104 Missouri Agricultural Report. 



first know something to talk about before they can talk. Then 

 they are expected to speak on these topics. They begin it with 

 fear and trembling. I have seen them sweat at this as much 

 as they ever sweat in the hayfield. But it is wonderful how they 

 develop in this work through a period of years. As a result of 

 this training there are a number of young men in the community 

 who are good public speakers. Now these young men utilize 

 this speaking talent in various good ways. For instance, two 

 of them posted up on some crooked work which a notorious 

 politician had been doing there, and went to the town meeting 

 on election day a year ago last April, and by their knowledge of 

 parliamentary law and their being able to talk and think on their 

 feet, exposed that man's crooked work in such a way that it 

 resulted in defeat, the first time he had ever been defeated in 

 that township at an election. So you see how it worked out for 

 cleaner politics and a better type of citizenship. 



Again, the young men's Bible class has held what they call 

 open-air gospel and song services in a grove in the summertime 

 and in the public schoolhouses in winter. These meetings have 

 been a great blessing to the young men as well as to those to 

 whom they minister. In the pastor's absence on Sunday his 

 Bible class has frequently taken charge of the service, three or 

 four of the members giving short gospel talks. 



The young men conduct a lecture course, not for pecuniary 

 profit, but for the sole and only purpose of furnishing wholesome 

 entertainment for the community. We have had some hundred- 

 dollar attractions. The entire community patronize this lecture 

 course without exception and regardless of creed. The Catholics 

 and the German Lutherans attend. People from the surround- 

 ing towns are frequently seen in the audiences, driving some- 

 times ten miles or more. 



Another enterprise which the young men's Bible class has 

 introduced and supported is a bureau of publicity. The boys 

 invested in a small printing press. They, with the assistance of 

 the pastor, do all the church printing and issue a local church 

 paper. 



You are wondering what became of the dancing? Well, 

 they forgot all about it in about two years, and there has not 

 been a dance in the New Era hall for over eight years. The build- 

 ing stands idle and is crumbling to ruin. The pastor never men- 

 tioned dancing in the pulpit or to a single individual in private. 

 It was simply starved out. 



