest place in the affections, I fear such would want the Lord to appear on some holiday, in order for them to have leisure to watch and wait for him. We tried to do the best we could for the work and cause in Dayton. Our meetings seemed to awaken some outside interest, and we expect should we ever visit the place again, we might be able to get a quite full two days' attendance of our people. On August 11, after a sixty-five-mile ride on a stage over the dustiest road I ever saw in my life, I came to Colfax, where Brother Colcord and his company are holding a tent-meeting. I spoke in the tent on the evenings of August 12 and 13. There are a few in Colfax who are interested to hear the truth. The church members for the most part banded themselves to stay away from the meetings, and the rest of the town are mostly for this world. A very few are taking their stand for truth. For the benefit of such the meetings will continue another week, but will probably close on Sunday evening, August 24. It is expected to erect the tent, for another effort this season, at Garfield, a point between Colfax and Farmington. Sister Halley, who was elected Conference Sabbath-school secretary, and assistant T. and M. secretary, has consented to give herself to the work; she is at Colfax with Sister Colcord. The two days of my visit were, I trust, profitably spent in council and planning the future work for the Upper Columbia Conference and Missionary Society. August 14, Brother Price, elder of the Farmington church, brought me with his carriage twenty-five miles to Farmington, where from August 15 to 17 I held four meetings. These were quite well attended by the members of the church and by citizens of the place. While here the deed of the new church building and lot was made. It was deeded to the president of the Upper Columbia Conference and his successors in office. This is allowed by the laws of Washington Territory, and obviates the necessity and expense of a local legal society, and serves just as good a purpose. While with this people, much time was spent in giving instructions to the church and its officers. We deem it the best way when officers are elected to let them do the work of their office, kindly showing them how, instead of electing officers and then doing their work for them. Letters were voted to Eld. A. T. Jones and wife, that they may unite with the church in Oakland, California, whither they have removed. One who has violated the Sabbath for many months was disfellowshipped, and another who has commenced to keep the Sabbath was received by vote of the church. As the elder of the church is about to remove with his family into Montana Territory, another elder was elected; he to serve for a time in that capacity before being ordained. After the morning service in Farmington yesterday, Bro. W. R. Jones, clerk of the church, came with a team to fetch me to this place, so that I might take the first morning train, and have ample time to perform the trip to Boise City, a place to be reached as yet only by alternate railroading and staging. We traveled most of the night, coming a distance of forty-seven miles, arriving here more than half an hour before the advertised time of the train, but only to learn that this morning the train had received orders to run two hours before its advertised time. So the train, which we had made such an effort to reach, had departed. Here I am in the North Pacific Railroad station at Cheney, to wait ten hours for a train. Waiting is one of the tedious parts of railway travel and requires patience. So does it require patience to wait properly for the return of the Lord from Heaven. O for grace to be found all packed up and in as good readiness for him to come as I am to board this train for which I am so anxiously looking.