The morning call., 1893-05-13
A NOVEL VILLAGE.
Among the Adventists in
BusElrod Park.
Adults and Children Are Accommo-
dated in the Snowy Tents Other
Races Represented.

Three hundred white tents nestle among
the green trees in Bushrod Park, Oakland.
forming veritable CITY of God" Here
the Seventh-day Adventlsts are holding
their annual camp-meeting.
Two thousand good souls have already
assembled theIe. The Canvas City is laid
out with as much precision as if the in
habitants had erected it to stand for years
instead of days. There are regular streets,
each street has a name and every tent its
number. The names of the streets are on
pAcards and are tackled TO the trunks of
trees NO smoking allowed on these
grounds" is printed in large black letters
and greet, one at every turn. The streets
are ilumined BIZ incanGescent lights and
800 of them are nightly used in the park.
There are three sizes of residence tents,
and according to their size they rent for
IS, Sc and So 80. They are such nice.
clean, comfortable little houses it seems it
must be great fun to live in them. Nearly
all of them have carpets on the floor and
they are furnished with bedsteads and
rockinE-chairs. lounges. tables, and some
of them even have japanese screens and
homelike bits of bric-a-brac placed about.
Iu the 800 tents there isn't the slightest
suggestion of untidiness. When this was
spoken of to Elder Mcclure, he smiled and
said, Cleanliness is next 10 Godliness."
Then lie said cleanliness is one OF the fun
damental pri nciples of their religion. He
added that he did not believe that true
morality and dirt conld dwell together.
If ali religions would earnestly teach
this," said he, I'VE might avoid the pre-
dicted cholera epidemic. | wonder if our
Health Officers are SeVenth-day Advent
ists?"
Right near the entrance to the park is
tent designated as Ladies' Reception
Tent" Then comes the bookstard, where
Bibles. other religious books and station
cry are on sale.
Just across the street is tent large
general meeting-h house, and very near this
is erected tent for newspaper report
ers. The reporters tent contains long
table and several chairs, The floor is COW
cred with fresh, sweet-Smelling straw.
The Sabbath-school is not far from the
reporters place. 1t is large tent aud is
divided into two rooms. In one room the
children from 5 TO years of age are
taught. Here this little verse in black let
tiers was painted on white cloth and pinned
10 the tent in front of the children:
There are many songs that children love TO hear,
There many stories pleasing 10 the ear;
But when have heard them
Those that tell OF Jesus are the best OF all.
ages of 9 and II receive religious instrue-
tiOn. Tie following words in evergreen
letters are on the wall here: Even a
child is known by his doings"
On the principal street is the restaurant.
Here is furnished good wholesome meals
at A. N. and al P. NJ. for 90 cents Sew
eral of the elders said that the Adyentists
were not, as is commonly supposed,
strictly vegetarians. Their chief diet is
vegetables. grains and fruits, but they are
not prohibited from eating any kind of
meat excepting that of the hog. Like the
Jews they regard pork as unclean.
Across the street from the restaurant is
the pilgrims Arbor." II is a sort of
lodging-house for men who are alone and
VINO do not care to rent whole tent. 1t
is divided into thirteen tiny compartments.
The beds are all on the floor. This place
is Lighted by electricity.
The Kindergarten (baby land they call ~
is the most interesting part OF the whole
| business. Miss Nccum, who has made
study of kindergarten work, has charge of
| it. She is a cheerful little body. with
| kind, pretty face, and the children ap-
| peared to take TO her Immediately.
They had their first meeting yesterday
| afternoon. Miss Niccum opened it by
reading little verse that began, Always
be cheerful"
She stopped at cheerful and asked: "Can
| any of you tell me the meaning of cheer
| ful?' The children all hung their heads
| in bashful manner and only one little
| hand went up. well. what is the mean
| ing of cheerful" said Miss Niccum, with
an encouraging smile.
at means to always be kind" answered
the little tot, who could not have been
| more than years of age.
Yes. to always be kind" repeated Miss
Niccum. Now, what sort of face is a
kind face?"
"a very pleasant face" was the answer
! OF this bright child.
With cheerful word and smile to the
! little one Miss Niccum continued the sim
| pie verse that ended with Even children
have something 10 do for Jesus"
Now we will kneel down and say little
| prayer. aud then your teachers will tell
you what you have to do for Jesus" Miss
| Niecum said.
When the rerorter left the children were
| building churches of blocks that would
tumble down. The teacher expressed a
| hope the airy castles they build as they
grow older would not share the same
fate.
This little temporary village Of 1000 in
habitants contains a strange mixture of
people. There are all sorts and conditions.
| Among them are several ladies' and gentle
men OF color. There are also two China
| men and two japanese.