The Trip North on the Cumberland River

Wednesday morning they pulled out into the river and started the trip north. “I shall enjoy the trip,” wrote Ellen White, “for I have much to say to our party—especially to Brethren Sutherland and Magan, upon the school problem. This opportunity I must improve.... I retired early to my bed.”—Manuscript 143, 1904.5BIO 342.4

In addition to those who were named by Ellen White as being in the traveling party there were the pilot, Will Palmer; Mr. Judd, who was Edson’s stenographer; a fireman; an engineer; a cook; and a general hand. Several of these were blacks. Passengers and crew numbered sixteen 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.5BIO 342.5

In her diary Ellen White recorded, “I am so glad I could give satisfaction to my children in accompanying them on this tour of inspection of lands suitable for schools for both colored and white.” She described the scenery as being beautiful and said, “It is a grand outing for us all.” From time to time they passed large rafts of logs floating down the river to be cut into lumber. On Friday they came to Rocky Bluffs, where they saw deep caves. At the entrance of one they saw a young goat, the color of a deer. Ellen White declared, “We would have been pleased to have had that little precious treasure in our home in California, but God has a care for these wild creatures in their own birthplace among the rocks.”—Ibid.5BIO 342.6

Friday evening, June 9, the Morning Star tied up at Hartsville, ready to spend the Sabbath. Ellen White wrote in her diary:5BIO 343.1

I felt very thankful to our heavenly Father that mother and her children could be on the boat together. This is the first time I have had the privilege of riding on the steamer Morning Star. The scenery has been very beautiful. It is God’s nature’s own adorning—a wonderful formation of ledges of rock piled one above another.—Ibid.5BIO 343.2

She observed that “we glide along without disagreeable motion. We go on about twenty or thirty miles to Carthage. We are looking for land.” But she was not in full harmony with the plans to locate a school at such a great distance from centers of population. She wrote:5BIO 343.3

We are told land can be purchased cheaply. But I do not consider it wise to locate schools far off from Nashville, for one party of workers will be strengthened by another party of workers in or near Nashville. If these schools are to become strong and efficient they must at times unite their wisdom and their forces and help one another.—Ibid.5BIO 343.4

Also, she felt they should be close enough to Nashville that the contacts could lead to practical missionary activities.5BIO 343.5

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 Clarence, 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, p. 315-318).5BIO 343.6

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. She found it was a delightful change and rest. In fact, she always enjoyed traveling on the water, on oceans as well as rivers and lakes.5BIO 344.1

Sunday morning they were on their way north again, nearing Carthage, the most distant point of the journey, some 170 miles north of Nashville by boat.5BIO 344.2