OCR Text |
Show Page 55<br><br>the comfortable parsonage which forms the south end of the neat chapel, Mr. Park's skill as a carpenter helping him to expedite the construction. By this time the school had grown to eighty pupils, requiring a third department and a third teacher. During the next six years Mr. Parks organized mission schools and built chapels in Franklin, Richmond and Smithfield on the north, and in Millville, Hyrum and Wellsville on the south. He also had the material on the ground for a chapel at Mendon; but over-exertion in a series of special meetings in the fall of 1885 undermined his health, and hastened his premature death on October 17, 1886, to the unspeakable sorrow of all his fellow-workers in the Presbytery, by whom he was greatly beloved. In the spring of 1888, he was succeeded by the Rev. E. W. Greene, who remained with the church until the summer of 1893. He was succeeded by the Rev. F. L. Hayden, who was succeeded in the spring of 1895 by the present efficient and popular pastor, Rev. N. E. Clemenson. The school has developed into an academy, and occupies a fine three-story brick building, costing $11,000, containing dormitories, dining-room and kitchen, in addition to the schoolrooms. Miss De Graff was the successful principal for several years, until her health failed. She was succeeded by Rev. J. A. L. Smith for the years 1892-1893, and by Professor Norwood during the next two years, whose thorough scholarship and educational experience gave the school a fine reputation. The school is very successful under its present principal, Miss Sammons, who taught the two previous years at American Fork. The school has all departments and over one hundred and fifty are enrolled.<br><br> Mendon Presbyterian Mission.<br><br> The Presbyterian mission work was opened in Mendon, Cache county, in the spring of 1884, under the supervision of Dr. C. M. Parks, who was then pastor of the Presbyterian mission of Logan. The first teacher was Miss McCracken, from Western Pennsylvania, a lovely Christian lady, who soon won the hearts of the people and succeeded in building up a good school, notwithstanding the bitter opposition of the Mormon priesthood to all Christian work, but Miss McCracken's work was cut short by a sad incident, which was not without some parallels in the early annals of the Utah Christian mission work. One night about 2 a. m., during her second year's work in Mendon, two native ruffians broke into the little house where she was living alone, and compelled her to flee in her night clothes to a neighbor's house for protection. The cold frost of the night, and the nervous shock which she received so impaired her health as to compel her to retire from the work. Miss Brown was the next teacher, who remained two years in charge of the mission school. The third teacher was Miss Gould, who wore herself out after six months' service, because of the severe persecutions to which she was continually subjected, which, though not quite so violent as the one sad experience of Miss McCracken, yet all pointed in the same direction. All this time there was no minister stationed in Mendon, though there were occasional preaching services held there by the Logan ministers, as they had opportunity. In the spring of 1889, Rev. Wm. R. Campbell was stationed in Mendon, as Home Missionary for Mendon and Wellsville, and Mrs. Campbell has since that time had charge of the Mendon mission school. During these years the work has grown steadily, and the school has had a marked influence over the public sentiment of the town. There is now in Mendon a strong and rapidly growing sentiment in favor of higher Christian education, which is admitted to be one of the direct results of the Presbyterian mission school work. There have been enrolled in this school since its beginning about one hundred and twenty-five pupils. Two of these are now themselves successful teachers, and many others are living honorable and useful lives. Three are now taking advanced courses of study, and several others will soon be prepared to enter a High School or academy. A number of these pupils are believed to be earnest Christians, and many more are believed to be so far under the influence of the truth as to insure their early self-surrender to Christ and their complete salvation in Him. All of the present and former pupils of this school are thankful for the superior advantages which the school has afforded them; and there are good prospects of the future success of evangelistic efforts in this field, all of which are due to the efficient mission school work which has been done in Mendon.<br><br> LOGAN M. E. CHURCH. <br><br>The Methodist work in Cache Valley was begun in 1885 by the Scandinavians, by preaching at Logan and Hyrum. Rev. M. Nelson was appointed to Logan in 1885 and was reappointed in 1886. In 1887 A. R. Archibald took charge of the work. In 1888 Rev. E. C. Strout was appointed. Rev. A. R. Archibald had served the work till March the first of that year, when he was removed to take charge of the Salt Lake seminary. In January, 1889, Rev. H. L. Steves took charge of the work and organized the first society, and during his pastorate built a church, which at the present time is valued at $15,000. In 1891 Rev. Harvey A. Jones of the St. Louis conference was appointed to Logan and remained until 1893. In June, 1893, Rev. R. M. Hardman of the Colorado conference was appointed to the charge. He remained one year, and was succeeded in 1894 by Rev. John Telfer of the Indiana conference. He was reappointed in 1895 and remained in charge two months, then took work in the Nevada Mission. Rev. Naaman Bascom of the Colorado conference took charge of the work September 1, 1895, and is the pastor at the present time. The present membership of the Logan Methodist Episcopal Church is thirty-four. There is an Epworth League and Sunday school. The league has for its successful president, Miss Georgia McCauseland. [PHOTO: Miss Georgia McCauseland.] REV. N. BASCOM. <br><br>Rev. Naaman Bascom.<br><br> The present pastor of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Logan, Utah, was born in Switzerland county, Ind., November 10, 1844. His father was a local preacher in the M. E. Church for over forty years; hence he was brought up under Methodist influence, his father's house always being the home of the itinerant. In 1850 the family moved to Illinois and settled on a farm near Vandalia. Here his boyhood days were spent on the brickyard in summer and in the public school in the winter until November, 1861, when he enlisted in company F, Thirty-second Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry, in which he served nearly one year, when, by rea- [PHOTO: N. BASCOM.] son of general disability brought on by fever and rheumatism, he was discharged from the United States service. In 1866 he was married to Miss Jennie Haley, who for nearly thirty years has borne the burdens and enjoyed the pleasures of life with him. In 1876 he was admitted on trial in the Southern Illinois conference and was an effective member of that conference thirteen years. In 1890 he was transferred to the Colorado conference, of which he is now an effective member. Since October, 1894, he has been doing missionary work in Utah. He has two brothers who are Methodist preachers, one a member of the Newark conference and one a local preacher in Illinois. Mr. Bascom is having success as the pastor at Logan, where he has large congregations, filling their commodious church. <br><br>Rev. Richard M. Hardman, Ph. D.<br><br> Who was so long connected with the Utah Mission and is now at Albion, Idaho, which was formerly a part of our work, is so near by that he deserves neighborly notice. He says he esteems the Utah preachers as the noblest body of men on earth. Mr. Hardman is a native of Clarksburg, W. Va., born in 1849, and after receiving an academic education went into the newspaper business, learning the trade. After his conversion his Pauline honesty caused him to ask the |