CAMP-MEETING AT NEENAH, WISCONSIN.
By George I. Butler
THIS meeting was held June 16-21, on the fair ground on the shores of Lake Winnebago. The grounds were pleasant. Some four hundred people encamped on the ground, about one-third of whom were Scandinavians. Two preaching services a day were held in that tongue. Eld. Haskell and myself reached the ground the first day of the meeting, and did the public speaking until Friday when Eld. and Mrs. White came. The people were greatly pleased at their presence among them, and listened with deep interest to their testimony. On the Sabbath, after an earnest discourse from the latter, there was a strong move among the people. Probably three-fourths of the congregation came forward for prayers, and deep feeling prevailed. There were many interesting testimonies given, and real good accomplished. There was a good audience on Sunday, which listened with deep interest. On Monday an excellent meeting was held, and thirty or forty young people came forward for prayers, many of them for the first time. A discourse on baptism was given by Eld. White, and forty were baptized by him and Eld. Decker, in Lake Winnebago. The brethren dispersed with cheerful hearts, feeling they had had an excellent meeting. One marked feature of interest in the meeting, was the prominence the Scandinavian work assumed. There have been some influences which have tended to depress the interest among this people of late, in this country. Elder Matteson's efficient labors here are greatly missed this side of the Atlantic, though productive, perhaps, of more good in Europe. Eld. Hanson of Iowa, another efficient laborer, has been so unwell as to be unable to labor much for more than a year past. Eld. O. A. Olsen of Wisconsin, has, from the pressure of cares as president of the Conference, been unable to give much of his time to labor in this tongue. These, and other influences, have had a discouraging effect. Then again, there have been but few young men of that nationality entering into labor in that tongue, though quite a number of those who learned this as the language of their childhood, have been to school to qualify themselves to labor for the cause. But most of them speak in the English tongue. While multitudes of this people, the most moral of all our foreign population, were thronging to our shores, the outlook seemed dark for laborers to reach them; and the old brethren seemed discouraged at the prospect. But at this meeting new hope of a change for the better has sprung up among them. Eld. O. A. Olsen has felt for some time the importance of giving himself entirely to the work among his own people. The Conference recommended him to do so. He will probably attend the Minnesota and Dakota camp-meetings, and labor in Dakota and Iowa as the cause shall seem to demand. This will be a great encouragement to the Scandinavians of those Conferences. Quite a number of young men of this tongue are entering the work, and the promise now seems hopeful of a good advance in this country among this people. We hope our dear Bro. Jasperson, who has recently returned to this country, may also labor efficiently in the cause. May God bless our Scandinavian work. Eld. Olsen will probably take some sort of supervision over the Scandinavian work in this country, which we trust will really add to its efficiency.