ROME, N. Y by Dudley Marvin Canright

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Aug 3, 1876

ROME, N. Y.

By Dudley Marvin Canright

We have now spoken ten times in the tent. We began with a congregation of about four hundred the first night; but each evening we have had more and more. We put up new seats every day till all the available place in our sixty-foot tent was closely seated; then we crowded every seat full, and still we could not seat the audience. Next we built two squares of seats outside the tent, and these are also filled every night. To-day we put up two more squares of seats outside the tent. Last night every seat in the tent and outside was crowded before meeting time, and hundreds stood up, while many went away. I think I have never seen in all respects so deep and extensive an interest as this. I judge that the average attendance is about seven hundred. Saturday night it rained hard, and yet our tent was filled. It sheds rain nicely. That evening I sold about twelve dollars’ worth of books; at every meeting we sell several dollars’ worth.

We are now just in the midst of the life and death question. Evidently it is going to stir things considerably. It is said that the best people and first citizens of the city attend regularly. They come from every church. Last Sunday night the Methodists only had a congregation of about twenty, while we had eight or nine hundred. We find several families of Seventh-day Baptists here. They not only attend our meetings, but do all they can to aid us. We also find quite a number of scattered Adventists who have not heard preaching for many years.

Everything has been as favorable as it could possibly be thus far. The Lord has seemed to especially prepare the way for this meeting. The influence of the camp-meeting last year has had very much to do with it. Almost every one speaks to us about it in the highest terms.

Rome is one of the most beautiful of northern cities. It is very quiet, orderly, and high-toned. The people are mostly wealthy. The population is about fifteen thousand.

We have been specially favored in the line of music thus far. Bro. Buel Whitney plays the organ finely; and his brother, a lawyer, from Iowa, happens to be visiting here just now. He is a sweet singer, either alone or in a choir. He has greatly helped us, though not of our faith. We have also had several other good singers, so that our music is not behind the best in the city. We generally have our tent nearly full half an hour before preaching. It is my opinion that something like this will have to go with the tent in large cities.

On Sabbath I enjoyed the pleasure of attending a Seventh-day Baptist dedication about ten miles out. Bro. Lewis and Huffman officiated. The house was crowded, and everything was very pleasant. These brethren express a deep interest in our work here. I was much pleased to hear Bro. Huffman say in his sermon that he believed all the prophetic periods ended in 1844, that we were now in the waiting time, and that the last days were upon us. We hope to have the attendance of these brethren more or less during our meetings here. We feel very anxious with regard to these meetings, lest the enemy shall in some way defeat this good work; but God can help us. D. M. CANRIGHT.