J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH by John Norton Loughborough

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Feb 14, 1878

J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH

By John Norton Loughborough

District No. 6 and Nevada.

My appointment in district No. 6, was to have meetings in the Antelope school district three miles east of Red Bluff, where Brethren Israel and Brorsen have been holding meetings. Owing to the heavy rains and consequent rise of streams, I did not even succeed in getting to the Antelope school-house. I spoke however four times in Red Bluff; twice to our people in private houses, and twice to good audiences in the Court House.

I was glad to meet with old friends in Red Bluff, after about three years absence, and also to form the acquaintance of some who have embraced the truth under the labors of Brethren Israel and Brorsen. I hope to meet them all again on my way home from the State of Nevada.

I am now at St. Clair, Nevada, and have already held four meetings, which have been well attended. I find at this point a nice commodious school building, called the "Churchill County Institute." Although this is a new country and thinly settled, yet here are inhabitants sufficient to give us an audience varying from forty-five to seventy. About all the community turn out, and they listen with interest to the word spoken. We expect to see some good fruit of the labors put forth here. I find about one dozen Sabbath-keepers here. Some of these moved from California, but the most of them have embraced the truth either from reading, or from attending the meetings which have been held by Brother Jackson Ferguson. These are anxious to be permanently organized, not only into a church, but that some simple State organization can be effected, and the mission opened at once. Though they are not of the wealthy of the world, they seem to have no other idea but bearing the weight of the mission financially. They do not ask for means from abroad, but seem to sanction the idea of having a minister, if possible, spared from the California field. They are willing to purchase a tent if that may be thought the most feasible way to spread the truth. They wish to move in harmony with those who in the providence of God may come to open the mission. The Lord gives freedom in speaking the word. I feel that I am in the line of duty here at this time. Pray the Lord to bless the effort made, and still guide for the advancement of the truth.

St. Clair is on the Carson river, about six miles above the sink, and is thirty miles southeast of Wadsworth, on the edge of what immigrants recollect as the "Great American Desert." It is five miles below what many who crossed the plains with ox-teams, will recognize by the familiar name of "Rag Town," where the five or six months' immigrants stopped on Carson river for a few days, to recruit and shift their much-worn garments for better clothing before entering the settlements.