PAGE SIX
—
THE SOWER
A Weekly Department of Religious
and Secular Thought Contributed
by REV. JAMES A. TURNER,
Pastor, M. E. Church, Patton, Pa.
A PRINCE AND A LEADER
IN ISRAEL,
Nearly sixty years ago a young man,
regal in bearing, noble in counten-
ance, and ardently idealistic in spirit,
having sold his few worldly possess-
ions, came up from the hilly farm-
lands of Morgan county Ohio, and en-
tered the portals of the Ohio Wesley-
an University, driven thereto by the
spirit of a holy idealism and a passion
for learning which burned within his
soul, hoping that he might acquire an
education sufficient to enable him to
know thoroughly and teach efficiently,
to a hungry world that so sadly need-
ed it, that great body of literature
known as the Holy Writ, and thus to
satisfy a deep and urgent longing that
had cried insistently in his heart for
realization since his early childhood. |
Having, after years of hard work, |
sacrifice, and devoted application to
his studies, finished his education, and
taken to himself from this same Coi-
lege-town of Delaware, a bride to be
his companion through the coming
years, this young man, James Elmer
Turner, by name, turned his face to
the frontiers of the great uncivilized
West and journeyed over its vast
reaches until he arrived at the little
town of Oxford in the southeastern
section of one of the great territories
of the United States, where he assum-
ed charge of a Methodist Mission
school which was being conducted in
that Mormon - settled mountainous
section of what in later years became
a part of the State of Idaho.
Here, in this raw frontier station of
kuman civilization, the young mission-
ary entered upon the initial stages of
that unique and remarkable career
which brought him in the course of
time to a position of high eminence in
the realm of those who have shaped
human destiny.
Always the idealist and the dreamer, |
this young man had dreamed dreams
and seen visions of a time when men
and women should know their Bible
as they knew their spelling book, and,
looking toward the realization of that
ideal he had originated a new system
of consecutive and systematic Bible
study, published a series of graded
text-books for young and old, and ded-
oa
Speediest Toy Auto
Not exactly a plaything for kiddies, this toy automobile is said to
burn up the road at 80 miles per hour. Seven-year-old Dick Sinclair was
1 pose with the one-cylinder racing
car at the spring hobby show of the Detroit Yacht club. It was one of
the most popular exhibits at the show. !
a bit shy, but mighty proud to
| ana teachers in
| Biblical. His
! the Bible School Book, the
' one volume commentary on the Bi-
, squalor, filth, poverty and destitution
' were rampant everywhere.
icated his life to the high task of car-
rying this Light of the Ages over land
and sea and to the ends of the earth,
Because of his love for the great
Book of Books which he studied ana
taught with a passionate devotion and
a deep intellectual and spiritual pene-
tration and grasp he became in the
course of time one of the world’s
greatest scholars, authors, lecturers,
the realm of things
new system of Bible-
study, his graded text-books, were
the first of their kind, and his corres-
pondence courses and weekly publica-
tions went to students all over the
world. He edited and published the
Bible School Teacher, the Bible School
Booklet, the Bible School Primer, and
latter a
\
|
ble, the only thing of its kind in print
even today, and a book of great merit
and practical usefulness.
The Author's primary efforts in the
field of Bible teaching were in the
days when he was studying at the Un-
iversity where he conducted classes in
Lible composed of students whose in-
terests inclined them in that direc-
tion. Later, in his mission-school
work at Oxford, Idaho, he developed
his system of teaching, and took many
classes of adults and young people
through consecutive courses of study
in the essentials of that great litera-
ture.
The early field of labor in Oxford
was one of unusual color and interest,
being in that part of what is now the
southeastern section of Idaho, it was
in the heart of Mormordom. Language
utterly fails one in attempting to de-
scribe the living conditions prevailing
among this mountainous Mormon
people. (One of the school’s nearest
neighbors was a Mormon who had 16
wives and 64 children.) And polygamy
was common. Ignorance, superstition
Crime,
brutality, murder, theft, falsehood, and
vileness of all kinds reared their ugly
heads on all hands. Human life was
cheap, and conditions of domestic hor-
ror were so common as to hardly ex-
cite comment by a resident, though al-
most beyond belief to the uninitiated.
Reading of those rampant conditions
of life in that country in those days
freezes one’s blood and chills one’s
soul. Much vicious opposition was
constantly in evidence against any up-
lifting Gentile or Christian influences.
The Indians were pretty much in ev-
idence to complicate the situation, and
were a great deal of a nuisance most
of the time. The reader can imagine
the state of mind of the missionary’s
Captivates Children
THE UNION »
young bride, who, when often alone in
the humble little house which was the
nianse, was besieged by bands of hun-
gry Indians who pressed their ugiy
their entrance and took what they
wanted.
accounts related by his mother of some
most paralyzed with fright on many
aceasions,
in the house from intruding bands o:
treacherous Indian savages.
days in Idaho, over half a century ago.
Many interesting and exciting as well
as unpleasant and sometimes terrify-
ing experiences were gone through by
these missioners of the Gospel among
these wild and wooly savages and near
savage Mormons,— which would make
interesting reading. In marked con-
trast to the degenerate human phase
was the striking beauty of the sur-
rcunding country,—a veritable garden
of Eden in beauty of majestic snow-
covered mountain peaks, flowered val-
leys, rich soil, luxuriant verdure and
clear, dry climate.
It was during the middle part of
these interesting and eventful years at
Gatord that the first two children of
the manse were born,—the eldest son,
Ariel Reuel, on January 3rd, 1888; ana
the writer, James Aubrey, on April the
ith, 1889,—fifty years ago, tomorrow.
In the fall of the year of '89, when
the writer was six months of age, the
young missionary brought his family
back East, and resided awhile in his
erstwhile University town of Dela-
ware ,Ohio, where he continued his
unique and successful career as a lec-
turer, Bible teacher and evengelist,
which activities subsequently took
him into various assemblies, conven-
tions, conferences, camps, chautauqua
circuits and churches of all denomin-
ations over the eastern part of the
country. Later he incorporated the
American Bible University in the
State of Ohio, where students were
trained for special work, and from
which headquarters went out a weekly
Publication to a large body of corres-
pondence students in every country in
the world,—the first of its kind on
earth.
Ariel Reuel, the eldest son, and the
writer ,with the help of Lillian, the
oldest of the four sisters, spent their
school years in the University where
they received their various academic
degrees, while at the same time doing
the work in the large printing office
necessary to the publication of the
weekly paper, pamphlets, books and
literature that went to the four corn-
ers of the earth and, incidentally, farm-
ing and cultivating the large acreage
of land in connection with the Uni-
versity estate. The supervisor of all
these multitudinous activities, during
the absence of the head of the institu-
tion, was, of course, the same wife and
assistant who had seen such strenuous
days in the far West, and who was as-
sistant editor of the weekly paper,
and who wrote an entire page of ex-
pository material each week for the
ycung people, in addition to the other
great variety of duties and activities
incident to this large enterprise. With
a school, students, a family of six chil-
dren, a large printing plant, a large
farm, editorial work, an immense
other little
things on her hands to keep her busy,
she lived an active and effective life.
house, and a thousand
Many people have lived to over one
hundred years of age and have not
done even a fraction of what she. did
in her forty-six years of life.
NEW
porate 11 P EW RITERS $21.76
Officiel Romington-Rand Portable Agency
Account Backs, Ledger sheets, All-Facts Busi-
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Stepling Machines & Staples for All machines
Typewriter Ribbons 50c Salesbooks 6 for 256
Typewriter & Adding Machine Service Agency
EAGLE PRINTING CO.
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CO., Carroltlown,
“GOOD HEAVENS!”
I said, “You don’t mean that the
call you just made to Sam at
college only cost 35 cents! Why
that’s a hundred miles from
here!”
She said, “Oh yes, I do! Long
Distance rates are reduced quite
a bit after seven at night and
all day Sunday.”
I said, “I know it, but I never
imagined theywould be thatlow.”
“ - “
Anytime on Sunday or any night
after seven, you can make a
three-minute station-to-station
call as far as 444 air-line miles
for only one dollar. Consult your
telephone directory or ask the
operator for rates to points you
wish to call.
THE BELL TELEPHONE COMPANY
OF PENNSYLVANIA
faces against the window panes aud
demanded food, or, if possible, torcea
The writer well remembers
of those terrifying and nerve-racking
experiences, and of how she was al-
when, alone with her in-
fant sons, she had to barricade herself
Indeed it
was a colorful and exciting life; those
RESS-COUKIER.
Thursday, April 6th, 1939.
Wide choice
ers, Young Princess Types,
sizes 11 to 20. Youthful,
$695 TO $25.00
EASTER DRESSES
Priced at $3.95 to $12.95
Jackets, Boleros, Plaits and Tailored;
GIRLS’ AND BOYS’ COAT & HAT SETS
Sizes from 2 to 6 years, and priced from
$1.95 to $3.95
Fannie C. Wetzel,
Carrolltown, Penna.
i)
o
od
CJ oR)
BC Bp SCI)
LS y
CF
ove
*
NEVER have we had such a complete stock of beautiful and dressy spring garments
as now! Coats, Dresses, Millinery and all the accessories that match are here in profr-e
assortment. But to) fully appreciate what we have to offer you must come and see. And
you'll find the prices moderate, indeed, when you consider the quality of the goods.
EASTER COATS
of Fashions,
Box Coats, Fitted Collarless, Smart Reef-
Dressy
slenderizing,
specially designed for the woman of larger
figures; sizes 38 to 44, and 46 to 50.
YOU'LL FIND JUST THE VERY GARMENTS YOU
WANT IN OUR STORE FOR THE
SMARTLY STYLED
EASTER MILLINERY
Priced from $1.00 te $4.95
GIRLS’
Bonnets and Rolled Brims .... $1 and $1.95
Dionne Children’s Hats ......
Big brims, and
little high crowns,
sober sailors and
bumpers; Little
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rayon gros - grain
ribbon and veiling;
black, navy, spring
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EASTER HATS
ri $1.95
tury multitudes of people all over the
world were introduced into a new life
of Scriptural investigation under the
leadership of this ploneer and cham-
pion of systematic ana consecutive Bi-
ble Study, whose heroic and original
efforts initiated the modern movement
toward consistent and popular Bible
study which is spreading to the ends
of the earth with such blessed and civ-
ilizing consequences.
Always dreaming of still greater
achievements to come ,and while con-
ducting a Bible institute in an eastern
city of Pennsylvania ,during the month
of May, 1913, the soul of this great
niissionary, evangelist, scholar and
champion of Holy Writ, winged its
triumphant flight from the active fiela
of service into the presence of the
Great Head of the Church, where rec-
ognition and reward were given to a
life's work which, though covering 6n-
ly the short period of fifty years in
point of time, reached such monumen-
tal proportions in faith and high ac-
complishment and rendered so lofty
and permanent a contribution to the
spiritual culture of the civilized world
that his name shall ever shine as a
star of the first magnitude in the hea-
venly constellations of the truly
great.
Should the reader care to read some
interesting books on the Mormonism
of that early day, we would cite De-
puty U. S. Marshal Fred E. Bennett’s
book, “A Detective’s Experience Am-
ong The Mormons.” And James David
Gillialan’s book, entitled, “Thomas
Corwin Iliff.” Both these books make
reference to the work of the wirter’s
father in the far West. Dr. Iliff was
the District Superintendent of the wri-
ter’s father while out West, and bap-
tized both the writer and his brother,
Ariel, in Oxford, Idaho.
Thus for over a quarter of a cen- [PATTON METHODIST
EPISCOPAL CHURCH
James A. Turner, pastor.
Church school at 10 a. m. Preaching
at 11 a. m. and 7:30 p. m. Epworth le-
ague at 6:30 p. m. Mid-week Bible
Class, Wednesday at 7:30 p. m.
Have you gotten your copy of the
UPPER ROOM? There are a few left.
Have you ordered your copy of the
Central Pennsylvania Conference Jour-
nal? Better do it as soon as possible.
Thirty cents per copy.
Give the pastor the name of any
person or persons who desire to come
into the Church Fellowship on Easter
Sunday. Also keep in mind the fact
that Easter Sunday has been designa-
ted as Cash Offering Day. Make it a
thank-offering, in view of the signifi-
cance of the day, and what it means
to you.
Don’t miss the coming mid-week Bi-
ble studies. They are growing more
and more interesting as they continue.
“My boy, treat everybody with po-
liteness, even those who are rude to
you. For remember that you show
courtesy to others not because they
are gentlemen, but because you are
one.”
“Money talks — but generally it
says goodbye.”
Martin Vanbee
J. EDW. STEVENS
FUNERAL DIRECTOR
KNOWN BY SERVICE
PHONE SERVICE, Day 31-M., Night 31-J.
REUEL SOMERVILLE
ATTORNEY-AT-LAW
Office in Good Blde., Patton
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