THE patent-medicine business is, of course, greatly fostered by the use of testimonials. These testimonials sound very convincing, but their genuineness will not bear investigation. As an example of the utterly fraudulent character of much of this sort of evidence, we quote a statement from a press dispatch which appeared only a few days ago, as follows:—
“NEW YORK, January 19.—Examination into the affairs of the ‘Force of Life Company,’ which it is alleged advertised a medicine that had power to bring the dead to life, was begun to-day before United States Commissioner Ridgeway. . . . The first witness was John S. Cooper, a lawyer, who accompanied two post-office inspectors to Dr. Hadley’s office on January 6. He said that he had seen an alleged testimonial there from a woman from California who wrote that she had been cured by the company’s preparation ‘after she had been made ready for the grave.’”
The proprietors of this wonderful remedy are now settling accounts with the federal government.
Mention was made last week of the easy manner in which patent-medicine testimonials were obtained. On this subject of testimonials we quote further from Collier’s:—
“The ignorant drug taker, returning to health from some disease which he has overcome by the natural resistant powers of his body, dips his pen in gratitude, and writes his testimonial. The man who dies in spite of the patent medicine—or perhaps because of it—doesn’t bear witness to what it did for him. We see recorded only the favorable results; the unfavorable lie silent. How could it be otherwise when the only avenues of publicity are controlled by the heavy advertisers? So, while many of the printed testimonials are genuine enough, they represent not the average evidence, but the most glowing opinions which the nostrum vender can obtain, and generally they are the expression of a low order of intelligence. Read in this light, they are unconvincing enough. But the innocent public regards them as the type, not the exception. ‘If that cured Mrs. Smith, of Oshkosh, it may cure me,’ says the woman whose symptoms, real or imagined, are so feelingly described under the picture. Lend ear to expert testimony from a certain prominent cure-all:—
“‘They see my advertising. They read the testimonials. They are convinced. They have faith in Peruna. It gives them a ‘gentle stimulant, and so they get well.’”
“There it is in a nutshell—the faith cure. Not the stimulant, but the faith inspired by the advertisement and encouraged by the stimulant, does the work—or seems to do it. If the public drugger can convince his patron that she is well, she is well—for his purposes. In the case of such diseases as naturally tend to cure themselves, no greater harm is done than the parting of a fool and his money. With rheumatism, sciatica, and that ilk, it means added pangs; with consumption, Bright’s disease, and other serious disorders, perhaps needless death. No onus of homicide is borne by the nostrum seller; probably the patient would have died anyway; there is no proof that the patent bottle was in any way responsible. Even if there were—and rare cases do occur where the responsibility can be brought home—there is no warning to others, because the newspapers are too considerate of their advertisers to publish such injurious items.”
A scheme devised by a leading patent-medicine proprietor which has great potency in maintaining the criminal newspaper alliance with this business, is that of inserting in the contract made with the newspapers, a clause, known as the “red clause,” which provides that the contract shall be void in case any state legislation is enacted hostile to the interests of the business; as, for example, legislation requiring the ingredients of patent medicines to be printed on the labels on the bottles. The effect of this clause in the contract is to make the newspapers fight all such legislation for fear they will lose their profitable advertising business. We quote further from Collier’s:—
“To what length daily journalism will go at the instance of the business office was shown in the great advertising campaign of Paine’s Celery Compound, some years ago. The nostrum’s agent called at the office of a prominent Chicago newspaper and spread before its advertising manager a full-page advertisement, with blank spaces in the center.
“‘We want some good, strong testimonials to fill out with,’ he said.
“‘You can get all of those you want, can’t you?’ asked the newspaper manager.
“‘Can you?’ returned the other. ‘Show me four or five strong ones from local politicians and you get the ad.’
“‘That day reporters were assigned to secure testimonials with photographs, which subsequently appeared in the full-page advertisement as promised. As for the men who permitted the use of their names for this purpose, several of them afterward admitted that they had never tasted the ‘Compound,’ but that they were willing to sign the testimonials for the joy of appearing in print as ‘prominent citizens.’ Another Chicago newspaper compelled its political editor to tout for fake indorsements of a nostrum. A man with an inside knowledge of the patent-medicine business made some investigations into this phase of the matter, and he declares that such procurement of testimonials became so established as to have the force of a system, only two of the Chicago papers being free from it. To-day, he adds, a similar ‘deal’ could be made with half a dozen of that city’s dailies. It is disheartening to note that in the case of one important and high-class daily, the Pittsburg Gazette, a trial rejection of all patent-medicine advertising received absolutely no support or encouragement from the public; so the paper reverted to its old policy.”
(To be continued)
Let Your Work Praise You
“PRAISE not thy work, but let thy work praise thee; For deeds, not words, make each memory stable. If what thou dost is good, its good all men will see; Musk by its smell is known, not by its label.”
Jamaica Conference Proceedings
By Norman Johnston
The fourth annual session of the Jamaica Conference was held in Kingston, Dec. 31, 1905, to Jan. 3, 1906. A goodly number of delegates were present. Help from the General Conference was expected, but at the last moment it was found impossible to supply it.
WORKERS IN THE JAMAICA CONFERENCE
At the present time there are two American laborers and seven native workers on the conference pay-roll. Several canvassers are also working faithfully. During the year two of the workers, Elder W. Jay Tanner and Brother Frank Hall, left the island; the former having accepted an invitation from the Mission Board to labor in the island of Hayti, and the latter, at the request of our conference, sailed on the eleventh of November for Grand Cayman.
The reports of the treasurer and others showed that there had been a substantial gain in membership and tithe during the year. This was very gratifying, and all present felt to praise God for his mercies and blessings.
There are fifty Sabbath-schools in our conference, with a membership of twelve hundred and eighty-nine. During the first day of the session, a Sabbath-school convention was held, which did much good to the visiting brethren. There is a growing interest in this work.
The business of the conference was transacted harmoniously, not a discordant note being sounded during the entire session. The spiritual interests received attention. Each day, at the close of the first meeting, preaching services were conducted by different workers, and light and power was received from the great power-house on high, to enable us to stand in the ranks and faithfully perform our duties. A special evangelistic effort was also made in the city. The town hall was procured, and for four nights interested congregations listened to the message. The Lord blessed, and the word was preached in demonstration of the Spirit and of power. About twenty persons gave in their names, as the result of these meetings.
Among the important resolutions and recommendations passed by the conference are the following: A recommendation that the island of Jamaica be divided into three conference districts, and that an ordained minister reside in each district, and devote his time wholly to the direction of the work in his district, under the direction of the conference president; also that a systematic plan for visiting the churches be provided in such a way that each church shall be visited at least once a month by a minister if possible; and, further that the dry season of each district be devoted to tent work, except in those places where the rain is constant; in such counties the tent work should be done at the most convenient season. The conference, feeling the need of an increase of workers, passed resolutions asking the conference committee to take into consideration the advisability of increasing our corps of licensed preachers by the addition of at least one new man. Further resolutions were offered encouraging the holding of a general meeting in each conference district during the year, and the continuation of the publication of our conference paper, the Jamaica Record; and also that an effort be made to place the REVIEW AND HERALD in every Seventh-day Adventist home in Jamaica.
The need of elementary schools in which to begin the education of our children was discussed quite freely, and resolutions were passed instructing the workers to give the subject special attention as they go among the people, and urging the churches to consider the matter of a day-school in each church, in which their children can be taught the principles of Christian education.
Since the Caribbean Watchman is undoubtedly God's appointed medium for disseminating the truths of the third angel's message in the West Indies by the printed page, it was urged that each member of the conference earnestly endeavor to increase the circulation of the paper.
Further recommendations looking toward self-support in all our financial affairs, thus allowing the Mission Board to use the money it is now sending us in other and more needy mission fields of the world were discussed at length and adopted.
Since our workers in Jamaica are isolated from the educational institutions of the denomination, it was planned to hold a workers' institute in each conference district during the time of the general meeting the coming year.
For the thousands of heathen coolies and Chinese among us in this island, who are becoming interested in present truth, it was resolved to procure suitable literature from our Mission Board for distribution among them.
Ministerial credentials were granted to J. B. Beckner, J. A. Strickland, and M. Jones; ordination and credentials to H. Fletcher and W. H. Randle; ministerial licenses to Frank Hall, Norman Johnston, Adam Durrant, L. Rashford, and David Blake; missionary licenses to Wellington Burkley and Philip Porter.
The following officers were elected: President and Treasurer, J. B. Beckner; Vice-President and Assistant Treasurer, J. A. Strickland; Secretary, Norman Johnston; Conference Committee, J. B. Beckner, J. A. Strickland, Norman Johnston, Wellington Burkley, R. M. Rennalls; Secretary and Treasurer of the Sabbath-school Association, Mrs. J. B. Beckner; Contributor to the Caribbean Watchman, J. A. Strickland; Editor of the Jamaica Record, Norman Johnston.
The outlook for the work in Jamaica the coming year seems to be encouraging, and it is the prayer of the writer that the Lord will continue to bless the Jamaica Conference.
NORMAN JOHNSTON, Sec.
Kingston.
The Field Is the World
“THE field is the world.”
In Austria-Hungaria
By L. R. Conradi
L. R. CONRADI
WHILE the daily press brings constant reports of difficulty between Hungaria and Austria, yet in that great two-headed empire-monarchy our work goes steadily forward, and the love and fellowship of Christ is continually adding to our numbers such as accept the message for this time.
En route to the meeting in Hungaria, I spent the Sabbath with our church in Dresden, the beautiful capital of the kingdom of Saxony, where, the last few Sundays, street riots have taken place, on account of the great desire among the people for universal suffrage. About eighty-five met with us on the Sabbath (which was the last Sabbath of the week of prayer), and the collection that day amounted to about seventy dollars.
Sunday I was in Prague, the old capital of Bohemia; I found that great changes had taken place since my previous visit. Our brethren have rented a very neat meeting hall in the center of the city. We had a good meeting in the afternoon; and among those present was a professor who had once been a Catholic, but who had been led, through a study of the Word, to leave Catholicism; he is now really looking for more light. Although he is not a Catholic, and the archbishop openly declared he wished the man were away, yet the emperor has decorated him, and he is one of the members of the school council. He was much pleased to get acquainted with our people, and we hope that when he studies the truth more carefully, he may fully embrace the message. Elder Mathe was with us at the meeting. Besides him, we now have in Austria a licentiate, Brother Wentland, in Gratz; a Bible worker at Prague, at Vienna, and at Reichenberg; there is also one canvasser there now, and, after many years of waiting, we hope to begin the open circulation of our literature. Last year the number of Sabbath-keepers was about doubled, and now there are sixty members in that field. By next year we hope we may be able to have a general meeting also for Austria proper. While together, we seriously considered the publication of a Bohemian paper. Such a paper would not only be of great benefit to the six millions of Bohemians, but also to the three and one-half millions of Slovaks. As many of these two nationalities are to be found in the States, especially in the great cities, we sincerely hope that if such a paper is published, our brethren there will also try to help in its circulation in America.
Our meeting for Hungaria was appointed for Clausenburg, in the central portion of the country, where our work really first began. I reached that place December 13, and the meeting lasted until the seventeenth. Elder Mathe, in addition to the regular workers of the field, was present to assist in the meetings, which were held in a public hall.
We were really glad to find that every church and company in Hungaria was represented; about eighty-five members were present. This is the most we have ever had. There are now about two hundred and fifty members in the whole field. The work is carried on among five nationalities, or, better expressed, in five languages,—the Hungarian, the German, the Slovak, the Rumanian, and the Servian,—and we have workers laboring in each of these. Brother Huenergardt labors among the Hungarian- and German-speaking people; Elder Reifschneider works for the Slovaks and the Germans; Brother Unk, a Bible worker, gives his time to the Rumanians; Brother Todor Peter labors among the Servians and Hungarians, and Brother Kelemen and Sister Nagy among the Hungarians. And lately one of our younger German students, from Friedensau, Brother Kessel, has joined the corps of workers there; he is making good progress in learning the Hungarian. Two canvassers intend to enter the field after this meeting.
One important matter that received consideration was the publication of the Hungarian paper as a monthly. Until the present time it has appeared only as a forty-page quarterly. It has a circulation now of about four hundred; but after talking over the matter carefully, it was decided so to arrange matters that each worker would be able to receive at the beginning of the quarter a club of three hundred copies (one hundred copies for each of the three months during the quarter), which we can send according to our postal laws, for twelve and one-half cents. This will increase its circulation to more than a thousand copies. The workers will then, month by month, sell these papers (as they will be arranged as monthlies, although published at the beginning of each quarter). Of course the regular subscribers will get their issues from our Hamburg house, month by month, through the mails. By this cheap postal rate, we can furnish the papers to our workers at a low figure. We would be very glad also if our brethren in the States could interest themselves in the circulation of this paper among the thousands of Hungarians that are flocking to the New World.
Our conference meetings were all marked by a spirit of union. Brother J. F. Huenergardt was again unanimously chosen mission director of the Hungarian field. Sabbath was a good day. Three promising young men were baptized at this meeting. One of them is a student of law; he is a Hungarian. In the evening meetings, about three hundred were present. The hall was overcrowded.
While the tithe of this year is only about half of what it was the previous year, yet this is partially accounted for by the fact that large extra sums were given in former years; and yet all felt that had each one been absolutely faithful, the tithe would have been considerably increased; and it is hoped that the coming year will see an improvement in the finances of this field.
On my way home, I stopped in the capital, Vienna, where we had a good Bible study. As we are allowed to hold no public services in Austria, the work must be done from house to house, and it is rather slow work.
When we remember that Austria-Hungaria is mostly a Catholic country, and that there are great difficulties to be surmounted there, we feel that we have every reason to thank God for the progress that has thus far been made, as we have now in both countries about three hundred believers, and we are glad that the work has a foothold among six nationalities. The prospects for this year are brighter than they ever were before. May God add his blessing is our prayer.
Hamburg.
Mission Notes
ONLY one Protestant missionary is found to every 250,000 of the population of India.
THE Bible is now translated into 330 languages, spoken by 1,200,000,000 people.
IN the city of Bangalore there are four hundred and thirty-three baby widows not yet one year old.
“THAT they [all nations] should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him.” Acts 17:27.
WE have one Protestant Christian to each five persons; in the foreign field there is one Protestant Christian to each 1,566 persons.
“GOD so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16.
JAPAN is composed of islands. The islands are many; but there is only one gospel ship. This is the “Fukuin Maru,” Captain Bickell, connected with the mission of the American Baptist Missionary Union.
“FORWARD, forward, on to every nation,
Give the glorious gospel to the world.
Over all the lands that lie in darkness,
Let the blood-stained banner be unfurled.
On till every tongue and tribe and kindred
Hear the glorious gospel’s joyful sound;
Forward, forward, till the name of Jesus
Shall re-echo all the world around.”
THE American Bible Society has decided to publish an edition of the Gospels and Acts in Chamorro, the language spoken by the people of the island of Guam. The translation will be made by the Rev. Mr. Price, a missionary of the American Board, and the edition will be printed in Japan. The island of Guam is an important naval station of the United States in the Pacific, and this is the first attempt to give these people the sacred Scriptures.
Central America
By H. C. Goodrich
BELIZE, BRITISH HONDURAS.—One week ago I returned from my trip down the coast. At Sittee River, the last place I visited, we had some interest, but none have taken their stand as yet. With this people we have to go over the ground again and again. Very few, indeed, will accept the truth when it is first presented. They fear to use their own judgment. But we have some earnest Christian people here. To-day the outlook for the success of the work is much more encouraging than a year ago. Our week of prayer is a real feast to us, and some are getting a new hold upon God.
LATER.—Contrary to my expectations, I am still here in Belize. A number of boats have been in from the Bay Islands, but for smuggling, and on account of quarantine, they would not take passengers. Yellow fever has broken out again in Spanish Honduras, so all ships that go there have to be quarantined. And although Belize and the Bay Islands have no fever, and give a clean bill of health, yet they keep up the quarantine against us.
The first of this month, a man had the fever at Stann Creek, a town thirty miles south of here. He was brought to the hospital, and died, and for that reason the quarantine still continues.
Our donations during the week of prayer here were $14.40. Brother Allen writes that they will have the week-of-prayer services in Spanish and English. Brother Cary is having good success both here and along the coast, with books and papers. In a trip down the coast, Brother Allen sold over forty-seven dollars' worth of books.
H. C. GOODRICH.
Costa Rica, Central America
By H. Louie Mignot
Another year has dawned upon our work in this land, and we are thankful to “the Captain of our salvation” for his guidance throughout the past year. I am of good courage, especially as I see seeds of truth springing up here and there, to bring forth fruit. I have just returned from a trip of eighty-two miles, tired and worn. Nevertheless, my heart is glad because one precious soul has accepted “the present truth.” About a year ago I sold him a copy of “Daniel and the Revelation,” also one of “Looking Unto Jesus;” these he has read, and has learned the truth. Although he is living far away from the company of believers, yet I hope to see him walking near the Lord. There are many others, farther on, who have invited me to come and hold gospel meetings for them. I have been receiving calls from every side. Surely, the Spirit of the Lord is at work. The harvest is ripe. The reapers are few. As I go from place to place, holding Bible readings, selling our publications, and distributing tracts, I find many ready to listen to the message. I ask that these be remembered at the throne of grace.
An earnest effort should now be made to bring before the people of this land the saving truth of the third angel’s message, before the open door is closed against us. At present no one molests us, and we are able to go on with our work. But we know that the time is not far distant when we shall be boycotted because of our religious belief. The work of the inter-church federation did not stop at Carnegie Hall. Its adherents are here. The Protestant churches of this land have caught the same spirit. “That they may be one,” they have put away credal differences, and have thus been united. For the past two weeks they have been holding union meetings from church to church; as a result, many are reported to have been converted by the federated spirits. But the law of God, which is perfect, which is to point out sin, and which the converted man is to accept as his rule of life through faith in Christ, they have rejected. Such converts are hard to approach with the present truth, as they have been converted against Jehovah’s precepts.
We shall improve every opportunity to educate the community on the principles of religious liberty. I shall be glad to receive from any one who is interested in religious liberty, tracts and leaflets that treat on the subject. They should be sent to Mrs. Rosalie R. Mignot, Pacuarito, Costa Rica. At the same time we shall try to buy all we can, to distribute to our neighbors and friends. Remember Costa Rica in your prayers.
H. LOUIE MIGNOT.
The Paper Work in Colegio Camareo, Argentina, S. A.
By Arthur Fulton
We have rejoiced to read, from time to time, of the advanced moves of our brethren in the States in hastening the glad tidings in the home land. We in this great southern republic are trying to do our part also, but amid great drawbacks. We have few books in Spanish, and the most of these are out of print. The most we can do is to circulate our papers and tracts.
The students in the school have done a noble work in this line during the past year. In March the new press bought by the conference was brought to the school. The first number of the Verdad Presente printed on it was that for June.
The school is situated in the country, about twelve miles from several towns. These were canvassed, and also a trip was made to the capital of the province,15a distance of about thirty miles. To make this trip, we started out about two o'clock in the morning, reaching Parana about eight. After canvassing all day, we returned in the evening, reaching home about ten or eleven o'clock, thus making a sixty-mile drive in the chill of an Argentine winter. The same trip was repeated each month, and each time as our experience increased, our success was also doubled.
The August number was a special one, and instead of going only on Sunday, as we had been doing, we went prepared to stay three days. The whole city was canvassed, and about forty subscriptions were taken, and one thousand papers sold. The next Sunday the small towns near the school were canvassed, and a company of six went to Victoria, a distance of about fifty miles. These three companies that went out secured about sixty subscriptions, and sold about six hundred numbers.
The second year has closed, but our efforts for the paper still go on. Some of the young people have gone to their homes, and are there doing what they can. Three young women who had expected to work out during the summer, to earn money to return to school, have been encouraged by their success to enter instead the paper work, and are our most successful workers. At the end of the first week they had taken seventy-six subscriptions, and sold over five hundred papers. Remember our faithful canvassers in your prayers.
ARTHUR FULTON.
North Carolina
By D. T. Shireman
TOLUCA.—The Toluca Industrial School is located in Lincoln and Cleveland Counties, North Carolina, the county line running between the school-house and the students' home. There is not one family of our people in either of these counties except those connected with our school. By the earnest request of some of the citizens of this place, we came here three years ago.
They desired us to start a school like the one at Hildebran. Inside of twenty-four hours there were twenty men and teams ready for work. With willing hands they cut down trees, hauled logs to the mill to be sawed, and lumber was taken to the place to erect a building. Within three days the frame for a school building was begun (length, sixty-six feet), and also a teachers' home.
The largest number of pupils enrolled was thirty. We are glad we have the good will of the people, and their kind words are an encouragement to go on with the work. We desire to make this a self-supporting work. This means much hard labor and sacrifice on the part of those connected with it.
We hope to make this school a blessing to the surrounding community. We ask the prayers of our people that the Lord's blessing may rest upon this humble school, and that all that is done may be guided by his hand. All the workers except one are from this field.
There are many places where this kind of work would be welcomed. Are there not scores of families among us who are spiritually starving for the want of something to do? All through the mountains of North America there are openings for work. Who will come and enter the field? D. T. SHIREMAN.
Sierra Leone, West Africa
By D. C. Babcock
FREETOWN.—We have read with much interest the little leaflet, “Blazing Light in Korea,” and it brings joy to our hearts.
Surely the work will soon be finished, and the Lord will return for his dear people. Some must be gathered from the Sudan, but the work seems so large and difficult.
It is not like China, Japan, Korea, or India. These countries have systems of education, and the people can generally read their own tongue; not so with dark, dark Africa. Imagine yourself in a hut village in the dense forests of Africa, eyes staring at you from all directions, and not one soul of them can read one word of their native tongue, and you unable to talk to them. The picture is dark.
I fear a mistake has been made in not putting native men into the work. Those who have known the truth for years, might do a good work if encouraged. We must have help some way. West Indians may stand it.
All mission stations located in Sierra Leone build, in the top of the mountains, what they call sanatoriums,—small buildings,—and when one of their workers gets sick or run down, they send him there, away from his work, where he can recuperate.
There is quite a settlement of English people on the mountain (the men engaged in government work), and they tell me they live there as well as they can in England.
I believe something like that should be arranged before other workers are sent here. If we could go up on the side of the mountain, we could get good air, and thus gain our former strength.
Our prayer is that the sickness and sad experiences we are passing through may teach us the lessons we need, and bring us closer to God.
D. C. BABCOCK.
Western Pennsylvania
By E. W. Farnsworth
A MEETING for the workers of the Western Pennsylvania Conference was held at Pittsburg, beginning January 11, and lasting ten days. The meetings were held in a church which the brethren in Pittsburg have secured. It is in a good locality, and after having been repaired and renovated, makes a convenient and the comfortable house of worship for the church in that city. The cost is considerable, as property is rated at a high value, but the brethren have succeeded thus far in meeting their payments, and we hope that they will soon be free from debt.
I was greatly pleased with the spirit of brotherly love and union which prevailed among the workers during this meeting. It was manifest that they had come for one purpose,—to be better fitted to go into the field and carry the truth to all parts of the conference. There is much territory yet unentered in western Pennsylvania, many large cities need to be warned, some whole counties have had no labor bestowed upon them, and it is well that the workers are considering how to quickly carry the truth to all parts of the conference.
Three meetings were held each day. Some time was given to the discussion of plans for conducting camp-meetings, that they may result in the greatest good. It was voted to hold the camp-meeting next summer at Dubois if suitable grounds can be secured. This town is centrally located, and can be reached conveniently by the brethren from all parts of the conference.
The advisability of publishing a daily paper during the camp-meeting was discussed, and it was decided to issue such a paper containing reports of sermons and other matter calculated to interest the people. The brethren in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference intend to adopt the same plan.
The canvassing work received considerable attention during the meeting. The new book, “Ministry of Healing,” was introduced, and, while there is no sanitarium in western Pennsylvania that would be benefited at present by the sale of the book, yet the brethren generously said, “Let us sell all the books we can, the proceeds to go wherever they will do good.” Quite a number of orders were taken for the book during the meeting.
The plan for selling “Christ’s Object Lessons” adopted by the Atlantic Union Conference, will receive hearty support in western Pennsylvania. All the laborers will become canvassers for two weeks, and they say, “We are going to have the most enthusiastic campaign selling ‘Christ’s Object Lessons’ the coming spring that we have ever had.” With such a disposition manifested, we are looking forward to a record sale of the book, and the brethren contemplate a general revival of the canvassing work throughout the conference.
Quite a number of colored people have accepted the truth in Pittsburg, and the last Sunday of the meeting a church for the colored brethren and sisters was organized, to be known as the Second16Seventh-day Adventist church of Pittsburg. Brother Green, of Washington, has been laboring acceptably for his people, and we shall hope to hear of rapid growth and progress in this church.
It is well known that western Pennsylvania is the stronghold of the National Reform movement. The religious liberty work was considered at this meeting, and Elder C. S. Longacre gave an interesting report of his work. Strenuous efforts will be made to scatter literature for the enlightenment of the people, and the brethren seem to be awake to the situation.
Many who attended this general meeting testified that they had gained a new spiritual experience, and that they had been greatly benefited by the Bible studies which were held each afternoon and evening. The experiences of Ezra and Nehemiah in connection with the prophecies of Haggai and Zechariah, when compared with our own time and work, presented an interesting parallel, and the Holy Spirit witnessed to the word spoken. Elder W. J. Fitzgerald and the writer enjoyed great liberty in speaking to the people.
The meeting in Pittsburg was a profitable one. We feel grateful as we remember its blessings and opportunities. We left the brethren and sisters of good courage, and we feel sure this meeting will be the beginning of a forward movement all over the conference.
E. W. FARNSWORTH.
West Indies
By Philip Giddings
ROSEAU, DOMINICA.—Our first baptism—the first to be held in this island—will be on the last day of this month, December. A week ago I received a letter from a lady living windward of this island, where I visited some months ago, but did not meet her. She writes: “I do firmly believe and do keep the seventh-day Sabbath as the one given by Jesus himself. He kept it while on earth, and I and my good husband have made up our minds to keep it, God himself being our helper, to the end of our days. We are suffering persecution from those at home and abroad, but we are still trying to hold on to the Rock whence comes our salvation.” Judging from the tone of her letter, she must be an intelligent person. Her history, as nearly as I could learn, is this: Some years ago a brother showed her the Sabbath truth (he has since turned from the Sabbath), which she held to all alone, until her husband has joined her. I have written to her, sending a supply of tracts, The Family Bible Teacher, etc., and hope to visit her as soon as consistent.
VIEW OF ROSEAU FROM THE HARBOR
In one of the papers here a gentleman, who is one of Dominica’s reputed best scholars, but unfortunately an infidel, wrote concerning one of our meetings which he had attended. This paper is widely read, and anything coming from that gentleman’s pen commands attention, and thus many will read to whom we might never have had opportunity to sell. At the close of the lecture we handed him and his wife some tracts, which we begged them to read at their leisure.
The picture we send is that of Roseau seen from ship’s deck mid-harbor. We had a profitable week-of-prayer meeting. Services were held at 5 A. M. each day. A few strangers were present, even at that early hour.
We are praying that God may bless those at the head of the work with all needed grace to fit them for their tasks.
