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The Lodi (Cal.) Camp-Meeting

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jul 16, 1908

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 85, No. 29.

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The Lodi (Cal.) Camp-Meeting

By A. J. S. Bourdeau

This camp-meeting (May 1-10) proved to be one of the best that has ever been held in this conference. Although the attendance was not large, the interest was good, and a splendid missionary spirit was manifested by all present.
Besides Elder and Mrs. S. N. Haskell, the following laborers assisted in the meetings: Mrs. E. G. White, Elders J. N. Loughborough, W. C. White, J. O. Corliss, H. Shultz, G. F. Haffner, W. T. Knox, A. O. Tait, and Luther Warren; Prof. E. A. Sutherland, Drs. Howard F. Rand, Maria L. Edwards, and Lillis Wood-Starr; Mrs. A. C. Bainbridge, Mrs. Carrie R. King, and the writer. We were glad, indeed, to have with us Sister White and Elders Loughborough and Haskell, the three oldest, active pioneers in this cause.
Elder Haskell's early morning Bible studies on “The Inspiration of the Scriptures,” and “The Spirit of Prophecy,” were a daily feast of good things, and were well attended. Another interesting feature was the carrying on of simultaneous meetings in the English, German, and Scandinavian languages.
Generosity of Citizens
The generosity of the Lodi citizens was remarkable. The traction company gave us the free use of the grounds, free electric lights, and wiring, besides granting half rates to and from Stockton over their line. A citizen across the street furnished water to the camp at the actual cost of pumping the same, while a hardware dealer furnished the large galvanized water-tank and did the necessary plumbing for the kitchen and dining-tent free of charge. Another firm also furnished free ice to the dining-tent. The lumber company generously furnished free lumber, charging only for that which was damaged or destroyed. The various local firms seemed to vie with one another in favoring the camp in every way possible.
Key-Note of the Meeting
Home missionary work was the real key-note of the meeting. The brethren and sisters present bought large quantities of tracts in packages valued at from $1 to $5, wholesale, thus securing liberal discounts on the same. They also purchased nearly one hundred copies of “Great Controversy,” one hundred copies of “The Seer of Patmos,” twenty-nine hundred copies of Life and Health, and quantities of other literature, at agents' rates, to sell again to their neighbors and friends.
A Good Supply of Literature
The California Bible House had a good display of all our literature in their 20 x 30 foot book-tent, which was tastily decorated. The Pacific Press Publishing Association stated in a letter that they had shipped four thousand pounds of literature to the camp,—the largest shipment ever made by them to any camp-meeting. In addition to this, the Bible House shipped two thousand pounds more, and ten thousand copies of Life and Health and Liberty also came by mail from the East, weighing about eight hundred pounds more. Another shipment (Bibles) also came from New York City. Thus, all told, about seven thousand pounds of literature were shipped to the camp. The sales were remarkable indeed for so small a meeting. The total retail value of the books, papers, and tracts sold amounted to $1,109.20, the actual amount realized being $705.55.
Much of this literature was sold from the pulpit in the large pavilion, during the home missionary and the health and temperance meetings. Elder and Mrs. Haskell, Elder Corliss, Drs. Rand, Edwards, the writer and others took a leading part in selling the literature to the people in the large tent. It was a common sight to see the brethren and sisters surrounded by large five-dollar packages of tracts, piles of “Great Controversy,” “The Seer of Patmos,” etc. I recall one early morning meeting during which over forty dollars' worth of tracts were purchased by the small number that were present.
Health and Temperance Work
In harmony with special instruction received years ago through the spirit of prophecy, and also recently, special prominence was given to the health and temperance work, services being held in the large tent at 5 P. M. daily. In addition, other lectures were given on healthful dress, physical culture, the education of our children, etc. Among the temperance and prohibition speakers were Mrs. Bridelle C. Washburn, national lecturer of the W. C. T. U., who delivered a forceful address on the liquor traffic, entitled “Who's To Blame?” Drs. Howard F. Rand, Maria L. Edwards, and Lillis Wood-Starr, Mrs. S. N. Haskell, Mrs. Augusta C. Bainbridge, Elder J. O. Corliss, and others connected with our newly-organized California Temperance Association.
Prohibition Mass-Meetings
Elder Luther Warren, Mrs. Bainbridge, and Elder Corliss rendered valuable assistance to the Lodi W. C. T. U. in the prohibition campaign that was then in progress in that city, addressing mass-meetings on the street and elsewhere, in behalf of straight prohibition. This attitude on the part of Seventh-day Adventists, and our postponing an evening meeting in order that we might help to swell an enthusiastic prohibition mass-meeting downtown, created a warm friendship and spirit of co-operation on the part of temperance advocates not of our faith.
The Vegetarian Restaurant
The St. Helena Sanitarium Food Company conducted the food store, also the vegetarian restaurant in the dining-tent. The ladies of the W. C. T. U. and other Lodi citizens availed themselves of this opportunity to secure “a meal without meat.” Cooked foods were supplied from the store to those desiring to eat in the living tents. The dining-tent was closed each Sabbath, thus encouraging a proper observance of the day, and allowing the cooks and waiters to partake of Sabbath blessings. To make this possible the campers purchased each Friday afternoon sufficient food for the next day.
Fund for Huntsville School
Sunday forenoon, May 10, Elder Haskell made a strong appeal for funds to assist the Huntsville, Ala., Training-school for the colored people. The brethren and sisters responded generously, about $1,122 being raised. In addition to this they also raised about $250 camp-meeting expenses, and gave about $75 as a Sabbath-school donation.
Press Reports of the Meeting
The Lodi Daily Herald, Lodi Sentinel, and other newspapers in Stockton kindly printed notices and abstracts of sermons and lectures delivered. Daily reports of the meetings were furnished by our press committee to five Lodi and Stockton newspapers.
Sister White spoke several times, her remarks in each case being followed by a social meeting, in which many renewed their first love and consecration to the Master's service. One touching incident at one of the meetings was the testimony borne by a Swiss brother, who testified to the uplifting influence and power of Sister White's message to him many years ago in Switzerland, when he was a little bootblack. He had not seen her for many years, and with tears in his eyes, he witnessed to the truth of her message, imploring all the youth present to heed it, even as he had done when a boy. He is now a consecrated Christian, the father of a large family, and lives in this State.
Other Features
The children's meetings were in charge of Mrs. Carrie R. King, the conference secretary of Sabbath-school and Young People's Work.She was assisted by Miss Edith Barnes, Mrs. P. L. Hansen, and Mrs. W. S. Holbrook. About sixty children were in daily attendance, being divided into three divisions, according to age. The kindergarten and primary children employed a portion of each morning's meeting in busy work, illustrating the lesson that had been taught them the previous afternoon. Mrs. Bainbridge also assisted in the meetings by giving the older children a brief temperance lesson each morning.
Young People's Meetings
Elder Luther Warren had charge of the Young People's meetings, which were held in a separate tent simultaneously with the meetings in the large pavilion. His straight and forceful presentation of the subjects of repentance and conversion, and the necessity of attaining a much higher standard, had a powerful effect upon the children, the youth, and those of mature years. I recall especially one Sabbath afternoon service in which those not of our faith testified to the evident presence of the Spirit of God in the meeting. The work among the young people culminated in the baptism of thirty-one candidates, mostly young people, on Monday morning, May 11, in the Mokelumne River near by.
The conference officers having promised to continue the tent-meetings in Lodi, the Lodi church officers added to their already large supply of tracts by purchasing four more five-dollar wholesale packages, and a quantity of temperance tracts. The meetings were continued for some time, being in charge of Elders J. O. Corliss, H. Shultz, W. S. Holbrook, and others. A good interest was manifested by the townspeople, and the seed sown will doubtless bear fruit. The moving of the normal department of our Pacific Union College to Lodi this year (to be known as the Western Normal Institute) and, possibly, of our college itself, will serve further to call the attention of the people of that city to the great truths of our message.
A. J. S. BOURDEAU, Missionary Sec. California Conference.