Newspaper Page Text
X.
Communications.
-Edinburg. Johnson Cos., Inc), M<y 28. 1860.
Brethren Bekbe'Jc Puktngton —As I am wri
ting to you on business it might not be uninterest
ing to s >tne of the readers of your paper to hear
this section of country, which rike all the lo
calities, has its full representations ol individuals
composing: the different sects and societies of reli
* rious vvoishippers who have a form of gmd-Jiness,
but deny the power thereof, atld-are vainly-suppos
ing that heaven and immortal glory is only attain
• able by a strict compliance with’ the so-called re
quirements of the gospel. We hear it proclaimed
by the ministers of these corrupt organizations* (er
roneously sty ling themselves churches.) Thatmian
possesses the ability to save himself from under the
curse of the law—that God in delivering up Ilis
only Begotten Son to suffer death ami all its accom
panying tortures, has in that ar t displayed or man
ifested his goodness and mercv toward the children
of men l.v the bestowment of the power to walk
into the Kingdom of Heaven in their own timo-and
way, and are using every means within their grasp
to convince the world that God has done all he
•an or ever will do for his people, and now they
mu&ct perform good works in older to brogG“d
under obligations to compensate them tor the good
deeds done in the body. Yea, they bring up the
devil in his most terrible form, and portray his do
minions together with the inhabitants there f, in
its blackest character, in order to excite the ani
mal passions of the creature, and thereby influence
them to go to work and be saved, or in other w ords,
save themselves from under the curse of the law.
But dear readers of the Messenger, scattered like
those of old throughout the different portions of
the earth, there are yet a” few in this part of the,
country who have not bowed the knee to B al, and
- who are not willing to trust in the promises of God
for life and salvation, who.declare that it is by
grace ye are saved through faith, and that not of
yourselves, it is the gift of God ami not of works
least any man should boast. The glorious plan of
salvation as revealed in the death and sufferings of
Christ, and made manifest to every heaven born
soul is fullv ascribed to by all those who have been
made to feci a helplessness of their condition and
wretchedness of mind by reason of sin and rebel
lion, and subsequently to realize a blessed evidence
of the pardon and forgiveness of their sins through
the < ffieacv of the she ! blood of our Lord
and Savior Jesus Christ, liiey adore t lis tiie iich
. sos .His grace, exalt Ilis adorable name, aiid
DEVOTED TO THE SERVICE OF THE OLD SCHOOL BAPTISTS.
“©ME MBS, ©ME tA>B, ABB ©ME 5A9V8381.”
COVINGTON, NEWTO'N CO., GA., .'JUNE 15, 1860.
praise lit in for his goodness to them in bringing
them from darkness to light. And that is not all
they r- juice in him, as the God of their salvation,
as their Shepherd, Husband ami Friend, as their
Prophet, Priest and Kieg, and sucli how can they
hut pul all their confidence in Him, and repose all
their trust for a safe deliverance in the blessed as
surances lie has_give them of finally bringing them
rff conquerors? *Y*a, more than conquerors,
through Hun that loved them and gave himself for
them. But 1 have written too much already, and
lest I weary y< ur patience I will close by saying,
‘do with this as you de. tn proper, and I will be sat
rsfi. and.
VYours in bonds of Christian'"Friendship,
JOHN G.SAWIN.
West Point, Bates Cos.. Mo., )
AprirS, 1860. f
Dear Br iber Beebe: —Since the date of a
communications which I published in the Signs of
the. Times, requesting brethren of the/ OkbSohool
Baptist order-tof lobk .at this part of the country
before settling elsewhere, &c.., I have moved my
residence fr>m Rovella, Kansas, t<> West Point,
Bates Cos., -Mo., to which place my friends and
brethren will please direct their letters, &c. This
place is immediately on the line,’ 16 miles’ from
my former residence.
I have received a grp*t many letters fr<om breth
ren in diffe.ent. Siates. aud from* Canada, making
enquiries respecting the country in South west
Missouri, ami South-east Kansas; and as all the
brethren wish information on the same subj et, and
ask so near the same questions. I, by. consulting
some of the brethren, have concluded to answer
tlreir numerous letters through the Signs , if it
meets your approbation, particularly as we are
very anxious for our brethren to see this country,
and if they can find it to their interest to settle
with us, as we are but few in number, but, we
hope,©ouml in faith. There are several churches
in Bates County Mo, and some four or five preach
ers, to wit JElds.Ty te Berry,*Martin-*Wbite, and
Bridgewater, whose Post Office address is.
Butjer, Bates Cos., M<>. John Barnet and the wri
ters’ Post Office, is AVesl Point, Bates Cos., Mo.—
I do not know of any Old School Baptist preach
er in Kansas, south of the Kansas Rtver, since my
removal to this place, nor is there any organized
church in Southern .Kansas ; there -are - several
members scattered over the country, mostly fe
males ; hence our*anxiety for our brethren to come
to this part to locate.
This is a very pleasant climate, at least it has
been so for the last three vears. The cold of win
-0
ter has never been down to zero in the lasti-three
winters, nor has the mercury rose above 96 or. 98
Fahrenheit-in summer; seldom have any fiost later
than the loth of April or eailier than the 15th of
October or, Ist-of .November; sometimes not so
late as abova-in spring, or so early in fall, by two
or three weeks ; seldom feed cattle until Decem
ber, or later than the 15th of March, or Ist of
April. Cattle do a&.welL for-seven or eight mouths
out on the range as they can do on any pasture;
and hay made from the wild grass is quite suffi
cient to winter dairy or stock cattle; sheep, also,
do as well here as anywhere in the United States.
About all the.attention they need is to guard* Them
from wolves, which are quite numerous. Horses
and mules can do no better anywhere than here ;
will keep fat and slick on the range for eight or
nine months in the year. The must trouble with
them is to watch them tiom the jayhawks. Hogß
here, as almost everywhere else, must be made on
grain, but have not had any. disease .among them
that I ever heard of.
!The face of the country is moderately rolling;
no entirely level land (up land) or very lit; le steep
land. Almost the whole country can be cultiva
ted ; the soil is quite fertile, some neighborhoods
sandy and some clay—almost all shade or color,
uch.as black, gray, red, <fcc., &o.; some fanners
prefer one kind, and some another.
The staple/growth of all bids country,is Indian
corn, ts and wheat, though fall wheat is not con
sidered a sure crop, but I am certain the cause, is
I bad farming, as there.-is too little pains taken in its
cultivation. Spring wheat is considered a pretty
sure crop. . Burkwbeat grows to perfection, and all
the grasses do first rate, but some a*e of the opinion
that the land is generally too dry for timothy to
endure well. Hemp and tobacco will do well
here, and, doubtless, be much cultivated when our
railroads are completed—too far now from market
to cuhivatecropa that are so heavy to haul.
There is a large portion of this country prairie,
but there is timb r sufficient to improve the coun
try, as thick as it ought to be for a stock country.
There are no orchards yet old enough
to bear, and in this part of Missouri ;
but there is no country in the Union in which the
fruit trees grow faster, or bear belter than they do
here. Grapes of all kinds thrive remarkably w. 11,
so far as tried. In fact, l see nothing to prevent
this from making one of the best fi uit-growing
countries in the United Stales or any where else.
Si one, both limestone and sandstone, is in great
abundance, and of good quality. Stone coal is
also plenty, almo>t everywhere, and is sold at fro
four to ten cents per bushel at the bank, aud from
ten to twenty ceuts delivered, &c.
NO. 12