THE ILLINOIS CAMP-MEETING.
By W. H. Littlejohn
This gathering, after having continued for about one week, broke up Wednesday morning, Sept. 4. It was held in the immediate vicinity of Bloomington, a town of about twenty thousand inhabitants. The grove where we were assembled failed to furnish as much shade as might have been desired, still there were advantages gained by our close proximity to the city, which were very great. By this means we were supplied from the water-works, free of charge, with all the water which we needed, and, through the kindness of the mayor, a police force was kept constantly on the ground to hold in check any characters who might feel disposed to disturb us in any way. Such, however, was the respect uniformly paid us by the people, that good order seemed not to be so much the result of coercion as the fruit of kindly regard. During the whole of our meeting the weather was delightfully pleasant, there being no rain worthy of mention. The tents to the number of about forty, as usual, were tastefully pitched in a circle, at one side of which were the two sixty-foot tents and the speakers’ stand in the open grove. When we reached the ground, exhausted by recent labors and travel, we were ushered into the ministers’ tent fitted up by the brethren, with board floor, carpet, bedstead, chairs, etc. By this means we were made as comfortable as we could have been at home. Three excursion trains, under the charge of Brn. Colcord, Bliss, and Andrews, enabled our brethren to reach the grounds at reduced rates, and in a most satisfactory manner. As our people came aboard the cars from time to time, it was refreshing to see how heartily they were greeted, and how much genuine Christian affection existed among them. One brother on the train, to my certain knowledge, paid out of his own pocket the amount of twenty-seven dollars in order to get to the ground persons who needed the benefits of the meeting, and yet who were unable to bear the necessary expense. One of the marked features of the meeting was a daily paper entitled, “The Camp-meeting Record,” which was published by Eld. B. F. Merritt. Thousands of copies of this little sheet were distributed gratuitously to the crowd. On Sunday there were present from three to five thousand people, who listened with marked attention to the preaching of the word. On Tuesday Brn. J. F. Ballenger, George Shonk, and Lewis Johnson were ordained to the ministry. The latter of these brethren is a Dane by birth, and we trust he will be of great service to his people in Illinois. During the progress of the meeting, some sixty or seventy in all came forward for prayers, and at times a deep sense of unworthiness seemed to pervade all hearts. Eld. G. W. Colcord, an active worker, was re-elected president of the Conference. About seventeen hundred dollars was pledged to the English mission, five or six hundred for the tract work in Illinois, and over fifty dollars for the Dime Tabernacle. The meeting, on the whole, was, we believe, one whose results will be both marked and permanent in the Conference. The last exercise held upon the ground was a praise meeting, in which eighty-five testimonies were given in thirty-five minutes, all of which were filled with expressions of gratitude to God for this convocation and the numberless other benefits received from his hand. The cause in Illinois is rising, and will continue to rise, if all of its leading men will forget themselves, discourage in all the spirit of partyism, and unitedly work for concord and victory. As it was decided that Eld. U. Smith should attend the Eastern camp meetings, Eld. G. I. Butler was telegraphed for, and reached the ground Thursday evening, where he remained and labored hard until the following Monday evening. We were glad to meet our old yoke-fellow once more, and labor together in the camp-meeting service. On Wednesday morning I started for Allegan, Michigan, in company with W. E. Cornell, who attended me during the trip, and rendered valuable service in reporting the meetings for the Bloomington, Chicago, and other Western papers.