p. 13 | Report From Elder J. N. Loughborough

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Nov 25, 1909

Report From Elder J. N. Loughborough

By John Norton Loughborough

At the time of my last report, September 1, I was at Stanborough Park, Watford, England. That evening I had the privilege of speaking to a well-filled hall of our people in Watford. On the second of September I made the journey of four hundred seventeen miles by railroad to Glasgow, Scotland, and spoke that evening to a tent full of our people who had assembled for the Scotch annual conference, over which Brother M. A. Altman presides. We had a fair attendance of our people at this conference. In addition to the local laborers, Brother W. J. Fitzgerald and the writer took part in the fifteen meetings of this five-day session. Our meetings were in a tent where services had been held previously to the conference. We were glad of the courage of the believers to push on the well-begun work in Scotland.

September 6 I took the train for Caterham. After one day's tarry at the sanitarium, I went, on September 9, to Harlesden, to attend the South England Conference. Brother W. L. Meredith has oversight of the work in this field. In these meetings Brother L. R. Conradi, Brother W. J. Fitzgerald, and the writer joined the local laborers. Our meetings were in a high-school building. There was a good representation of our people of the South England Conference. We had an interesting time together during the six days of that meeting. On September 15 I spoke to a good-sized gathering of our people, in the home of Sister Eastcott, Bowe Park, another suburb of London, where were some who could not go to the conference, but were anxious to hear of the past advent movement.

On September 16 we went one hundred eighty-six miles to Manchester, where, up to the morning of the twenty-first, in their iron tabernacle, on the “Moss Side” of the city, the annual conference of northern England, over which Brother S. G. Haughey presides, was held. The field was well represented by our people, who filled the house. This meeting inspired them with new courage for the prosecution of the work.

On September 22 we went on to Cardiff, Wales, one hundred sixty-three miles; and on the twenty-third we went on eighteen miles farther, to Porth. There, in the Y. M. C. A. hall, we met a large representation of our people and interested hearers of the Welsh Conference, of which Brother H. E. Armstrong is president. The Welsh meeting continued to the evening of the twenty-seventh. Brother Conradi then left for his home in Hamburg, and several of us came on to Cardiff, where we arrived about midnight. In all these conference meetings there was a commendable spirit of liberality in pledging and in making offerings for various enterprises in the British field.

Our people in Southampton, where the work in Britain opened thirty years ago, pleaded that they must hear me again. On the morning of September 28 I made the journey of one hundred sixteen miles to that place. In the evening, in their chapel, I spoke for two hours and ten minutes, on the rise of the great second advent movement. The next evening, to a still larger audience, I spoke one and one-fourth hours on those agencies the Lord has connected with his work in the rise of the third angel's message. On September 30 I returned to Caterham, to prepare for my homeward trip. On that evening, and that of October 1, I gave talks to the helpers at the sanitarium, on the same themes as the talks at Southampton.

On October 2 I made a railroad trip of two hundred eighty-three miles to Holy Head. There, at 7 P. M., I went on board the steamer “Arabic,” of the White Star line, for New York. For the first five days after leaving Queenstown, we had strong head winds, with one night of tempest, the waves coming over the promenade deck. After that, up to our arrival in New York, October 11, we had fine weather and a smooth sea. It is safe to say that about three fourths of the passengers were sick during the storm. As to myself, as in all the rest of my “sea travel,” I had not a single symptom of seasickness. As I landed again on American soil, after an absence of fifteen months, less two days, I find I have traveled by sea exactly 20,000 miles, and by railroad 13,023 miles, or a total of 43,023 miles. In that time I attended 540 meetings. In 330 of those meetings I preached. And, standing in the same clothing, I weigh fourteen pounds more than when I left America. To the Lord be the praise for his mercies, and for his care of his unworthy servant.

J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH.