Western Oregon Camp-Meeting
By H. W. Cottrell
THE camp-meeting of the Western Oregon Conference was held at Portland, and was marked by many important events. From the first, the presence of the Lord's Spirit was manifest. A spirit of freedom prevailed throughout all business meetings of the conference. There were one hundred sixty-five family tents pitched. Three large pavilions were devoted to preaching services in English, German, and Scandinavian, meetings being held in each of these several times a day. The usual number of tents were set apart for the use of departmental work. There were more than one thousand Sabbath-keepers in attendance, besides hundreds of others present each evening from the city. Elders H. Shultz, G. A. Grauer, John Isaacs, and Henry Block were in charge of the German work. Elders O. A. Johnson, A. J. Stone, and Adolph Johnson were the instructors of the Scandinavian people. Elders C. W. Flaiz, A. O. Tait, W. F. Martin, L. V. Finster, J. J. Nethery, and W. C. Hankins, Brethren W. R. Beatty and C. M. Christiansen, and our local ministers constituted the laborers for the English-speaking people, and were active in various departments of the work. The public services during the evenings were adapted to the needs of those not of our faith. The ministers in charge of these services enjoyed much freedom in declaring God's message for this generation, and spoke as those having authority under him. Many gave themselves to God for the first time in their experience. Eighty-one persons were buried with their Lord in baptism in the Willamette River. These were largely adults, but some were youth and children. Three of the number had previously been baptized. The book, tract, and periodical sales amounted to $900. For foreign missions and home work, there was raised in cash and pledges $7,206. Of this amount, $200 is conditioned upon the sale of property; and $425 was received as offerings at evening services, excluding Friday evenings, from those not of our faith. We render, in most humble acknowledgment, all the glory unto our Father, unto whom all honor is due.