Afternoon, Two things of note. I wish to inform those who read these "little words of wit" that I just yesterday started scanning the 1875 Primitive Christian newspaper. I hope to have it done in approximately two weeks. Lastly, if anyone lives in Blair county, Pennsylvania and would be willing to run over to the Genealogical Society to do a favor I would appreciate it. Please contact me off list. Wayne Webb Meeting of the Southern District of Indiana in the Interest of the Contemplated Orphans' Home. Convened in the Falls Creek Congregation Henry county, Ind., August 17, 1882. The meeting was organized by appointing Jacob Rife, moderator, Isaiah Howard, Reader, and Lewis W. Teeter, clerk. The following churches were represented: Four Mile, Summit, Kill Buck, Upper Falls Creek, Buck Creek, Nettle Creek, Fair View, Raccoon, (by letter), Sting Creek, Lower Falls Creek, Buck Grove, Arcadia. Total subscriptions reported at last D. M. was $3,375.82. Total increase since, as reported by delegates, $107.15. Grand total, $3484, which is $516 short of $4,000, the amount suggested by soliciting committee and passed by last D. M. to be secured before further steps should be taken. This meeting feeling that the work should be moving, made an effort to raise the above deficiency by actual donation, others vouching for such amounts as circumstances dictated, expecting of course that the churches at home will help make the respective amounts. Thus the required amount was almost raised. A motion then passed the meeting that if there would still be a deficiency, the District at large would stand responsible for it. The meeting next chose three brethren, J. M. Wyatt, John Hart, John Krall, as trustees, with instructions to appoint a treasurer, secretary and foreman of their number, and to collect all the money that is subscribed. A committee of four was appointed, namely: Abraham Bowman, Jacob Yost, Joseph D. Neher, Thomas Everson, to act jointly with the trustees in locating the home, and are advised to counsel many brethren concerning the location. The trustees shall conform to the requirements of law concerning such institutions as soon as located, and the purchase money is secured and purchase made. Board of trustees appointed J. M. Wyatt, foreman and treasurer, John Hart, secretary, and Abraham Bowman, assistant secretary. The meeting appointed Baltzer Lybrook, J. B. Shively and Lewis W. Teeter a committee to draw up by-laws to govern the Home when completed. The elders of churches are requested to see that all monies subscribed in their churches are forwarded to J. M. Wyatt, treasurer, Hagerstown, Wayne county, Ind., until October 25, 1882. Money to be sent by draft or money order if possible, otherwise send by registered letter. Brethren having a suitable location for the Home, will address J. M. Wyatt, or Abraham Bowman, Hagerstown, Ind. All are requested to continue to solicit. Those churches that are not represented are expected to do their share with the others. Lewis W. Teeter, Clerk. [Note from Wayne: This account is almost what is in Winger's 1917 Indiana book. What congregation "String Creek" refers to is unknown. If anyone can elaborate on this I would appreciate it.] The Inventor of the Steam-Engine. James Watt, who takes rank, by right of his achievements, with the very greatest of the world's natural philosophers, was born at Greenock, in Scotland, January 19, 1736. His father was a well-to do ship chandler who, toward the close of a long and honorable career, lost, through a mistaken investment, nearly the whole of his possessions. Watt's great-grandfather-who died on one of the battlefields of Montrose in the cause of the Covenant, and after whom, by the way, both the inventor and his father before him were in turn christened James-was a farmer of Aberdeenshire. His grandfather, Thomas Watt, on the other hand, was a professor of mathematics in Renfrewshire. It was after this latter, who attained some distinction in his day as a mathematician, that the child of the ship chandler took, very clearly indeed, even from his earliest infancy. When a little creature of no more than six years of age, he was found one day working out a geometrical problem with a bit of colored chalk on the marble hearth of the parental house-room. While yet a mere boy he contrived to make a miniature electric machine, with a sly shock from which he, once in a way, startled his young playmates. Before he was yet fifteen he had read twice through and thoroughly mastered Gravesand's "Elements of Natural Philosophy." When still about that age his aunt, Mrs. Muirhead, upon one memorable evening, reproached him sharply for his idleness. "James Watt, I never saw such an idle boy," she exclaimed indignantly. "Take a book at once and employ yourself usefully! For this last hour you have spoken not a word, but instead of that you have taken off the lid of the kettle, and put it on again; have been holding a spoon over the steam; have been watching the vapor rising from the spout; have been catching and collecting the drops of water the steam formed when you held the saucer near it over the cup. Are you not ashamed of wasting your time thus?" Many years afterward, when alluding to this incident, Arago remarked, in one of the noblest discourses he ever delivered before the French Institute, that the little James who was thus apparently idling his time away in front of the tea kettle, was, on the contrary, the mighty engineer preluding the discoveries by which he was to be immortalized. In fact, the outcome of the child's meditation at that period was, before very many years had rolled by, visible in that astounding piece of mechanism, which he more distinctly than any one else who could be named, may be said by the exercise of his profound intellect called into existence. Preparing himself for his enormous intellectual labors which were before him, the youthful son of James Watt, the ship chandler taxed his naturally delicate constitution to such a degree by the severity of his studies that at frequent intervals he suffered agonies from head-ache. While yet in his eighteenth year he went to London, where he placed himself under the instruction of a skilled mathematical instrument-maker. Having within a little more than a year's time acquired extraordinary facility and precision in that exquisite craft, he returned to Scotland, bent upon establishing himself there as quickly as possible in business. Accordingly in 1757, being then twenty-one years of age, he settled down at Glasgow as mathematical instrument maker to the University, There, in spite of his youth and homely surroundings, as ostensibly a mere artificer, he rapidly won for himself a high reputation, not only as an extraordinarily dexterous handi craftsman, but as a most profound and original investigator of almost all the various departments of natural philosophy. During the winter of 1763 a working model of Newcomen's atmospheric engines was placed for repair in the hands of Watt by Dr. John Anderson, the then Glasgow University Professor of Natural Philosophy. In taking it to pieces and putting it together again, with several alterations and improvements of his own, Watt realized for the first time the merits, which were numerous, but with those also the still more extraordinary deficiencies of the invention. Out of the circumstance of this model being submitted to his examination arose, one after another, in the lapse of years, the whole of his amazing discoveries and contrivances as the perfecter of the steam engine. To him individually is owing, as a matter of fact, that the atmospheric engine was, upon a large scale and at a much less expense, transformed into a veritable steam engine. He it was besides who first demonstrated by experiment the perfect practicability of the high pressure engine. >From Beaver Creek Church, Neb. Dear Brethren: We still are moving along smoothly, but a little slow, and, as far as we know in peace. Some three or four of our members hold to the seceders. We have appointed two communion meetings for this fall. One on the 23d of this month 10 miles east of York, at the house of friend William Purinton; the other somewhere west of York, place not selected yet, to be on the 21st of October. Weather nice, but a little dry. Grain is turning out well, and prices fair. Corn is very good. Health good, temporally, but many are in a sickly state spiritually. Yours as ever, J. S. Snowberger. York, York Co , Neb., Sept. 2, 1882. >From Milford, Ind. Dear Primitive: Brother Sharp from Mount Morris, Ill., was here to visit the church and preach some for us. Services were held by brother Sharp in the Pleasant Grove Chapel. Also preached in Gravelton at the Bethel meeting-house. The last appointment was in Nappanee where the house was nearly filled and the doctrines of the Bible fully set before the people. Brother Sharp handles the word manfully and does all he can to unite the different elements into the one faith the church had in years gone by. May the Lord bless his labors of love. Come again. Fraternally, J. H. Miller. >From Brock, Nebraska. Dear Primitive: All who are looking or expect to look for homes in the West, give this section a call. Land cheap, excellent soil, handy to market, good schools, &c. Especially brethren are solicited to come and see. One minister will soon locate here, and plenty of room for more ministers and others. Those coming from the South, come on Missouri Pacific R. R. by way of Kansas City to Brock. Those from the North on the same road from Omaha, Neb , or come to Nebraska City then west on B. & M. R. R. to Dunbar, where M. P. crosses the B. & M., then south to Brock. For any information desired address George Garst or B. F. Flory, Brock P. O., Nemaha Co., Nebraska. B. F. Flory. Aug. 31st, 1882 >From Maple Grove Church, Kansas. Dear Brethren: We have a word for you again. Last Sunday at our regular meeting one dear sister was added to the faithful by baptism. She is the mother of a number of little children, and a very intelligent lady. Her husband was baptized last spring, and they seem to be very strong in the faith of the Gospel. Others will be baptized next Sunday. So the good work still goes on. We have interesting meetings. Our dry weather ended on Wednesday, Aug. 23J, with a good rain. Had no rain for nine weeks and two days, yet with this protracted drouth some of our brethren and others think they will have thirty bushels of corn per acre. Wheat and rye good. Yours in the Brotherhood, N. C. WORKMAN. Bell, Kansas, Aug. 31, 1882. >From Middle River Church, Va. Dear Primitive : Since my last report there have been three added to the church by baptism, the last one on the 26th at our council meeting that followed our annual visit. The brethren that were on the visit brought in good reports, fully as much or more so than usual, and at the council all seemed to be love peace and union, although we were sorry to find the church had to close the door on one that said she did not wish to be a member any longer. We have no trouble with Old Order or Progressives, but the church is working together for the good of the church and the glory of God and the salvation of souls. We will have communion meeting on the 21st of October. Yours fraternally, S. J. Garber. New Hope, Va., August 28, 1882. >From Chicago, Ill. Dear Primitive: You have requested church news, and as many inquiries come to me presumably from your readers, asking about the brethren in this city, etc , will briefly state that inside the last twelve years have formed the acquaintance of many brethren, but they have been transients, such as come and remain awhile and then leave again. It seems the brethren do not much admire Chicago as a place of residence. Oftentimes I am requested by letter to go and see parties said to be members or members' children, but when looking up the place in the directory it is found to be many miles from the western part of the city, where I reside. As to the prospects of building up a church, I think the chances here are better than in St. Louis, but would be more expensive here. I have just had the pleasing intelligence that Eld. John Knisley thinks of moving to this city to organize a church. In that event, I shall do all I can to assist him. The trouble that is agitating the brother-hood is somewhat embarrassing. Have many questions to answer when people read about it in the daily papers. P. Fahrney. >From Marshall County, Ills. Dear Primitive: In order that the readers of the Primitive may have a chance to comply with Paul's instruction to "rejoice with those that rejoice," I will say that on the 24th of August, brother Joseph Amick, of the Brethren at Work, and brother J. C. Lahman, of Lee county, came to our field of labor. On account of inclement weather, we had but one meeting until the 26th, when we went 16 miles to the place appointed for our lovefeast. This was rather a warm ride in an open conveyance, but as we all knew something about the hardships of missionary life, there was no complaining. When we got to the place of meeting we found quite a number of our brethren already gathered, some from Panther Creek, Woodford county. Among thorn were three of their ministers, viz: J. R. Gish, Thomas Keiser, and James W. Gish. The first business was to hold a choice for deacon, which fell on brother John M. Pike, who willingly consented to serve in his calling as the Lord would give him ability. In the evening there was a large crowd gathered to see the ordinances of the Lord's house observed. Brother Amick officiated. Next day we met at 11 o'clock for worship, when we were addressed by brother Amick from Rev. 22:14. In the evening we were addressed by brother J. C. Lahman from 2 Cor. 5 : 19. This closed our good meetings. Forty-four members communed, the youngest being 12 years old. The oldest was the one that cared for me before I could care for myself. She was within a few days of 73 years of age. Many of the brethren and sisters said to me at the close of the meeting, "Did we not have a good meeting ?" Truly, it has been a good meeting. We have had our oppositions. The last year there has been a revivalist following up our appointments, ridiculing the Brethren and offering the people salvation on their own terms. But he has run himself out, and done the church no harm. The people are too well enlightened to accept ridiculing in place of the gospel. >From the New Enterprise Church, Pa. Dear Primitive: How I miss your weekly visit to our home. You ceased to come through the busy season and we neglected to renew our invitation. Come again, for in all the throng of labor you are ever welcome. You are not precious to me only for the news of the present, and the spiritual food you bring, but almost every number brings back pleasant memories of the past, when I mingled daily with those in your christian household. There was the "sweet hour of prayer" in the early morning, the reading of the sacred word of God, the social gatherings, the songs of praise and the meetings of various kinds in the dear old chapel. O, how sacred and "divinely sweet" that little room was. Our Bible class there, with the pale face of our beloved teacher, brother Zuck, before us instructing us in the precious truths of the Bible, is a picture that can never be effaced from memory. How some of our brethren have feared that our schools would not be a help to the church. The teachings of the founder of the first school in his short career will not be forgotten. His words, his prayers and his tears will live forever. To-day we had an attentive little congregation at this place, while our brother, R. G. Replogle, preached a very interesting sermon. Subject: The promises of God. A few weeks ago we listened with pleasure to our aged brother, Daniel Holsinger, at this place and at New Enterprise. He and old sister Holsinger, his wife, were visiting in our congregation for some time. Twas a pretty sight to see her lead him into the sanctuary as he is nearly blind. He is old, leaning on his staff waiting for the summons to call him home. As he stood and quoted Scripture after Scripture from memory, beautiful texts woven together, I thought what a wonderful gift of God is memory. The young do not appreciate the gift as they should, and many spend their precious time in such a manner that in after years will bring pain instead of pleasure. There are quits a number of persons sick at present in our congregation, but nearly all are convalescent. We just received the sad intelligence a few days ago that our brother, David Straly, of Nebraska, is dead. He was formerly one of our ministers. We deeply sympathize with his bereaved family and friends in their affliction. All seem to work harmoniously together and to be knit closer by Christian ties since our council meetings here. May God help us to be faithful to him and to each other. I was pained after reading the report of the Clover Creek council meeting in the Progressive, at the misrepresentations and exagorations in regard to that meeting, especially our dear brother Quinter. I do not like to refer to this, but I love the truth, and cannot bear to see it trampled. Sumo others were at that meeting who have at least a little judgment as to what was right and wrong. Emma A. Replogle. Waterside, Pa., Sept, 3, 1882.