A Brief Statement of Our Labors
By James White
BRO. SMITH : Here we are in Iowa City, Iowa, and while Bro. M. Hull is preaching, we are writing. Bro. Hull is fully with us, and bids fair to be an efficient laborer. Congregations here are not large, but the interest is good. We wish to say to the many dear friends who have addressed us by letter for the past two months, that we have not had time to answer their kind letters; neither have we had time to attend to all the business contained in those letters. To give our friends some idea of how our time is occupied, and how little spare time we have, we will give a brief statement concerning the last few weeks. July 8th, at 2 P. M., we took the cars at Battle Creek for Jackson; at 2 A. M., the 9th, took the cars for Detroit; at 7 A. M. for Pontiac; at 9 A. M. took the stage for Orion; that evening preached in the Michigan Tent; Sabbath, the 10th, preached twice; First-day, 11th, preached once; 12th, took the stage and cars for Detroit; 13th, rode on the cars to Roch-ester, and after 9 P. M. walked a mile to Bro. Orton's; 14th and 15th bought a tent, and was attending to other business until the cars left for the West at 7 P. M.; rode on the cars all night; reached Green Spring, Ohio, the 16th, at 10 A. M.; rode in a wagon to Milan; Sabbath, the 17th, preached at Bro. Tillotson's; 18th, rode 12 miles, preached once in the Ohio Tent, and after Bro. Loughborough closed his discourse at half past 9 P. M., rode twelve miles; got to rest at 1 A. M., and was waked up at 5 to take the cars for home; reached Jackson at 6 P. M., the 20th; took the cars that night, reached home at 1 A. M.; went to the Office the 21st, and found a multitude of letters, and more business than we could attend to. At 2 P. M. received a letter urging us to visit Crane's Grove, Ills., by the 22d. This gave us two days to prepare 100 pages of MS. for the printers, read 40 pages of proof-sheet, and hastily attend to a week's work of other business. At 11 P. M., the 22d, took the cars; reached Crane's Grove the 23d at 6 P. M.; Sabbath, the 24th, met with the brethren in the forenoon at Bro. Berry's; in the afternoon preached in the school-house; the 25th, preached twice; the 26th, rode in a lumber wagon to Bro. Sanborn's, in Wis.; the 27th, rode in the same way back to Crane's Grove; the 28th, took the cars to Morrison; at 4 A. M., the 29th, took the cars for Iowa; rode thirty miles in a western stage; the 30th, rode horse-back to this place, 20 miles, swam the pony after a small boat one half mile; Sabbath, 31st, preached twice, and to-day once. And now, thank the Lord, we are well, free and happy. Health is better than for twelve years. We give this sketch that our friends may know where we are, what we have been doing, and why we do not answer their numerous letters.