Rantoul, Kansas by J. Lamont

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Dec 23, 1875

Rantoul, Kansas.

By J. Lamont

IMMEDIATELY after our camp-meeting, I returned to our former field, near Osawatomie, Miami Co., and remained there from Sept. 17 to Sept. 21. I then selected a location, and pitched the tent eight or ten miles from where it had last been, in Franklin Co. We, Bro. G. V. Kilgore and myself, began meetings Sept. 23. In anticipation of cool weather, we pitched just across the way from a meeting-house, which we found it necessary to use almost all the time, as the evenings were unusually cold for the time of year. We had very small congregations and little interest at first.

At one of our meetings, a Universalist minister asked some questions which were answered with much better satisfaction to the congregation than to himself. This was decidedly the case; so that, with our permission, he made a short speech. This not seeming to accomplish the desired result, the next evening the moment our meeting was dismissed he was on his feet haranguing the people. His tirade of abuse flowed very freely for about half an hour. The sympathies of the entire audience were with us; and several substantial citizens expressed both regret for and disgust at his proceedings. He spoke again, using milder phrases, and this time we replied, briefly, setting forth our object in coming to this place. At the close of our remarks, hearty amens were heard from all parts of the house. Thus were the words of the Lord by the mouth of David fulfilled: “The wrath of man shall praise thee; the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain.” The interest was now assured; but there was so much sickness (mostly chills and fever) in the neighborhood that we, at the request of the citizens, discontinued our meetings for a little over three weeks.

We now took down the tent and stored it for the winter. Bro. Kilgore went back to Nebraska. I spent the intervening time with the new church in Miami Co., trying to get them established in the good work, but I cannot report that degree of progress among them that I greatly desire to see.

At the appointed time, Oct. 22, I came to this place again, and found the interest to hear still good. The chills were about gone. The congregations were good—from fifty to one hundred and fifty, sometimes more. I continued here a month. Ten have decided to keep all the commandments.

I then moved the meetings to a school-house four or five miles north-west, as the interest seemed to be extending in that direction. I had been there nearly a week when I was called away to attend the funeral of Eld. Sharp’s son. By request of Bro. Ayers I attended the Mound City quarterly meeting, Nov. 27, 28, and the general quarterly meeting at Rock Creek, Dec. 3–6. I came back yesterday evening. I find things all well. Several in the vicinity are convinced and considerably interested. For these I intend to work during the next two weeks.

J. LAMONT.

Dec. 8, 1875.