Thirty Years in the Itinerancy

by W. G. Miller

Besides this depletion of the Itinerant ranks, three of our brethren had been called during the year to go down into the deep shadows of domestic affliction, in the loss of their companions, Revs. William Teal, Warren Woodruff and H.H. Jones. The obituaries of these devoted co-laborers were inserted in the Conference Minutes.

During the session of the Conference, Mrs. Miller and myself were entertained by the Misses Curry, whose generous hospitality made our stay with them exceedingly pleasant. We also visited many of our old friends in the city as opportunity permitted, little dreaming of the surprise that was awaiting us.

The Conference closed in the usual manner by the reading of the appointments. But judge of our surprise to find ourselves assigned for a third time to the Pastorate of Spring Street Station, Milwaukee. To say we were surprised indeed would be but to state the truth, and yet to say we were pained we could not, for who that has ever known the good people of Old Spring Street, could ever deem it an affliction to be stationed among them. However, when we looked upon the weeping eyes of several of our dear Ripon friends in the congregation, and thought of the many others at home, we would have been other than human if our eyes had not also filled with tears. Nor is it too much to say, that we did not know how much we were attached to the good people of Ripon and our work there, until we found ourselves so suddenly separated from them. But on the other hand, what could we say? We came first to Milwaukee when in our youth. We came again to the Milwaukee District in 1859, and to the station in 1862, giving to the first four years of severe labor, and to the last three of the most successful years of our Itinerant life. We had known this people as it seldom falls to the lot of Itinerants to know a people. With not a few we had knelt at the Altar of God, when they passed into the spiritual kingdom. The names of very many of them had been entered by the writer's hand on the records of the Church. With many we had bowed our heads in recognition of their deep sorrow, and with many had clasped hands in the day of their rejoicing. And now, to be sent back to a third Pastorate within a period of twenty years, could not be deemed less than a great privilege.

But to our work. Following my life-long custom, the first Sabbath of the new Conference year found me at my post of labor. I was happy to find the charge in a good spiritual condition, and hence I was able to take up the work in its ordinary line of service. My first care was to arrange a complete system of pastoral labor, still entertaining the conviction that upon the faithful prosecution of this branch of the Ministerial work depended, in a good degree, the success of the pastoral function. And in this branch of service Spring Street Station imposes a vast amount of labor. As the mother Church of the city, her membership is widely scattered, and her congregations large. Yet the Pastor, with a careful husbanding of time, and an earnest effort, can pass over the field as often as the exigencies of the work require. He may not always visit each family as often as they desire, for there are many in every Church who have a very limited idea of the amount of labor, care and thought the pastoral office imposes, but he will be able to meet all reasonable demands.

The new Church had been completed during the preceding year, and had been dedicated by Rev. Drs. Eddy and Ives on the Sabbath before Conference, Oct. 8th, 1871. The building is a fine brick structure, one hundred feet in length by eighty in width at the transepts. Besides the auditorium, it has a large lecture-room, three parlors, a Pastor's study, a library room, and a convenient kitchen. The entire cost of buildings and grounds, including the Parsonage, was sixty thousand dollars. At the dedication subscriptions were obtained to meet the indebtedness of twenty thousand dollars with a satisfactory margin.

The new year opened with all the Church appliances in vigorous operation. The class and prayer meetings were well attended, and the intervening evenings were occupied by the meetings of the Ladies' Aid, the Literary and other Church societies. The Sunday School, under the superintendence of Rev. Edwin Hyde, was in a flourishing condition, ranking, doubtless, as one of the most numerous and successful schools of the city.

The Milwaukee District was now in charge of Rev. C.D. Pillsbury, who entered the Maine Conference in 1843. He filled the following appointments in that Conference: Dover, Atkinson, Sagerville, and Exeter. At the division in 1848, he fell into the East Maine Conference, where his appointments were Machias, Summer Street, Bangor, Agent of East Maine Seminary, and Presiding Elder of Bangor District. He was transferred to the Wisconsin Conference in 1857, and stationed at Racine as the writer's successor. His subsequent appointments have been Racine District, Chaplain of the Twenty-Second Regiment, Beloit, Agent of the Freedmen's Aid Commission, Janesville District, and Milwaukee District.

After leaving the District Brother Pillsbury has been stationed at Bay View and Menasha, but, his health failing, he took a supernumerary relation at the last Conference, and at this writing is residing at Minneapolis. He has done considerable literary work, in connection with his Ministerial labors. Brother Pillsbury has a well balanced mind, and is thoroughly versed in the great questions of the day. He is sound in theology and faithful in administration; a good, strong Preacher, and is universally respected, both as a man and a Minister.

Asbury Church was greatly delighted with the return of Rev. W.W. Case to its pastorate. He entered the Erie Conference in 1859, and in that Conference he had been stationed at Ellington, Cattaraugus, and Little Valley. He was transferred to the Wisconsin Conference in 1864, and had now been stationed three years each at Edgerton and Beloit. During his year at Asbury, he had gathered a fine congregation, and was now in great esteem among the people. He remained three years at Asbury, and was then stationed at Division Street, Fond du Lac, where he is at the present writing, serving the second year.

Brother Case is still a young man, and is blessed with a pleasant countenance, agreeable manners, and an affable spirit. In social life he is a great favorite. He is well read, and has an entertaining delivery. In the selection of his pulpit topics, and in the manner of their treatment, he dwells more in the sunshine than in the storm. He has already reached a position among his brethren that gives promise of great usefulness in the Master's work.