The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1927, Page 38

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38

THE LUTHERAN PIONEER.

and so hundreds of children, hundreds of possible
future members, were lost. The school was not
built, the necessary assistance in the way of another
teacher, so sorely needed, was not forthcoming, and
the sad result was that other denominations stepped
in and gathered the harvest which by every right
belonged to us and which we might have garnered,
if —our people would have lent only a little as-
sistance !

All those who have been actively engaged in
mission-work can understand the heartaches of our
workers in Little Rock at this time. On the one
hand, they rejoiced to see that so many were
coming; on the other hand, however, they were
unutterably sad because they were unable to take
them in. How many of our mission-workers have
had similar experiences! How many a child could
not. be received for lack of room! School full to
overflowing and every week more coming, only to
be told, “We have no room just now; come next
month, and we may be able to take you.” And when
they come again, the same story. The workers call
on the Mission Board, the patient, much-enduring
Board; they even grow somewhat vehement in their
cries for help; but the answer they receive is, “We
are helpless; no money to build; no men available.”
And when at last, after years of clamoring, the
needed funds have been gathered and the help is
forthcoming, the harvest is lost to us — gathered
in by other, more enterprising, denominations.
Others take the iron which we have heated and
shape it to serve their purpose on their anvils before
our people furnish our workers with hammers and
anvils; others reap the harvest which our laborers
have sown. How sad and disappointing !

Help Comes Too Late!

When in the fall of 1880 a second male teacher,
in the person of Mr. Chas. Berg, arrived upon the
' scene, it soon became plain that his services were
no longer needed; many of the children who a
half year before had vainly knocked at our doors
had gone elsewhere. Mr. Berg was transferred to
New Orleans to take charge of a mission-school

there. Of course, the school at Little Rock was
not built.
' Missionary Berg Leaves.

The continual strain of preaching, teaching, and
doing all the other work a missionary is expected
to do, as well as the sad disappointments he had
experienced, undermined Pastor Berg’s health to
_ such an extent that he saw himself compelled to
"accept a call to a white congregation in Indiana.

Mr. Jeske was in sole charge of the station from the
fall of 1881 to March, 1882, when he, too, accepted
a call to another field of labor, leaving Little Rock,
for the time being, completely orphaned.

New Workers.

It was due to the efficient and indefatigable
labors of Student C. J. Craemer, next to the help
of God, that Little Rock did not go to wreck and
ruin at this time. The next permanent missionary
in charge of the station was Rev. Meilaender.
He worked faithfully, but under many disappoint-
ments. Tor a while, however, it seemed as though
the old days were to return. The services were
having more attendants, and the school soon grew
so that one man could no longer take care of the
pupils. Student Seltz assisted the missionary in
school.

But another blow was to come! After scarcely
two years’ work, Meilaender was called out of the
midst of his successful labors by death. Student
August Burgdorf (now Pastor Burgdorf, of Chi-
cago) took temporary charge of the station and after
several months’ efficient work turned it over to
Rev. Allenbach, in November, 1884. Rey. Allenbach
worked here with great faithfulness, but under great
difficulties, for the next six years. Now and then
things looked as promising as they had done during
the first years of the station’s existence, and then
again it appeared to the zealous worker as if the
enemy would take possession of the whole field.
He left the field in 1890. Student Kuhlmeyer, who
supplied the station for a year, died here, to the
great regret of all who had become acquainted with
his work.

Little Rock’s Last Missionary.

In the fall of 1892 Rev. Chas. Ruesskamp, now
of Detroit, Mich., took charge of the station.
He resigned, after laboring under, great disappoint-
ments and difficulties, in the fall of 1895. During
Rey. Ruesskamp’s incumbency ‘it became apparent
that this once so promising station had had its
backbone broken by the many changes that had
occurred and by the failure of our people to fur-
nish the proper facilities and help at a time when
they were needed. The few members who remained
faithful had lost all' courage, and other people had
lost all confidence in our missionary enterprise.
It was, therefore, with an aching heart that the
Board decided to discontinue the mission in Little
Rock and to turn its attention to more promising
fields of labor. But though we no longer have a
missionary here and though the property has been