Report from Winterset, Iowa by Dudley Marvin Canright

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Aug 30, 1870

Report from Winterset, Iowa.

By Dudley Marvin Canright

We have now been here five weeks. The first two weeks the weather was very fine. Since that time it has rained a great deal, and broken up our meetings several times. Sometimes it looked rather dark, but as soon as the weather cleared off, we found the interest as good as ever. The country people for miles around have been stirred. Teams are here most every night from eight and ten miles, and sometimes fifteen miles away. Some evenings we have had as many as forty-three teams hitched around our tent. The attendance, generally, has been very large, seldom less than three hundred, frequently five, and sometimes seven hundred. As usual, the churches and ministers do all they can against us; yet it seems only to stir up the people, and to convict them of the truth.

We have obtained a good list of subscribers for the REVIEW, and sold a good many books. Last Sabbath, though it rained, we had one hundred out, and a good meeting. Some brethren and sisters were here from Afton. There are upwards of forty now keeping the Sabbath, and we think we have good reason to hope for quite a number more. One encouraging feature is, that they seem to be good, substantial men and women—good material to work upon.

The Methodist minister has spoken against us twice. Last (Sunday) evening he spoke on the Sabbath. We reply to night. The interest seems about as good as ever. They are calling for labor in every direction, and there seem to be some promising fields opening here for fall and winter work. The Lord’s hand has evidently been in the work, for which we feel very much encouraged. We shall try to have a watchcare over the cause in this place, and not suffer the interest to die. We very much need a meeting-house, and perhaps may have to build. We have thought of going to Des Moines, as we have three or four weeks of warm weather left yet.

We hope we shall have wisdom to move right. Pray for us. D. M. CANRIGHT.