Show missionary experience IN THE SOUTH interesting holes betes from an elder in he field Edgett edgefield eld co 8 C january 27 1888 editor deseret news I 1 left my home in clover tooele thoele county count on margh march and on tho 0 of 1 the suie month la in company with several others left lef t salt lake city via the D R G K R R for tae southern Sont states we arrived at chattanooga tano oga tennessee in safety after a plessant pleasant and We interesting resting ride of over 2000 miles I 1 was assigned to 0 o labor in the south carolina conference and on the evening of april ath found myself at Cow cowpony Cowpen pons 8 station sparta spartanburg nouri county ty frona from abic h point I 1 had to make my y way elgh eight or nine miles through the douds to our oar headquarters As it was now getting late I 1 hurriedly gathered a little information as to ruy my route and with satchel in hand set out and about dark I 1 had bad reached my destination presented present sd myself to the then president of the conference brother wm N anderson of 1 salt lake city informed him that I 1 was a mormon fider elder fresh irom from utah and as inexperienced as I 1 was fresh and that I 1 awaited his bis commands he was as very glad to see me invited me in and made me acquainted all seemed to be enjoying themselves finely bluely 1 I however was not so well contented and while all were laughing and talking inertly by the light of a pine knot fire I 1 was casting enquiring glances round and quietly taking in the situation elder A took me under his wing and in a few days I 1 felt as much at home as any of them by the latter part pare of the month I 1 had so far adapted myself to circumstances as to be pretty well able to take care of myself and was dispatched to waterloo lob union county NC to labor in connection with brother P P Bingham Bing hamot of wilson hber county here we met with but limited success and toward the latter part of july were both called back to spartanburg County where we labored meeting with considerable encouragement till our oar conference was held which was on nov 5 and 6 at that time myself and brother H T humphreys of paris idaho were selected HS AS suitable persons to go to the more southern portions state and open if pois possible sible a now field accordingly we made ready for our journey and on nov 25 we started in high spirits time rolled on and we walked on making ourselves and our business known as we went no mormons cormons Mor mons ever having been in the section of country through which we traveled we were quite a curiosity and as a rule had but little trouble in retting getting entertained though few had bad an any d desire e to investigate the principles pa es of the gospel christmas cime came and went very quietly and the new year approached and as yet we had held no meetings all our oar talking so tar far had been done by the fireside new years day was very aret vret sud disagreeable disagree ale but nevertheless we hod had to travel we walked nearly all day in the rain through deep mud and happened to get into a district where there baere were no white settlers alers came at last to a young river overflowing the bridge over it and its banks for rods 9 i we got a negro to come with his bis mule tp top put us as over but when he came he dared not venture in for fear he would be taken down by the current I 1 we had either to cross or walk four or five miles in order coiet et accommodation for the night tol W wl concluded to cross and pulled off our oar clothes and waded it no doubt our eur friends at home were wishing ns a happy new year and could they have seen us they would have thought ye we were having baving it since then we have been working slowly south applying lor for an tuni preach but denied as often as we applied app applied liea till we reached a small settlement in the nor northern part of this county we arrived on thursday the dinst and on friday wl wa were invited to hold bold media in a private house and despite the wet disagreeable weather quite a crowd of anxious listeners were present at the close of the meeting another geu aleman invited us to preach at his hia house on saturday evening and here we met a large crowd who paid strict attention and we began to make a num number berof of friends there was a baptist church near by and some of the members invited us to attend sabbath school the next day we we would like to see how they carried it on but were met when within a few rods of the door by a man who gave us to understand that he be had bad been appointed a committee of one to invite us to leave as no one la in that section wanted any interest in mormonism we told him we came solely for the purpose of learning something if possible thinking it was open to the public but if it was not agreeable for us to enter we of course would withdraw we went to the libuse bouse of a friend and took dinner and toward night we were waited on by a committee ot of eight who gave us till the next day at 10 a in to ue oe five miles away we asked them what authority or power tacy represented they told us that was not nothing hing to us but that they represented dented the leading element of the place statement we do not doubt and that they paid the taxes and were the leading fiot of the neighborhood and said bald you are only two and we are wani many weve were got the drop on you and you youve ve got to go we tried to reason with them but they said they had bad not come to talk and rode away when about to retire that night a crowd called at the house where we wea staying and wanted us ur a to preach to trem M which we did the next day dav about 1030 a mob of about 30 or 40 mounted men came to see it if we were gone when our friends saw them coming they began to fear some trouble and urged us to leave we started on slowly audwert and were soon overtaken by the bravos and were sharply chastised for not doing as we had bad been tolland tol lold dand and after afier usa us a while and giving givin g us to understand that they were thoroughbred south Carolia ans that they did not allow a mormon within vie the binders birders ot of the state and jf f we stopped before we got to utah we did it at our own peril they scattered into the woods jn in groups to see wh where ere we went behold we were as sheep in the midst of wolves and wolf like their bravery depends on OB the size ok of the epack tb pack we walked on to the next house a distance of about abou hah a mi leand took dinner after which the gentleman invited us to stay till 1111 morning as it was a blustery day cay which invitation was gladly accepted d finding no more interest rest in that section we moved on and ad have been traveling since that date in different parts of the county have held hed a few meetings but have not succeeded in establishing ourselves as yet but we are not to in the least discouraged considering f the misrepresentation and falsehood in circulation in ia regard to us we find the people as a rule very aind kindard kin dand and hospitable and there are arc many good honest man men and women among them who are trying to serve and who believe they are serving the lord and I 1 sincerely hope they will be led to tee see their error while time is yet land I 1 and my companion are enjoying good health spirits to correspond and feel encouraged in the work ever praying for the victory of truth I 1 remain yours truly ALONZO J STOCKIST |