p. 17 | Review and Herald, Vol. 88, No. 13. (3/30/1911)

First Magazine Campaign in Korea

By C. L. Butterfield

You will be interested to hear of the progress of our first magazine campaign in Korea. Our Korean brethren have always said that we could not sell papers in Korea; so we did not know whether the paper would sell or not, but we believed that God was leading, and so went ahead and districted the whole field among the foreign workers, giving each worker a good company to work with. Dr. Riley Russell and Miss May Scott are in the north, with Soonan students; Brother R. C. Wangerin and Soonan students are in the south; Elder W. R. Smith and helpers are on the east coast; and the writer, with workers and believers of Seoul, is working Seoul and near-by places.

The different companies report to me each day, and I in turn report to them the total amount of sales. This helps wonderfully to keep up the interest, and the reports received are certainly inspiring.

We began the work last week; and, according to reports, there had been sold, up to Sabbath, a total of 982 copies of our magazine, Sei Chyensa Eui Keuipyel (Three Angels' Message). This, however, is not the full amount sold; for several of our people in the country are selling, from whom I have not yet received reports. This effort has enlisted the sympathy and support of our people as nothing has ever done in the past.

Dr. Riley Russell reports as follows: “We can report the first-fruits. A man (heathen) in Nam San bought a paper last Monday, came here yesterday (the next Sunday), and told me that the words of that paper were very, very good, and that he, therefore, wanted to buy a Bible and a song-book, and said he would be here to church next Sabbath.”

Before receiving this report of first-fruits, I had received a report from Brother Wangerin, in which he tells of one of his boys finding a man who was exceedingly happy to meet an Adventist. Brother Wangerin went to see the man, and found that he had learned the truth in Japan several years ago, and had been baptized. After coming to Korea, he did not know where there were any Adventists, and had given up the Sabbath; but he promised Brother Wangerin that he would again keep the Sabbath, and be one with us.

Thus, at the end of the first week of our campaign, tangible results can be seen. The full results will not be known until the work is finished, and we meet the saved on the other shore. Dr. Russell writes further: “God is certainly blessing our feeble efforts. It seems to me almost like the beginning of the loud cry. We shall certainly see results from the campaign; and if it does not stir up the beast in his lair, I shall be surprised.”

Our magazine, Sei Chyensa Eui Keuipyel, is issued on the first Wednesday of each month, the January issue being number four of volume one. Among the subjects treated are: “The Three Angels’ Message;” “The Thousand Years in Revelation 20;” Bible readings on “The New Earth,” “The Second Coming of Christ,” “Events Taking Place Before Christ Comes,” “The First Advent of Christ,” and “The State of the Dead;” “The Sabbath in the Bible;” “What Does It Mean to Be a Christian?” “The Buried Bible;” “Canvassing Experiences in Japan;” etc. Thus, the principal subjects dwelt upon are the message, the signs of the

times, the second coming of Christ, and the Sabbath. Besides the ten thousand copies of this magazine that we are now selling, we have prepared thirty thousand pages of leaflets for free distribution. We are of good courage, and ask an interest in your prayers that this literature may not be distributed in vain, but that many souls may be saved as the result of our efforts.

C. L. BUTTERFIELD.

CANVASSERS ATTENDING THE NEW JERSEY INSTITUTE

New Jersey Canvassers’ Institute

By B. F. Kneeland

Those who had the privilege of attending the recent institute held at Elizabeth, N. J., greatly enjoyed the opportunity, and joined heartily in the effort to gain an experience that would make their work as canvassers effective. We were much pleased with the spirit shown by this little band of workers, who are to pioneer the way of the message in many places where the living preacher has never gone.

The instruction was given by Brother E. R. Numbers, and Elder I. G. Bigelow of the missionary department of the Columbia Union Conference, assisted by the New Jersey field agent, Brother C. E. Grey, and the writer. It was decided to hold the institute two days longer than had been announced, so that there might be time for actual field work under the personal instruction of those in charge.

These two days were devoted to the sale of “Ministry of Healing,” and all agreed that the experience gained during that effort was the best of the whole institute. The entire company present, including the preachers, went out together into the homes of the people with the “Ministry of Healing.” The blessed experiences of those days will not soon be forgotten.

The prospect for the work in our State this year is good. We hope to be able to do even better than last year, when the average for all our canvassers in the entire State during the year was eighty-three cents’ worth of books delivered for every hour spent by our canvassers in the field. With a population of over two and one-half million, which is being increased at the rate of nearly one hundred thousand each year, there is still plenty of unworked territory. One of our resident canvassers is going over the same ground for the third time in three years, and reports that though he had good success on his previous trips, he is making his best sales this time. There are many opportunities here for the resident canvasser, where splendid missionary work can be done in places where souls are hungering for truth, but to which we are unable to send ministers. We pray earnestly that the blessing of God will be with our faithful band of canvassers.

B. F. KNEELAND.

Work Among the French

By O. A. Olsen

AFTER attending the Greater New York Conference, and the Western New York Conference at Burt, I took the opportunity to visit Montreal, Canada, in the interest of the work among the French. Elder O. K. Butler, who has been laboring in this city for some time, rendered me every assistance possible. Here I also met Elder G. Roth, our French laborer, and together we visited the French believers and such as were interested in the truth.

This was my first visit to Montreal, and I greatly appreciated the opportunity. We found quite a number of French believers, also a goodly number who are deeply interested, and on the way to accept the whole truth. Elder Butler informed us that the best interest at present is among the French. While a number of them can understand English, there are still a large proportion that can not. In view of the extended interest it was deemed necessary for Elder Roth to go there as soon as possible to spend some time and follow up this interest.

I felt much encouraged by seeing this favorable outlook for the work among the French in Canada, and again the need of French workers was emphasized. We also learned of two other small companies of French believers, but they were too far distant to visit at this time.

Later I made a tour to our French churches in Michigan and Wisconsin. Sabbath and First-day, March 4 and 5, I had six interesting meetings with the church at Harris, Mich. This is our largest and strongest French church in North America. The church-membership is forty, and the Sabbath-school membership sixty. We found a large number of young people and children. They maintain a prosperous church-school numbering twenty-two. I was greatly pleased with my visit, and with the interest manifested by both old and young in the church.

After this I visited the French company at Little River, near Oconto, and the church at Robinson, both in Wisconsin. This last is the second largest, and as far as I know, the oldest French church in the States. The present membership is twenty-nine. A large number have gone from here to Harris, Mich.

All through the northern part of Wisconsin and Michigan, there are large numbers of French people, but no workers. The work among the French has been greatly neglected. According to government statistics, there are in the United States about one and one-half millions of French, and in Canada about two millions. While many among them can speak English, there is still a large number who do not speak English. Indeed, I have been surprised to find so large a proportion who understand so little English that one can not converse with them except through an interpreter. For these three million five hundred thousand persons we have at present only one worker, Elder Roth, who devotes himself wholly to the French.

From all that one can learn, it is evident that in proportion to the labor bestowed, the French have responded to the truth as readily as any other nationality. Thus the French field among us is deserving of better treatment. In view of this destitution, we made a call last year for a French laborer from Europe, and this call was answered by the coming of Elder Roth, who with his family landed in Boston on July 28, 1910. But one laborer is not enough; still, we ought not to have to look to Europe to supply laborers for the French in this country. Has not the time come when an effort should be made to develop laborers for the French field from among the French in this country? We feel that this is a question that deserves immediate attention.

We have schools for the development of workers in the German and the Scandinavian. Why should we not have a school, or at least a French department in one of our schools, in this country where our French youth could have an opportunity to familiarize themselves with the French language, and prepare themselves for work in their mother tongue? We say again that this question is deserving of careful study at the present time. O. A. OLSEN.

Field Notes

FOUR persons were recently baptized by Elder Martin Stuckrath in Milwaukee, Wis., and received into the German church.

As the result of a series of meetings held at La Junta, Colo., three have been baptized. At Trinidad three have also accepted the message.

At the close of meetings at Stevensville, Mont., five new members were received into the church, subject to baptism, and two others are keeping the Sabbath. At Kalispell two have taken a stand for the truth.

Religious Liberty Notes

By C. M. S.

THE secretary of the Religious Liberty Department left Sunday, March 12, for a two weeks' trip in the New England States in the interest of a religious liberty campaign. While on his way, he visited New York City, and held services with the churches there on Sunday night.

THE week beginning April 23 and closing April 30 has been set apart by the National Reform Association as a week of prayer for the better observance of the sabbath, Sunday. We wish that while this body of men and women are thus engaged in praying for such results, the Lord might enlighten them regarding the claims of the true Sabbath and the principles of soul-freedom.

BROTHER L. A. SPRING, the religious liberty secretary of the Nebraska Conference, sends this good news:— “We are glad to report that under the guiding hand of God we have been able to secure, during the winter campaign, nearly one thousand subscriptions to Liberty and the Protestant. Besides this, hundreds of subscriptions have been secured to the petition against the Johnston Sunday bill. About two thousand pages of religious liberty literature have been distributed in this State.”

THE Young People's Missionary Volunteer Society of the Mount Vernon (Ohio) College has decided to take an active part in religious liberty work. We wish to thank this society for its co-operation. This is a work in which every young people's society could engage. The magazine Liberty should be in the hands of all men of prominence in this country,—principals of schools, judges, lawyers, doctors, city officials, and ministers. It would also be a good plan to have it placed in each public library and in all public reading-rooms.

A SUPPLY of sample copies of the newspaper insert to which reference was made last week, has been sent to each conference president, who will see that each church in his conference is furnished with a copy. We hope that our people throughout the entire country will respond to this new plan, and help in this way to disseminate the principles of religious liberty to thousands of the citizens of this country. All orders should be sent to the Foreign Mission Seminary, Takoma Park, Washington, D. C. When ordered in lots of less than two thousand, the price will be $7.90 a thousand. If ordered in quantities over this amount, a slight reduction will be made.

RECENTLY Sunday bills have been introduced into the State legislatures of New York, West Virginia, Wisconsin, South Dakota, and California.

THE extra session of Congress will convene April 4. There are indications that the advocates of Sunday legislation will be on hand again, to secure the passage of a Sunday law for the District of Columbia.

THE president of the North Carolina Conference writes us that the Sunday bill which was recently introduced into the North Carolina Legislature was reported unfavorably by the committee, and the measure was laid on the table.

ONE of our brethren in Detroit, Mich., is planning to do a good work with the magazine Liberty in that city. He purposes advertising it through the medium of the street-cars, and also through the columns of the daily and weekly newspapers. We shall pray that the Lord will give this brother success, and inspire many others to take up this kind of work in their vicinity. C. M. S.

News and Miscellany

Notes and clippings from the daily and weekly press

—Replying to Russia’s ultimatum, China agrees to a complete acceptance of the points insisted upon by the latter. This involves the establishment of consulates at Kobdo, Haz, and Guchen, and other important concessions demanded by Russia.

—March 15 Judge Hazel, of the United States District Court at Buffalo, N. Y., fined the New York Central Railroad $35,000, and the Pennsylvania Railroad $20,000, for granting rebates to the Standard Oil Company. The rebates were on freight charges for oil shipments.

—According to recent advices, Athens and other Grecian towns in that part of the country are now suffering from a severe epidemic of cerebrospinal meningitis. Many deaths have occurred, and a very severe form of the disease is reported to exist. The Health Department of the United States is taking prompt measures to prevent its introduction into this country through Grecian immigrants.

—The report of the Italian Emigration Bureau shows that the character of emigration to America is changing. Only five years ago, emigrants settled permanently in America; but now they return to their native land when they have saved a minimum of $200 or a maximum of $2,000. It is estimated that twenty per cent return to Italy within a year, and the remainder, with a few exceptions, within five years. During the year 1910, Italians in North and South America sent back to relatives in the home land, through banks and post-office money-orders, $100,000,000. It is estimated that the total amount returned to Italy from her sons in the two Americas aggregates $250,000,000 annually.

—The claim is made that in consequence of the co-operation of the missionaries in the opium reform movement in China, the smoking of that drug has been reduced from forty to fifty per cent during the last three years.

—During the month of February, deaths from the plague in India numbered 88,498. It is claimed that the epidemic is particularly virulent this year, and the most persistent efforts to stamp it out have failed to effect a permanent improvement in the situation.

—Of what benefit the Norwegian fisheries are to that country may be seen from the fact that over 3,000 foreigners visited Christiansand alone during the past year in the interest of that industry. Most of these people came not to catch but to buy fish. The value of fish sold at this place amounts to over 1,000,000 crowns annually.

—March 18, by the pressing of an electric button by former President Theodore Roosevelt, the Roosevelt Storage Dam of Arizona was efficiently opened. This project is a part of the national irrigation policy which was begun under his administration, and it is claimed that it means much in the way of reclaiming thousands of arid acres in Arizona.

—The greatest “deep” of the sea is near Guam, the Challenger deep, measured by the expedition whose name it bears to be 5,000 fathoms, and by the Nero to be 5,269 fathoms, sixty-six feet less than six English miles. If Mount Everest were placed on the sea bottom here, there would be an ocean of 2,000 feet in depth above its top. There are three soundings in the Pacific of more than five miles, and nine above four miles. There is only one of four miles in the Atlantic, lying north of the Virgin Islands. To be termed a “deep,” the soundings must show three miles or more. Altogether there are fifty-six known deeps. Recent soundings have shown great cones to be present in the Pacific, some miles in diameter at the base, and rising to within perhaps half a mile of the surface.

—The situation in Mexico remains practically unchanged. During the last week there have been several attacks and counter-attacks between the insurrectos and the government troops, with some loss of life. Railroads in some sections have been torn up, and more or less general marauding and pillaging carried on. The Mexican government seems to consider it necessary to preserve a strong force of government soldiers at the capital for the protection of the general government. The work of mobilization of the United States troops on the Texas frontier has gone steadily forward during the last few days. The particular purpose of this mobilization seems to be to keep down the organization of filibustering movements and the furnishing of supplies from the United States to the insurrectos, and doubtless also to be prepared for more decisive measures in the event of greatly increased disturbances in the neighboring republic. It is expected that this extra policing of the border line will serve very materially to shorten the period of disturbance, in that it will cut off the supplies of insurgent parties.

—March 18 a Japanese steamer was sunk in a collision in the Inland Sea, carrying twenty-eight men to a watery grave.

—A despatch from Fez says the situation in Morocco is exceedingly grave. All the tribes are discontented at the abuses of the government, and are arising and preaching a holy war. France has decided to grant further aid to the sultan in furnishing an increase of troops for the purpose of assisting in keeping the turbulent tribes in order.

—The Russian premier and minister of the interior, P. A. Stolypin, resigned on March 20. His resignation was promptly accepted by the emperor. V. N. Kokovsoff, minister of finance in the Stolypin cabinet, will be the new premier. This is considered by many as a victory for the liberal element of the Russian Duma, who have long sought Stolypin’s downfall. What effect the change of premiers will have on the liberal government movement, remains to be seen.

Christian Liberty

By K. C. Russell; C. M. Snow

Reports, Notes, and Comments Pertaining to the Current History of the Rights of Conscience

Conducted by the Religious Liberty Bureau

K. C. RUSSELL . . . . . Secretary

C. M. SNOW . . . . . Corresponding Secretary

Northern Luzon, Philippines

By R. A. Caldwell

USING such modern facilities as the railroad as far as it is operated, I began my longest and hardest trip yet experienced in the Philippines. As vehicles are few and costly, I repaired my old bicycle for covering the two hundred miles of highroad. Many rivers were crossed, usually on rafts, sometimes on ponyback, and occasionally by man-back. In some places there was a well-formed road; in a few parts, sand and stones prevailed.

Many of the towns are poor, as they are near the ocean, and the available land for cultivation is narrowed down by the mountains. These reach in most places almost to the water’s edge. As little could be carried on my bicycle, I fared poorly when there was no American in town. The Filipino teachers are accommodating, as they all are, and will give you their best with apologies, showing they realize that their fare is poor for the foreigners. The worst feature is the lack of good drinking-water.

Several provinces were covered where the dialect is Ilocano. The United Brethren and the Campbellites have the district portioned off by the Evangelical Union, and many churches are in evidence. In the larger towns they have structures of cement and iron. These people are more industrious than those of the south, and they have a better reputation. We hope a worker will soon be provided for this portion of the island of Luzon, so that we can direct our efforts to the populous islands of the south. When shall this be?

R. A. CALDWELL.

Canvassers’ Monthly Summary

Argentina, December, 1910

AGENTS	HOURS	ORDERS	VALUE
Dalinger, D.	106	162	$921.70
Dalinger, J.	110	119	705.00
Weis, J.	107	111	650.50
Da Silva, M.	75	94	558.00
Gordon, J.	61	93	471.90
Gordon, F.	122	81	425.30
Heyde, O.	126	84	507.10
Prener, H. S.	149	72	346.00
Bernhardt, S.	142	60	342.80
Acosta, B.	52	34	219.00
Novak, J. P.	..	..	200.00
Oris, J.	68	27	162.00
Mangold, F.	111	93	521.00
Block, G.	102	81	497.00

AGENTS	HOURS	ORDERS	VALUE
Hansen, N.	34	67	$407.10
Foley, P.	39	39	185.70
Organbedez, N.	114	86	457.00
Totals	1,518	1,303	$7,607.10

Argentine paper, $7,607.10; North American currency, $3,228.21.

Two Interesting Pictures

By N. Z. T.

We present this week two pictures which, owing to their relation the one to the other, are of special interest. One is a group of canvassers, taken at an institute recently conducted by Brother Max Trummer in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the headquarters of the South American Union Conference. In this group are natives from Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Germany, North America, Russia, Scandinavia, Spain, and Uruguay.

CANVASSERS' CONVENTION, BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA

The other is a picture of the work done by these canvassers during the month of December, 1910. Brother H. S. Prener, a North American, who had been in Argentina only nine months, shows the best record of time. The one who heads the list with such a splendid record of orders is a young German-Russian student from the mission school in Argentina, who is just beginning in the canvassing work. It is he who sits on the ground in the right-hand front corner of the picture. In 106 hours this young man took 162 orders for Spanish "Home and Health," with a total value of $391.26, North American currency.

The readers of the REVIEW will rejoice with us to see such a splendid report from the canvassers in that Spanish-Catholic field. One encouraging feature is that this work was done almost entirely by young men who have accepted the truth in that country. N. Z. T.

A Call From Porto Rico

By N. Z. T.

ON his return from the West Indian Union Conference meeting, held in Jamaica in January, Prof. H. R. Salisbury reported that there are about one hundred Sabbath-keepers in Porto Rico, and that these have been brought to the truth almost wholly through the efforts of the canvassers.

At the beginning of last year, Brethren Raff and Cochran were sent to that island from the Southeastern Union Conference. After spending a short time in the study of the language, they began work, and have been self-supporting almost from the start. In a recent letter, Brother William Steele says:—

“Brother Raff has done very well. He will have taken orders for and delivered over two hundred dollars’ worth of books during December and January. He has delivered almost one hundred per cent of his orders. He is also improving in his Spanish. Brother Cochran is working with the paper. At our union meeting it was voted to ask for one more canvasser for Porto Rico. I hope that you will be able to find the right man at once. As the canvassers can easily make their work self-supporting, after two or three months’ study, and as we have three large countries unentered as yet by our canvassers, Venezuela, Colombia, and Nicaragua, the brethren thought it well to have some one in training for these fields. I hope you can find, at once, a young man of the same kind as the two you sent us last year.”

Where is the young man who is willing to respond to this call from Porto Rico? N. Z. T.

The Missionary and Publishing Work

Notes, Plans, Reports, Statistics, and Other Information Regarding Missionary Endeavor and the Circulation of Gospel Literature

Conducted by the Missionary and Publishing Department of the General Conference

E. R. PALMER . . . . . Secretary

N. Z. TOWN . . . . . Assistant Secretary

A. J. S. BOURDEAU . . . Missionary Secretary

Study to Show Thyself Approved Unto God

“Study to show thyself approved unto God.”

Continue reading: Canvassers’ Summary for February, 1911