p. 374 | J. H. WAGGONER by J. H. Waggoner

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Oct 7, 1875

J. H. WAGGONER

By J. H. Waggoner

Meetings in California.

We took down the tent in Hollister, Sept. 6. The 7th I went to Old Gilroy to prepare a place for baptism. This at first appeared to be impossible; but selecting a place where the water in the wet season had washed out a gully about two feet deep and five feet wide, I dug a spot sufficiently deep, built a dam across it, and turned the water of an artesian well into it, and soon had a pool of water. Spoke to the company assembled at Gilroy the evening of the 8th, and on the 9th went to Old Gilroy and baptized three: one from the world, never having professed faith in Christ, one from the Presbyterians, and one who was, not many weeks ago, a Catholic. Three more signed the covenant at Gilroy.

The next Sabbath and first-day I spent in San Jose, where I preached five times and held two other meetings, celebrating the ordinances. During the week following I met

with them again in Gilroy, and Sabbath and first-day, Sept. 18, 19, was at Hollister. We enjoyed a good meeting. Some will be baptized as soon as opportunity offers. At present water is not easily found in that country.

At the commencement of my labors with the tent this season I felt great disappointment, the attendance being so small, but soon learned that the percentage of attendance on religious meetings is very small throughout this State. We have seen a large attendance, however, in Eastern States, with no better results. The truth has been placed on a footing in a growing country where we hope it may also grow. One feature of California tenting is gratifying. It is the almost certainty that no meeting will be prevented by the weather. It is quite surely known in any given locality what the weather will be throughout the entire meeting.

The order also is almost invariably good. True the laws are strict on this point, but it would appear that lawlessness does not largely show itself in that direction. No disturbance occurred during the season, and nothing was removed or injured in or about the tent, although crimes were not infrequent in the neighborhood.

Considering the change of climate, and the badness of the water, especially in Hollister, we came through the labor of the season in remarkably good health. Enjoying comparative rest during the week of the camp-meeting, we feel invigorated, and encouraged to resume labor in this great and good cause with zeal renewed and a yet greater sense of the growing importance of the work.

J. H. WAGGONER

Oakland, Oct. 1, 1875.