The Medical Missionary Work at Atlanta, Georgia
By George Ide Butler
It was recently my privilege to spend four days in Atlanta, Ga., which is the most beautiful city I have seen in the South. It has many fine public buildings and beautiful residences. Its streets are well supplied with shade trees, in full leaf. The peach trees are loaded with fruit. All nature is bursting forth into living green. Atlanta has a population of one hundred and twenty-five thousand, and a few years ago was the center of our work in the South. Here a branch of the Review and Herald office was located for twelve years or more. A good meeting house was built, in which a church of about one hundred and fifty members met for worship in their comfortable church building. Whatever may have been the effect upon other localities in the Southern field, perhaps favorably affected in various ways by the distribution of laborers and material previously located at Atlanta, it must be evident that the effect upon the work in that city and throughout the State of Georgia, of which Atlanta is the capital, could but be depressing. I shall not undertake in this article to balance up the effects of these changes, nor would I cast censure upon anyone connected with them. Whether the advantages of the course pursued were greater than the disadvantages I will not undertake to say. Those things are all in the past. We have to do only with the present and the future. In view of all the conditions, I was most happy to find a better state of things in the church and community than I had expected. I spoke to the brethren and sisters twice, with freedom, and we had a precious social meeting. The Spirit of our God was with us. Tears were shed, and hearts were touched. An excellent spirit of labor exists in the church. Most of the membership are sisters, who are seeking to do a blessed work for17others. A large tithe is being paid, almost as much as when the church was four or five times larger than it is now, and the circulation of our literature is being pushed with commendable activity. The blessing of our God is with the church. Their hearty interest was a great encouragement to me in view of all the past. It is with pleasure that I speak of the medical missionary work under the direction of Brother Charles F. Curtis and his devoted wife. The removal of the work from Atlanta was a sad disappointment to them. They, however, did not remove with it, but determined to do what they could to keep up the interest in this great city, where their lot was cast. He was a trained nurse from the Battle Creek Training School. They both went earnestly to work, doing all the good they could, helping the poor and needy without charge, caring for neglected children, making their house a private sanitarium, and when that became crowded, Brother Curtis built another close beside it, doing nearly all the work with his own hands, for lack of means to do otherwise. He also gave treatment to the rich as the way opened, who were, of course, only too glad to pay for such services. The result of a few years of such kind of labor seems simply wonderful. God has greatly blessed Brother Curtis, and given him a high standing among leading citizens in Atlanta. Remarkable success has attended his efforts. For example: In the family of a member of the United States Congress six cases of typhoid fever developed, and two of them were given up to die by the attending physician. Having a well-established reputation as a trained nurse, Brother Curtis's services were secured. As a result all six recovered. Such work does not fail to have its effect upon those who are benefited thereby. The superintendent of the telegraph lines in all this Southern region of the Western Union Telegraph Company, calls Brother Curtis to attend all cases of sickness in his family, and manifests the highest regard for him and his services. I have before me a list of about twenty prominent citizens of Atlanta who call on Brother Curtis whenever sickness enters their families. They give him perfect liberty to use their names as references at any time. Among these are those I have just referred to, and leading physicians of the city, presidents of banks, prominent merchants, one of the leading editors of the Atlanta Constitution, a man known throughout the South. Brother Curtis showed me in his account book scores of other names of respected citizens of greater or less prominence who are his warmest friends, and always anxious for his services in times of distress and sickness. What a noble work is this! and what is to hinder the entrance of every prominent city in the South with this blessed medical missionary work, teaching, as it does, the man of influence and the women of refinement? Sister Curtis tells me of many instances in which she has been welcomed into fine mansions, and treated with the greatest consideration by the inmates, because of her connection with the medical missionary work. There is nothing else in all our work that so enables us to get access to the influential classes. Our dear Brother Hanson is doing medical missionary work in Nashville, with excellent success. It has also been successfully tried in other cities. If, through the generosity of the Review and Herald Board, we are enabled to possess the building left in Atlanta, for sanitarium purposes, it will greatly increase these influences for good, and will place this work upon a higher plane, where it can accomplish vastly more good. Here is an object lesson that should reveal to hundreds, yea, thousands, of our membership, wonderful openings for usefulness. Brother and Sister Curtis had no one to help them. They resolved to do their best for the cause of truth where they were, in periods of discouragement trusting alone in God. They met many great difficulties and discouragements, were cramped for means, but labored on, praying continually for divine help. And the Lord has not failed them. Now they see a great work opening up, and have precious opportunities for doing good. What is to hinder many others from doing just the same kind of work in various places, yea, almost everywhere? God has given us great light as a people; and if we will use that light in an intelligent manner, with a consecrated, humble spirit, he will make our lives useful, fill our souls with joy and peace, and help us in the great work of saving souls; and at last we shall hear the words: “Well done, thou good and faithful servant; . . . enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.” Brother and Sister Curtis enjoy the blessing of God in their souls. My stay with them was made very pleasant by their kindness. May God's blessing ever remain with them and with all who are engaged in that good work.