MOUNTAIN WORK.
When the Executive Committee of the American Missionary Association “decided to offer these mountain people the aid of our system,” probably even this far-seeing committee did not fully realize the magnitude of the work, nor the grand possibilities of the field. The few feeble churches that then existed are scarcely recognized now in the larger work that has grown up independently of them and miles away. Indeed, in entering this region in 1882 we were only putting the plow into the field, which had been already turned by pioneer laborers of the American Missionary Association. Before the war a brave man had pushed his way back into these mountain fastnesses in Christ’s name. He went under commission from this Association. He opened a school; his work was successful. Into his school he put a library for the use of his pupils. In this library there was a volume of Wesley’s sermons and, among these, one against the sin of slavery. This book got into the hands of a pro-slavery family. It was told that the preacher was teaching anti-slavery doctrine. Excitement in this back mountain region was intense. A mob was organized. They seized this missionary, bound him, beat him, and took him some two miles over the mountains and threw him into a cabin, and left two men as guards at the doors, while they, with their habitual delay, went to their homes for their dinner. They intended to return and inflict sorer punishment and perhaps hang him. Two mountain lads, brothers, heard of this outrage. They were pupils of this godly school-master and loved him. Each one, unknown to the other, went by a different path to the cabin with his rifle on his shoulder. They took out their teacher, cut the cords that bound him, and while he and his terrified wife at his side climbed the mountain, pushing their way to the Ohio river, these stalwart mountain lads kept back the mob with the threatening use of their unerring rifles. This missionary and his heroic wife finally reached the river and escaped. Now for the wonderful climax to that history. We have recently organized a Congregational Church where these thrilling scenes occurred. Among the original members who united in the bonds of freedom-loving Congregationalism were these two men who when boys defended this teacher at the risk of their own lives. A neat little church stands near this prison cabin of the past, and the bell that hangs in its belfry, whose tones fall now upon no slave’s ear, was contributed by the wife of this first missionary to this mountain region. Such was the heroic beginning of the Association’s work among these mountains. God had not forgotten during the years that passed, the tears and blood and prayers of these brave sufferers for Christ’s sake.
This mountain work now is divided into two well-defined fields, both important. The field in Kentucky has for its base the Louisville and Nashville Railroad, which has been built since our present missionary force began their work in this region. The central point of this work is Williamsburg. Here we have a large and prosperous academy and church. Eleven whole counties are easily reached from this center and only one of these has as yet been occupied. In addition to the work at Williamsburg, there are two primary schools and five organized churches and constantly increasing numbers of missionary stations in this field. Chapels have been erected in S. Williamsburg and Woodbine and are used for public service. A pastor has been settled over the church at Williamsburg and has taken up the work with great efficiency. The General Missionary has been relieved from the pastoral duties which he has borne before, and has larger opportunity for outside work which is pressing upon him. “Can we not have at least one pastor for each county?” is the painfully urgent plea of one of the faithful workers in this field.
The other field of mountain work lies along the Cumberland Mountains in Tennessee. Its base is the Cincinnati Southern Railroad, and the work extends far back into the mountains. Twenty-two counties are here accessible to our pastors and teachers. We have in this field two flourishing schools, one at Grand View and the other away up on the Cumberland plateau, at Pleasant Hill. Besides these schools, there are also churches at Grand View, Pleasant Hill, Pomona, Robbins, Slick Rock and Helenwood. Last year a new school was taken under the care of the Association at Sherwood, Tenn. We have thus surrounded this vast mountain region with our missionary forces. A General Missionary has been put into this field during the past year and the work opens upon him with constantly increasing magnitude. These people are Americans in every sense of the word, ninety-eight per cent of the population of some counties having been born where they still live. Those who come into the region from other parts of the same State they call foreigners. A missionary in writing recently from this field says: “I asked how many of them in the meeting had Bibles in their homes, and out of fifteen or eighteen families represented only two of them had Bibles.” Another missionary asked a girl seventeen years old if they had a book in her house. “A book, what is a book?” was the astonishing question. A book was described to her. “Oh! yes,” she said, “I believe there was one in the cabin before grandmam died, but it was lost so long ago I plumb forgot how it looked.”
This is our work. Only the edges of this great field have been gleaned. Will you not let us send our harvesters right into the heart of this ripening grain to gather in the name of our God?
INDIAN WORK.
The Indian work is chiefly in Nebraska and Dakota. The following is the summary for the year:
| Churches | 5 |
| Church members | 370 |
| Added during the year | 43 |
| Schools | 18 |
| Pupils in Schools | 608 |
| Missionaries and Teachers | 61 |
The report shows an encouraging increase in church membership. This means the redemption of souls from heathenism.