New York by I. E. Kimball

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D. C. · Oct 2, 1913

New York

By I. E. Kimball

TAPPAN.—It has been nearly eight years since I have reported through the REVIEW. Some have implied from this that I had practically forsaken the truth, so a few words from me may be comforting to many of the older Sabbath-keepers. The truths of the message are dearer to me than life. I have not reported simply because we were laying the foundations for a work, and did not care to say anything until they were laid.

For twenty years I was in the ministry, preaching much of the time under the direction of the General Conference. However, during four years of this time we engaged in arduous self-supporting effort in the Southern field. At forty years of age I returned to our old home in Vermont prematurely old. My wife also had aged under our long years of service. We took a class with us on the farm, that we might still work for the truth while we recuperated. Our first year there was spent pleasantly and profitably, and the conference at its annual session commended the work and asked us to continue school work in their midst.

However, we were far from markets and from the men and boys whom we wanted to help. We therefore changed our location to Tappan, N. Y., twenty minutes out from New York City, purposing to do first all we could for the great city, with its millions and its miseries, its wickedness and wretchedness—tens of thousands walk the streets half-clothed and unfed. We had done Christian Help work for the colored people of the South, but I had never seen such untellable conditions as this great city reveals. We hoped to find precious jewels in the débris, and wished to open the way for God to work for the bodies and souls of these men. We did not intend to take them promiscuously, but select from the missions such as gave evidence of willingness to walk in the truth and designed to give fully half their time to study. This was required in our corporation articles, and we were bound to it by the by-laws.

We had less than two hundred dollars with which to begin the work, but secured a big farm, big house, big debt, and a big family to support, with many burdens and few helpers. It was impossible for a time to continue the school, but we studied the Bible with the men twice daily. We could not leave the cares at home, so allowed mission workers to send us men. Besides feeding and caring for them, we were obliged to clothe most of them at once, and the majority knew nothing whatever about

farm work. We did our best for hundreds of these men, hoping for the fuller development of our plan.

Finally we sold our property, reserving certain lands for ourselves free from debt, and have built quite extensively,—barns, a house of sixteen rooms, and a schoolhouse with room for a boys' dormitory. We have had school the past summer on a limited scale, but now are prepared for something better. A brother of twenty years' experience in teaching, with his wife, is henceforth to co-operate with us in every possible way to establish the school. We expect to begin work about October 1.

I. E. KIMBALL.