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Indiana Baptists had frequently discussed the mat-
ter of a Chautauqua or Summer Assembly, and had
had some correspondence with the Baptists of Michi-
gan as to the feasibility of joining with them at Char-
levoix; at length the Convention appointed a com-
mittee to look about for a suitable place in the State
for such an Assembly. After a long search the com-
mittee reported in favor of Pine Lake, near La Porte.
The brethren and citizens there pledged themselves
for $5,000 for improvements; the offer was accepted,
grounds were purchased and platted, lots were put
on sale and a large auditorium built and dedicated.
For many years the Assembly kept up a Chautauqua
course of high order; but inasmuch as the Baptists of
the State did not rally to the resort as it was sup-
posed they would, the summer courses were allowed
to decline. The grounds are beautiful, and the sum-
mer weather there is delightful; many cottages are
occupied during the summer months; but at present
there is no attempt to maintain a Baptist Institute.
Among the leaders in these various departments of
mission work, and that of religious education, there
are many who deserve special mention. Some of
these will be spoken of at some length; others will
necessarily be omitted for lack of sufficient data.
In Foreign missions we think first of the Rev. S.
M. Stimson, D. D. This servant of God did a work
for Foreign missions that will bear fruit for many
years to come. He was a man of faith, and went for-
ward in the full assurance that whatever was done
for the kingdom of God could not fail of its purpose.
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He was genial in spirit and so his brethren, young
and old, were drawn to him. Soon after he became
District Secretary of the Union he settled upon a few
fundamental principles that were to have all the em-
phasis that he could give them. One of these we
can never forget--a contribution from every Baptist
in the State made regularly and according to ability.
Who that heard him can ever forget his ringing phrase
--repeated a thousand times--"let every one of you"?
And there were two or three sermons that he was
accustomed to use when he wanted to especially move
an audience in favor of missions, and to beget a mis-
sionary spirit; one of these was "the valley of dry
bones" and another drawn from the character of
Daniel, and the brethren who traveled with him from
Association to Association would often playfully ask,
"well, Doctor, are you going to preach the Daniel
sermon today, or the other one ?"
He was born in Massachusetts in 1815 and while
yet a child came with his parents to western New
York. This part of that State was then a wilderness
with no churches nor schools nor Sunday; he at-
tributes his early religious impressions to the influence
of his mother; she was faithful in her instruction and
exemplary in her life. At the age of twenty-six he
began to have a longing to enter the gospel ministry,
and in 1843 he was ordained at the request of the
Shelby church of New York. He was pastor of three
different churches--one of these he served for six-
teen years. In 1873 he was called from the pastorate
of the First church, Terre Haute, Indiana, to the Sec-
