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Show Page 44<br><br> THE MONROE AND MARYSVALE METHODIST.<br><br> These two towns are associated with Elsinore to form a circuit over which George P. Miller of the Northwest Kansas Conference presides with all of the dignity of a Buckeye. This work has never been noted for any great amount of Methodist success, but is said to be in a better condition now than it ever was, with good prospects. <br>The work was begun here in 1888 by Duncan J. Frew, who, with the aid of a special gift of Rev. J. M. Buckley, D. D., erected a neat and comfortable church, and also a small parsonage.<br> Mr. Frew was succeeded by G. W. Cohagan, and he by W. M. Crowther, the immediate predecessor of Mr. Miller, who has been on the ground since February 1, 1893.<br> At Elsinore we have a small building used for school purposes as well as for preaching, and Mrs. Passmore, formerly Miss Mary Helgesen, is the resident teacher; but at Marysvale, by the kindness of the trustees, the school house is used for public worship. <br><br>George P. Miller<br><br> Was born in Cleveland, O., March 21, 1854, and was graduated from the Geauga Seminary, Geauga county, in 1876. In 1878 he moved to Kansas, where he served two years as a local <br> [PHOTO: G. P. MILLER.]<br> preacher in the Church of his choice. In 1889 Mr. Miller became a member of the Northwest Kansas conference; was ordained deacon by Bishop Merrill, and elder by Bishop Joyce. He came to Utah in 1893, taking appointment under J. D. Gillilan, the presiding elder, and was appointed to Monroe, which charge he has since served.<br> Mr. Miller is one of the irrepressible Buckeyes, who are found everywhere, and capable of doing anything. <br>Without impairing his usefulness or compromising the dignity of his profession, he ably represented the county of Sevier in the convention which framed the Constitution for the new State of Utah. His wife is a typical pioneer's companion, and they have an interesting family of four children, all natives of the Grasshopper State.<br><br> FILMORE PRESBYTERIAN.<br><br> The Presbyterian Church opened a mission in Fillmore, Utah, in 1881, and continued it until the summer of 1891, when for lack of funds the mission was discontinued. The names and dates of workers are as follows: <br>Miss Annie McKean, January, 1881, to April, 1883. <br>Rev. W. A. Hough, June, 1881 to February, 1883. <br>Miss Mary A. Craig, November, 1881, to April, 1884. <br>Miss Campbell, fall of 1883 to summer of 1884. <br>Miss Mary E. Knox, April, 1884, to April, 1888. <br>Miss E. M. Knox, September, 1884, to July, 1888. <br>Miss Kate Cox, fall of 1888 to summer of 1889. <br>Miss Green, fall of 1888 to summer of 1889. <br>Miss Clemmens, 1889 to 1890. <br>Rev. John Adair, May 1888 to January, 1890. <br>Miss Cort, 1890 to 1891. <br>As to the results of Christian work in Fillmore not very much can be said. Eight members of the Presbyterian Church in Utah have come in as the fruitage of that mission. One of these is a graduate of an Eastern college, and is a teacher in one of our mission schools in this State. <br>Another is the wife of a young man from Utah who is preparing for the ministry. Another is taking a thorough course of training in the Salt Lake Collegiate Institute, and all the others, so far as we know, are living consistent Christian lives.<br><br> SCIPIO.<br><br> The Presbyterian Church opened a mission at this place in the fall of 1882 by sending as its teacher Miss Margaret Ramsey, who did most faithful work until she left in 1886. Miss F. T. Gee also labored here for several months, and several others until about 1891, when the mission was abandoned. Several young people were led to Christ from this field, and two or three of them are very promising indeed.<br><br> BEAVER METHODIST.<br><br> In 1872 Clark Smith was made pastor in charge of the opening of missionary work in Beaver. He began his work with a school which opened with two pupils, but soon increased. <br>His church was well patronized, as Fort Cameron, a military post was near, and many of the officers and their families were members of the evangelical churches. He had also a good school, which increased in value and influence until he was succeeded by G. E. Jayne of the New York Conference, who in 1876 took up and carried without abatement the successful work. In 1880 Erastus Smith, now presiding elder of the Kearney District, West Nebraska Conference, took charge, but in his time the decline came, being occasioned by the removal of the troops from Fort Cameron. He had a good school, though, and was succeeded by F. Brock of the Central Ohio Conference in 1883. Mr. Brock remained here until 1885, when Mr. C. E. Copeland succeeded to the school and supplied the pulpit. D. J. Frew became the pastor in 1886, and had for his assistant in the school Miss Alvira Christian, who also had aided his predecessor. J. D. Gillilan followed Mr. Frew, and for two years he served both church and school; but in 1889 was allowed to drop the work of the pulpit and give his whole time to the school, and E. C. Graff of Illinois Conference was appointed pastor. Mr. Gillilan continued until 1890 principal of the school, with Miss May Franklin and Mrs. L. M. Gillilan assistant teachers. The school enrolled 79 as its highest number in any one year. <br>Mr. Graff and Miss Nora Spencer remained as pastor and teacher, respectively in 1890, while in 1891 Miss Kate Hall assisted Mr. Graff, who assumed the principalship in addition to the pastorate. <br>Melvin O. Billings of the Colorado Conference was the successor of Mr. Graff in 1892, and his sister Alice taught in the school with him, thus the work remained until the fall of 1894, when Mr. Billings went to the Garrett Biblical Institute to attend school, and Mr. W. J. Richards, a local preacher, was appointed his successor, and was reappointed at the conference of 1895. <br>Mr. Richards died in November, leaving the work temporarily vacant. <br>The school work was closed two years since, one of the reasons for so doing being the increased effectiveness of the public school system. <br>There is no young people's society here, and the Sunday-school averages about thirty.<br><br> WILLIAM JOHN RICHARDS.<br><br> "I was born in Devonshire, England, and received my religious training and education there. Preached my first sermon as a local preacher August 5,<br> [PHOTO: W. J. RICHARDS.]<br> 1885, in the Thornley Circuit, county Durham, England, serving there four years. <br>"Coming to America in 1889, I settled for a few months in Maryland. The Rev. G. V. Leech secured for me a charge in the Baltimore Conference, but as I had relatives in Montana and preferring to come West, I did not accept. After a short visit with friends in Butte City, I located in Park City, Utah, the beginning of 1890, and there commenced my labors under the Rev. John Telfer, and for five years held every important office of the church, and preaching occasionally. Two years ago I was seized with a deadly disease that baffled the most skilled physicians, and was given up as doomed to die, but I rallied and in gratefulness to Almighty God prom- |
