On the Wing by Editor

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Oct 22, 1912

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 39, No. 41.

On the Wing

By Editor

By request of our General Conference, the editor has been spending two months in the East in attendance upon camp-meetings and at the General Conference Council at Washington. We left Mountain View August 2, reaching Chicago August 5, and Kokomo, Indiana, where the first state conference and camp-meeting was held, that same night. The next morning we were heartily welcomed by Brother Montgomery, the president of the conference, and by Brethren Knox and Moon, vice-president of the General Conference and president of the Lake Union Conference, respectively, and by all the other ministers, so far as we know. As of this meeting, so of all we attended, our association with our ministering brethren in all lines of the work—with the representatives of our publishing houses, our schools, and our sanitariums—was most cordial, and our labors together were greatly blessed of God.

It rained in Indiana a good part of the time of our meeting, and this was also true of the other meetings that we attended; but it did not dampen the ardor and good spirits of the campers, which burned with a steadily increasing flame to the close. In Indiana all were united, all had a mind to work, and tho the camp-meeting was short (only a week), there was much of revival work done, many were converted, and many more were revived, enheartened, strengthened, and established.

We here met for the first time Brother M. V. Wood, who was a missionary for the Methodists many years in India, and who, in following the light, came to the truth of the great threefold message. He and his wife left for India shortly after this. In fact, he was hurried away from the midst of our next camp-meeting to get ready for sailing. We believe that our India force of workers will be greatly helped by Brother and Sister Wood.

We also met here Brethren Reavis and Mace of the Review and Herald; Blosser, the chief book man of the Lake Union Conference; MacGuire and Russell, engaged in the young people's work; Haysmer and Maxwell, representing the work in the South; Professor Graf, of the Emmanuel Missionary College; and others. And here, too, we enjoyed sweet counsel with Pastor W. P. Pearce (Baptist), author of "The Lover's Love, or John 3:16."

We do not recall all the officers of the conference that were elected. Pastor O. Montgomery was re-elected president. All these will appear in the Review and Herald in due time, and in "Our Work and Workers" column. We look for excellent success in the Indiana Conference in the year to come.

From Indiana we proceeded to Bay City, East Michigan Conference and camp-meeting, of which conference Pastor H. H. Burkholder was president. Here they had erected and completed their camp in the midst of most discouraging, rainy weather. It was on the fair ground outside of the city, and was in splendid shape, notwithstanding the rain. Here we had good meetings, despite difficulties and obstacles.

The same general workers were present as were at the meeting at Kokomo. Pastor Burkholder has done excellent work here in the little time he has been able to spend in the conference; but as he could not be in the conference the whole time, on account of the sickness of the beloved mother in Ohio, Pastor William Guthrie of Canada was elected as president. In East Michigan there are some young men of ability who, if devoted and humble and teachable, will make strong, able workers for God. Souls sought and obtained victory, and hearts were helped and strengthened. Both of these conferences, Indiana and East Michigan, voted for a longer meeting—ten days—next year. A week is too short for both spiritual and business meetings, and the spiritual uplift of the first Sabbath can not well be dispensed with.

From East Michigan we visited the original Chautauqua grounds in Western New York, on Chautauqua Lake, to look over the grounds with the view to securing them, if everything seemed best, for our next General Conference. The grounds were excellent, having plenty of room in auditoriums and in cottages; but the time of year would interfere with the work of the Chautauqua, and hence it was found impossible to consider this beautiful site further. It was, however, freely offered if we could take it at the close of the regular season. The next evening, we held a meeting with the church at Burt, Niagara County, New York.

Leaving there, we arrived at the West Pennsylvania meeting, at Washington, about thirty miles southwest of Pittsburg, before the first meeting was held. The president of this conference is Brother B. F. Kneeland. He had been unable to put his camp in condition, on account of a severe cloudburst that had occurred two or three days before. In fact, the town itself had been flooded, and one man drowned in the streets of the town. It was almost impossible to get either freight or express. But all were good-natured; and by working hard, in a short time the ground was ready for meeting. In God's good providence, the clouds cleared, and bright, sunny weather was given during the time of our stay. The opening meetings were most excellent. The camp as a whole sought God earnestly, and the Lord greatly blessed. Here we met with Brother B. G. Wilkinson, president of the Columbia Union Conference; Dr. Menkel, from Washington; Brother W. A. Westworth, now located in Pittsburg; and other old and new laborers.

Leaving there Sunday, we have not heard of the outcome of the meeting; but if it continued as it began, it was indeed a most excellent meeting. After the meeting was over, we learned by the newspapers that very severe storms had again occurred in Western Pennsylvania. Hundreds of sheep were drowned, two million dollars damage done to crops in Washington County, and the lives of fifty persons lost.

Leaving the West Pennsylvania meeting September 29, we arrived in Utica, New York, at the Central New York Conference meeting, September 30, and were with this meeting until its close. Here also the same earnest seeking of God was manifest, and blessed victories were obtained. In our conferences in the Atlantic Union, Pastor W. B. White, president of the union, was present. The president of the New York Conference is Pastor W. H. Holden, who was reelected. We had the privilege of meeting many old laborers and acquaintances, it being the conference where we first began our own labors for the Lord; and we rejoiced greatly in finding those who were older in the work, still pressing on, and those who were but children a few years ago, engaged heartily in the work of God. There were many faces missing, however, having fallen asleep in the Master's service. Here we met Brethren Palmer, Jayne, Longacre, and Tolf, representing respectively the Review and Herald publishing house, the religious liberty work, and educational and book work. There was a rain at this camp-meeting also. In fact, it was extremely cold for the time of year. Passing through New York, we saw thousands of bushels of grain in shock, some of which was rotting upon the ground, the rains being so continuous that it was impossible to gather it in proper condition. Grain crops were generally good, but much will be lost by the late, continuous rains.

On our way north we stopped for one night at the Black River Sanitarium, Watertown, New York, at the head of which is Dr. Isadore L. Green. Dr. Green has built up a good sanitarium by sheer force of hard work, and upon the real merit of medical skill and devotion. The sanitarium deserves to succeed, and should be well patronized. September 7 and 8 we attended a general meeting at South Russell, New York. Representatives from other churches were in attendance. Five meetings were held, at which we spoke four times. Two of these meetings were held, by the courtesy of the Presbyterian pastor, in the Presbyterian church at De Grasse. September 11 we met with the new church in Ogdensburg, gathered by the labors of Pastor Garton; and next morning proceeded on our way to Vermont, and held a meeting in Felchville, September 14, with the Sabbath-keepers in that section. Here also we enjoyed a blessed season.

September 15 we left for Washington, to attend the General Conference Council in that city. All the various lines of work with which the General Conference Committee has to do were considered. Chief among these were strong actions taken and counsels given against involving the denomination, in any of its departments, in debt. The reorganization of the great general work, necessitated by the fact that the foreign membership is so large now that it is not considered wise or expedient to send representative delegations to any distance to attend meetings of the General Conference, was considered, and it was suggested that the world be divided into divisions of the general work, such as the European division of the General Conference, the Atlantic, South American, etc. This was placed in the hands of a committee who were to consider the various phases of the question, and report at the next General Conference. One of the important things for consideration was the appropriation of funds to the various mission fields, not simply according to need, but according to ability, and $500,000 was thus appropriated for 1913. The time has just arrived when there are more laborers in mission work than in the regular organized work in America. In fact, our home field has been constantly drained of the best and most earnest laborers, in order to meet the calls in foreign fields. This also demands earnestness and consecration on the part of the young who are fitting themselves for work in the cause of God. It was also voted that the next General Conference should be held in Washington, May 15 to June 8. All things considered, it was thought best to hold it here again, on account of our foreign brethren who perhaps would see our institutions here for the first, and perhaps the last, opportunity which would be offered. Here is situated one of our great publishing houses, the Foreign Mission Seminary, now connected with the sanitarium as a training school, and here too is a quiet grove.

Here also we met Dr. Margaret Evans, whom our readers know as a contributor, connected with the Branch Sanitarium in Washington city. The sanitarium now conducts a dispensary down on 4½ Street, which we visited one day, where the poor and the maimed and the halt and the blind of Washington come for medical counsel, relief, and such treatment as can be rendered by those who are fitting themselves for foreign work. Very much work is done free in this way. There were thirty-seven in the day that we called. On other days, we are told, it runs up to nearly a hundred. Doctors and nurses are doing noble work.

We left Washington September 26 for the West, stopped at Salt Lake City overnight, met with the workers there, and reached home October 2.

Going East, wishing to reach there as soon as possible, we took the Overland Limited from San Francisco on the Southern Pacific. It is one of the best trains in the world; and if one wishes to reach the East from San Francisco, or vice versa, there is no better train than this. From Omaha one can take one of a half dozen roads, but we know of none better than the Chicago & Northwestern. Running into Chicago is the beautiful new station is something of a privilege. We had the pleasure of looking over the new station, which is all, it seems to us, that could be desired. Here are not only waiting-rooms, but writing-rooms for both men and women; not only writing-rooms, but rest rooms for tired women, and a special room for mothers with children. But the Northwestern people have done more than this. They have a hospital in connection with the station; and if any of the passengers are taken sick, or arrive there sick, they are taken to the hospital, and free nursing is given them. If a physician is desired, of course that must be at the expense of the patient. But here they are cared for in the best and most scientific way until preparations can be made to move them. Here, also, one can secure a bath, with all other accessories in the way of toilet, at a merely nominal price.

Returning, we came by the Rock Island and the Denver & Rio Grande,—the D. & R. G., which some have stated stands for "Dangerous and Rough Going," and it certainly merits the apt designation. It

has scenery, lots of it, and in that respect is fine; but the road service is poor, and trains are almost invariably late. If there is a road in the country that ought to adopt the block system, it would seem that the D. & R. G. ought to do it, but it has nothing of the kind. If one wishes to cross the continent in comfort, in cleanliness, and with safety and speed, we commend the Southern Pacific, the Union Pacific, the Chicago-Northwestern, or the Burlington. It is a wonderful relief to change from the smoking, coal-burning trains of the East to the great oil burners on the Southern Pacific; and we wish to say it freely, that there are no better trains on the continent, so far as our experience goes.

We are glad again to get home, find lots of work to do, and hope to make this work, with our co-laborers here, a great blessing to our readers.