Show SOUTH CAKO LINA interesting keport of labors there the catawba inu preceptor a Jaen elit EZELL spartanburg Spart anburs county S C may ad 1887 editor deseret news new I 1 was appointed as president of the south carolina Cn conference ference on the of february last and am doing all in my power to forward the work of god in this land ia connection with the rest of my brethren there are now eight elders laboring in this state or conference and we are expecting another to arrive soon two in county two in union county north carolina and four in spartanburg county covering an area of country of miles east and west interest in the different sections as is usual at this season of year is decreasing although in county it is still comparatively good and we are in ia hopes of reaping the reward of our labors during the past winter in which I 1 assisted by a bountiful harvest as there seems to be some there who are honest in heart the elders in that county chanty have baptized three lately and think that will break the ice for a number more a persecution is not prevalent at present but satans gatans emissaries area are fitall till on hand band to oppose the promulgation of the gospel and we hear mutterings mutter rings loga t i sow BOW and again in regard to what they will wil have to do to stop our making converts to the truth there are members in the confer ence abd most of them in good standing we are using every endeavor to get them to gather to zion as soon as possible realizing that the hour of gods judgments is near at hand band the saints irom this slate bute generally emigrate to colorado there it is another company going in juner but there are only three or lour going fram here that we know of A number of our saints in south carolina are Lama known as the catawba indians some of them are the best we have got being full of faith and integrity and have taken hol hoi cl with a zeal not commonly manifest f with those who receive the truth aowad nowadays ays the Cataw bas are a small colony situated on a reservation of thirty miles square on th the catawba riv rand erand were first visited by our elders in 1883 they married laar ried aud aad mixed with the white people and the whites kept intruding upon them and cheat cheating ug them out of their land until til now those these few who remain a about t I 1 have only a quarter section 0 of land left the majority of them ha have embr embraced ed the gospel but it is bard under the influence of so called civilization to get all of them to refrain from the evil habits which had such a hold upon them when the gospel found them when the jolders first west went in among them bori boring ng whites had in the nation as they call it its a regular place of resort for lewd purposes As soon as the pr principles inci ples of at the gospel were taught then them and they were made to sense their condition they ceased their evil practices and accepted the truth this as a natural consequence enraged some of the pious christians because they could not gratify their revil vil desires and the spirit of mobbing was soon rife and as the I 1 mormons cormons Mor mons were an unpopular sect it was not difficult to get a crowd to drive them out this state of affairs arising placed the elders in jeopardy while prosecuting their labors and resulted in may 1884 in one of the elders being shot at and the other given 40 lashes ever since that time there lias has been a standing threat toward the elders eldera if t they ey are ever caught in there they will be SI similarly dealt with ever we do visit them we have to slip about and be watchful al we have a sunday school organized in their midst and one of the lama al te brethren to superintend it we write 11 to them quite often and do all we can in that direct direction ioa to encourage them we got a number of them to move away from their lands up in this thi s section where we can be protected and visit them and teach them hem their duties we learned lately that some of them who are yet in the nation are being overcome by the wicked ones around tum them since we are while they remain t there ro deprived of teaching them all was peace throughout the conference at last accounts and elders and saints generally ene rally are enjoying a degree 9 of goo good health the weather Is line fine corn and wheat crops are beginning to adorn the cleared portions of land which look like a sandy waste in winter time people ure are busy planting cotton and it will soon be nourishing when the sun shines hot the woods are abetting in full bloom birds making the air ring with shrill notes in the day and whippoorwill whip poor will responds at night I 1 have a good deal of walking to do in visiting around and looking after the welfare of those under my watchcase watch wate licare care and sometimes it is tiresome especially in hot weather still I 1 rejoice and as god hasp has so far f ar given me strength perform my duties according to his promises by observing his laws I 1 will not complain the preceptor has been a great benefit to the elders in this section in getting gettin athern them to present tho the principles of athe the gospel in order and simplicity there is one prominent feature adopted by the elders in their teachings that is contained in it and that is to avoid finishing and beginning several times in a discourse this point always occurs to my mind igind when tam I 1 am speaking and the effect of observing it is manifest also the plan of having an opposite ato speak to is observed the preceptor nas has and is doing in my judgment a great deal of good at home and abroad I 1 remain your brother in the gospel W N ANDi cit sox |