Report From the Southern Union Conference
By George I. Butler
The Educational Work in the South
Our educational work is more prosperous the present season than ever before. Our school at Graysville, Tenn., the Southern Training-school, under the management of the Board elected by the union conference, and presided over by Prof. J. E. Tenney and a competent faculty, has a larger attendance this year than it has had for years, and I think the largest it has ever had. At any rate, it is with difficulty that all can find seats in the school chapel. Any one conversant with such institutions knows very well that it takes the closest economy and the most careful calculation and a wise arrangement of plans to keep this kind of school running without going into debt. Thus far this has been done, and that is all the most18careful management could do financially. But a deterioration is bound to be seen in all things in this world, unless they are properly kept up. At our recent Board meetings, of many hours' duration, we wrestled with the problem of making some much-needed improvements, those, indeed, which are absolutely necessary. The roof of the academy building has become leaky, and must be repaired and reshingled. The laundry facilities are utterly inadequate, and liable to endanger the health of the young women doing the washing. Other outbuildings require, and absolutely demand, improvements. The heating arrangements are not only defective, but really dangerous. The bathing facilities are entirely inadequate for such an institution as this. Our leading men here in the South, because of the peculiar difficulties of our situation, almost fear they will be considered beggars, but we can say to the readers of the REVIEW that none of us have ever begged for a dollar ourselves, and we hope never to be obliged to. Some of us have learned to become beggars for the cause of God. I do not know how we could do our duty otherwise. After wrestling with these problems, the Board finally saw no way but to endeavor, by some means, to raise several thousand dollars to make the necessary improvements, and put our training-school for this whole Southern field into a proper condition, that it may be an honor, instead of a disgrace, to the cause of God. We shall seek to raise this money, first of all, by appeals to our brethren here in the South. Every man on the Board was decidedly of the opinion that this must be done. There are many encouraging features in connection with our Southern Training-school at Graysville. Arrangements are being made to make this more emphatically an industrial school than ever before, and more, perhaps, than are most of our Seventh-day Adventist educational institutions. One of the finest farms in that part of the country is now owned by the conference association, and has been rented to the school. Quite a large acreage is put out in strawberries, peaches, pears, and other fruits. They have also quite a dairy, besides stock, etc. The Board feels that the light the Lord has given us concerning industrial schools must be carried into effect in connection with our Southern work. Our Colored Training-school at Huntsville, Alabama
Our colored training-school at Huntsville has made great improvement the present year. Things look far more homelike. The school building itself has been much improved; also the outbuildings, the upper portion of the dormitory, and the other buildings used for dormitories. Good crops were raised last year, including some twenty-two bales of cotton. Machinery and wagons, harness, etc., show an improvement. The attendance has increased fully one third, so that scarcely any more can be accommodated. Other buildings must be erected. The work centered at Huntsville ought not to be neglected. Much has been written concerning this branch of the work, which greatly needs encouragement. The Colored Orphanage About to Be Erected
Some money has already been raised for an orphanage for those unfortunates whose parents have died in the truth. Such an institution can be built on the ample grounds of the farm of three hundred and sixty acres, so that these fatherless or motherless children may be cared for until of proper age to enter the training-school, and thus be trained for work in the cause of God. The friends of that branch of the work feel exceedingly grateful for the improvements already made, and greatly desire to see them carried forward until the school is what it ought to be, with an attendance of two or three hundred pupils, to go out and labor, and bring their people into the light of truth for this time. The Madison (Tenn.) Industrial School
We should not forget to speak of another interesting enterprise, already assuming some proportions in the South. A band of faithful workers well known in the denomination have come here to cast in their lot with those of us laboring in the South. Professors Sutherland and Magan, Mrs. N. Druillard, and Miss Bessie DeGraw have been helped, by friends, to purchase a large farm, nine or ten miles from Nashville. They are already occupying the premises, putting up modest, moderate-sized buildings, to start a school. This school is not like the training-school at Graysville. It is, perhaps, different from any we have in the denomination elsewhere. These workers have fully declared to us that they do not expect any pecuniary assistance from the conference, but have come to do a self-supporting work,—to put up their own buildings, cultivate the land, go out and canvass for books, and thus pay their way; to take in those of more or less experience as assistants, to go through the preliminary work of education, and become self-supporting laborers to go out in various localities in the South, where poor educational facilities exist, procure land, start schools; invite in pupils, teach these how to raise crops, fruit, etc., and do work on intelligent plans. These teachers are to be thoroughly instructed in the work, and are to establish churches in these various localities, exerting an influence in behalf of morality, agricultural training, self-supporting industry, and the blessed truth of our Lord Jesus Christ, being true missionaries in this great Southern field. At a recent meeting of the executive committee, it was voted to sustain the building of a small sanitarium in connection with that school, as the spirit of prophecy had counseled should be done. These dear friends expect great difficulties; but if they can make this work a success, we know of nothing that would better recommend our blessed cause of truth to the people of this Southern field. There is one thing certain: They have received a hearty, friendly greeting from those of us in the South who understand the objects and motives which have brought them here. There are many dark corners in this great Southland that need just such a work done, and we do hope, with the help of God, that these dear friends who have come here will be able to carry on this work successfully. We hope that our brethren in all parts of the country will pray that they may have glorious success. We know of nothing discouraging or calculated to dishearten any of the workers in this field, except the difficulty of securing means with which to carry on the work. I may be pardoned for saying a few words in regard to the work in Florida. My home is in that State. I spent more than twelve years there, caring for my wife, and working with my hands. I regained my health in that State, after breaking down with nervous prostration. After the death of my wife I was elected president of the conference, and expected to continue to labor there, but at the meeting of the union conference, three years ago, I was placed in the northern portion of the union conference, much against my own wishes, to act as president of this union conference, but still retained my connection with the Florida Conference until last fall, when I felt that it was my duty to step out, and a dear young brother was put in my place. Through the sickness of my two predecessors in office, and their peculiar circumstances, there was a great dearth of laborers; in fact, at that time I was the only minister laboring in that conference, but the Lord has greatly blessed the work. Several young men have engaged in it. The present conference president, Brother Claiborne B. Stephenson, went out as a licentiate, with other young brethren, and several churches were raised up. I think fully one hundred converts have come into the truth, in a little over two years, and several churches have joined the conference. I expect that five or six churches will unite with the conference at the next camp-meeting. Indeed, the president has just written me that already five new churches have been organized since the last camp-meeting. The canvassing work had come almost to a stop, but through the blessing of God the small conference of Florida sold nearly as many books as any other conference in the Southern Union. The colored work was left without a laborer, but a valuable helper was secured, and that work is advancing encouragingly. Quite a number of church-schools have been in progress. The church of Bartow, raised up by my labors some years ago, had been, through death, removals, and defections, reduced to ten or twelve members, who attended Sabbath meetings in a private house. With the camp-meetings held there, and other labors, we have a church of forty members, and a good meeting-house. This church paid over two thousand dollars into the treasury last year. The work is in a very encouraging condition. A good band of laborers has been organized, and the work is quite encouraging. I take no honor to myself for the accomplishment of these results; indeed, I was absent most of the time, attending to the business of the union conference; but God blessed the work. Florida is a Southern State, and these results demonstrate that, under proper influences, as good results may be seen in the South as in the North; indeed,19there has been a greater increase of converts in that small State than in some larger States during the last two or three years. The conference has been increased by one third, and more than that, when the agencies now at work to advance it are considered. There are many omens of good, which those of us who are observing closely can see in all directions, for which we thank God and take courage. We want our brethren all over the field to keep watch, and see if we do not give evidences in the near future that God is blessing the work in the South. We have much to learn, and are far from attaining perfection, but we are pressing forward the best we know how. The Lord is good to us. His Spirit is here. We know that it is working upon hearts, and we hope, if we can secure a proper location for our tent, to do a grand work in Nashville this summer. GEO. I. BUTLER,
President Southern Union Conf.