Opening of the Work in Washington, D. C.
By W. H. Saxby
It was decided at the General Conference in the autumn of 1885 that Mrs. Saxby and myself should go to Washington, D. C., to open the work in that city. We arrived there Jan. 13, 1886, and were met at the Pennsylvania depot by Brother Reuben Wright, who very kindly provided entertainment for us for several days, or until we found a suitable house and location for our mission work. After much prayer and searching, we secured a new three-story building at 1831 Vermont Ave., N. W. About two weeks later we were joined by Brother Chas. Parmele and his sister Julia, of Illinois. There were only two Sabbath-keepers in the city. We immediately organized a Sabbath-school, and opened regular Sabbath services. About six weeks later a lawyer’s wife, who had been reading The Signs of the Times for some time, began the observance of the Sabbath, and met with us, to our great joy. We began by house-to-house work with our publications, especially with the Signs and the Good Health. As the interest developed, we held Bible readings. My first work was to visit the ministers of20the city with “Thoughts on Daniel and the Revelation.” In May we were favored with a visit from Elder George B. Starr, of the Chicago Mission, the first opened by our people. This mission had then been in operation about two years. His instruction and counsel were much appreciated. In September the first government clerk accepted the truth. He had quietly kept the Sabbath for three or four weeks before we were aware of it. He conceived and carried out the plan of taking one of the “thirty days’ leave of absence” granted to all government clerks each year, every Sabbath for thirty weeks; then at the close of the seven and one-half months came the great trial and test. A little before this, an influential United States representative became providentially interested in our people. At a crisis this case was brought by this congressman to the attention of the secretary of war, and he laid the case before a cabinet meeting. A favorable decision was reached in this way: the clerk was to be retained with the thirty days applied in that number of weeks, and with the understanding that he would lose the remainder of the Saturdays—twenty-two. He had previously signified his willingness to do this. This decision was far-reaching, as it formed a precedent for the other secretaries in the other departments of the government to follow. That autumn two other Bible readers were added to our force, and from time to time new Sabbath-keepers took their stand in the message. Elder J. O. Corliss gave faithful instruction at the organization of the church in the fall of 1888. There were twenty-seven charter members. From the beginning, all of the finances began to flourish. I will speak of the tithe only. Part of the first year it was between $75 and $80, the second year $340, the third nearly $700, the fourth $1,300. We sold a little more than $6,000 worth of our publications. A new conference had been formed, which included Washington, D. C., and Elder Joel Robinson was chosen as its first president, taking charge in June. Assisted by his brother, Elder H. E. Robinson, a series of tent-meetings was held that fall. The next summer Elder J. S. Washburn and Brother C. L. Taylor held two or three series of tent-meetings. The Lord blessed with some of the brightest experiences of my life in Washington. We confidently expect great things from the steps that have been taken in the last few months at the nation’s capital.