| 602 Australia. H. C. Bronson, Southern Nebraska. G. E. Deuel, Southern Kansas. A. White, Independence District, Missouri. E. W. Cato, Central Missouri District. L. H. Ezzell, Texas. Emsley Curtis, Independence District, Missouri. E. A. Stedman, Minnesota. Thomas Wellington, Western Illinois. John Shippy, Decatur District. E. A. Shelly, Michigan. Gomer Reese, Montana. John Hawley, Southwestern Mission. W. H. Griffin, Kentucky and Tennessee. T. W. Chatburn, Nodaway District, Missouri.
The first day of the conference, April 6, the corner-stone of the Independence Chapel was laid under the direction of President Joseph Smith. Prayer was offered by President W. W. Blair, and addresses were made by President Joseph Smith, A. H. Smith, E. C. Brand, Charles Derry, E. L. Kelley, I. N. White, and the Reverend Mr. Palmore, of the M. E. Church, of Independence. The mechanical work of laying the stone was superintended by A. Jessiman, J. A. Kennedy, and John Earnshaw. The box in the corner-stone contained copies of the Holy Scriptures, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, Saints' Harp, Joseph the Prophet, by Tullidge, Joseph the Seer, by Blair, Manuscript Found, Report of the First Building Committee, Herald, Hope, Autumn Leaves, Independence Gazette, Independence Daily Sentinel, Independence Weekly Sentinel, Kansas City Times, Kansas City Journal, Lamoni Gazette, photographs of Joseph the Seer, President Joseph Smith, W. W. Blair, G. A. Blakeslee, I. L. Rogers, A. H. Smith, W. H. Kelley, J. H. Lake, Heman C. Smith, G. T. Griffiths, R. J. Anthony, and the Building Committee. A copper cent bearing date 1817, taken from the corner-stone of the Kirtland Temple, deposited by G. A. Blakeslee. The editor of the Herald in the issue for June 9, says of this occasion:
The scene was impressive and suggestive. Many years ago a little handful of men hailing from the east and far east gathered around a stone designed to mark the resting place of an altar to be erected to the worship of God, and there in the midst of dangers, similar to those once pending where the Huguenots sung and prayed, dedicated the labor of their hands to God. How changed-a half century later, sons of some of those men, with others whose fathers were made exiles on America's free soil for religion's sake and many who believed on Christ through their
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