EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE.
By Editor
OUR company of sixteen adults and six children left Oakland Thursday evening, February 2, for Battle Creek, Mich., in a new tourist car, specially provided for us by the genial and accommodating agent of the Santa Fe road, Mr. Warner. The car was used for the first time by our party, and was as clean and fresh as a New Amsterdam burgher's kitchen in the days of Peter Stuyvesant. A large coal stove, with ovens ample for cooking purposes, occupied each end of the car. The company was not so small as to leave any spare room, nor sufficiently large to crowd the car. All told, it was an excellent company, representing every age in life nearly, from the prattling child of four years to the gray-haired veteran of threescore and ten. Some of our company were delegates to the General Conference, some were members of various associations connected with the General Conference, some were on their way to visit friends in the East, and all were, we trust, seeking worthy objects with worthy motives. Many of our Oakland friends accompanied us to the train to bid us hearty Godspeed and to see us settled for the journey. Then came the painfully pleasurable and sad good-byes between relatives, some of whom many months and perhaps death may separate ere they meet again. But railways have no sympathy for the holier sentiments of life, and the time for starting tore apart husband and wife, mother and child, and the train sped on in the swiftly deepening night. Morning found our untiring iron steed climbing the western slope of the Sierras between Bakersfield and the summit of Tehach-epi. A good view of the "loop" was had by most of the company. On and on we went through the dreary sand stretches of Southern California and Arizona and New Mexico, passing the most interesting scenery at the Needles, just as we cross the Colorado River and Glorietta Mountains, in New Mexico, in the night. The carcasses of dead bovines which were seen along the way interested the boys, and the appearance of the Mojave, the Navajo, and the Pueblo Indians, in their peculiar dress, at various stations were of interest to all. The latter have quite a village at Laguna, and many of them have received quite a good education in the government schools at Carlyle, Pa., and Albuquerque, N. M. They are said to be industrious, honorable, and virtuous. The Indian boys and girls often return to the native village clad in the dress of civilization, but it is soon discarded, owing to the ridicule of the majority of the tribe. Grotesque as it often looks, the dress of the Indian belle, allowing as it does perfect freedom of body and limb, is to be preferred to the health-killing corsets and other health-destroying fashions in which our young ladies of society torture themselves. But the native American, the red man, is rapidly passing away. The stamp of "Christian" governments has well-nigh blotted him from the earth. Descending the eastern slope of the Rockies, we were ushered into another climate. Leaving in the genial clime of Central California green lawns, blossoming roses, geraniums, and calla lilies (out-of-doors, reader), Kansas greeted275us with the mercury at five degrees below zero. The next two nights on board train our two great coal heaters barely sufficed to keep some of us from intense suffering. Blizzards raged the last night of our journey both north and south of us, blocking railways and impeding travel, but we were not delayed. On Sabbath we held our regular Sabbath school, having two classes in the senior division, one in the first primary, and one in the second. A lady and her little girl in another car attended, and were much interested. In the afternoon Elder Durland preached from the text, "Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." John 8:32. Two friends joined us in Colorado, one leaving at Kansas City, where three others stopped to visit relatives, the other continuing with us to Battle Creek. We reached Chicago in good health and spirits Tuesday morning, February 7, some going right on to Battle Creek, some stopping at Chicago. At Chicago we met Elder W. C. Gage, of Battle Creek, who greatly assisted us in many ways. Before leaving this phase of our subject, we wish to say that the Santa Fe and Chicago and Grand Trunk Railway companies have ever shown themselves honorable, accommodating, and courteous. The officials were uniformly so. The porter of our Pullman car, Mr. Geo. Broadway, was helpful, attentive, and obliging. We render thanks to them all. Some impressions come to us as we review this journey which we wish had come to us before, and would perhaps to some of our company had they not been so weary and driven before starting: (1) Why should not some religious service, like Bible study, Bible reading, or short sermons, be had every day? A portion of the car, three or four sections in length, would seat easily from twenty-four to thirty-two adults. What a blessed opportunity it would give for spiritual growth! (2) Let some be deputed to go through other cars, by permission of the conductor, and invite others in to worship and hear. (3) Let there be a good supply of stirring, interesting publications on the living issues of the day, the gospel of Christ. In this way God would make such a journey twice blessed. On arriving at Battle Creek, some of us went direct to the Sanitarium, so well heated and ventilated that, though it was ten degrees below zero outside, we found a summer atmosphere within. Of the institution itself we shall have more to say later. The institute is in full blast. Of this we suppose that many of our readers have heard through the Review and Herald Extra. Four lessons in Bible study are held each day, besides various meetings for council from time to time. The principal instructors have been Prof. W. W. Prescott, Elders A. T. Jones, J. N. Loughborough, O. A. Olsen, S. N. Haskell, R. A. Underwood, and R. C. Porter. The strain upon Elder Porter has been too great, and he has sunk under his burdens, but only temporarily, we pray. The Bible study has included among others the following subjects: "The Study of the Bible," "The Christian Ministry," "Recognition of Christ's Ownership," "Missions and Missionary Work," "Promise of the Holy Spirit," and that all-embracing subject, "The Third Angel's Message." These lessons thus far seem to have been greatly appreciated. There is a spirit of freedom and union which we never saw manifested in any General Conference before that we ever attended. While there is a sense of the solemnity of the time in which we are living, the great work before us, our insufficiency for that work, there is also a voice of faith, a note of victory, which enters into the meetings more largely than ever before. God is coming near to his people, differences are vanishing, and light from God's word is bringing union among those who walk in the light. There is a shout of victory in the camp, for the Lord is leading. Of other interesting things will we speak in our next.