MacPherson, Addie Walling
St. Helena, California
March 1, 1906
Portions of this letter are published in PC 211-213. +NoteOne or more typed copies of this document contain additional Ellen White handwritten interlineations which may be viewed at the main office of the Ellen G. White Estate.
My dear niece Addie:
I have received your excellent letter. Thank you for it. A few days since, I received a letter from May. Before getting this letter, I had not known where to send a letter to her, but now, having heard from her, we know where to address her. At present she is in Denver with her brother Fred. In her letter she gave a very brief account of her visit to Washington, D.C., and of the few weeks she spent in Nashville, Tennessee. She will come to us after spending a week or two longer with her brother. 21LtMs, Lt 94, 1906, par. 1
I am quite sure that it will be best for May to go to Loma Linda. I think she will be appreciated there. She can work in some line as a teacher, helping to educate those giving treatment. 21LtMs, Lt 94, 1906, par. 2
Willie will be here tomorrow, Friday, on the next train from Mountain View. Since leaving home, he has taken a long journey and has spoken many times. On some occasions he has spoken three times daily, besides attending council meetings. We shall be pleased to see him again. 21LtMs, Lt 94, 1906, par. 3
March 2
I had a hard night, not of pain, but of burden of soul. We expect Willie this morning at eleven o’clock. I feared that in a few days we should be called to Southern California to attend the dedication services of the Loma Linda and Paradise Valley Sanitariums. But we learn that the brethren have decided to hold these services later in the season, when the weather will permit out-of-door services. Loma Linda has a large, beautiful lawn, which is encircled with pepper trees; and on it there are comfortable benches. I once spoke on this lawn to quite an audience, a number not of our faith being present. But the tops of the pepper trees met over the stand, and the odor of these trees, which I thought would be most beneficial to me, was too strong. I find that we must live to learn. 21LtMs, Lt 94, 1906, par. 4
I wish that both you and your husband could be connected with this sanitarium. You should be where you can use your knowledge in educating. I shall soon need a bookkeeper. I need all the talent you possess, and I think your husband could be employed to good advantage in his line of work. Why should we be kept so far apart? Think of this. There are lines of work in which your husband could engage, and both of you being in the faith, you could put your talents to use as intelligent workers. I shall see what presents itself. 21LtMs, Lt 94, 1906, par. 5
Soon we shall begin evangelistic work in Redlands, a town about four miles from Loma Linda. Elder Haskell and his wife have come from the East to help us start this work. They spent a month with us here and then visited Sister Haskell’s sister at Armona. They are now at Loma Linda. 21LtMs, Lt 94, 1906, par. 6
During the months of September, October, and November, the weather was nearly perfect. I have had a fire only a few times during these months. Last month we had two weeks of rain, which was very much needed. The rain fell gently, and there was but little wind. I have never seen so mild a winter. Last week it rained, but now the weather is pleasant again. 21LtMs, Lt 94, 1906, par. 7
A few miles from Redlands there are cities that have never been worked. Riverside is eight miles from Loma Linda. We have treatment rooms there. They are not extensive, but are large enough to accommodate the people of that city. While we were in Redlands last year, we drove to Riverside, a distance of eleven miles, and I spoke in our church there. At this place our people have a very nice meetinghouse. We drove over in order to see the country. We passed through acres of orange groves. It was a beautiful and interesting sight; for the trees were loaded with fruit. I never saw anything like it before. We returned to Redlands on the train, and again we passed through miles of orange land, the trees laden with their beautiful, golden fruit. We saw also large groves of grapefruit and lemon trees. 21LtMs, Lt 94, 1906, par. 8
Our future effort must be to reach the people of these cities with the truth. At Fernando, a town about twenty miles from Los Angeles, we have a school. Two or three years ago the brethren wrote me that at Fernando they had found for sale at a very low price a property admirably adapted for school purposes. There were two buildings—a fine brick structure two stories high, with a large attic, and a wooden dormitory. The brethren asked me whether I would advise the purchase of this property. I immediately responded, “Purchase it by all means; let there be no delay.” 21LtMs, Lt 94, 1906, par. 9
This property was obtained for eleven thousand dollars. When the school at Fernando opened, I was requested to give the opening talk. I had great freedom in speaking. The Lord has blessed this school. The Bible classes are conducted by Elder Owen, who is an excellent Bible instructor. This school is not far from Loma Linda and Redlands. President Roosevelt, on a journey through Southern California, when he first got a view of the city of Redlands and its surroundings, took off his hat, and said, “This is glorious. I never imagined such a sight.” The scenery is indeed charming. 21LtMs, Lt 94, 1906, par. 10
In Redlands we have a splendid opening for work. Some time ago Elder Simpson held a series of tent-meetings here, and a company of believers was raised up. They built a small but very neat house of worship, and in this church I spoke when I was in Redlands a year ago. 21LtMs, Lt 94, 1906, par. 11
It was in the providence of God that we obtained possession of Loma Linda. This property comprises one large building, five cottages, and sixty-seven acres of land in a most beautiful location. The land was purchased and the buildings erected and equipped by a company of one hundred and fifty physicians at a cost of one hundred and fifty thousand dollars. Under their management the institution did not succeed financially, and not long ago we bought it furnished throughout with durable, high-grade furniture for forty thousand dollars. Twenty thousand dollars of the purchase price was to be paid in several payments at stated times, with the balance in two years. But the former owners found themselves in need of money and agreed to take off two hundred dollars’ interest, were a certain payment made at a date before the time agreed upon. Brother Burden raised the money and thus saved two hundred dollars. 21LtMs, Lt 94, 1906, par. 12
Once more these men found themselves in a strait place, and they said that if we would pay the remaining amount of indebtedness, they would throw off nine hundred dollars. Brother Burden paid the whole amount, some of our people taking stock in the institution and some making gifts. This means to the institution a saving of eleven hundred dollars, which otherwise would have had to be paid. This was a great advantage. 21LtMs, Lt 94, 1906, par. 13
In enabling us to obtain possession of this property, the Lord has certainly brought to the cause a most wonderful opportunity. We praise God with heart and soul and voice. There are five cottages, well fitted up, besides the large building. These are all furnished in the best of style. The smaller cottages are made with wide piazzas running round the four sides, and the windows are so arranged that the beds can be wheeled out on to the veranda. In each cottage there is a bathroom. The larger cottage has two stories and is furnished throughout with solid red and black mahogany furniture. 21LtMs, Lt 94, 1906, par. 14
All the mattresses, blankets, sheets, pillow-slips, couch-pillows, and bedding in general were in excellent condition when we took over the property. There were about eighty towels, besides those in the rooms, and about one hundred and thirty-five small linen towels. There are table napkins in abundance, and silverware of all description, as well as chinaware. 21LtMs, Lt 94, 1906, par. 15
There is one room in which sun baths may be taken, and a large parlor, two sides of which are of glass. This is the most beautiful room I was ever in in my life. There is also another large, well-furnished parlor. Two rooms above this have in them twenty rocking chairs and reclining chairs, which are very comfortable. 21LtMs, Lt 94, 1906, par. 16
Besides these buildings, there is another building, which was used as a recreation building. This will serve for a time as a meetinghouse. Both lower and upper stories are fitted up with rocking chairs. Those in charge seemed to have a passion for rocking chairs. 21LtMs, Lt 94, 1906, par. 17
There are two barns and some carriages, somewhat worn, several horses, four cows, and a large calf, a good number of chickens, and some turkeys. There were some hogs, but these have been disposed of. 21LtMs, Lt 94, 1906, par. 18
Ten acres of the land is in oranges and apricots. The apricots are the largest I have ever seen. We only tasted the oranges when we were there, but Brother Burden has recently sent us several boxes of oranges and grapefruit, which we find most excellent. The apples grown there do not amount to much. We secured the place last summer before the fruit was ripe, and more was put up during the season than they will be able to use this summer. We had to buy peaches for canning. I helped to pick some of them. We bought the fruit on the trees, and it was delicious. They are now setting out more grape vines and orange trees and other kinds of fruit, but these will not come into bearing for some time. 21LtMs, Lt 94, 1906, par. 19
The main building stands on an eminence, and one must climb a long flight of steps to reach the front door. About two hundred rods from the building there is a little railway station. From here there is a drive of easy and gradual ascent, which encircles the rise of ground upon which stand the main building, the nine-roomed cottage, and the four smaller cottages. The hill is set out to ornamental and fruit trees. On it there is still another cottage, which has been used for the laborers. 21LtMs, Lt 94, 1906, par. 20
The Loma Linda Sanitarium will be dedicated in four or five weeks. I hear that the institution is filled with patients. Every one who has gone there is delighted with the place. 21LtMs, Lt 94, 1906, par. 21
Now I have given you the fullest description of Loma Linda that I have written to any one, as I thought you would like to hear about the place. I have never lost my interest in you; for you are one of my children, a member of my family. If you will love and serve the Lord, I shall be grateful that in your childhood I consented to take charge of you. You are the purchase of the blood of Christ, and I do want you to find entrance into the city whose builder and maker is God. Let us all strive together to secure the immortal inheritance. I shall be glad to become acquainted with your husband, and I may meet you, if my life is spared. May the Lord bless you both, is my prayer. 21LtMs, Lt 94, 1906, par. 22
Your Aunt. 21LtMs, Lt 94, 1906, par. 23