The last 5 months of Charles Taze Russell's life was quite hectic, and according to reports in the Watch Tower magazine, Russell's health was declining throughout.
In September, 1916, Russell went on a Convention Train Tour which lasted nearly the entire month. This train tour included stops in several southern California locations around the 8th through the 12th.
Russell arrived back in Brooklyn sometime in the last few days of September. After making a number of administrative adjustments, on October 16, Russell and evidently only Menta Sturgeon jumped on a train again and headed back to California. Alhough Russell and Sturgeon made a number of "pilgrim" stops along the way, particularly in Texas, it seems that the real purpose of the trip was to again visit the southern California area.
Note the followig excerpt from Sturgeon's account of the trip, which seems to throw out some very strong "hints" about some "problems" occurring which related to "business propositions". Russell spent an entire day somewhere in southern California that was off the main railroad line. The next day's trip to speak to the LA Bible Students appears to have been done only to provide "cover" for the real purpose of the trip. After the LA speech, Russell headed back to Brooklyn, but never made it.
Anyone have any idea what "business propositions" in southern California were so significant that Russell could not have handled such by letter or telegraph?
Frankly, I do NOT believe this relates to the issue of Rutherford's later taking over control of the Society. I believe something else was going on in S. Ca. Anyone else have any ideas or speculations. Please keep in mind that this is 1916; not pre-1914.
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"On Friday night, when we reached a junction point in California where we had to change trains, Brother Russell arose and dressed as usual, although, of course, he was very weak. This is just what we thought he would do when it came time for his next meeting; for he had often done so before. All day Saturday, under severe pain, in great weakness, with obstructions piling up before him every moment, he struggled with business propositions like a giant. We have never seen or heard of anything to equal his heroism. Friends had disappointed him, and he wondered if the Lord were not against him in some things. His trials thickened and deepened. Not a murmur or complaint did he utter. He had promised the Lord that he would not, and he kept his promise. He was so great that I nearly always hesitated about drawing near to him.
"Our train was an hour or more late in arriving in Los Angeles on Sunday morning, October 29th, ... ."