# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_25. Oktober 1927 ff._S388 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) 388 Archivist to take over these duties. He properly arranges and labels the historical exhibits owned by, or loaned to, the In- stitute. With the consent of the Executive Committée he regu- lates the admission of the public or of intéèrested visitors to the exhibit-room or -rooms. W. G. P. Thirty-Seven Vears of Rip-van-Winkling.“ Among the objects of historical interest which have been sent us by friends of the Institute since its organization, a little en- velope has probably excited the greatest interest. It is a unique curiosity with a history. It was sent in by Mr. E. Seuel, manager of Concordia Publishing House. Mr. Seuel wrote us as follows: — „Enelosed Iam handing you an envelope addressed to Rev. H. C. Schwan and mailed from Herndon, Iowa, June 1I1, 1890. At that time Dr. Schwan was president of the Synod. According to a nota- tion in his handwriting he seems to have referred it to a committee at some synodical convention. That committeéee seems to have turned over the contents of this envelope to the then secretary of the Synod, good old Pastor Rohrlack. When Pastor Rohrlack died, his archives, such as they were, were turned over to his successor, Pastor Bieder- letter, however, rested undisturbed among the papers of Synod's secretary, until now, after thirty-seven years and after twenty-eight yvears of successful mission-work in Brazil, it has been turned over to that mission by our Synodical Treasurer. W. G. POLACE. The Concordia Historical Institute and VOVU. The pages of this supplement have been prepared, and paid for, by the Concordia Historical Institute in order to acquaint the readers of the LVTHERAN WITNESS with the purpose and work of this society and — we speak frankly — to win you, who read these pages, for membership in the organization. Every Lutheran of the Synodical Conference is eligible for membership. The cause we plead is a worthy one, worthy of the active finan- cial support of every one in our cireles. We, who love our Church and are justly proud of her history, can do much toward preserving her historical past for our children and children's children. Our Church has a history that is interesting and inspiring, and genera- tions yet unborn will thank us for anything we may do toward pre- serving the records, relics, and monuments of earlier days. May we, therefore, ask you to join our ranks at once. Annual dues: Active membership, entitling to vote and full privileges, 82; NMr. Louis K. Waltke, Manufacturer. mann. Biedermann never found time to sort over the archives, and after his death our present secretary, Pastor Kretzmann, got them practically in the same shape in which Biedermann had received them, which is to say, miscellaneous papers simply packed in old boxes. Finally, this spring, Secretary Kretzmann started to sort over the papers and among them found this envelope. In the en- velope was a letter addressed by Pastor Mallon to President Schwan suggesting the founding of a mission of our Synod in South America and enclosing a §5-bill for that pur pose. The letter and the 85-bill and the envelope were accordingly finally delivered to me in March, 1927, — thirty-seven years of Rip-van-Winkling for this donation to one of our missions.“ We would add the following to complete Mr. Seuel's story. At the Delegate Synod which was held in Milwaukee in the year 1890, President H. C. Schwan referred Rev. W. Mallon's letter to the Com- mittee on Home Missions. This committee, in its report to Synod, suggested that the matter of beginning a mission in Brazil be re- ferred to the General Mission Board. Three years later, at the Delegate Synod in St. Louis, the matter was taken up again, and the General Mission Board reported that it had been unable to find an opening for mission-work in Brazil and suggested that the entire matter be held in abeyance until a door would be opened to us in that country. Finally, in the general convention held at St. Louis in 1899, the Missouri Synod passed a resolution to begin mission- work in Brazil. In answer to an appeal for funds which appeared in the Lutkeraner in November, 1899, a friend of this work donated 52,000. The Mission Board then sent out Rev. F. Broders to survey the field and begin the work. The 85 enclosed in Pastor Mallon's Nr. Fred Stockho, Merchant. Mr. Chas. Wehking, Jr. Manufacturer and Contractor. sustaining membership, 85; life membership, 8100 (single payment). TR;e dues include subscriptions for tùhe Institute's bulletins. Fill out this blank below and send it to the Financial Sec- retary, Mr. Theo. W. Eckhart, Fiscal Office, 3558 S. Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, Mo. CONCORDIA HISTORICAL INSTITUTE, 3558 S. Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, Mo. The undersigned deésires to be Active Member (82 per annum) enrolled as a (n) Sustaining Member (85 per annum) Life Member (5§100) of the Concordia Historical Institute. Check Draft I the amount of 8 M. O. is herewith enelosed. Lam a member of.