CHAPTER XXIII.

FOURTH PERIOD. (1880-1904.)

GERMAN AND SCANDINAVIAN WORK.

   IT would be wholly improper to close a history of Nebraska Methodism without reference to these lines of work which are as much a part of Methodism as our English-speaking work. The only difference is that of language. It has been found best to carry on our work among each of these peoples yet speaking a foreign language, by those speaking their own tongue, with separate charges, districts, and Conferences.
   Though over a year ago I requested competent representatives of these classes to furnish me a sketch of their history, with a single exception I have been unable to get any one to supply the necessary data to enable me to give much of the details of these different lines of work in our Church in Nebraska. That exception is Rev. Charles Harms, pastor of our German Church in Lincoln, who has kindly given me a brief account of our German work in Nebraska.
   It is greatly to the credit of our German brethren that their work began about the same time as the English-speaking work, the first sermon being preached by William Fiegenbaum, presiding elder of the Missouri District, under some trees in the southeast part of the State, as early as 1855. In 1856 C. F. Langer was appointed to

436

Kansas and Nebraska Mission, embracing all their work in the two territories. John Hausam, Sr., becomes presiding elder of Missouri District and has the oversight of Kansas and Nebraska.
   From now on their work will proceed under conditions similar to the English work, with the same frontier hardships and privations we encountered, with these differences: Their circuits are much larger than ours, embracing whole Territories, while we were content with a few counties. Their districts sometimes included one State and two Territories and their Conferences were correspondingly comprehensive in the area included in their bounds. If our circuit-riders had long journeys to make between appointments, theirs had longer. If ours had sometimes to wait a long while before effecting an organization, they waited still longer. If our preachers found the soil hard and the people prejudiced against us, their soil was perhaps still worse and the prejudices more intense, and the difficulties still greater.
   Brother Langer preaches his first sermon in a cabin near where Humboldt now stands.
   But Brother Harms tells the story so well I quote from his paper. Speaking of this first year and subsequent work, he says:
   "But little seems to have been accomplished during 1856 and 1857. One quarterly-meeting was held during this time, and that was in the Kansas territory. It seems that Rev. Langer had devoted most of his time and labor in the vicinity of Nebraska City, but did not succeed in organizing a society. A small class had been organized in the southeast corner of the State where the first sermon had been preached.

   "In 1857 Nebraska City Mission was formed, with Rev. Jacob Feisel, presiding elder of Missouri District, and George Schatz, missionary of Nebraska Territory. Rev. Schatz made his headquarters at Nebraska City, but traveled over that part of the territory now known as Humboldt, Kramer, and Plattsmouth. One family from Missouri and two families from Ohio, who were members moved at this time to a point near Humboldt, where they settled and were then successful in organizing a class there.
   "In 1858 the Omaha Mission was organized and J. P. Miller appointed missionary. In 1860 August Mecke was appointed his successor and a class was organized in the vicinity of Papillion. H. Muehlenbrock was appointed to Nebraska City in 1860 and remained until 1862, when H. C. Dreyer was appointed and labored faithfully up to 1863, when Henry Meyer was made his successor and did all he could to advance the cause of Christ, remaining till the fall of 1864.
   "In 1860 Table Rock, Salem, Humboldt, and Muddy were separated from Nebraska City and Justus Langer was appointed missionary. In 1862 H. Meyer succeeded him, and in 1863-1865 C. Pothast followed, all of whom traveled over the then unsettled country of Clatonia Creek, Swan Creek, Meridian, Fairbury, and Turkey Creek, without success, leaving their families for weeks and months, before they could return home. In 1861 German Conferences were organized and the first report was made to the Conference. Nebraska City Mission reported thirty-three full members and ten probationers. Of course this included all the little classes in the surrounding country. Omaha and its territory reported

seventeen members and three probationers. Salem, including Table Rock, Humboldt, and the surrounding country, twenty-two members and twenty-six probationers. Total members, seventy-two; probationers, thirty-nine. Salem reported one parsonage, valued at $200; one Sunday-school with five teachers and seventeen scholars. Total collections for benevolent causes: For missions, $58.60; necessitous cases, $17.15; tracts, $4.20; Bible Cause, $7.50; Sunday-school Union, $2.35. These were the results of the first nine years of German Methodism in the State. The privations, burdens, and sufferings of preachers and members were great, but the achievements noble. At that Conference Bishop R. S. Janes presiding, Charles Heidel was appointed presiding elder of the newly formed St. Joseph District, comprising the entire Territories of Kansas and Nebraska.
   "During the period from 1860 to 1868 there was but slow progress, mostly due to the lack of means and men. However, some advancement was made. Fields of labor were more conveniently adjusted and divided and some new appointments taken up. Henry Meyer, who made his headquarters at Salem, Nebraska, 1864-65, began to preach at or near Swan Creek, about ten miles west of Swanton. C. Pothast continued to labor on this field, living at or near the place now called Humboldt, taking in Swan Creek, Meridian, and Fairbury, operating westward. In 1866, C. Steinmeyer was appointed, who lived at Muddy Creek, traveling over all the ground of four or five counties. In 1867 H. Muehlenbrock was appointed his successor up to 1870. In 1867 F. Miller was appointed to Nebraska City Mission, including Hamburg, Iowa, and westward to Meridian, Nebraska, including

some new appointments, such as Centerville and Clatonia. At Pekin, Illinois, in 1868. Bishop E. S. Janes made the following appointments: F. W. Meyer, presiding elder of St. Joseph District, comprising the Kansas and Nebraska Territories, with the following missionaries: Nebraska City and Linden, J. Hausam, Jr.; Omaha City, P. J. May; Lincoln City, F. H. Meyer; Salem, H. Meuhlenbrock. Bear in mind that the above were names for stations without organized societies, and the missionaries were to look after the Germans over the entire inhabited part of the territory. In 1868 the above four missions reported 142 members in all. In 1869, 204 members, an increase of sixty-two.
   "At the seventh session of the Southwest German Conference at St. Charles, Missouri, in 1870, Bishop Simpson presiding, H. Fiegenbaum was appointed presiding elder of St. Joseph District. This district had nineteen appointments, including the entire States of Kansas and Nebraska, with the following charges on the Nebraska part of the district: Nebraska City, Tecumseh, Lincoln, Omaha and Meridian. Besides these it included Denver, Colorado. This was surely a notable extension for a district.
   "In 1872 the Conference met in Quincy, Illnois (sic), Bishop Gilbert Haven presiding. Jacob Tanner was made presiding elder, his district embracing the entire State of Nebraska. York Center was taken in as an appointment. In 1873, Platte Valley, now Osceola, was taken up and C. W. Lauenstein appointed missionary, who labored faithfully, pressed the work forward and extended it, taking in Merrick and Howard Counties, now known as St. Paul and Boelus. This was made an appointment in.

1875 with C. W. Lauenstein as the missionary. At this time Lincoln and Centerville was made a charge and H. R. Riemer appointed as the missionary. In 1876 Elkhorn, now West Point, and Pebble Creek were taken up and C. W. Lauenstein appointed to take care of these points and extend the work.
   "In 1878 the West German Conference was organized at St. Joseph, Missouri, Bishop Harris presiding. At this time German Methodism had eleven charges with as many missionaries in Nebraska.
   "H. Fiegenbaum was appointed presiding elder. The district then numbered 604 members and 105 probationers; thirteen churches, six parsonages, twenty-four Sunday-schools, one hundred and eighty officers and teachers and 734 scholars. This was the result of twenty-two years of privations, hardships, and labor.
   "In 1879 C. Harms was appointed presiding elder of Nebraska District. At this time Papillion and Bell Creek were made a charge, and C. Lauenstein appointed their pastor. In 1880 Lincoln City was made a mission and J. G. Kost appointed to this charge. At the same time Oxford, in Furnas County, with adjoining counties, were formed into a mission, and W. C. Kellner appointed missionary. In 1881 at the third annual session of the West German Conference, held at Oregon, Missouri, Bishop R. S. Foster presiding, C. W. Lauenstein was appointed missionary to the northwestern part of Nebraska, giving him an unlimited territory to work, looking after the Germans and fixing stations and appointments, to preach and organize societies wherever he found it practicable. He made his home for his family at Norfolk, for he himself could only come home once in a while on a visit.

   Neligh, St. James, St. Peters, Weigand, Hainesville, Niobrara, O'Neill, Ray, Stuart, Plum Valley, Bow Valley. Ballentins, Halifax, Albion, Oakdale, along the Ray Valley, and westward as far as Arabia, Woodlake, and Ainsworth, all of this territory was canvassed. In spite of all the privations, hardships, and hard labor this proved to be the most satisfactory and blessed work during his entire ministry.
   "In 1882 McCook and Beaver Creek were made a mission with W. C. Kellner as the missionary. Custer, Valley, Holt, and Knox Counties were given considerable attention, but owing to the lack of men and means were not regularly cared for.
   "In 1883 a mission was formed at Stuart, with the adjoining counties, and Charles Werner was appointed there, and H. C. Ihne was put in charge of the newly formed circuit now called Sterling. Valentine was made a mission during this time.
   "In 1884 F. H. Wippermann was stationed at Custer and Broken Bow. In 1885 the work was taken up at Courtland and Beatrice by Gustav Becker. Custer, Frontier, and Ash Creek, Gordon, and Rushville, Greeley and Wheeler, Niobrara, Scottsville were supplied. In 1886, at the eighth annual session of the West German Conference, held at Kansas City, Kansas, Bishop J. M. Walden presiding, two districts were made and Jacob Tanner was appointed presiding elder of Nebraska District and H. Bruns presiding elder of North Nebraska District, Platte River to be the dividing line. Big Springs, Hemmingford, and Hebron were made appointments, and in 1887 Colby, with C. Falter, missionary, was added to the list.

   "Slow but steady has been the growth of German Methodism, so that in 1890 there were twenty-nine appointments with but twenty-six regular Conference members (preachers) to take care of them. These twenty-nine appointments, consisting of 1,633 members and 206 probationers, contributed $1,386, or about eighty-five cents per member, to missions. Sunday-schools, fifty-two; officers and teachers, 466; scholars, 2,059. All collections were taken and people contributed as they were able.
   "During the last ten years German Methodism has been nearly at a standstill, owing to light immigration from Europe, and many of our younger people having moved westward into Oklahoma, Washington, Idaho, Dakota, and also into localities where there are no German Churches, and others on account of the language have united with our English Churches. In 1900 German Methodism numbered fifty-two churches, thirty-three parsonages, fifty-three Sunday-schools, 577 officers and teachers, 2,178 members, and 175 probationers.
   "During the period of ten years, 1890-1900, passing through drought and failures, German Methodism kept up its collections to the usual standard. For instance, for mission, $18,055 was given, being an average of over eighty-five cents per member.
   "In 1903 the collections for missions was over $1.15 per member, being a little more than during 1901 and 1902. On Nebraska soil are twenty-nine charges and as many faithful workers employed to press forward on the line. Since 1890, H. Bruns, P. C. Schramm, and Edward Sallenbach were filling the office of presiding elder in the order named, on the North Nebraska District, and Tanner, Edward Sallenbach, and G. J. Leist were do-

ing district work on the Nebraska District, officiating in this capacity at the following points: Beatrice, Centerville, and Highland, Clatonia, Cortland, Culbertson, Humboldt, Jansen and Gilead, Kramer and Hallam, Lincoln, Macon and Oxford., and Sterling.
   "J. G. Leist, presiding elder of North Nebraska District, has charge of Arlington, Berlin, Boelus, Duncan and Columbus, Eustis, Friend, Grand Island and Palmer, Hampton, Kalamazoo and Fair View, Omaha, Osceola, Papillion and Portal, Rushville, South Omaha and Plattsmouth, Waco and Seward, West Point and Scribner, Western and Swanton. Humboldt was the first self-supporting charge, in 1869. The first German Camp-meeting was held June, 1868, near Centerville, in Charles Krolls's grove. The first district meeting was held at Clatonia in June, 1875."
   Our German brethren closed their first half-century with a membership of 1,788 and ninety-nine probationers, forth-two churches, valued at $74,100, and twenty-seven parsonages, valued at $33,100, and contributed for missions in 1903 the sum Of $2,199, being an average of $1.23 per member.

SCANDINAVIAN WORK.

   As early as 1871 an effort was made to establish a mission and start the work. The first man appointed failed to come, and of the second, A. G. White speaks thus in his report to the Conference of 1872:
   "At the request of Bishop Ames, I applied to Rev. S. B. Newman, presiding elder of the Swede Mission District, Illinois Conference, for another man, and he recommended Peter Lindquist, a local preacher of Chi-

cago. Brother Lindquist reported to me about the first of October, 1871, and was assigned to the mission, with the agreement that he should receive but $150 of the mission fund for the remainder of the Conference year.* Brother Lindquist has labored incessantly among his people, traveling and preaching in four presiding elder's districts, and he has organized societies in all these districts. The Scandinavians in the State number 10,000; they are generally irreligious, but moral and industrious. They are widely scattered, like sheep without a shepherd, but eager to receive any one who cares for their souls and who can impart religious instruction in their own language. There is a pressing demand upon our Church for more men and more money for this work."
   The next year Arthur Smith is appointed to assist Peter Lindquist in prosecuting the work, but the presiding elder speaks less hopefully in his next report: "They have traveled extensively and labored faithfully, but little has been accomplished. And in my judgment the results of the experiment do not justify a continuance of the mission. It appears unwise to perpetuate the language and customs of other nationalities among us, and I am not prepared to ask for an appropriation of mission funds for this purpose."
   Nothing more seems to have been done until 1877 when John Linn began work in Oakland. Since then the work has grown until we have prosperous charges in Omaha, Lincoln, Oakland, and several other places in the State. The latest statistics we have are for 1902, at which time there were 1,090 full members and twenty probationers.

   We would be glad to trace more fully the history of this work, as we doubt not it presents the same features that the English and the German work have presented. If there has been any difference it has been in the direction of larger circuits and larger districts than that which has been required in our German work. We may safely say that the toils and hardships and difficulties have not been any less and the faith and devotion and heroism of the workers must have been equally great.

NORWEGIAN WORK.

   This did not begin until 1880, and there being but very few of that people in the State, only two charges have been formed, one at Fontenelle and one at Omaha. The former has thirty and the latter sixty-five, including probationers.