Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 January 1910 — CHURCH’S REAL HARVEST. [ARTICLE]

CHURCH’S REAL HARVEST.

To Clear a Debt the First Christian of Heaver, Okie., Kniseil Corn. , The congregation of the First Christian Church of Beaver, Qkla, a Kansas City Times correspondent says, planted and reaped forty acres of broomcorn last season to raise funds for reducing the indebtedness on its new church building. The Rev. R. R. Coffey, the pastor, led his congregation In the work, men and women and boys and girls joining with him in the enterprise. ' -*- The land used belonged to James Crabtree, a farmer, living four miles west of Beaver. As the season progressed the ‘church eld” thrived wonderfully. Whenever there was work to do willing hands were found to do It The time of ripening came and the corn grew yellow and golden In the sunshine. There was much talk about corn, and as -the season advanced buy •rs began coming from eastern markets to the broomcorn elds of Beaver County. ~ ‘ Finally the day of harvesting arrived and Tne congregation of the Beaver Christian Church was astir early in thh morning. Fathers and mothers, boys and girls and young men and young women, with the Rev. Mr. Coffey at their vent to the

'church farm” anjl all day there was laughter and pulling of broomcorn ‘‘straw.” At noon everybody was called to a basket dinner furnished by the housewives who had piled up small mountains of brown fried chicken, with gravy, vegetables, country-cured ham, lightbread, jelly cake, caramel cake, pie and all such things for the hungry workers. When night came the harvesters had “pulled” twenty-five acres of broomcorn, and next day the work was finished. The straw was hauled to town and baled and was then ready for the market. Buyers were asked to bid for the “church farm” crop, and when the price went up to $l6O a ton, the corn was sold—five and one-half tons oF'it —which turned SBBO in the church treasury and came near lifting the church debt.