Gilroy by Dudley Marvin Canright

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Jun 3, 1875

Gilroy.

By Dudley Marvin Canright

As THERE was no suitable place opened for the tent in the vicinity of Stockton, we decided to begin in this part of the State for the following reasons: There are several villages near enough together to strengthen each other should churches be raised up in each place. Gilroy has a population of about two thousand, exclusive of Chinese and Spanish. Hollister is only fourteen miles south, with a population of about a thousand I am told. Watsonville is only twenty miles southwest, with a population of about fifteen hundred. We have several Sabbath-keepers there now. San Juan is a small town about as far off as Hollister. Santa Cruz, with a population of thirty-five hundred, is only about twenty miles northwest from Watsonville, while Salinas, with about twenty-five hundred, is about the same distance south of Watsonville. San Jose, where we have a church, is thirty miles north of Gilroy and about the same distance from Santa Cruz.

We have scattered brethren in all these places. Here is work enough for two years to come, all within a radius of a few miles. All these places lie along and near the coast and hence are very healthy. The land is fertile and seldom fails of a crop.

We only regret that we did not begin here on the start this spring. Everything opened well here. Our expenses will not be so much now, as the friends near can help us much with provisions, &c. We have our tent well located and the meetings well advertised. Except at Oakland and San Francisco, we have not had so good an interest and so large a turnout in any place where I have been in the State. We feel confident that we moved right in coming to this field. If we get but a few in a place, we can be near by to follow it up and make the most of it. We are in good health and feel the peace of God in our heart.

D. M. CANRIGHT.

May 30.