The Influence of the Press in Seattle, Wash.
By S. N. RITTENHOUSE
As already reported in the REVIEW AND HERALD, the efforts put forth in Seattle last summer were blessed in the winning of about fifty persons to God. One of the most effective agencies in securing audiences was the newspapers. We inserted advertisements of the meetings, and were given space for reports of the sermons, and we can truly say that the results were very gratifying. There are two large dailies printed in Seattle. Both of these have been very liberal in allowing free space for our reports and announcements. The Post-Intelligencer, our morning paper, was especially liberal, and printed many of our reports in full, and extracts from them when space was limited. About thirty-five sermons were reported during the series. These, of course, embraced nearly every phase of our message. Some of them stated very plainly and clearly the most pointed truths that we hold. Some of the regular attendants spoke of preserving the reports for future reference and study. Others, some of whom were business men of wide reputation and influence, though not able to attend the services, told us that they had been following the trend of the meetings through the daily reports. One evening a lady came to the front at the close of the service to receive the literature that was being given away. On conversing with her we found that she had come from Bellingham, a distance of about one hundred miles, to hear that very sermon. She had been reading the reports in the paper and watching the announcements, so when “The Change of the Sabbath” was announced, she decided to come to hear it. She seemed to feel well repaid for the effort. Our experience here in Seattle has seemed to prove that if we do not secure space in the papers, the fault is with us for not reporting. As a rule, we are given as prominent a place as some of the most popular pastors of the city. It seems too bad that we as ministers do not more often avail ourselves of this great opportunity of spreading the message. The only effort it seems to take is the placing of copy in the hands of the editors, then they publish it to their thousands of readers. Is not this one way that the truth is to be “scattered like the leaves of autumn”?