The Cumberland River Trip

On Wednesday, May 25, near the close of the Lake Union Conference session, Ellen White left Berrien Springs for a trip into the South. With her on the train were Edson White, Sara McEnterfer, Maggie Hare, and Dr. and Mrs. David Paulson.WV 449.8

During the six-hour layover in Chicago Dr. Paulson arranged to take her out to Hinsdale to the site where plans were being laid to open a new sanitarium. She found Hinsdale something like Takoma Park. She thought the surroundings were perhaps even more beautiful, and she felt it would make an excellent place for a medical institution.WV 450.1

Back in Chicago in the late afternoon, with Edson and her two women helpers, Mrs. White boarded the train for Nashville. The overnight trip was comfortable, and in the morning they were met by W. O. Palmer, one of Edson's close helpers. He drove them to the plant of the Southern Publishing Association and then to Edson's home nearby. She made this her headquarters for the next six weeks.WV 450.2

During the Berrien Springs meeting both Professors Sutherland and Magan had resigned from their positions of leadership at Emmanuel Missionary College. They expressed their determination to go into the South, find a tract of land, and begin a self-supporting school. From Nashville they set out in various directions in search of a suitable property within their financial capability. They found one in particular—the Ferguson-Nelson place—but the quality of the land fell short of their desires. Then plans were developed for quite a large party to make a trip up the Cumberland River on the Morning Star, to continue the search for a school site. They would wait until W. C. White had closed up his work in the North and joined them in Nashville before making the trip.WV 450.3

Ellen White and all her party would be on the boat. She had visited the Morning Star in 1901 as she passed through Vicksburg, but had not traveled on the boat. A full week would be spent on the trip up the Cumberland River, and besides, she would be with her son and his wife. She eagerly looked forward to this.WV 450.4

While the Morning Star was being readied, she rested in Edson's home. He earnestly hoped that his mother would have an enjoyable experience living on the boat, and craved her counsel as he sought a site for another school for Blacks near Nashville.WV 450.5

Recounting the experience, she spoke of the bountiful supply of good things from Edson's garden—green peas, strawberries, potatoes, sweet corn. She felt that the good 10-acre (four-hectare) tract of land that had been secured for the publishing house was a favorable one.WV 450.6

As the Sabbath neared, some thought perhaps it would be better if Ellen White did not try to speak that day in Nashville, but she said, “I have a message to bear” (Letter 183, 1904). She tells of how the Lord strengthened her, and “I bore a straightforward testimony. Maggie reported what I said. Afterward I was told that even had I known the real condition of things in the church, which I did not, I could not have spoken more to the point” (Ibid.).WV 450.7

Tuesday, June 7, was the day set for boarding the Morning Star and beginning the trip up the Cumberland River. That morning she wrote to her granddaughter Mabel:WV 451.1

We are just about to leave here for a trip of six or seven days up the Cumberland River in the Morning Star. Our party will consist of Brethren Magan and Sutherland, your Uncle Edson and your Aunt Emma, your father, your grandmother, Sara, Brother Crisler, who returned from Graysville yesterday, Maggie, Edson's stenographer, and several others. We expect to start about noon today (Letter 191, 1904).WV 451.2

As matters developed, some repairs had to be made on the boat, hence they were delayed until the next morning. The main object for the trip was to find land for a self-supporting school, but everyone looked forward to a change and a little vacation.WV 451.3

In addition to those who were named by Ellen White as being in the traveling party, there were the pilot, Will Palmer; Mr. Judd, Edson's stenographer; a fireman; an engineer; a cook; and a general hand. Several of these were Blacks. Passengers and crew numbered 16 in all. As they traveled north they stopped occasionally, sometimes for repairs, sometimes to purchase produce and milk or buttermilk from the farms they passed. From time to time they stopped to look at the land.WV 451.4

On the trip most of the men slept on the lower deck on double-wire camp meeting cots. The women slept on the upper deck, and the pilot slept in the pilothouse. The dining room also was on the upper deck. Each morning Crisler, Willie, and several others put on their bathing suits, which Ellen White described as “very becoming,” and had a swim. The current was too strong to swim upstream, so they would dive off the front of the boat, swim along its side, and climb up on the framework around the paddlewheel (25 WCW, pp. 315-318).WV 451.5

On Sabbath, instead of having a church service, Willie, Edson, Will Palmer, Sutherland, and Magan climbed a nearby mountain and spent the morning in prayer and fellowship. Mrs. White recorded in her diary that “this precious Sabbath was a day long to be remembered by the passengers on this boat. I believe that all are being benefited” (Manuscript 143, 1904).WV 451.6

By the time they reached Carthage, 170 miles (272 kilometers) north of Nashville, it had become apparent that the main object of the journey—to find land at reasonable prices—was not going to be accomplished. The land that was expected to be available for $2 or $3 an acre (.4 hectare), or $8 or $10, was running about $60 an acre. Willie concluded that the low prices he had heard about were those offered 20 or 30 years earlier. But nobody seemed to mind too much. Ellen White became more and more emphatic that any schools they would establish should be near Nashville. So on Monday morning the Morning Star started back down the river. Much better time was made with the river current carrying them along.WV 451.7