From California to Washington
By William C. White
Early Monday morning, April 18, Mrs. E. G. White, accompanied by Miss Sara McEnterfer and Miss Maggie Hare, left St. Helena, Cal., for Washington, D. C. The morning train reaches San Francisco about 9 A. M., and the “Sunset Limited” leaves about 6 P. M., and thus they had the best part of a day to visit Mountain View, which is thirty-nine miles south of San Francisco, on the main line to Los Angeles and New Orleans. Mountain View, as a location for our publishing work, impressed mother very favorably. The orchard and farming land in this section is very expensive; therefore there is little inducement for our brethren to leave their home churches, where they are so much needed, and flock to Mountain View to make a Jerusalem center. But the village is small, and for the employees of the Pacific Press who wish to have modest homes, acre and half-acre lots can be secured at reasonable prices, and within convenient distance of the location secured for the publishing house. Mountain View is in a wealthy, populous district, and affords a most promising field for Christian work by the employees of the Pacific Press. Eleven miles to the southeast lies San Jose, a beautiful and prosperous city, and the center of the great Santa Clara fruit district. Seven miles to the north is Palo Alto; and from Mountain View can be seen the glistening domes of the great Stanford University. We trust that the removal of the Pacific Press to this populous district, which has been left largely unworked by our people, will open the way for missionary effort that will prove a blessing to the community, and to those who take part in the labor. At San Jose the party took their places in the tourist sleeper which runs through to Washington by way of Los Angeles, El Paso, New Orleans, Mobile, Montgomery, and Atlanta. At Carpinteria, Cal., the train was delayed seven hours by a landslide, but the time thus lost was made up while running through Texas and Louisiana. At Los Angeles Brother Clarence Crisler, who had been spending a week in San Diego, joined the party; and at Redlands Junction I joined the party, having spent two weeks in Los Angeles, Fernando, and San Diego. Mother was weak and weary when she began the journey, so she rested most of the time, reading and writing but little; and at the end of the journey she left the car rested, apparently better prepared for work than at any time for several months. At Avondale, La., about ten miles west of New Orleans, we were met by Elder S. B. Horton, president of the Louisiana Conference, and Brother E. V. Orrell, secretary of the Southern Union Conference. Two hours were very pleasantly spent in conference regarding the interests of our work in Louisiana and in Washington. At Atlanta, Ga., Elder H. F. Courter, Brother C. F. Curtis and wife, and Brother F. R. Shaeffer and wife, with more than a score of the members of the Atlanta church, were waiting at the station to greet us. Here, as at New Orleans, we were invited to stop off for a few days; but this we could not do, for we felt that our present work was in Washington, and that there should be no delay. Sunday morning, at 10:35, our train pulled into the Pennsylvania Railway station at Washington, D. C. Here we were met by Brethren Daniels, Washburn, Spicer, and Rogers, and we were quickly taken to Takoma Park, where a large and comfortable house has been rented for our use during the summer. At the house we found that busy hands had been at work, cleaning, repairing, painting, and furnishing. There was some furniture in the house when it was rented, and to this had been added that which was necessary to make the place comfortable. Here we were welcomed by Brother Ellery Robinson, who with several brethren had been putting the grounds in order, and by Sisters Daniels and Tuxford, who had led the sisters in putting the house in order, and who had prepared for us a wholesome dinner just ready for the table. Everywhere we saw the work of friendly and thoughtful hands. It was a very pleasant surprise to be led into a house all ready for use; and thus we were enabled, within a few hours after leaving the train, to enter directly into the work for which we came to Washington. In the afternoon we visited the forty-seven-acre tract of land which has been secured for school and sanitarium work, and pointed out to mother our plans regarding the location of buildings. She was very well pleased with the tract, and expresses an earnest desire that we proceed with the work as rapidly as possible. On Sabbath, mother spoke to our people in the M Street church. The room was full, and she spoke with unusual freedom. Next Sabbath this memorial church is to be re-dedicated. Our hearts are filled with thankfulness and with courage regarding the work in Washington and the East.