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learned that Elmer the older of the two boys also died and that just before passing away he had asked for his Bible and had it laid over his heart. Kind hands and loving hearts laid him to rest and buried him with his Bible where he had placed it last. Subsequently Eddie the younger of the two removed to North Dakota and in his community assisted in Christian work.
The Cowboy and the Bible.
A cowboy on horseback rode along beside me to show me a crossing over a river. I thanked him for his kindness, then I asked him if he would accept a Bible from me, which he did. In it I wrote his name, his mothers and my name. I then asked if he would read a little from its pages each day, for him to keep it in his pocket and when on the range during the lonely days read a few verses and commit them to memory. Also at evenings, when in camp, not to spend all the time playing at cards, but to read it some. This he promised to do before riding away. A few years later, he met me and told me that he had done as I requested, that he became convinced the cowboy life was not best for him and quit it and settled on a homestead, that he now had a lovely wife and three nice children, but best of all, he had accepted Christ and was a follower of the Nazarene.
From Valentine to Niobrara.
As far as possible it was my practice to revisit my schools and hold special meetings for them. I often took with me some minister, who might afterwards be able to supply the school with regular services. At the special meetings it made no difference whether early or late, Sunday or week day, the people were present.
Desiring to meet all my schools on the north side of the Niobrara River from Valentine to Niobrara City, Nebraska, during the month of November of a certain year, I had my
The region from Valentine to Niobrara City down the Niobrara valley is one of the most difficult to travel in Nebraska. Deep canyons reach out from either side of the river. The river shifts from one bluff to the other, the current is rapid and fording or ferrying difficult. It is one of the most picturesque parts of Nebraska.
Cowboys Playing Poker in the Cedar Canyons. Photo 1886. Butcher Collection in Nebraska State Historical Museum.
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son precede me and make the appointments. At that time I was returning from the Black Hills. Beginning at Valentine on the first of the month, I followed the line of appointments for a distance of thirty miles wide and one hundred and fifty miles in length. I met the people at every instance and preached three sermons every week-day and four on Sundays, in all preaching ninety-five sermons. At first, I prayed that the Heavenly Father would give me strength for the next day. Soon I asked strength for the next appointment, and finally for strength for the service at hand. He never failed me, but when the last meeting was through I was completely exhausted.
Along the line of itinerary, every church and schoolhouse was open for services at the announced time, whether nine A. M. or nine P. M. Each meeting was largely attended, some persons even coming twenty-five miles in order to be present at the meetings. Every attention was gladly given to meet my needs, for example:
Hot Coffee on the Keya Paha.
I had written to Mrs. Heffeifinger who lived near Brocksburg, Nebraska, that I would reach her home at twelve o'clock (midnight) of a certain day in the month, and for her to have some hot coffee for me on my arrival. The last meeting of that night closed at ten thirty, and I had ten miles to drive to reach her home. It was a dark night and I knew if I followed the road around, that I would be late, but if I left the road I could gain time by making a cut-off. I set the brake of my wagon, descended a steep hill, went through brush, and forded the Keya Paha River and as I drove up to her home, she opened the door and shouted out, 'Brother Frady, you are just in time, the coffee is hot."
The known results of those meetings were: One hundred precious souls confessed the Lord Jesus as their Redeemer.
I will never forget the expression on the face of the lady to whose home I was taken after the close of the last meeting. I was unable to walk, being so exhausted. She said nothing, but I could read her thoughts; that she had a
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down and out sick man on her hands. But to her surprise the missionary through Divine help was ready to leave the next morning and drove fifty miles that day to his home in Neligh, Nebraska.
Revival in Butte, Boyd County.
In the early days of Butte, Nebraska, it was a pretty wild place, drinking, gambling and dancing were the rage. After establishing Sunday schools in every locality surrounding the town, I undertook an evangelistic effort for the place. At the beginning the meetings were attended mostly by children.
I devoted the entire month of March, evenings and Sundays, for the town and held services daytimes at outside schoolhouses. During the month I preached seventy-two times, using the same text at each instance: St. John 20:31, "These things are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through His name."
The text I printed on muslin and stretched the same across the end of the church, above the pulpit. The text was repeated by young and old at each service held in the church building. Through the help of the Holy Spirit, I made as it were a legal argument of the case, constituting the audience both judge and jury. In the presentation of the argument I used none other Scripture than the Gospel of St. John, presenting Jesus' own claims of Divinity, The Voice of God, Jesus' seven supernatural works as recorded, and the unimpeachable evidence of sixteen living witnesses cited in the Gospel, and the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Christ.
The people became so interested in the argument that nearly every person, both in town and in the country around about, were in attendance. One hundred and thirty-five persons during the month surrendered unto Him and accepted Him as the Christ, the Son of God. Among those who accepted was one lawyer who dedicated himself to the ministry. Three weeks later I returned to the town and in the Ponca Creek nearby, at their request
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baptized sixty-five of the converts. A church organization (Congregational) followed and a Sunday school was maintained.
Bible Institutes.
Able ministers and other talented persons gladly assisted me in making the Institutes instructive and profitable to the officers and teachers which were present, not only to the officers and teachers but also to all who attended such.
The Bible Institutes continued three days at each place, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Gospel meetings were held each evening and Sunday, resulting always in a religious uplift and a betterment to the communities.
Missionary Letters.
The Missionaries were required to write monthly letters to those persons, Sunday schools or churches, who were supporting them in the work. It was no easy thing to do there was such a sameness in the work. Just as soon as one community was reached and a Sunday school organized, then on to the next place. Some months were full of events, then again other months were void of anything out of the ordinary.
The letters to the schools and individuals on the field I mimeographed, which saved much time. These letters I mailed when I had special matters of interest to relate. Many schools and individuals who received the letters contributed to the work.
Indian Tribes and Sunday Schools.
There were twelve tribes of Indians located on my field, namely North Cheyenne, Crow, Flathead, Blackfoot, Fort Belknap, Fort Peck, Fort Berthold, Standingrock, Cheyenne River, Lower Brule, Crow Creek, Rosebud and Pine Ridge. To them I gave as much time as possible from the white settlers living near them. I took special notice of the Indian children, and because I gave to them picture cards, illustrated juvenile papers and often little trinkets I was known among them as "Papoose Cola" (Child's
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Friend) and they named my daughter, dressed always in a blue sailor suit "Zit Colla Toe" (Bird-blue) turned around, "Blue-bird."
For the want of teachers, I was able to organize only six Sunday schools for them. For a school that I started at the Rosebud Agency, in order to get the Sunday school papers each Sunday to every family, even those who lived at some distances away, two Indian young men volunteered to go on horseback to each home so that none should be missed, thus in the rounds traveling thirty-five miles each time.
So far as the holding religious services for the Indians they were always pleased to attend.
One Sunday in the forenoon, I organized a school in the White River Valley in South Dakota, and in the afternoon my daughter and I visited about three hundred of the "Lower Brule Sioux" camped at a sub-agency, a distribution place. I asked the agent in charge if I might hold a meeting for the Indians. He said, "Certainly" and called a tall Indian, put a white sheet around him and a bunch of eagle feathers in his hand and bid him to announce the meeting to the circle of campers. In twenty minutes every person assembled around the flag-pole. At the place the women and girls sat down on the ground in a semi-circle on one side and the men and boys sat in a semi-circle on the opposite side. There were a few white persons present. We sang songs in English and Indian. I read a portion of the Scripture in both languages and preached to them accordingly.
Among the Brule Sioux.
At the close of the meeting Rev. Rogers (a half-breed) their minister, asked me if I would go to their Indian settlement fifty miles away and hold another service for them. I told him that I would be at his place on the following Thursday and he then announced it to the Indians. At the appointed time, when within three miles of Rev. Rogers' home, I saw Indian sentinels on the hilltops watching to see our advent. When discovered they gave the signal which was answered by the tolling of a bell on their church. Arriving,
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two young men unhitched my ponies and my daughter and I were ushered into the pastor's house for refreshments. In the center of the well supplied table was a dish of raw onions. This vegetable is considered by the Indians as the choicest dish to be given to a guest. Rev. Rogers said that he had sent his son that day several miles to get the onions from a white man for the occasion. I was up against it for I detested an onion which invariably made me sick, but I thought, whether it was "Survive or perish" that I would eat some of them.
Around this little church, which had been built away out one the prairie at Bull Mountain by some Eastern Presbyterian people who had become interested in the Indians, were pitched many Indian tepees. Some of the Indians had come miles to be present at the meeting. There were no seats in the church for the congregation. The Indians crowded into the building until there was no more standing room. After singing, praying and preaching to them both in English and Indian for sometime, the Indians wished to turn the meeting into a testimony time. I wish to say that their testimonies were genuine and true to "Wakan Tanka" (Spirit Great). Even though midnight was at hand, the young Indian people wanted to sing, my daughter played the little organ for them and they sang until two A. M. before we could close the meeting. An explanation may be in order, namely, many of the young men and women present were graduates from the Indian school in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.
At this point I wish to commend the work of my dear friend, Rev. Albert L. Riggs of Santee Agency, Knox County, Nebraska, together with that of his brother, Rev. Thomas Riggs, Rev. John P. Williamson, and other missionaries working among the several tribes of the Sioux Nations which is so beneficial to those Indians. The civil, education and spiritual conditions I found at the meeting and services at Rev. Rogers' church is in evidence. Their home life has greatly improved.
Stopping one night with a Sioux family they let my daughter and me cook our meal over the same camp-fire where they cooked theirs, but when the time came to eat
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© 2004 for the NEGenWeb Project by Ted & Carole Miller |
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