| Show INDIAN TERRITORY MISSION we left manard tuesday january M 12 at noon at fort gibson while waiting for the train we visited the united states cemetery hundreds of the union soldiers now sleep taking raking train here we soon arrived at bragga bragg Is station where an old friend a prominent and influential gentleman made us we welcome leme he is an infidel but seemed highly pleased to meet two of his bis mormon s friends in this section the doors were closed against the elders A prominent but bigoted self righteous man assumed the responsibility of preventing Veti tins the preaching of the gospel hore here since that time our infidel Ifland bas become equally prominent zen abent if not more so he is postmaster notary public and a successful merchant fortunately he be owns a meeting bouto which he opens to the elders and proffers assistance in holding meetings there opposite webber falls we met friends and prospective members among the cherokees illinois to is the iron mountain railroad station near here which hasin a few afew years sprung up to be quite a town on the left is a hotel stores and other buildings while on the right is an acre of ground with cotton bales this being a cotton growing district A ride of three quarters of a mile takes us to arkansas river the ferry bout boat bein being 9 frozen frobe n in the joe ice we were put over by a cherokee boy on a skin kiff the river is ie fully a quarter of a mile wide here awaiting on the other shore with a team teof was our friend and brother 8 S Q G mabry who had come twenty miles to take us to his home which to is the southern bouthern ou thern headquarters of the elders a drive of five miles over the river bottoms bottom amid extensive farms of from one to four hundred acres where among the otty lotty dead trees and stumps corn grows to an unusual height and cotton is its as high as a mans head acres and acres of the latter is abill till unpicked after leaving the bottoms for two or three miles mile and crossing the dirdy river we pass over the rolling hills bills and through the hollows hollow ts among the scrubby timbers we now come to 0 o the vast prairie the monotony of which is only broken here bore and there by a little rise of the ground and a small email stream along which grows trees to the left as far as the eye can reach to la a skirt of timber bordering the arkansas river to the right and reaching to the south is a hill covered with a forest at the foot of which runs the M K T V B R B R from st louis to texas having crossed the prairie and seared neared our southern home on the canadian river the boundary line between the cherokee and choctaw nations we are again among the rolling hills and timber for five miles we pass through a grove of oaks ash elm hickory walnut nod and the famous sycamore tree wild plums coffee bean persimmons wild cherry and sassafras trees katiba black locust locus honey thoney locust white soft and sugar maple buckeye buck eye pecan box elder dogwood dog wood cedar and the beautiful linden here the grape vines and honey boney suckles climb the trees following the limbs out they have become separate from the trunk a hundred feet high and hang bang like the ropes and rigging of a ship in the summer time these woods assume a grand appearance As the sun gun was just hiding biding behind the western horizon we arrived at our indian home on a little elevation rising from the canadian bottom Is a two roomed log house connected by an open entry A chimney to is placed at the outer end of each room band and the doors open into the hall bull around the house is an orchard I 1 and reaching out for half a mile is a productive farm eight elijht years ago while apostle team teasdale and elder dalton were in the cherokee nation the latter had a dream later on while elder felt accompanied compa nied elder dalton they were strongly impressed to follow out the Impress impressions lobs received through the dream which was to the effect that CA a person had appeared to brother dalton clothed in white who waving his hand band to the south mouth repeated three times go over the river go over the river go over the river they are now waiting for you in the spring of 1884 they crossed the arkansas river and found in this neighborhood a fulfilment fulfillment of the dream the Que enand leader of the party a cherokee lady was our dear friend and sister sally bally mabry brother seborn mabry her husband a white man from georgia and his fathers household followed and since the day B S GT mabry opened his doors to the elders he has been greatly blessed aunt sally as we call her has wisely accepted suggestions and assistance from the utah boys and provides fruit and vegetables to eat instead of so much hog bog meat the elders had come home from their various fields the cherokee choctaw and chickasaw nations to meet us at our time and place elders rawlins bawling and stott remained at Maii manard ard where they are busily engage engaged j making preparations to build a meeting house we left them well welland and happy full of zeal zen enjoying the spirit of their missions elder merrill presiding elder here who has been in the field a considerable time asso is 90 much of a cherokee that he has a genuine indian expression and movement the cherokee cherokees s take kindly to him the lonks lofts to old men for council elder merrill is growing a beard io to give an appearance of age to his aspect elder allen alien to is the same good natured aatu red rugged fellow full of life vigor and health the same as we knew him in coveville Co veville utah elder nichols nichola has only changed for the better he looks fine and fat he and elder peters were quite tired having just walked forty miles over rough stony roads to here in time for our glad meeting elder woodbury Is also in excellent condition conditi om elder eider peters is just as happy as when surrounded by a roomful of merry school children at homede looks about the same as when on three mile creek box elder county except that he be has bad one of him bis ears frozen causing the injured member to look a little abnormal ina Elder Labrum is in fine condition uncle sebe and aunt sally little johnny and ethel are always happy and are cheered when the boys return from their trips for some time we have abandoned the cherokee field recently Bec oatly a new interest has been awakened our old fiends were afraid we would not return again and have been writing letters of inquiry about the mormon PY Elder sand want them to come out and stay all winter and not wait till spring many to call and others avow themselves ready for baptism when the warm weather com esthey bey being afraid of cold water in the winter the choctaws furnish money they are kind friends quite a number of investigations and several members the chickasaw nation an entirely now new place of labor promises well to become a faithful field ex governor harris Harriel family prominent and well to do chickasaws Chioka saws have opened their doors and hearts to the gospel unlike the cold reception of the gs pel among the cherokees cherokee Is hecei receive V by its pioneers there is warm welcome from the people thus far the elders who wil I 1 continue thir labors in that section of the country will in all probability write you concerning the people the country and the mission as the work developers develop dev elopes ee M W DALTON ANDREW KIMBALL cherokee Nati nation onT T emor editor deveret news As a supplement to the above a brief account of our pleasant time together may be of interest to some of yo your ur readers the evening following th the arrival arriva lof of president kimball and eller elder dalton and the return of the elders from their various fields of labar we had a very pleasant meeting together there were present besides the tee two above abovementioned mentioned elders F F merrill marrill fillmore H H allen alien cove ville F B woodbury salt lake city aeo geo JLia barrum brum meadow leslie nichols Nichol and sand P H peters brigham 8 Q G mabry local elder president kimball felt that the time had arrived when a more complete organization should exist heretofore there was a presiding elder only A complete organization was then effe effected eted F F merrill who had been acting as pre siding elder was unanimously sustained in that position P H peters secretary H M rawlins assistant secretary and treasurer and placed in charge of the erection of a meeting house bouse in the cherokee nation IU reports tr arts from the elders eirin evinced eed the fact that t each was full of energy and zeal sea and deeply interested Interest eO feeling that the future prospects of the mission were bright sunday a testimony and sacrament meeting was held in which the spirit of god was enjoyed abundantly atthe ac the bening evening meeting president kimball gave the elders much timely instructions pertaining to their calling which were greatly appreciated he treated upon the following subject mode of distribution of books and tracts the necessity of proving the divine authenticity of the book of mormon from the bible and presenting the history of the forefathers of the Lama to this people the word of wisdom care and prudence generally in regard to health unity fasting and prayer partaking 0 of f t the he sacrament and the study of the gopel he did nut not encourage the emigration of the indian people he closed with a promise that through the united faith and prayers of the elders and the observance of the word of wisdom sickness and disease would be held at bay the kind hospitable treatment of brother and sister mabry are commendable words cannot express the kind feelings the elders entertain for them their family and friends have turned against them and they therefore show great integrity and courage in standing firm and true brother gamball kimball was congratulating himself on leaving home thinking he would escape the cold severe weather but he found he was mistaken the winter here being uncommonly snowy and cold P PH H PETERS secy |
