Show missionary letter editor davis da vis co clipper A little over eight months have passed since I 1 bado goodbye good d bye to my iny friends and loved ones at howe home and started to tho the northern states whore where I 1 lad had been called by a servant of god to preach tho the gospel I 1 loft left salt lake city on the morning of sept 23 1897 1807 with six other elders in a company bho ho were all go going in c to the northern states mission our trip was a very pleasant one with tile the exception of it being a limilo dusty and uncomfortably warm warin at times we went from salt lake city to ogden over the oregon short line ry and at this place chorded boarded tie the 1 union pacific eastbound east bound tr train in which took us to council bluffs the first few hours we followed the source of the weber river passing L through canyons beautiful valleys and enterprising little towns the soil in tile the valleys are very fertile and productive As we leave the liver we also a ISO leave the valleys with their abundance of verreta legeta tion but more rich in ini mineral wealth during the lay day we lye passed through oll sever several al towns of note some of which are rock springs ra which is noted for its cual products aspin green river raw sherman heights which are between laramie and cheyenne Che yenna are feet above sea avel acel and at this place the waters are divided some finding its way to the gulf ofAl of mexico exico some to the gulf of lower california and some to the great salt lake about noon the second ond day as we followed the source of the narth platt patt river we came to large 0 ranches and haystacks by the hundreds appeared on eith er side of the road after crossing sin the north platt river at the 0 city of north platt plait we passed through 0 an agricultural district where cornfields extend for miles in every direction on arriving in grand island brother Brot lier walter M johns of pleasant view weber co received a tole telegram ram that his bis wife was very sick si ck and for him to return home which he did wo we were all sorry to have him leave us to return home but it was considered the best thing t for him to do and he felt fell very sorry himself that lie ho could not go on and fulfill the mission which he had started out to fulfill we arrived in chicago C at on the morning CI of sept and were welcomed by bros kelsh president of the northern states inis mission sion chris burton who was the clerk of the mission but has since returned home and others the northern illinois conference was in session when we arrived and we lad a very pleasant time with the elders and saints of chi cago herp here I 1 received my appointment nent to labor in macon co illinois with elder 0 C of mexico as my companion we labored together holding meeting wherever an opportunity presented itself and met with fair success considerable of the time we traveled without P and S and were well provided for after being C together 0 a little over two two months we were joined by elder and ross who had just arrived from utah elder ross and I 1 then labored together until the latter part of march on oil the oth of february I 1 had the pleasure of baptizing three bellr bellest est hearted people who had been convinced of the truthfulness of the gospel as taught t by the elders and later on there were ten others baptized in macon county march 18 1898 we left decatus macon alacon co and attended conference which was held in ticker park hall lao jp ave y chicago march and where w we had another very pleasant time for a few days elder raven sten and myself were appointed to labor as companions with de witt co as our field of labor where here we are laboring at the present time with clinton as our headquarters on arriving hero here proceeded We to distribute tracts and holding n meetings inee tings 0 after hav ha iliff g g dedicated our county to god and having havin g invoked his blessings on our efforts wo we certainly have been blessed in our labors and although we are the first elders of our faith who he have labored in in this locality and we came here perfect strangers wo we now have lave a number of true friends we have met with various kinds of people and have received various kinds of receptions from them but bo be it said to their credit there are those who are very kind and havo have been friends indeed to us tho the poor as well as the rich have shown kindness toward us for which we feel very thankful and are sure they will receive a reward for their good deeds never at any time have wo we felt to 4 glory in our own stroll strength in th but feel to give the honor honin and glory to god and to put our trust in in him well do wo we know our own inability and the necessity of divine aid most of tile the experience common to missionary life has been our lot to meet but wo we have never felt to murmur nor complain but leavo lave felt to put our trust in the lord and do our duty as best wo can call although the results of our labors are not apparent as yet wo we are in hopes they will be at some future time and that the gospel seeds which have been sown by us will not fail to produce a crop our conference president louis mccarrey and elder J A hulme were with us a time last week we enjoyed their company very in much u cb but the ti time me for them to leave us came all too soon As this is decoration day atinay it may be of interest to some to know how the day is observed in clinton it is the custom of the different religious denominations to meet in one of the churches and hold memorial service the sund sunday ay preceding decoration day accordingly 0 at 11 sunday morning a large audience mot met at the methodist church and were addressed by rev E A gilliland who in a very able manner delivered a memorial address in which he portrayed the valorous deeds of some brave brava men who had 0 given their lives for their country nor did lie forget to make mention of the old soldiers who had returned from the war a lar large c number of whom had returned maimed for life ile he also spoke in glowing 0 terms of tho the patriotism exhibited by the do witt county boys in responding sp 0 to the 0 call to arms and who are now expecting ca to leave their homes in the near future amon among other things 0 mr gilliland referred to the evils which exist among the people and said ho he ri righteousness alone exalts a nation and sin is a reproach to any people at 2 p in headed by germans band the K of P lodge company A G A R veterans members of the womans comans relief corps and citizens marched to the woodland cemetery to witness the dedication of the cannon which quite recently lad had been placed in the cemetery to the memory of the men who had used them in defense of the union also the dedication of a monument erected by the womans comans relief corps in memory of the unknown dead dead who had given their lives on land and sea for the preservation of the american union and in memory of the heroic marines who perished by the destruction of the battleship maine alaine the dedicatory exercises of the cannyn cannon were opened with prayer by rev J B homey after which comrade moor introduced judge G K in ingham ea bacri who dedicated the cannon and made a very able talk on artillery its uses and improvements prove ments although 0 not displaying in any great amount of oratory the judges ca address showed evidence of careful preparation and conveyed a great amount of information to tile the listeners patriotic songs were sun sundby sy Aless rs mcpherson davis rogers and jones at the close of the exercises ahe people were invited to attend the dedication of the statue erected by the womans comans relief corps this statue depre a female figure eguro very beautifully carved and is the production of a skilled workman itis it is said to bo be tile tho first pillar ot of marblo marble erected to the memory of those who wore were drowned in cuban waters prayer was offered by rev james alvin clark mrs S IC carter cartel president of 0 the womans comans relief corps of clinton then introduced mrs P J miller amler who for nearly an hour addressed tho the people to the satisfaction anil and admiration cfall of all mrs miller has a splendid flow of language an and her eloquence and oratory are not lacking in speaking of the valor odthe of the dead soldiers and praising their noble deeds she did not lose sig sight t of nor fail to make mention of th the e living she also spoke of how tho noble mothers had bad laid idols upon the altar of their country and with tears and prayers bade them go forehand forth fort hand and defend the hag flao benediction was pronounced by father al A doolin Dool dooling catholic and this ended the day s procedure at the cemetery at 2 p in this afternoon the procession a again ain formed in about the same order as before add marched to the cemetery where chero the soldiers graves were decorated by the school children after singing and other preliminary exercises at tile the monument the people retired to a place aglace where a stand and seats had been provided for their accommodation and listened to an address delivered by william booth a veteran afi of the lle civil war the speech throughout Z hout was a very avery patriotic one and the speaker r reiterated sonic some of tile the past history of do witt county ue he said thirty seven years ago today live of the de witt co 0 o boys who were I 1 the first from this county tp to fall in the war of tho the rebellion were buried in this place when this county had a population of only souls L voters it sent over 1750 boys to the front and out of that number about never returned alive he further said wo we never grow tired of the stories of bunker hill valley forge the memories of f grant and sherman sharman and the illustrious victory of dewey at atA Manila lanila company A of the illinois volunteers will keep the fla flag aloft and be an lionor honor to their sires this together with some music musi and cand sin singing 0 in g concluded the program and the people were apparently well pleased with what had been said and done the woodland cemetery is is a very nice burying buryin ground located on an elevation in in the outskirts outskirt is of town and covered with a growth of native timber tile soldiers burying ground round occupies the central part of the com cem etry and is ornamented by a statue representing a soldier while on one side of thi this s statue are two cannons and on the other side a statue representing a fic figure of a woman while the whole is surrounded by the gr graves aves of the soldiers the people here are very patriotic and show great respect to their dead relatives and friends old and young 0 have lave the spirit of the times and such a talk of war 1 war war as never was heard before by me at least is indulged in on every hand nor is this spirit confined to this state but the feeling r exists in every state and territory of tho the union when I 1 hear bear of the boys at home enlisting and 0 going to the front it causes deep reflection to come over me it is hard to come to full realization aliza tion of the situation or to come to the conclusion that war is at present something more than more mere talk although on engaged g ag in a quite di different work I 1 feel safe in saying ZD and feel sure I 1 voice the sentiments of every elder wo we all extend our faith and prayers to those who have so bravely left their all and are willing to sacrifice all for their country and in defense of justice while thinking of the events of the alie last two days and while listening 0 to the tributes paid to the mom ory of the dead my mind 0 i was carried back to my own dear mountain homo home and I 1 t help but think of tho the loved ones who are sleeping slee Pin in the valleys of 0 f tho the mountains nor did I 1 stop there but going farther back in history but nearer my present whereabouts I 1 have been caused to think of the h hundreds of the saints who aro are occupying Z unknown graves and who were driven 0 to o their graves by a proud boasting nation despised by the world orld but honored by their relatives and by god it seems sa sad d to think of how the saints once suffered and died for thier religion but when we stop to cons consider ii m that they in peace aro are sleeping till the resurrection day 11 it is a consoling consolin thought and we should strive to emulate the worthy example they havo given us wo we have been born under the covenant and raised in utah have but a faint idea of what some of our parents have gone through gil and how low they have lave suffered privation and labored to obtain the blessings we now enjoy how some of them have been driven from their homes and they of their own household have be become como tn cit ir most bitter enemy all on account of their belief they did not leave their homes as the soldiers do with the good wishes of a powerful nation natio nand and backed b by y a strong government cr Overn ment they did not leave their ho mesas the ciders who aro are going on oil missions do with the sympathy and the faith and prayers of their relatives and tho the saints at large but they in a great many instances havo have i left their homes and those who should be their friends with the curlings cur sings c of an i indignant iad ignant father the mo more regen gentle gentie but stern rebuke of a mother I 1 the sneers of sisters and brother and como come out to face the cold world havi having exploit faith in god and bein being 3 filled with urith antill au unalterable determination lete rini nation to keep his commandments they have been able by this and by this only to travel for hundreds of miles 1111 les of trackless plain and subdue tho the elements in a once barren country and cause it to become the home of a contented and happy people and lin how aro are wo we to repay them we can only do it by living our 0 ion and establish characters which they will be proud of to be continued conti aued |