THE CAMP-MEETING AT RIPON, WIS.
By V. S.
This meeting, the second for this season in Wisconsin, commenced, according to appointment, June 29, 1876, and closed July 4. The place was well chosen. Ripon is a pleasant and enterprising city, of eastern air and neatness, of about 4000 inhabitants, situated in the midst of a more beautiful farming section of country than one often meets. It was also a point easy of access by several new churches of our people in this part of the State. The brethren cleared, with considerable labor, a suitable place in a densely shaded grove about a mile and a half from town, which afforded a pleasant place for the meeting. Twenty-seven tents, besides a 40 ft. and a 60 ft. tent, were up on Thursday, and about 350 brethren and sisters present. But few of these were in attendance at the Sparta meeting; and so the two meetings have called out about 800 of the brethren and sisters in this State to these feasts of tabernacles. Some manifested their interest in the meeting by the pains they took to come. One brother testified that he had come on foot 60 miles to attend this gathering and another that he had come 70 miles in the same manner and for the same purpose; and both felt themselves well paid for their efforts to be present. Many others testified that this was the first camp-meeting they had ever enjoyed, and they could hardly find language to express their gratitude to God, for the privileges and blessings of this occasion. In one social meeting ninety-five spoke in quick succession. On Friday a good lift was given to the meeting by sister White, and about one hundred came forward for prayers. The weather was delightful till the night after the Sabbath; but here, as at Sparta, and partially at Iowa, we were destined to see the rain keep away the multitudes on Sunday who, as we learn, had signified their intention to be present on that day, should the weather be favorable. This, however, did not prevent the people from learning something about us and our views if they had a mind to read. For the enterprising publishers of the Ripon Free Press, started a daily to be published during the meeting, devoting the space largely to an account of the meeting as it progressed, and to a publication of those leading points of our faith which would best give the people an idea of what position we, as a church, maintain. Miss M. L. Clough, a niece of sister White’s, who is traveling with them as reporter, furnished full and graphic accounts of each day’s meetings, for the Free Press, with a synopsis of all the sermons delivered. Besides these accounts, there were published in this series of dailies, the Fundamental Principles of our faith, the sketch of the Rise and Progress of S. D. Adventists, Which day do you Keep and Why? and Forty Questions on Immortality. And right here we take occasion to mention what we have not before referred to, that is, the reports of these western camp-meetings that have been furnished to the dailies of the different States. Miss Clough with indefatigable industry, with great versatility of thought and felicity of expression, has given a full daily report of every meeting, stating all particulars, suffering no point of interest to pass unnoticed, but grasping all the salient features of the occasion, and producing the whole in a style pleasing to the popular reader, while it gave a very accurate representation of the meeting. In Iowa eight daily papers were furnished with these daily reports. At the Sparta meeting three dailies of Wisconsin and the Chicago Times were thus furnished. At the Minnesota meeting, one daily and several weeklies. And at the present meeting three leading dailies of Wisconsin, besides the Free Press of this place already mentioned. These reports, we learn, have been and are being quite extensively copied into other papers, and thus are S. D. Adventists and their work brought before the people as they never have been before. Twenty-three were baptized by Brn. Olsen and Decker, in a beautiful mill pond near the camp-ground. Two of these were children the youngest and smallest we have ever seen led down into the baptismal waters. But they seemed to understand what it was to come to Christ, to believe in him, and what was signified by baptism, and they desired thus to openly identify themselves with the body of believers, and who could forbid water that they should not be baptized? It was a very impressive sight. The parting meeting, Tuesday morning, July 4th, was the most effective of any upon the Ripon camp-ground. Golden words of instruction, counsel and admonition, were spoken by sister White, which were adapted especially to the cases of some of those who were present, two of whom responded nobly, in a manner that brought light and freedom into the meeting. Whatever lack there had been in previous meetings from the holding back of these individuals, was in this meeting, partially at least, redeemed. It closed in a manner to leave the very best impression, and there was a general desire and determination manifested by those present to go to their homes, and live like men and women who had received a new conversion to the Lord. Judging from the earnest purpose manifested, we have reason to believe that these resolutions will not soon be forgotten. Ripon is quite a wealthy and aristocratic place; and the citizens at first looked with considerable distrust upon the camp-meeting. But the evidences of our faith, and the account of our work, set before them through the daily, and by other means, wrought quite a revolution in public sentiment, and we were informed left in the end a good influence upon the people in favor of the truth. V. S.