The herald., 1895-11-01
Yesterday With the Seventh Day
Adventists
A GLIMPSE AT CAMP LIFE
How the Little City at Grand Avenue
Is Organized
Eloquent Addresses Last Night by President
1cCIure and Others In the Big
Tent-A Description

The annual cam Getting OF the Sow
enth Day Adventists of the southern
California district was opened last night.
AS matter of fact the camp ground is
bounded by Grand avenue, Twelfth,
Hope and Pico streets, hut figuratively it
reaches from National City to Santa Bar
hara and east to San Bernardino. The 100
or more tents are occupied by Advent
lists from all parts of Southern California
with the exception that those of this CT ty
still prefer to be domiciled within their
own bones, but are in daily attendance
at the meeting.
Preparatory work was begun on the
grounds last Monday morning. The first
thing in order was the cleaning up of the
grounds and laying it off in streets and
avenues. This done the tents. which for
the most part are the property OF the
society, were erected, and before night
fall teams began to arrive from the dist
ance. The first in was one from National
City. The tents are erected by the So
ciety, so that when the teams from a
distance arrive the tired travellers are
assigned the tent which is to be their
homo during the next week. AS soon as
the wagon is unloaded, the new house.
set to rights and the commissary depart
ment in running order, the new arri walls
lend helping hand to tn ose who come
later.
few arrived Monday, more came Tues
day, but the hundreds got in yesterday,
and the struggling teams will all be in by
noon today. Along the Hope street side
of the camp grounds are staked the
horses, surrounded by wagons of many
kinds, and varying years OF servltude.
but they are in the minority. The farm
wagon delegation could outyote the
buggy crowd by ten to one. Whatever
the people may wear at home this is not
billed shirt and dress suit occasion.
for such clothing is not conducive to
comfortable travel by team ten, twenty,
fifty, 100 Ut 200 miles, and camping by
the way. The Adventists are here for an
outing from which they hope to return
home refreshed physically and spirit
ually.
The camp ground is laid out as a small
city with streets and avenues. The town
plaza is occupied by the big ten, in
which the public meetings are held.
Either side OF the street and avenues is
lined with tents and to each a number IS
given. The head of the family occupy
ing tent registers so that by looking
over the plan the directing elders can
locate any person Inquired for, if he is IN
attendance at the camp meeting. A local
police force is organized and a regular
patrol on duty, but they seldom have
much to do other than direct inquiring
persons.
The tents erected by the society are
their own and manufactured in the tent
loft in connection with the society's col
lege at Healdsburg. Each tent is equippe
with ha1 nj and tnhln and
AS soon as the tent is up the next in or
der is the laying OF the carpet. Straw is
evenly spread over the ground and the
carpet pinned down over the straw. The
tent is then ready to move into.
A sort of military discipline prevails
matter OF fact. 1t has nothing of the
hilarity which is usually associated
with the term camp meeting, yet zach in
his own good way enjoy the weeks ser
vices which are designed as a relaxation
from home cares and conducive to spirit
camp ia as follows:
5: 80 a. m.-Rising bell.
6 q. m.-SocIal meetings.
Ia. m.-Breakfast.
8 a. m.-District meetings.
ga. m.--Children's meetings.
80 a. m.-Bible instruction.
/ o. m.-Dirner.
2:3O o. m.-Preaching.
p. m.-Youths' and ohildren's meet
ing.
1870 p. m.-Preaching.
9:I5 p. m.-Retiring bell.
Elder n. q. Mcclure of Oakland is the
moving spirit at the camp ground, and
the man to whom every inquiring person
turns, VIII .ther the question to be decided
is where gasoline can be bought, the tent
of a friend, the loan of a hammer, the
name of the speakers of today or tomor-
row or affairs of the church. The man
who directs all these and many kindred
things is of medium height we'll built,
apparently about so years of age, bright
blue eyes, full beard ana his once fair
skin sun burned as though life with him
for the past few years had been one per-
petual camp nesting. He is OF pleasing
address, and though of dignitied bearing
is easily approached.
Elder Mcclure is president of the Ad-
ventists' conference, which embraces Cal
ifornia and Nevada. Attached to the con-
ference are sixty churches with nearly 400U
active members. Four camp meetings
are hold each year, the first ut Fresno in
March, the second at Oakland in May.
the third in Northern California in July
and the fourth in Los Angeles in Octo-
Der or November.
The Seventh Day Adventists, as de-
nomination, maintain college at Heal DIS
burg, a sanitt rum at st. Helena, Napa
county, and are owners OF the Pacific
Press Publishing comDaty at Oakland,
with 200 employees. They also own the
missionary ship Pitcairn, which has done
excellent missionary work in the South
Pacific islands.
The camp meeting which opened last
night is that of the Southern California
district Elder r. S. Owens, pastor OF
the Carr street church in this city, is the
presiding elder of this district, which III
ri, dos oil e a Of NAh oI,
cpl.
The opening service was held last night
in the big tent which was crowded TO it,
full capacity. Elder Mcclure gave very
impressive address Of welcome. He also
outlined tbe work for the week and made
several announcements. There will be
de :eYal addresses at the 10 80 meetin Z
this morning, and again this AFTERNOON
and evening.
Run Over by Soda Wagon
G. Dold, proprietor of First-street