The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1906, Page 78

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vhs) The Lutheran Pioneer.

New Orleans Items.

Last year about this time we reported in these
pages on the presence of the yellow fever in our
city and its somewhat depressing influence on the
work in our churches and schools. The latter, as
the kind reader will remember, could not open until
the first week in October.

This year, thank God, we have so far had no
yellow fever. Church life has been running its
level course, and the school term began, as usual,
with the first week in September. But there have
been other unfortunate occurrences. The Rev. Koss-
mann, of Bethlehem Church, was quite ill during
the month of July and for some time was unable to
attend to his duties. Since his recovery he has re-
ceived a call to a congregation near Convoy, O.,
which, after earnest reflection, he felt bound to
accept. We are sorry to see him go, but we sincerely
hope that God will bless him in his new field of
labor as He has blessed his work at Bethlehem dur-
ing the past ten years.

The Rey. Lankenau, of St. Paul’s, while on his
way to attend the meeting of the Synodical Con-
ference at Chicago during the month of August,
was taken ill and had to return before reaching his
destination. Fortunately, the attack did not last
long, and he is again able to attend to all of his
duties.

The Rey. K. Kretzschmar, of Mount Zion, who
spent his vacation in the North, has returned and
is again at his work. ;

Though the public schools here do not open be-
fore October, our schools have been in running order
for a month already. Of course, the attendance
in the beginning is not large, many children waiting
until the hot weather is over, or until the public
schools open, but there are always enough pupils at
the start to keep the teachers tolerably busy. In
this connection is to be reported the important and
joyous event of the installation of two new teachers
in the Mission. Mr. Aaron Wiley jun., late of
Bethlehem congregation and a graduate of Luther
College, was installed as teacher of St. Paul’s
School. The ceremony took place on September 2d
at St. Paul’s Church. The pastor preached on
Proy. 22, 7, and the choir rendered an appropriate
selection. ‘This is the third graduate of Luther
College to enter the work, the other two also being
stationed at St. Paul’s School. o

On the following Sunday Mr. John G. Gehner,
of Mount Olive, Ill., a graduate of the Seminary at
Addison, Ill., was installed as teacher of Bethlehem

School. The event took place at Bethlehem Church,
where Mr. Gehner, upon entering the church door,
was received by two members of the congregation,
the Messrs. Wiley sen. and Dixon, and escorted to
a seat before the altar. Pastor Kossmann preached
an appropriate sermon on Proy. 16, 3. On the fol-
lowing night Bethlehem congregation tendered their
new teacher a reception in the school-hall.

Mount Zion church and school present a beau-
tiful appearance in their bright new coat of paint,
the whole cost of which, amounting to about
$300.00, having been defrayed by the congregation.
The latter has raised its monthly contribution to
the general treasury from $25.00 to $35.00.

Luther College has opened its*fall term with
25 students. More are expected during the coming
month. Prof. R. A. Wilde, who last year assisted
the Rey. Lankenau in the work at the institution,
has not yet returned from the North, his wife, who
had been ill with typhoid fever, still being too weak
to travel. Mr. Wilder, another graduate of Addison
also called into the Mission, is temporarily filling
Mr. Wilde’s position. The Synodical Conference
at its last session instructed the Mission Board to
call two new men for Luther College. One has
already been called, and in place of the other
Mr. John Mueller, a student at our St. Louis Semi-
nary, is to be sent down to help out for a year.

The new field at Napoleonville, in charge of the
Rev. Lankenau, looks exceedingly promising. The
people out there are anxiously awaiting the opening
of a school and a teacher to take charge of it. At
least 40 children are said to be ready to attend im-
mediately. Pending developments, a number of
pupils are expected to come to New Orleans to at-
tend St. Paul’s School. As this will be connected
with considerable expense, one may see how eager
the people out there are to give their children an
education in our schools. May the Lord soon give
us the men we need in the work and the means to
support them.

A Praying Mother.

Samuel Budgett was about nine years of age,
when one day, passing his mother’s door, he heard
her engaged in earnest prayer, for her family and°
for himself by name. He thought, “My mother is
more earnest that I should be saved than I am for
my own.salyation.” In that hour he became de-
cided to serve God, and the impression thus made
was never effaced.