Show THE INDIAN TERRITORY A report of the indian territory mission for the past six aix months has bae been made by elder andrew kimball Kimb alJ president of the mission as followed fol lowe lowb immediately following my last report the elders eldera and saints assembled at manard Ma on oct and and held the first indian territory mission there were ten elders from the mountains and one local elder a goodly number of salute saints and friends and many inquisitive visitors not being present myself I 1 addressed by letter a few words ol of counsel and instructions to the elders and saints on sunday the elder H M raw line offered the dedicatory prayer at the now new meeting house during the conference the spirit of counsel cf f testimony and thanksgiving prevailed this conference was a privilege long looked for and much appreciated by those in attendance elder H H allen alien was released about this time being overcome by poison ivy and oak this was unlooked tor for as he was getting aloda nicely there was every indication of his bis getting rid of the poison JU in his big system when chills and lover lever took hold of him and he was obliged to return home elder stott was sick for several weeks with fever but possessing remarkable laith faith and persistency overcame the malady otherwise all the elders have been blessed with comparatively good health elder nichols Nio hols after having visited most of the heads of the cherokee nation met with the council or legislature in november with the assist ance of our kind friend mr hendricks hendricka we succeeded in getting our petition asking for a grant of land introduced during algoet the entire session of both houses which were composed ul of young and impulsive men unlike the coolheaded council of days gone by things were kept up to a fevered heat overland over land affairs between themselves and the united states government mr who is a cool beaded legislator on seeing a tendency to disregard our petition and table it indefinitely withdrew the document we tire are therefore no further ahead on our land project than we were six months ago the meeting house at manard has been fitted up for school purposes and elder nichols has taught the children of that neighborhood with very good results he has not been able to hold sunday school as yet but has held meetings once in two weeks which is as often as the people seem disposed to come out to preaching th new fielis the choctaw Cho otaw chickasaw and seminole nations nation ss are being favorable developed elder woodbury and his companions have made good progress among the chickasaws Chioka saws and are elated with the prospects we will now be able to establish in that locality a headquarter accessible by tail rail which will greatly facilitate our labors from this point the elders eiders can reach all the southern country occupied by the civilized tribes elders rawlins and lewis have maue made a successful expedition through thew the west estand and south northwest from manard they passed through an ex section in the cherokee country which had been only partially canvassed by our people on arriving at the osage agency they mingled among this tribe of 1600 semi civilized indians these are conceded to be the wealthiest tribe on the continent seven hundred are educated in english of them are of mixed caste mostly with the french traders who came among them at an early day the majority of the tribe can under stand english though they do not talk much their tribal relationships are only partially kept up they live lire in live five districts and have sixteen chiefs while they are much behold beholden ett to gov eminent officials they look upon their principal chief who presides in their councils where laws lawa are made as their I 1 father und and head religion is taught in the public schools in a general way not holding to any particular faite catholicism reigns almost supreme but irom the statement of the agent very little interest is being taken by the indians the elders were kindly received by the agent a fair minded gentleman who granted unrestricted access to the tribe the osage agency bids fair to become a good field for missionary work elders rawlins and lewis did not stop at the osage agency but pushed forward into oklahoma there the they found a liberal and fair mindel minded people who have extended their hospitality to the elder aldere turned out in ila larre large assemblies to listen to their testimony invited them to their homes and bade them come again the laws jaws record accord to all denominations the privilege ot of holding meetings me tings in the school houses which are also used for that purpose as aa places of worship since their departure irom oklahoma the elders have received letters requesting them to return tu rn and establish a branch of the church while I 1 in vi thet that territory the missionaries passed through several cities of considerable importance as well as an almost con sinuous settlement of squatters on their newly located homesteads on the way to that territory elders lewis and rawlins visited the pawnee reservation occupied by a small tribe of seven hundred indians i the agent also has ha the oversight of two other small tribes the ottaway and ponca potoae in okla okeal homa there is a good field of labor for the elders and when branches are established they will greatly assist in resenting presenting the gospel to the blanket andian indian in that vicinity in general genera I 1 may say the pros neeta leets in the mission are very favorable by degrees we are becoming established and are prie preaching aching the gospel boope among amonia the various tribes of indian sickness on the part of the elders and indifference on the part of the people have been the greatest difficulties to surmount the elders are mastering chills and fever and the unfavorable conditions of the country of thirteen elders during the year eleven ate are now in good health notwithstanding the seeming laek of interests interest there have been twelve baptisms in the last six month sand fair prospects for many more when warm weather comes as aa the natives do not like cold water in winter A great many are investigating the truth I 1 believe it will only be a matter of a short time before there will be branches organized organize dand and a fair representation of our people in that land the prospects never have been so favorable as they are today respectfully kimball |