1904_Convention Report.pdf

SOUVENIR

Notes from

Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society's

Convention

ST. LOUIS, MO.

1904

October 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5, 1904

On Thursday, Sept. 29th at about 8'oclock, the friends began to gather in the Union

Depot, Canal & Adams Sts., Chicago to the number of about forty. At about 8:30 a

delegation of twelve or fifteen from Elgin and Rockford arrived and we then all boarded

the car reserved for our company, and were soon rushing toward St. Louis, over the

Chicago & Alton Ry.

On the way we picked up our dear Brother Robie at Joliet. When he came into the car he

met Br. Sagagren who remarked: "You got on at Joliet did you?" "Yes," replied Br.

Robie, "And I see that you are "jolly-yet" yourself." Well, he would not be Br. Sagagren

if he was anything else.

We had a very pleasant journey being altogether in one car. A few others got on along the

way, making a party of about sixty in all. We arrived in St. Louis about 6:30, one hour

later than schedule time. Pilgrim Bro. Raymond, Chairman of the Committee on

arrangements, met the company at the great Union Depot, and hand shaking was the

order of procedure a once. Bro. Raymond then assigned the various ones to their lodging

quarters, who had not already been assigned. (We, Bro. & Sister L. W. Jones had already

been assigned to our place, so we did not linger but at once went to our room, which we

found to be a nice large one in a private family, no other boarders or roomers there but

six others in the truth, namely Bro. & Sister Fritz of Riley, Kans, Bro. & Sister Dobbins

of Ark., Bro. Mercer of Toledo, O., and Bro. Sparrow of Canada. Friday morning, after a

good breakfast, we started for the fair grounds, which we reached in about half an hour.

We first took a ride in the large park automobile, which takes you on a ride of about three

miles about the grounds. We sat near the chauffeur or driver, who described the buildings

and various things of interest as we passed. When we passed the Woman's Bldg., where

were the offices of the missionary and temperance societies, etc., he said, "There is a

wonderful building -- you will never see anyone in it. If anyone goes there they stick him

for a $10 subscription. I passed it two or three times and did not see but one person in it. I

asked the driver what the poor heathen would do then, and he replied that they went

hungry and naked like they did in the World's Fair grounds. Some of the Philippines go

around the grounds practically naked, barely a fig leaf on. They have a very brown skin

and one that we saw near the main entrance of the grounds, over a half of a mile from

their quarters, was a picture, for he was so graceful, the muscles and joints all working so

perfectly. Truly the human form is a most wonderful piece of machinery. The clothing

God gave him to our mind looked much better than the ill-fitting cloth garments worn by

the sight-seeing visitors. We could not help but think of what the conditions will probably

be when Restitution is fully ushered in, and when mankind can look upon one another

with no other thoughts than those of love, and yet be clothed only in the beauty with

which God originally clothed mankind. After our ride in the auto, we then took a seven

mile ride about the grounds in the intramural railroad, which is a sort of an elevated street

railroad. We traced our trip out on a map as we went along, so that by the time we

finished those two trips, we had a good general ideoa of the lay of the grounds. We then

rented a go-cart for little Adeilaide, took a walk down the Pike, then through five or six

of the buildings, then two turns in the Ferris Wheel, which gave us a bird's-eye view of

the grounds. It was then getting dark and the illuminations began to flash out from every

corner of all the beautiful buildings. We spent sometime looking up the Grand Basin

toward the Cascades and Festival Hall. It was a sight never to be forgotten. Just before we

were leaving, we met Bro. Sagagren and some others and he made the remark that if his

forefathers should wake up there, they would certainly think they were in Heaven and

that all the lights were stars, etc., for it certainly was a sight far ahead of anything they

could have pictured in their minds years ago of what even Heaven could be. The St.

Louis Fair covers about twice as much ground as did the Chicago World's Fair. They

were therefore able to spread out the buildings more. The grounds were hilly and made it

possible to have better landscape scenery than we had in Chicago. The electrical display

was of course better because we have had ten years to improve in that line. The buildings

at St. Louis to our mind were as beautiful as those of Chicago. There possibly were not as

many exhibits at St. Louis, but there were more than one could examine in many weeks if

they were to make anything like a thorough inspection of things. We did not get into but

one State building, but were tired toward night and went into one very fine building, not

knowing which one it was and there rested for a while. What was our surprise on coming

out to find that we had been in our own State building-Illinois. It was certainly a beauty

and richly fitted up. This ended our sight seeing at the Fair and we arrived home at our

boarding place about nine o'clock and were soon asleep in bed.)

We will now take up the thread of the Convention report, trusting the digressing along

World Fair lines may be interesting.

Saturday morning about nine o'clock, we left the house, boarded a street car and were

soon at the big building on Olive St. between 13th and 14th streets. One of the first

persons we met on entering the place was our dear Brother VanAmburgh, and were

agreeably surprised as we had only recently been informed that he was not expected to be

present. We then began to meet our brothers and sisters from all parts of the United States

and Canada, though few we had ever seen before. If we were not asking someone who

they were, they were asking us. The Convention smile was in evidence all through the

hall. We soon met Bro. & Sister Owens and daughter Ehel and Br. Wise of Indianapolis.

A little later, we met Bro. Uhlrich of Dubuque, Ia., we loved but had never seen before. A

little later we saw our dear Pilgrim Brothers Barton and Paul Johnson, whom to know is

to love. So it was, one after another we met. We also saw and got acquainted with Bro.

Sam and Sister Kuesthardt, son and daughter of Brother Pilgrim Kuesthardt.

At 10 o'clock Bro. Raymond, representing the St. Louis Church and in behalf of them

welcomed the Convention to St. Louis. He said, "Where the carcass is there will the

eagles be." We do welcome you more than words can express and we are looking

forward to a feast of fat things. In behalf of the St. Louis Church, we welcome you to this

city, hall and hospitality and introduce you to the permanent Chariman of the Convention

-- Bro. Frank Draper.

Bro. Draper then took the chair and said: -- Bro. Chairman and brothers and sisters of St.

Louis Church generally, in the name of the WATCH TOWER BIBLE & TRACT

SOCIETY and all the dear brothers and sisters from nearly all the states of the Union and

Canada, I express warm appreciation of the kind Christian greeting extended by the St.

Louis Church, through its Chairman and representative, and reciprocate for you as well as

for myself the love that has been expressed by our dear brothers and sisters, and that we

appreciate all that the local church of St. Louis has done in making the necessary

preparations for this convention.

The Lord has spread and prepared a table for us in the presence of our enemies. The rich

viands placed on our table are not prepared by human minds or hands, but by the Lord

Himself, and spread them in rich profusion by the hand of him whom the Lord Himself

has used, the Bible & Tract Society. Now, it rests with us as individuals, the blessing that

we will receive.

I prayed to the Lord long before the convention that I might be permitted to attend and be

a blessing to others as well as receive a blessing myself. I have met hundreds of others in

the past that have prayed in like manner, and that is the present purpose in coming to the

convention.

There are quite a number that have never attended a Convention before and are diffident.

Don't wait to be introduced to anybody. Say, I am Bro. and Sister so and so from such a

place, who are you? We will soon feel like one great family in short order.

This present service is of a social order, for prayer, praise and testimony. Make your

testimonies short and tell of you present experiences, rather than your past, as there are so

many here, and while many could entertain us very profitably with a talk for fifteen or

twenty minutes, yet we have not the time for long talks.

After a song, the friends from all over began to testify and there were many beautiful

testimonies, the details of which I did not get, but they told of their present experiences,

some having been in the truth sometime and others were but babes. It was good to be

there. This meeting closed about twelve o'clock, when the friends began to greet Bro.

Russell, referred to later on in the report before the Chicago Church.

At 2:30 there was a Praise service and at 3 o'clock Bro. Draper introduced me to the first

speaker, Bro. W. Hope Hay, whose subject was "LOVE", taking his text from the 18th of

1st Corinthians, extracts of his sermon follow: This is for the brethren and to help them

along the narrow way. 1st, though I speak with the tongues of angels and have not love,

etc. It is to qualify his every utterance. 2nd love suffereth long and is kind. He showed

how this was illustrated in God's love by saying that God had been robbed of His name

and character by blasphemous doctrines and then they robbed Him of his son and hung

Him on the cross, yet He loved them notwithstanding. Jesus illustrated this same long-

suffering love when he said: "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do." They

need sympathy and help, later on, we will be able to help them.

Next, "Love envieth not." All break the law. Love is the fulfilling of the law. Selfishness

is sin. The common form is envy. If a man had a fortune left him and he asked his

neighbors in to rejoice with him, some of them, deep down in their hearts, would wish

they had some of it. Satan's fall was because he was envious of God's dominion.

Sometimes it is along spiritual lines; envious of the positions of elders, pilgrims, Bible

House workers etc. We are all one body and we all have something that we can do. We

have only one head, and the head we have now is the Master's. In the fleshly body are

many little blood vessels, each doing a work that is not seen by the other and which is not

seen by the outside world, so in the spiritual body, we may be like one of the little blood

vessels. He gave the illustration of a railroad man in Wisconsin, a telegraph operator,

who saw a tract in the waiting room, read it and came into the truth. Some one did the

work of a little blood-vessel. The one that put it there does not know the result of the

work. We should not be envious, but simply do our part and be satisfied with what we

have to do, even though our work is not seen by anyone else and we ourselves do not see

the results.

The Truth is not plain and easy for the world to see. Serve the consecrated class, not only

those among us, but those included in every denomination, or wherever they are. The

truth is not easy and plain for them. Agree with them as far as possible. He told how one

party was once in a congregation and the minister gave opportunity for any who wished

to speak; this brother at once got up and said: "Babylon is fallen, come out of her." It is

needless to say he did not accomplish much. You remember how Paul used tact when he

talked to the people about the "unknown God." Bro. Russell always sees first what he can

agree with when talking to a person. You will remember when in debate with Dr. Eaton

that he always first told what he could approve in Dr. Eaton's remarks. Whenever you

talk with anyone, first find out what he believes and then agree with him as far as

possible. If a man says he is a Presbyterian, say, I believe in election also; if he says he is

a Methodist, you can agree that there is free grace taught in the Bible; if he is a Dowite,

you can agree on restitution, etc. Put yourself in the attitude of a learner instead of a

teacher and ask them what they make out of this passage and that passage. If he is a

reasonable person, he will soon tell you that he cannot tell you and will ask you what you

think of it, then you can lovingly and gently tell your side. If they do see the truth, it will

not be because it is so simple.

Next, good temper. Bad temper is due to selfishness. Get your minds on the troubles of

others. Bro. Hay illustrated this by telling how one time when on a Pilgrim trip through

Nebraska, he had a terrible headache and the friends at a certain place where he was

going had planned for two meetings; he thought of himself and made up his mind to ask

them to let him off and have only one meeting, but when he arrived, they told him they

had planned for a long baptism service. He thought surely he could not do that-thinking

of self, but he could see no way out of it and so started in. He soon got his mind off of

self and when he was through he had no headache. Get your mind on the troubles of

others. If any have any troubles or think there is a difference between yourself and others,

go and see them, and 9 times out of 10 it will all be straightened out.

Rejoice not in iniquity. You might be in some transaction in which the law of the land

would exempt you from fulfilling, but love would not exempt you from doing the right no

matter what the law of the land said.

Love beareth all things. Two ways; one by sorrow, thinking their cross was too hard. The

other way is as the Apostle said: "Sorrowful, yet always happy." Not for the sorrow, but

for joy, he endured the cross.

Love believeth all things. Not every idle tale or every doctrine. The testimony of the

human race is the same, all men are liars. We should become like little children in that we

are teachable, etc.

Abideth all things. God has all power, etc., and has given it to his Son. He has proved that

He will keep His word, because He kept the world under the penalty until it was paid.

Love endureth all things. (I did not get notes on this point).

Like little children when they get a new toy they like to show it to others and think of

course that others ought to be equally interested in it; so with us when we got the truth,

but we have put away childish things and now use judgment as to whom we speak to.

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