I arrived in my field of
labor on the 18th of Nov. and have
now visited the Elders and Saints in the Oklahoma field. Now ten months
since Elder Rawlins and Lewis made
an exploring tour through this newly
settled country. The only acquanitance,
friend or Saint was Bro. P. T. Gooing
formally of Cherokee Nation, whos home
has been ours ever since, was the
only saint for hundreds of miles. We
now make all our stoping places,
as headquarters, with saints. There
are fourteen saints and nine children
in the church in this field and good
prospects for more soon. While they
are not located conveniently for
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an organization for their good, their
scattered condition is an aid to us
in the infancy of the work here.
I have now covered over one hund-
red miles, mostly on foot dividing
my time between the Elders and Saints
instructing them and holding public meetings. Have had a meeting
almost every night and Sundays,
to which, notwithstanding the cold
weather, many people came. So far
this seems to be a splendid field
the country seems to be settled up
be a very good class of people. We
are preaching the Gospel to many Missouri and Illinois mobocrats
and their descendants, of course there
are people here ^also^ from the verious
states and Territories of the Union. But
four and a half years since Oklahoma
was opened, and there must be
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fully one hundred thousand people. Guthrie
the capitol, and Oklahoma City have
over ten thousand inhabitance each.
These two cities are equil to many old
places, having fine substancial business
blocks and many fine residences.
Many small towns and cities dot
the country here and there, while squatters
are located on almost every quarter
section in the the country. One of the
problems of the Indian Mission, was:
how shall we get at the many small
remnants of Indian Tribes? I think the
U. S. Government have solved that all
important question. All the Tribes not
known as the civilized Indians, have
with the exception of something like
five, had their land alloted and is
now the home of white people. It
will only be a short time until all
these Indian lands will be Oklahoma.
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Through the country being settled up
we can now get at Indians and Whites
alike. When our labors were confined
to the Indian country, we used our
Indian Friends to assist us to get at the
Whites, now things have been reversed,
the white people will furnish us an
opening to the houses of the Lamanites.
Oklahoma proper, covers an area of
country one hundred by two hundred
miles fully ten million acres of land,
while the Cherokee Strip and "no man's land"
on the north of Pan handle of Texas, an-
another field almost as large. Just
opened, in a few years will greatly
increase our field of labor. We could
use several Elders, more, but feel
it will be wise to wait further
developments in the strip before so
doing. The land slopes from the
west ^and^ is a rolling undulating prarie.
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This country is more healthy than the Cherokee nation and will offor a
change for our Elders when they get
delicate. The weather now is very
clold, this climate of course is like
the Southern states, but located as
it is central on a stretch of prarie
country from the North country to the
ocean we are subjected to the cold
blizzard wintry blasts. The Elders
are all well and greatly interested in
their labors. We must have two more
Elders as soon as we can get them.