FROM THE FIELD.

"Watchman, What of the Night?"

Missions.

Wisconsin.

The fourth quarterly report of the missionary work in Wisconsin gives many facts of interest, and indicates substantial progress.

The total number of missionaries employed is 39, being the largest number ever employed in a given quarter.

It is evidence of substantial progress that five houses of worship are now in process of erection on mission fields, viz.: At Wausau, Ashland, Antigo, Baraboo, and Albany.

The missionaries have preached at 49 churches and 44 out-stations, and had the care of 57 Sunday schools. They have preached the Gospel in five different languages-English, German, Swedish, Danish, and Norwegian. There have been received into the churches during the quarter: By baptism, 96; by

letter, 74

FIELD NOTES.

Ogema. This Mission is constantly bearing most excellent fruit. A deep spiritual interest prevails. The congregations are large and many unsaved people listen attentively to the word preached. One of the marked features of the work is the large number of promising young people who have embraced Christ as their Saviour within two years. The Missionary is doing much work among his Swedish countrymen in the vicinity of his field. Six were baptized, and two added by letter during the quarter.

Menominee Emanuel Church.-The work on this field was under the care of a student, Brother S. E. Price, of Morgan Park, Ill. The results obtained are a church of excellent materials, twenty-two in number, organized, Sunday-school organized with sixty scholars and seven teachers, and a vigorous missionary circle. The services were held in an uncomfortable hall and yet the average attendance in the hot summer months was sixty. Eight were baptized, and a deep interest pervades the congregation. The newly organized church has called Rev. A. C. Blackman, of Marinette, to the pastorate.

Brodhead. This field, after having its meetinghouse closed for nearly five years, and all its meetings suspended, has quickly taken on wonderful life and vigor. The present changed condition may be traced to earnest work put forth on the field by the Associational Missionary Committee in February last. In

May, a student from Morgan Park, Ill., began his labors. A large congregation was at once gathered, an excellent prayer-meeting organized, and much spiritual interest developed. One hundred dollars were expended in beautifying the meeting-house. One was baptized and sixteen received by letter and experience. The church has called a pastor and the field is full of hopefulness.

Spencer and vicinity.-Nearly two-thirds of this town was destroyed by fire in August, but our chapel and the missionary home were spared. The resources of the church have been much reduced by the destruction of the property of its friends. The missionary has preached at Spencer every other Sunday, giving the remainder of his time to out-stations along the line of the Central railway. He has supplied eight of these out-stations with the preaching of the Gospel. There certainly has been no lack of earnest and selfdenying labor on this field. Our missionary is an itinerant evangelist. He is one of Christ's couriers, preaching as he runs. His parish extends one hun. dred miles along the Central Railway. He holds himself ready to go anywhere, preaching the Word as he goes.

Ontario. A student missionary, Brother M. Parsons, spent sixteen weeks on this field with excellent

results. The church had been long without a pastor, but all the appointments of the church had been faithfully observed, the Sunday-school and prayer-meeting especially being in good condition. The labors of the missionary resulted in deepening the religious life of the church. The first week in September, the Evangelist, C. W. Palmer, spent a week with the church, holding special meetings. At the close of his labors, Brother E. S. Price, one of our missionaries, continued the meetings a week longer. The church was very much blessed and a large number were converted. Thirty-two have been baptized and eight received by letter and experience. The church has just settled Brother N. Feather as pastor. The outlook for this church is very encouraging.

By direction of the Executive Committee, the General Missionary secured the labors of fifteen young ministers connected with our Theological Seminaries, for missionary services in the State during the long summer vacation, viz.: Eight from Morgan Park, three from Hamilton, two from Rochester, one from Newton Center, and one from Denison University. They were assigned to pastorless churches and destitute fields. The term of service agreed upon was from twelve to fifteen weeks. The result of the work is a gratifying success.

FOREIGN POPULATION.

The population of Wisconsin in 1885, the date of the last census, was 1,563,423, showing a clear gain of 247,943, since 1880. The percentage of foreign born is about 33 per cent. of the entire population.

The population of foreign parentage in 1880 reached the enormous percentage of a little more than 72, showing that fewer than 28 per hundred of the inhabitants of Wisconsin were of American parentage. But the census of 1885 shows an increase of foreign parentage of 3 per cent., showing a population of foreign parentage of 75 per cent., and also showing that only 25 per hundred of the inhabitants of Wisconsin are of American parentage.

Minnesota.

The anniversary meetings of the Minnesota Baptist State Convention were held at Duluth, commencing Oct. 12. One of the striking features of the meetings was the large attendance and active participation of prominent laymen. Twenty-five lay brethren were present from Minneapolis, and ten or twelve from St. Paul. Perhaps in this may be found the secret of the energetic and successful way in which the Baptists of Minnesota have been conducting their missionary work during the year just closed.

NOTES OF PROGRESS.

We now have 190 churches, a gain of II, with a membership of 10,812, a net gain of 1,100, or a little more than 11 per cent.

Eleven pastors now at work among us have settled in our State during the year.

Our financial increase has been much more marked. The figures we give for last year are for all the associations; those for this year do not include our German churches, their statistics not being accessible.

The current expenses of our churches in the State for the year past were $81,284.95, against $66,586.28 the previous year. An increase of $14,698.67.

The benevolent contributions amount to $46,548.80, against $16,575.53 the previous year. A gain of $29,974.27, or 180 per cent.

Contributions for permanent improvements foot up $63,907.41, against $49,009.23 the year previous. A gain of $14,898.18, or 30 per cent.

are

The total contributions for all purposes $194,331.70, against $143,658.95 the previous year. A gain of $49,672.75, or 33 per cent.

The missionary contributions for the State average $4.50 per member, and the entire contributions $18.67 per member.

HOME MISSION WORK.

Total expenditures for the year have been $11,550. Of this amount $3,850 has come from the Home Mission Society. From the State $8, 100.02 has been received. Last year the number of contributing churches was 119; this year, 136.

Forty-one missionaries have been employed during the year. Added by baptism, 340; by letter and experience, 257. Total membership of mission

churches, 2,277; average membership of these churches, 49. Number of Sunday schools, 55; teachers, 358; scholars, 3,695.

A much larger number of mission churches than usual are building this year. The depleted condition of the Church Edifice Fund is especially unfortunate. Many of these struggling churches are suffering disappointment because they cannot receive help.

NOTES FROM MINNESOTA FIELDS.

Lake City (Swede), Rev. J. L. Walters.-The pastor preaches to some extent across the river in Wisconsin. Decided progress has been made, nearly Seventeen have been doubling the membership.

baptized, and six added otherwise.

Stanchfield (Swede), Rev. A Blomgren. -The harvest time came to this church in a very precious work of grace, in which forty were added to the church by baptism, and thirty-three otherwise. The church becomes self-supporting, and sends sincere thanks for aid received.

Northfield, Rev. H. Kennedy. --A marked year in the history of this church. The house of worship has been repaired, and a baptistry and dressing-rooms put in at a cost of about $300. (A meeting-house has been built at an out-station.) Baptist principles have been brought before the people as never before. A revival has been enjoyed, and thirty added by baptism, and seven otherwise.

Spring Valley, Rev. S. J. Nunn. -Missionary has labored nine months. A great change has come to the church. Abandoning the old meeting-house in the suburbs, they have held their services in the Opera House, with large congregations. A fine new meeting-house is now being finished, which will cost about $5,000. The church has been lifted to a new position in the community. A revival has been enjoyed. Fifteen have been added by baptism, and

thirteen otherwise.

St. Cloud, Rev. R. R. Coon, Jr.-An era is marked in the history of this church. With great faith and consecration, a beautiful and commodious meeting-house, to cost about $5,000, has been begun, and will be enclosed before winter. The old house has been moved to the rear of the lot, and the new one will stand upon the old site. A new mission Sunday school and preaching station has been opened in West St. Cloud with much interest. Eight have been added by baptism, and four otherwise.

Fergus Falls, Rev. F. L. Sullivan.-A year of very hard labor, endeavoring to pay the debt on their lot of about $900, and to prepare for building a house of worship. They have accomplished it, and the church has voted to exchange lots, procuring one in every way most desirable. Upon this new lot is a house which will be used for a parsonage, and another building which will be fitted up for a chapel. The church is in a good spiritual condition. Twelve baptized, and eleven added otherwise.

"There has been nothing of marked interest on my field during the quarter now closed. It continues to be a field of hope and promise, though at present small, and yields small visible results from labor bestowed. I have begun a systematic visitation of the whole town, and look for good results. Many families move away for the winter.

A very large destitute field surrounds me on every side.

Three churches east of this before reaching Mitchell are destitute of pastors. Kimball is in the midst of a large and intelligent population.

The country is fast filling up with intelligent and industrious farmers. White Lake is a smaller but no less thrifty town with ten hundred inhabitants, with a church organized, and very anxious to have the Gospel preached to them, but have not the means to support a pastor. Plankinton, a little further east, is a town of two thousand inhabitants, thrifty and enterprising, with a church membership of more than forty. At neither of these places is there a Baptist meeting house.

These houseless and pastorless flocks ought to be looked after by the Home Mission Society.

At least two good men ought to be sent on this field at once. Each of these towns are important points on the C. M. and St. Paul R. R. The other denominations have got good foothold on each of these fields, which makes it more difficult each year for the Baptist missionary to build up a church on the New Testament plan. The church at Plankinton ought to have a house of worship immediately. The other places can wait a little, as the Baptists can use the house of one of the other denominations half of the time, which is quite unsatisfactory and disadvantage

ous.

Two men and a few hundred dollars on this field now will immensely help the cause of the Master. Every year's delay makes the fields harder to culti

vate.

"Men of Israel help!". This great territory, it seems to me, more than any other, needs the pure Gospel of Jesus Christ to meet the incoming tide of the thousands of emigrants pouring in, of all nationalities and beliefs. If this lethargy continues, we shall be overrun with all forms of unbelief.

My heart is saddened as I often read of hundreds of dollars that are spent by eastern churches, and pastors in "Social Union" dinners and festivities, and while thousands of souls for whom Christ died are going on in sin and down to death without the Gospel being preached to them because our great Home Mission Society is too poor to send us pastors and build us churches. I wish those brethren could

see the hard worked missionaries in their humble homes trying to support their families on a meagre salary. The retrenchment came to us with a stunning God with the hope that when the great debt was removed, our support would be restored to its former standard. But it seems that in this we are to be hope. lessly disappointed.

blow. But we held on to our work and the arm of

O brethren, I pray you don't neglect this great and promising field. We have an unsurpassed climate and a deep, rich and wonderfully productive soil. As I write on the fourth day of Nov., the sun shines bright and warm. We have yet had no mud, or cold, sour weather so common in New England at this season of the year. And this condition of climate will continue, for the most part, until Christmas.

O, this is a grand country, and we want to lay hold of it for Jesus. Farmers must have time to subdue this soil-the terrible sod-before ample means can be secured on the field to build up and support churches."

Indian Territory,

-Under date of Nov. 6, Rev. Daniel Rogers gives a very encouraging account of the condition and progress of our work among the Cherokees. He

says:

"Our Cherokee Baptist Association convened last month. From 1,000 to 1,200 persons were in attendance at the meetings. The reports sent up from the churches during the past associational year were the most encouraging that have ever been sent since the Association was organized in 1868. There were 218 received into the churches by baptism, 117 by letter, and 11 on experience. Five new churches were received into the Association. The entire membership of the churches in the Association is 1,620. Two churches have withdrawn to unite with another asso ciation. About $180 were sent with the letters for missionary purposes, printing of minutes, etc. Of this amount, the Women's Mission Societies in the churches sent about $70. The Association appointed two missionaries to labor in destitute places in the Cherokee Nation, pledging, with the amount already available for this purpose, $100. Of this amount, over $50 is already raised. The Association also agreed to raise its proportion, with the other associations in the Territory, toward the support of a mis. sionary among the uncivilized Indians at the Wichita Agency. This will be about $100. There is now in the hands of the treasurer $50 for this object. The churches have done more also toward the support of their pastors than heretofore. One church has recently built a neat and comfortable meeting-house without any aid from abroad. There has been a decided advance in Christian work, and a recognition of the fact of individual responsibility. On Sunday morning, after the annual missionary sermon, a colof $26.20 was taken for missionary work at home and

abroad. One-half of this was designated for the Home Mission Society. I enclose a post-office order or this amount, $13.10. For these blessings upon Christian work we feel to thank God and take courage. Work for the Cherokees has not been in vain in the Lord."

The Swedish Baptist Association.

The Swedish Baptist Association of the United States

held its annual meeting, at Campello, Mass., September 10-12, 1886. Fifteen churches were represented by

ters and delegates. Two churches have organized dur. ing the past year, one at Hillsville, and one at An trim both in Pennsylvania. One hundred and twenty-six have been baptized during the year, and the Association now numbers one thousand members. Meeting houses have been dedicated; one at Jamestown, N. Y., and one at Campello, Mass., and one built, and now in use in Brooklyn, N. Y., but not yet dedicated. Nearly $12,000 have been expended in missionary work. The churches of the Association own property valued at $36,500. All this has been accomplished in six years. And they are resolved to raise more money for mission work.

Rev. O. Lindh of New York, was appointed to present the body before the State Conventions of New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts to urge upon the American brethren the importance of the Swedish mission field, and need of more help in their work. Thousands of Swedes in New York, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts wait for the gospel, and if that is not given them, it is feared the influence of the Socialists and Anarchists among them will be most deplorable.

Resolutions were passed expressing the hearty thanks of the body to the State Conventions of Connecticut and Massachusetts, and the churches of Pro. vidence, R. I., and of Jamestown, N. Y., for assistance during the past year. Altogether the meeting was one of great interest and of much hopefulness to the Swedish Baptists of America.

Rev. N. L. Sweet, of Spencer, Wisconsin, writes hopefully of the northern part of that State, though at present it is a discouraging field for missionary endeavor.

"It may seem to you that this is a barren field, and don't pay to chop and dig and pull stumps for the crop that may be raised after we are dead.

But your

children will live to see the north half of Wisconsin richer than the south half. We have a productive soil, a very healthy climate, and vast wealth of timber and minerals, and it will be settled with a dense population in the near future. Railroads are pushing through in many directions, and settlers are following fast. Villages that may be cities, are springing up, and the foreigner is improving his opportunity vigorously. If we neglect to sow the good seed in the beginning, we shall have to hoe thistles in after years. We all need more of the 'go ye into all the world and

-From Jackson College President Ayer reports deep interest in African Missions. This is characterHe says: istic of all of our schools.

"We have opened this work with a few more students than last year. Some fine material has come in, which serves to remind us that there is a great number of colored youth possessing fine abilities, and character quite remarkable, when their daily and constant surroundings are considered. Nearly all are professors of religion.

Four of my former students have just been appointed at the meeting of the colored Baptist Mission Society to be missionaries in Africa, (Topp and his wife, Diggs and his wife), who will probably join McKinney, now alone at the Vey Missions, back of Liberia. We shall then have five of our number in one African mission."

Considering the straits the Home Mission Society is in, I now take half of what I had laid aside to put in the bank and send to you to be used where most needed. I wish I could multiply it by ten thousand, but considering that my income the last year was only $365, and $110, of that was put into our new church, I do not see that I can do more at present."

-Progress in the Tulare Association. California, is shown by the following from M. S. Featherstone, Secy.

"Less than three years ago we arranged with the Home Mission Society for systematic mission work, and at that time the four active churches in the Association reported a combined membership of 110. We have now fourteen churches with a membership of 300. The timely aid given us by the Home Mission Society has been greatly blessed. A missionary spirit has been infused into our people, and we have been encouraged to go forward and help ourselves. Our late Association adopted unanimously, the follow ing resolution.

"Resolved, That we hereby gratefully acknowledge the aid extended to us in our associational mission work, by the American Baptist Home Mission Society.'

"This field is white unto harvest, but the laborers are few."

-There is great need of general missionary work among the colored people. Rev. A. M. Newman is doing excellent work of this kind in Louisiana. We should be glad to have such a man in every Southern State.

"Much is being done to bring the Baptists together in Louisiana. I went to Shreveport, November 3d inst., and met there the Northwestern Baptist Convention. They number about 14,000, and were once members of the State Convention, but they broke off in 1883. I am now happy to say that by prayer and patient labor the Northwestern Convention is induced to come into the State Convention again, and when this is done we will have a force of not less than 65,000 all laboring together for the upbuilding of the Master's cause. In the District Associations also, the work is very encouraging. Louisiana churches, which have been members of Associations in Texas and Mississippi for years, are coming back into their own State. I am now at work in the fourth district, and could, with very great benefit, spend another month here. I send you five new subscribers for the HOME MISSION MONTHLY."

-Under date of November 7, Brother Roscoe, missionary and teacher at Kadiak, Alaska, writes:

At pres

"I will write you a few lines by this vessel-perhaps the last that you will get from me until next spring. We are well. I am getting along nicely in my school work. We have made friends among the people, and they all seem to think well of us. By next spring I think my brightest pupils will be able to read well enough to understand the New Testament. ent my brightest pupils understand but little English. I am learning Russian, and I think I will be able to speak it quite well by next spring. We have been having an evening school for the benefit of some adults who have to work in the day-time. I hope to be able to send you encouraging words by next spring."

-The opening of Tower University, at Tower City, December 1, is an important event to the Baptists of North Dakota. Rev. A. M. Allyn writes that twenty students were present at the opening of the school, and more are expected.

"The public opening services were very successful and inspiring. Many new friends were made for the institution. All feel that our Professors, Williams and Heaton, are the men for the place."

—Rev. Wm. Hurr, native missionary to the Sac and Fox Indians, Indian Territory, is greatly rejoiced and encouraged in his work. He says: "One of the leading councilmen of this tribe, also his son, have come forward and joined our church. At the baptism there were a great many present, and I hope much good was done. Brother Keokuk and the church are greatly encouraged. The new brother's name is Shaw que quot. He will be very useful to us, and is now at work among his relatives. I married three couples last week-full blood Iowas. Last year I

married eight couples, all of the Sac and Fox tribe. We have very good meetings, and rejoice that light is now coming to this people."

-Rev. G. Aubin, at Worcester, Mass., has cheerful results in his field. He says:

"Of the eight that I baptized the first Sunday of October, three were pedo-baptists, one Catholic, and the four others were Baptists in convictions, but neglected their duty for several years. One of the ladies baptized has a first-class education in English and French, and all the men can be numbered amongst the best French people of Worcester. It is seldom that we reach this class, so many at the same time; they will be a power in our mission."

-Rev. C. P. Chavez, of St. Anne, Ill., encounters opposition, notwithstanding which the good work goes on. A sister who would not comply with the demand of the school directors to stop working in the Baptist Sunday school, lost her place. She would not refuse to serve her Lord for the sake of the loaves and fishes. The members are very faithful. "Our Sunday attendance is very good in the morning, but it is better in the night, because a good many come like Nicodemus."

Church Edifice Notes.

-The reception of $5 for the house in Mexico from the State Sunday School Convention of Louisi ana, indicates that our colored Baptists are interested in mission work in other lands. The colored people only need some man like Rev. S. T. Clanton, the mission agent for Louisiana to place our benevolent operations before them and they will respond.

-Rev. A. Coffey, our missionary to the Delawares in the Indian Territory, writes: "The great need at this place is a house of worship. We occupy a build. ing formerly used as a cabinet shop, built of native lumber, and without ceiling or plaster either on the