Brother Stowe has a large frame, tends to corpulency, and shows great physical vigor. With large perception, he reads men and surroundings aptly. In the pulpit, he puts ideas in logical relations, and aims at an object. His sermons abound in illustrations, strung on a strong cord of Evangelical truth. Rev. O.B. Thayer was stationed at Summerfield Church, having become a member of the Conference in 1870. He had been stationed at Court Street Church, Janesville, and at Appleton. In both these charges he had developed a high standard of pulpit talent. He remained at Summerfield two years, and was then appointed to Kenosha, where, at the present writing, he is preaching to fine congregations. Rev. S. Reynolds, State Agent of the American Bible Society, was also a member of the Ministerial fraternity of Milwaukee. This good brother came to the Conference by transfer from Iowa. He has been engaged for many years in his present work, and has gained a reputation, second to none, in the management of the laborious and manifold responsibilities of his position. In his addresses he deals in stubborn facts, and never fails to interest the audience. He is vigilant in looking after the details of his trust, but he needs a word of caution as to his health. His great labor is evidently overtaxing his strength. My salary was again fixed at two thousand three hundred dollars. A new system of finance was now adopted, called the "Envelope System." In its principal features, it was similar to the "Card System," introduced during my former term, but contained several additional provisions to render it more effective. The new plan succeeded admirably, giving to the station, at the end of the first quarter of the year, the extraordinary record of having fully paid the Pastor's salary, and every other claim for current expenses, besides liquidating several bills for improvements on the Church and Parsonage. And it is proper to add that the current year closed with several hundred dollars in the Treasury. The regular work of the station opened this year encouragingly. A general quickening followed, and by mid-winter there had been half a score of conversions. Mrs. Maggie N. Van Cott, who had been engaged for a year to assist us, now came to our help. The meeting continued five weeks, under this most extraordinary laborer, and resulted in the conversion of near four hundred souls, about two hundred of whom united with the Spring Street Church. The Conference of 1873 was held Oct. 15, at Whitewater, Bishop Merrill presiding. At this session Rev. Henry Colman, who had repeatedly served as Assistant, was elected Secretary of the Conference.