PURCHASING THE NELSON FARM — INTRODUCTION

Part One told how our early schools led to the founding of the Battle Creek College and, later, the es-tablishment of Emmanuel Missionary College.

But, when Part One ended, two events began almost simultaneously. In the spring of 1904, Suth-erland and Magan left EMC; for they had been coun-seled by Ellen White to start a new school in the south-ern states. Just one year later, in the spring of 1905, another educational project began in southern Cali-fornia.

Here, in Part Two, we will follow Sutherland and Magan as they journeyed south in order to locate a suitable site for their new school. It is important that we learn what happened at Madison; for, in its history, we will learn both what to do—and what not to do—in a blueprint school.

In Part Three, we will survey the history of Loma Linda and the terrific impact it has had on our entire denomination in all the years since. But, from its ear-lier years, we will still learn more about the blueprint for a medical missionary training school.

Purchasing the Nelson Farm

Some readers will want to start a self-supporting missionary project. We will find extremely important principles for this throughout this book.

HEADING SOUTH

As we earlier discovered, from the summer of 1901 till the spring of 1904, Edward Sutherland and Percy Magan worked feverishly to make a success of Em-manuel Missionary College at Berrien Springs, Michi-gan. But, by 1903, they realized that the opposition to their blueprint reforms was intensifying and they would eventually be pushed out.

The Southern States had caught the attention of Sutherland and Magan as early as 1898, when Percy visited James Edson White, Ellen White’s son, who since 1894 had dedicated his life to helping poor blacks. At that time, he had cruised in Edson’s mis-sion steamer, the Morning Star.

In April 1899 and June 1901, for a short time Sutherland and Magan went to Alabama and Tennes-see to help Edson start some schools.

When Edson briefly visited Battle Creek in 1899, Magan helped him print his small journal, The Gospel Herald. They also gave Edson some donations ear-marked for his work.

“Several times, even before they took up the work in Berrien Springs, Brethren Magan and Sutherland expressed to me their burden for the work in the South. Their hearts are there . . They think that they can better glorify God by going to a more needy new field.”—EGW, remarks at meeting in Berrien Springs, May 23, 1904.

After handing in their resignations to the board of Emmanuel Missionary College, Sutherland and Magan made a trip to the South. On June 1, 1904,

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they arrived in Nashville and spoke with George I. But-ler, president of the Southern Union, and also visited S.N. Haskell, who, just then, was conducting an evan-gelistic series in Nashville. You will recall that Magan had earlier made a round-the-world trip with Elder Haskell, during which time Magan had written those 49 articles for the Youth’s Instructor (January 1890 to July 1891). So they were already very close friends.

Both deeply believed in obeying the Spirit of Prophecy blueprint in all its aspects.

The day after arriving in Nashville, Sutherland and Magan visited with Ellen White in Edson’s home, where they discussed the liklihood for a new school.

Her son, W.C. White, was with her. In the providence of the Lord, they happened to be spending a few weeks in the South.

THE RIVERBOAT TOUR

Very enthusiastic about the prospects, Ellen White encouraged them to go on a riverboat tour of possible real estate holdings.

On Thursday morning, June 9, with Edson at the helm, the Morning Star headed up the Cumberland River. Then, suddenly, the ship broke down and was forced to dock at Edgefield Junction Landing for re-pairs, not far from a tiny place on the road, called Madi-son.

Since they had time on their hands, W.O. Palmer, one of Edson’s helpers, took Ellen White to the nearby Nelson Farm which Edson had earlier learned about. Priced at $12,000, it had 414 acres. But, as they looked about the farm, they saw that it needed repairs; and, although the lower fields were quite fer-tile, some of the higher ground had been eroded of its topsoil. The farm was 15 miles from Nashville.

The next day, she told Sutherland and Magan

Purchasing the Nelson Farm

that this was the place they should purchase. Frankly, somewhat shocked by her announcement, they hesi-tated to purchase such an expensive property.

“Sutherland and Magan intended to locate their school in the mountains of eastern Tennessee or in the west-ern section of the Carolinas” (Light Bearers to the Rem-nant, p. 245). So the Morning Star headed up the river and the two men spent two days looking at various farms, but without success. Finally, they decided that Ellen White knew what was best. Later years would prove it to be an outstanding choice.

PURCHASE OF THE PROPERTY

Upon returning to Edgefield Junction, Ellen White spoke with the owners of the Nelson Farm, an elderly couple named Ferguson. But, after initially agreeing to the sale, when Magan spoke to her after-ward, Mrs. Ferguson tried to back out, demanding more money.

“I never went through more of a siege in my life.

She now wants about $13,000 for the place. This, of course, is much more money than we had thought we could possibly pay, and yet on the whole, I think the place is better than any other place at that money.”—Magan to Ellen White, June 19, 1904.

Meanwhile, Sutherland had gone to Berrien Springs to get his aunt, Mrs. Druillard, to help pay for it. But, upon hearing about it, Druillard hesitated and said no; but then she decided to return with him and look at the place. Arriving there, she liked it.

On June 22, an agreement was drawn up for the purchase price of $12,723, with a $5,000 down to be paid within 10 days. The final papers were signed the following day.

Ellen White then promised Nellie R. Druillard (1844-1938) that if she would help the boys with the

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project, that God would give her a long life; and He did.

“Said Mrs. White to Mother D that day: ‘Nell, you think you are just about old enough to retire. If you will come and cast your lot with this work, if you will look after these boys, and guide them in what the Lord wants them to do, then the Lord will re-new your youth, and you will do more in the future than you have ever done in the past.’ ”—A.W.

Spalding, Christ’s Last Legion, p. 169.

She joined as a founder of the school and con-tinued to support it until her death at the age of 94.

“Mrs. Druillard had one of the shrewdest finan-cial heads in the denomination. She had acted as treasurer and financier in several positions, includ-ing a foreign field.”—Ibid., 168.

— UNITED THOUGH SEPARATE —