The Word Carrier of Santee Normal Training School (Santee, Nebraska), 1920-03 - 1920-04

              The Word Carrier
of Santee Normal Training School.
VOLUME  XLIX
HELPING THE  RIGHT, EXPOSING THE -WRONG.
NUMBER. 2
SANTEE, NEBRASKA.
MARCH—APRIL, 1920
FIFTY CENTS PER YEAR
Our Platform
For Indians we want American Education! We want
American Homes! We want American Rights! The result
of which is American Citizenship! And the Gospel is the
Power of God for their Salvation !
Edwin James Lindsey
Rev. Edwin James Lindsey died at Santee,
Neb., Feb. 25th, 1920, after an illness of more
than three months, which was born with great
patience and heroic fortitude.
For about two years he had been Superintendent of the Bible Department of the Santee
Normal Training School, which position he
held at the time of his death.
He was born September 18, 1858 in the
beautiful Cumberland A^alley of Pennsylvania.
He lived on a farm three miles west of Carlisle until seventeen years of age, after which
he went west for a few years.
He returned to Pennsylvania, graduated
from Dickinson College with honors, and received his theological training at Western
Theological Seminary, Pittsburg, Pa., and
Union Theological Seminary, N. Y., graduating from the latter. While at Union Seminary
he did mission work in New York City.
He entered the ministry of the Presbyterian
Church, his first pastorate being in Shaler, Iowa. Here he married Nancy Hunter, a niece
of Dr. Williamson. While he was pastor at
Shaler a fine church was built and cleared of
debt. After staying two years at Shaler, he
was called to mission work among the Sioux
Indians of Montana. He continued on this
field for twenty years, his wife, Nancy Hunter, dying here in 1905. To this union were
born Elizabeth Winona, Alta Ruth, John
Huuter, and Mervin Edwin. In 1908 he married Ella Nora Ralston of Carlisle.
The years 1910-11 were spent on a ranch in
Montana, because of failing health. While
on the ranch he organized a Sabbath school
at Savage, and preached there regularly during the year of 1911.
But his heart was in the Indian missionary
work, so in 1912 being much improved in
health, he applied for mission work and was
sent to the eastern half of Pine Ridge Reservation. Here he spent five years of strenuous service among the Oglalas. As this was
practically a new field there was necessarily
much physical labor connected with its development. Both churches and manses had to
be provided.
In the five years Mr. Lindsey was on this
field three manses and two churches were built.
When the funds were not sufficient for both,
the manse was so built that it provided a temporary house of worship. In addition to these
the mission plant at Allen was built. His
circuit of one hundred miles took in three
preaching stations. The new station at Martin, South Dakota, particularly grew under his
direction, and was given over to the Presbytery of South Dakota.
In the spring of 1918 Presbytery sent him
to Santee, Nebraska. He was naturally of a
retiring disposition, and often went before
his audience with a trembling heart. Yet his
great faith in the Lord Jesus Christ gave him
courage to deliver his message. A favorite
scripture text with him was, "As thy days, so
shall thv strength be."
One of his great aims on the Pine Ridge
field, as on others, was to develope young
men in Christian service. While the Oglalas
were hard to reach, his efforts were not in
vain.
It was on this field that James Ralston,
a son by his second marriage, died and Richard   Allan was born.
Davidson W. Lindsey, an elder in the old
First Presbyterian Church of Carlisle, is a
brother. Mrs. J. Z. Line, and Mrs. Luther
Eppley, both of Carlisle, are sisters.
"Lord, thou has been our dwelling
place in all generations."
Mr. Lindsey was a man of trust, devotion
and prayer. He always seemed to have within a source of hopefulness and encouragement.
Like Paul he was a man of deep emotions, but
his source of encouragement was always deeper than the discouragement, and his courage
would make him strong again. He believed
in prayer and was much In prayer.
The fruit of his labors was greater than he
himself realized. In quiet ways of conversation, teaching, preaching, and by Christian
living he exemplified the Christian life and
let his light shine that they might glorify his
Heavenly Father.
Many of the young men in the Montana
churches were influenced by Mr. Lindsey in
his most discouraging period of service, who
later became active church workers, elders in
their churches. This shows that God's promises were being fulfilled, and that a life that is
faithful, honest, and true always bears fruit.
We expected many years of service from
Mr. Lindsey, but it was not God's way. God's
work is not carried on by any one person but by
the spirit of God. He will not let his work fail.
We perhaps need the lesson of those being
taken whom we depended on. It makes us
lean more on God and trust Him.
The closer we live to God the less will be
the shock when it comes near to us. His personal help will be near.
When the disciples were on the lake at night
and towards morning were in great danger,
their nerves were unstrung because of great
weariness. And Jesus came to them but they
did not know that it was Jesus till He said, "Be
of good cheer. It is I. Be not afraid." So he
says now to us: "Do not be afraid.  It is I."
At times when things are at their worst we
may find Jesus. In fact this is just when he
comes. We do not always recognize Him at
such times.
At this time the great thing for us is to recognize that the Master is here and to let him
strengthen us.—From the Address of Rev.
Jesse P.  Williamson.
The Indian Work His Life Work
Dear friends: We have before our eyes this
afternoon the body of our loved one, Mr.
Lindsey. And through the human eye wa
feel sad, but through the eyes of 0"r souls we
are glad because Mr. Lindsey has been called up yonder by our Master, there to take
greater work and to live forever with our Lord
and Saviour.
Personally I have known Mr. Lindsey for
thirty years. In all this time he has taught
the Dakota Indians how to live purely,
nobly, rightly aud to enjoy the liberties
which Christian living brings. The work
which he has established has taken hold and
will continue to grow.
Mr. Lindsey was as the other great missionary teachers, Drs. Stephen Riggs and
Thomas Williamson, Drs. John Williamson
and Alfred Riggs. They did not come to stay
but a short time and then go away and we
never hear of them, as many of the Government workers do, but they came to stay with
us and they have given their lives to a great
cause. — From the Address of our Indian
pastor, Rev. Francis Fraziei.
A True Servant of God
God buries his workmen, but the work
goes on. Men make work, but work makes
men. The men are the important thing, and
not the work. God gives us work that we
may make ourselves.
God gave Mr. Lindsey a great work. And
he did not reserve his full reward until the
other day when he called him into his radiant
presence. He had some of that reward here
on earth.
I never knew Mr. Lindsey well. I saw
him only a few times. But that was enough
to gain the knowledge that the great question
always with him was, How can I pour my
life into the life of my fellowmen? How can
I serve?
In the brotherhood of the Christian ministry
there are many perplexities, fears, doubts even
of one's calling. Then in the forefront of our
life we see brothers who with clearer vision
than ours have done away with those doubts
by their lives of service. They have taken
the hard things of life; they seek the difficult
problems for theirs.
It is the difference between working on the
circumference of a circle and working at the
centre; for it is working at the centre when
we work in human character. It is all the
difference between adding to the quality or to
the quantity of life.
So our lives are enriched, even though we
but touch these lives, or only watch them.
We give praise for that life of service which
is his. This is the sort of life that when it
goes gives us another certain proof of immortality. We know, not hope or guess; we know
with a certainty that is God-given, that death is
simply the messenger of immortality and life
everlasting.
And now to the family—In a recent address
to young ministers a speaker said: "One of
the great things in the Christian ministry is
that it takes one by that path alone which as
one walks it, brings one into ever growing
knowledge of God." That was his path. The
joy and reward of his walking it was that
ever "growing knowledge of God",
He is not the God of the dead, but of the
living. How is it possible to think that those
who walk on earth with God could be allowed
by God to slip away into nothingness. What
greater comfort can there be, what greater gift
can we leave for our children than the knowledge for ever that their father walked on
earth with God, and is now face to face with
the Eternal at home with God.—From the
Address of Rev. A. C. Warner.