San Jose (Cal.) Camp-Meeting
By Geo. A. Irwin
This meeting was held in an open field in the southeastern portion of the city of San Jose, beginning June 23 and continuing until July 3. Owing to the fact that three other camp-meetings are to follow in northern California, and one in Nevada, there was not so large an attendance as has been customary at their general meeting. There were one hundred and forty-five tents, containing about four hundred persons. The day services consisted of preaching, Bible studies, and general instruction on subjects in which our own people are interested and need help, while the night and Sunday services consisted of lectures from the prophetic portions of the Bible that have a direct bearing upon the time in which we now live. There was a good attendance of outside people at the night meetings, who listened with rapt attention. Sister White was present during the entire time, and spoke several times with freedom and power. Donations were made for foreign mission work as follows: First Sabbath, $22.01; second Sabbath, $25.91; cash donation July 1, $370.75; pledges, $178.75, making a total of $597.42, besides several pieces of jewelry. The Arrangements were made for Elders Hibbard and Fero to follow up the interest. It was also planned to hold an institute directly following the camp-meeting, for the church-school teachers and others contemplating entering the work. The instruction was to be given by Professor Howell and his associate teachers at Healdsburg College. The teachers, led by Professor Beardslee, were to furnish the music for the night meetings held in the tent, and assist in other ways as opportunity offered to interest the people, thus putting to practical use the instruction received during the day. A hot wave began with the beginning of the month, which lasted during an entire week, reaching its height on Friday, July 7, when the mercury registered in places as high as one hundred and ten degrees in the shade. Notwithstanding the inconvenience and suffering that came to the campers as a result of the heat, we hope to hear good results both from the tent-meeting and from the institute. The conference committee is showing a deep interest in the church-school work, and is acting a liberal part toward the teachers now in the work by paying their time and traveling expenses to and from the institute. Professor Howell and other members of the faculty of Healdsburg College will spend a portion of their summer vacation in visiting churches and isolated families in the interest of the college. Elder Knox is busily engaged at present, gathering his large crop of apricots, and otherwise arranging his business affairs so that he can attend all the later camp-meetings, and thereafter devote his entire time and attention to the work of the Lord. I am glad to be able to report that Elder W. B. White is much improved in health, and if he receives no backset, will soon be able to take up active service in the field. As a whole, the work on the Pacific Coast is encouraging. There is a growing interest in the missionary work abroad, which I feel sure will result in an increased interest in the work at home. Some who formerly labored publicly in the Lord's work, but who, for different reasons, have been out of the work for some time, are now shaping their affairs to take up the work again. There is a growing sentiment among the people that our only safety in these strenuous and perilous times is to be in some way engaged in the Lord's work. I have been at Mountain View for the past three days, engaged in committee work, with Brethren White, Palmer, and Hall, in formulating plans for the sale of Sister White's new book “Ministry of Healing,” and other books set apart for relief work. We have felt the presence and blessing of God in our councils, and I trust our suggestions will meet the mind of the body that appointed us, and also that of our brethren at large, upon whom we depend for co-operation in making the undertaking a success. I am now on my way to St. Helena, in company with Brother Field, in search of workers for Japan and Korea.