Oshkosh (Wis.) Camp-Meeting
By WM. COVERT.
THIS meeting opened at the appointed time, Wednesday evening, August 12, and closed on Monday, August 24. The harvest throughout the State was ten or twelve days later than usual. This kept many of our people from the camp-meeting at the beginning, but the numbers increased up to the last Sabbath and Sunday, when there were probably seven hundred persons present. Nearly all points of present truth were presented from the desk. It was the general opinion that this was by far the best meeting ever enjoyed in Wisconsin, and in some respects this was certainly true. The great burden of many discourses was calculated to inspire in the minds of those present a desire to seek the Lord and to study his Word. Twenty-five persons were baptized, but during the early part of the season there had been an effort made throughout the State to baptize all candidates who were ready for the ordinance before the camp-meeting began, so as to avoid a very large baptism at the camp-meeting. Had this not been done, the number would probably have been twice as many as it was. Many aged brethren and sisters were present, who rejoiced greatly at the evidences of the soon coming of the Saviour. Elder J. S. Washburn, of Washington, D. C., was present the first five days of the meeting, and Elder Smith Sharp, of Graysville, Tenn., was in attendance during the first seven days. Professor Magan and Dr. Morse were on the ground the last two days of the meeting. The last Sabbath of the meeting, when those who desired to seek the Lord were invited forward, almost the entire congregation responded, and there followed what was probably the most solemn occasion of confession ever witnessed in Wisconsin. There was a depth of feeling manifested far greater than has been seen in the past. The people desired to get right before God.14 The brethren and sisters in the camp donated in cash and pledges to the work at Washington, D. C., $600; to the new sanitarium at Graysville, Tenn., $515; to the sanitarium at Madison, $371; to the $6,000 fund that we are raising in Wisconsin for the General Conference Association, $308; to a Chinese school, $500; to the Scandinavian fund, $65.10; Sabbath-school donations, $60; to other interests, in Wisconsin, $200; making, in all, $2,669.10, given in cash and pledges during the meeting. The attendance from without was quite good. The camp was a pleasant one, and the people expressed themselves as satisfied with the entire arrangement. Four churches were admitted into the conference at this session. Thus one more annual occasion is numbered with the things of the past. The prospect at the present writing indicates that a series of meetings, both in the English and German languages, should follow the camp-meeting, and workers in these two languages have been provided to carry the interest forward.