p. 602 | Idaho, Nevada, and California

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Oct 9, 1884

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 10, No. 38.

Idaho, Nevada, and California.

By John Norton Loughborough

At the time of my last report I was in the railroad station at Cheney, W. T., waiting for the train to Umatilla Junction, en route to Idaho. Including twenty-four hours waiting for trains, I was four and one-half days performing the journey to Boise City, where I arrived on the morning of Sept. 12, having traveled by railroad 400 miles, and by stage 140 miles.

In a short time after reaching Boise, I found Bro. Pope, with whom I made my home. While in the place I gave four discourses, held one Bible-reading, and one business meeting. Twelve brethren and sisters signed their names to a covenant to keep all the commandments. A Sabbath-school was organized, furnished at once with a club of Instructors, question books, records, etc. After hearing a Bible-reading on the tithing system, those present pledged to pay tithes. Some of those keeping the Sabbath had embraced it in the East; others have come out by reading, and through the labors of Dr. Pope, who has given several lectures in Boise and vicinity, and circulated much reading matter on present truth. The brethren seemed much encouraged by my visit, and it was a treat to me to labor among them. I trust the time is not far distant when others in Idaho will have the privilege of hearing on the messages of truth for these times.

On the 15th, I left the friends in Boise, going by stage fifteen miles south to Kuna Station, where I took the short line railroad, 400 miles, to Ogden, and then 600 miles to Reno, where I had the privilege of meeting with friends, old and new, in the Nevada camp-meeting. This meeting has already been reported by Bro. Waggoner. I will simply say it seemed to me that the meeting tended greatly to give unity and strength to our people in that field. We were all made glad to meet interested ones from other parts of the State, in that camp-meeting. The California Conference Committee have the field in charge, and I trust in a few weeks to see other efforts made to introduce the truth before the people.

From Reno I came to California, and have had the privilege of attending our great California camp-meeting. This meeting, the proceedings of which are so fully reported in this week's SIGNS, was the largest gathering of seventh-day Adventists ever assembled on the Pacific slope. It was indeed a cheering sight to those who attended our first California camp-meeting in 1872, to see the progress that has been made. Then our camp consisted of nineteen tents, none of them larger than ten by twelve. This year it required one hundred and eighty tents, mostly of a much larger size, to receive our people. That year the one camp-meeting served to accommodate nearly all of the Sabbath-keepers on the coast; this year it has been necessary to hold five camp-meetings on the coast, in as many different localities, to accommodate the general gatherings of S. D. Adventists. In these five camp-meetings, over three hundred tents have been required to accommodate the campers.

While we see the growth of the cause, as thus indicated, we would not sit down with any spirit of self-complacency, but be stimulated to more earnest efforts to secure in the near future much greater results.

J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH.