THE OHIO CAMP-MEETING by H. A. St. John

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 14, 1877

THE OHIO CAMP-MEETING.

By H. A. St. John

The executive committee of the Ohio Conference have at last fixed upon Newark, the county-seat of Licking County, as the most available site for our next camp-meeting. We have looked at several places, but the opening and inducements at this place were far better than at any other point. Newark is a city of about twelve thousand inhabitants, and is surrounded by a good farming country, in almost every direction. It has three weekly papers. It is situated at the junction of the Baltimore and Ohio, and Pan Handle railroads, one running north and south, and the other east and west, thus making it quite accessible from all parts of the State.

Among the privileges and inducements offered by Newark, we mention the following:—

1. An interest to hear the reasons of our faith and hope is manifested by the citizens, and also by the people in the country for many miles around.

2. Both the railroads above mentioned have already agreed to give us excursion rates (two cents per mile), and we have good hope that we can get half fare.

3. The Agricultural Society offer us the free use of their fair-ground, which is pronounced by many one of the finest in the State. It consists of an inclosure of about one hundred acres, perhaps, all covered with a nice green-sward, and finely shaded. There is an abundance of good water, with wells and pumps on the ground; and, besides, there is a canal, and the Raccoon River running hard by.

Within the above-mentioned inclosure, there is another inclosure, familiarly known in these parts as “The Old Fort.” It consists of about fifty acres of ground inclosed by an embankment of earth, about ten feet above the level, in the form of a perfect circle, just one mile in circumference, with an opening toward the city of perhaps sixty feet. This embankment is the work of a people now entirely unknown. It has all been worked up from the inside, making it about twenty feet from the bottom of the mote to the top of the ridge. This ditch and embankment are sodded, and when I was on the ground, were literally covered with spring flowers, filling the air with perfume. Trees growing out of the embankment compare in size and age with any on the ground. Within this second inclosure will be our encampment. Outside of it are all the stables, and other conveniences for horses.

4. The Society not only offer us the free use of the grounds as above mentioned, but also of nearly all buildings that appertain thereto. Plenty of good stables free to our brethren that may come with teams. Within the embankment stands a well-constructed amphitheater with seats for fifteen hundred people; also, a Floral Hall that will seat about fifteen hundred more. Besides there are other smaller structures that may be made very useful.

5. The Society agree to furnish police for the ground, day and night, free.

6. A portion of the officers of the Society, desiring to be on the ground all the time, in return for all they offer us, ask only the privilege of running the provision stand, readily agreeing to sell nothing but what we are willing they should sell. Judging from what I know of the financial results of some of our provision stands in the past, this arrangement may prove even a blessing to our Conference. With the responsibility of feeding the people taken off from our hands, it is my thought that we might give ourselves more fully to the real objects of the meeting. These should be: first, our own best good; second, the spiritual and eternal welfare of the people.

WHEN? AND HOW LONG?

If we understand the General Conference Committee correctly, we are to appoint our own best time, and hold as long as we think for the best good of the cause. We have therefore appointed the meeting to begin on Friday, A. M., Aug. 10, and continue till Monday morning, Aug. 20. We hope the General Conference will remember us liberally in the matter of providing efficient ministerial aid. With the help of the R. R. companies and the Agricultural Society to advertise, we expect to make it by far the largest meeting of the kind ever held in the State. We trust the Lord is opening the way.

H. A. ST. JOHN.