Western Tour by James White

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jul 11, 1865

Western Tour.

By James White

At the time of our last report we were at La Salle, Ill., on our way to the Princeville meeting. The hotel keeper called us at 4 A. M. to take the cars at 4:30, after we had been kept awake till midnight by continual tramping and talking in the hall. We reached Chillicothe station at 7 A. M., where teams were waiting to take us and our baggage to the place of meeting. About one mile out of the village we stopped by the road-side to take breakfast consisting of crackers, venerable simply from age, buns which were imported from Battle Creek through the American Express, and one quart of sweet milk purchased of a farmer on whose borders we were being refreshed. As we had eaten nothing for eighteen hours, and then only crackers and buns at the depot, we enjoyed our breakfast with a keen relish, and were soon on our way, refreshed, for Princeville.

We stopped during our meetings with the family of Bro. H. C. Blanchard, elder of the Princeville church, who did all in their power to make us comfortable and happy.

The brethren hold their meetings in the Christian chapel, the largest of the three chapels in the place.

Our congregations were not large owing to limited circulation of the appointment, bitter prejudice in the place, and perhaps some wrongs in a portion of the church which we tried to correct.

We trust our meetings at Princeville will result in much good, although we cannot speak of much freedom in the word. It seemed to us that some of our brethren there were getting narrowed up too much in their views and feelings, and that instead of having a gathering influence, they were pursuing a course that would not only close the ears of those not in the faith, but would scatter the believers.

We are happy to report that Bro. Blanchard has not felt disposed to take extreme positions, and we trust all the church in the future will be ready to hold up his hands while he endeavors to take a consistent, straight-forward course.

It is a pleasure to here speak of the kindness of brethren Ferris and Dubois in taking us to the place of meeting, and that also of brethren Merritt and Johnson who cared for us at their homes, and took us to Chillicothe to take the cars for Iowa. J. W.