Manuscripts and Memories of Minneapolis

S. N. Haskell to W. C. White, Oct. 10, 1892

S. N. Haskell
“Hill of Science”, Crystal Springs, St. Helena,
Oct. 10, 1892,
Dear Brother White,-

Another mail has arrived, and I scarcely know what to write you in which you would be especially interested. The changes are still going on at the Retreat. I received a letter from your mother, advising us not to invite Morrison here to take charge of the Retreat as Superintendent. Had we received that word from her in season, we should have done nothing of the kind; but it was some three months ago, about the time that we wrote her in regard to it, that Dr. Bro. Olsen, myself, and I think D. T. Jones, although I am not sure that he was present, talked the matter over respecting a superintendent. For a superintendent of the Health Retreat, it requires a man of good business qualifications, an enterprising man, an organizer, in fact, a man of rare ability, as well as a godly man. We talked this all over together, and there was no one we could think of who could be obtained as Bro. J. H. Morrison of Iowa. MMM 230.1

We well knew his attitude in reference to Jones and Waggoner, but he has been changing his position in that respect for many months. He says himself, and has told me repeatedly that he now sees that his attitude toward Waggoner and your mother was entirely wrong. I do not understand that he means his position on the law, but his position toward your mother. He though that your mother was driving to sustain the law, but he now says that he see that the movement at that time was to bring in new light on justification by faith, and that he extremely regrets the position which he took. MMM 230.2

After Kellogg, Olsen, and company, including myself, had talked the matter over, in time we began a correspondence with him in reference to coming here to the Retreat. Olsen, Jones, and myself wrote him, and in our correspondence we learned of this change that has taken place in his mind. I do not think that he stands in the light, but he is a very changed man from what he was. He said that he thought that he would write to your mother a plain statement of his feelings, and then he was afraid that it might be misunderstood, and would prefer to talk with her. I have not asked him to write, but have left him perfectly free to act on his own responsibility in the matter. But when we received the letter from your mother, he was already here; and the time had come when Fulton must leave on account of his health. The Doctor said that unless there was a favorable turn in his disease, he was liable to die before spring. Dan. Jones and myself took what your mother wrote and read it to Morrison, so that he could stop or leave, just as he pleased We finally made arrangements with him to come and take the position of Superintendent for a year, unless there be some developments why he should leave.. Should your mother be decided on this point, he will leave and return to Iowa. He does not move his family until February, so there will be time for your mother to write; and we will also write from month to month to keep her posted as to how things move. MMM 230.3

[Selection ends here.] MMM 231.1