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Thursday, March 27, 2014

Feedback

It would be nice to get some feeback from blog readers. We don't often. When we do it comes from the same four or five people. This suggests to me that we're waisting our time with this blog. Posting new research and such takes time. If it is of no value to most who come here, then why am I doing it?

Do you want this blog to live on? Shall I let it stay as it now is without adding to it? Let me know.

27 comments:

Edward said...

I check this blog regularly just about every time I go online the last 2 years. Been waiting on pins and needles for the new book. (It's supposed to arrive tomorrow) But I don't comment because I feel inadequate to add anything to the discussion. Hope the blog continues.

Anonymous said...

Thank you very much for your valuable and tireless work that I really appreciate. Your work is shared on our italian forum and has more than 9600 visits

http://testimonidigeova.freeforumzone.leonardo.it/d/10154591/I-Testimoni-di-Geova-1870-1879-/discussione.aspx

Sorry for my bad english, I'm Italian. Your brother "Seabiscuit"

jerome said...

The dashboard shows around 700 comments on this blog over the years and around 78,000 page views. Granted that the latter number will include multiple viewings, a lot of people still check the blog daily and you do get comments - sometimes with information, sometimes with offers of help (transcription or visiting an archive for instance). And the blog can still attract new readers out there, who may have something to contribute.

By putting things on the blogs (and you have actually had more posts on the restricted blog, blog 2) everybody can see things at the same time, and once in while, perhaps contribute something really valuable.

Perhaps we should express our thanks a little more often, as did both of the last two comments.

roberto said...

Grazie Bruce, grazie Rachael.

Anonymous said...

Vi leggo attraverso il forum che pubblica il materiale e penso che il lavoro di ricerca storica sia ammirevole!
Conoscendo il passato si può comprendere meglio il presente.
Siete davvero in gamba!
Complimenti

Gian

Anonymous said...

Vi leggo attraverso il forum che pubblica il materiale e penso che il lavoro di ricerca storica sia ammirevole!
Conoscendo il passato si può comprendere meglio il presente.
Siete davvero in gamba!
Complimenti !!

Gian

TeoT said...

Grazie infinite per il vostro lavoro. E' come rivedere un album di famiglia: pieno di bei ricordi, emozioni ed affetti.
Ed è come rivivere una gran bella storia: la storia del nostro "popolo". Una storia fantastica!
Grazie.

Anonymous said...

你就收获什么你播下种子

Miquel Angel Plaza-Navas said...

Book arrived today!!!! Excellent. There are not many forums or blogs like this, in which one can find (and also take part and send) good research about this part of religious history, almost unknown in the US (and you can imagine how unknown outside). I will read carefully the book and, if possible, give my comments. Do not stop your blog, please.

Anonymous said...

Lavoro ben fatto molto accurato,vi ringrazio per il tempo che dedicate a queste ricerche.
Truciolare64

Anonymous said...

Siete fantastici! Continuate così perchè ci aiutate a "ricordare" il nostro entusiasmante passato.

Mario

Anonymous said...

Grazie per le preziosità che vengono riportate anche sul nostro forum. Informazioni storiche che ci ricordano il nostro passato, proiettando nel presente.
(garoma)

Anonymous said...

Thanks, I really appreciate your work!

JimSpace said...

Hi, I'm a regular visitor and am previewing your latest book on Lulu. Excellent preview!

Massimo said...

I really appreciate your hard-work and commitment that you manifest in the production of your book. Greetings from Italy!

Massimo said...

I really appreciate your hard-work and commitment that you manifest in the production of your book. Greetings from Italy!

B said...

I read somewhere that posts on social networks are read by many more people than the authors think. That might also apply here.
But I understand that some more “input” would be useful. Okay, I'll try again.
It's not always simple to find something useful for those who live rather far away. For example: I tried to find out if the Photo Drama was ever shown in the European city where I live, but nobody seems to know anything about it. Russell did visit this place but I find no trace of it besides what was in the Yearbook. Finding smaller details might come close to impossible.
The only thing left is looking on the internet for things that happened in America.
I am one of those who appreciate the blog, and I'll try to renew my attempts to give feedback.

Mostly I sign my posts simply as “B", and sometimes I have mailed with my full name.

Ton Hollander said...

Perhabs as a help to B who posted about living far away:
In some countries lots of newspapers or books are digitized, like in the Dutch language, but also in English in Australia and Canada. Not knowing where you live is difficult to give a direct advice,
Perhabs the Wikipedia list on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:List_of_online_newspaper_archives
can be of assistance.
But indeed, it is not easy.
Ton

Ton Hollander said...

For example, B.,

If French is your mother language you can access through http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:List_of_online_newspaper_archives


the page http://doc.rero.ch/record/89283/files/1918-12-03.pdf
and on the last page of LÍmpartia in Switzerland see the Photodrama shown on 3, 4, 5, 6 snd 7 december in the Casino of Locle, Neufchateau
(Found in less than 20 minutes)


Ton

B. said...

Ton, in your southern neigbour country, it seems that many old newspapers are not scanned yet, not in French and not in your and my native language.
Sometimes I visit an archive, where dacades of newspapers can be consulted on computer. The older ones however have to be searched on microfilm.
I happened to find some of the local events here in New Zealand newspapers, but can not find it in local newspapers.
Toch bedankt, groeten.

Miquel Angel Plaza-Navas said...

Tom, following your message and advices on searching old newspapers, I am also interested in the spanish history of Bible Students in two directions. History of spanish bible students in USA and, second, the origin of their presence in Spain.
I have searched several historical digitized newspapers (from USA and from Spain). My thesis have an appendix about this. I do not want to bore anybody... but If you have find any info about the presence of a spanish branch in California, the edition of spanish literature and meetings in spanish at USA from 1910s to 1930s it would be interesting for me.

Ton Hollander said...

Miquel, My Spanish is just enough to read your Studyto enjoy it.
Yhis is not of the period about which this blog is msde, it is Bruce, who is a "brother" of mine will send it to you by email.

I know watchtowers from 1922 onwards have lists of congregations reporting the number of visitors of the Memorial.

The Yearbook 1925 says specifically:
“The Spanish work in the United States and Mexico
is conducted from the Brooklyn office with the assistance
of Brother Montero, at Los Angeles, California,
where THE WATCH TOWER is published in the Spanish
language. There has been a healthy increase of interest
among the Spanish-speaking people during the past
year in these countries.”

A bible Student, whose name is Parkinson, wrote:
“The Spanish work began with the translation of Vol. 1 in 1909 ca. March. The Photo-Drama was also
produced in Spanish. Robert Montero and J.L. Mayer were active in the work from Brooklyn. Ida
Zallmanzig and Henriqueta ("Hettie") Varro of Los Angeles labored in the southwestern U.S. until there
were Spanish classes from California to Texas. Work in Central America has been mentioned earlier in
connection with the Jamaican branch. Ramon E. Salgar of Bogota, Columbia, beginning in 1915, was
active and led a small class. Late in 1916, Dr. G.A. Tavel (French Swiss by birth) in Santa Ana, Salvador
was expressing readiness to spread the message throughout South America. Thus by the end of 1916 the
Spanish work was at a stage of incipient expansion.”

Roberto Montero was from San Diego, CA; in 1915 he was a deacon in the IBSA NY City ecclesia
Robert Montero is mentioned in the yearbook list of Ordained Ministers at least until 1943.

I presume you have read the remarks in the 1930 Yearbook page 72 and 128vv.

Genealogical details are found at http://genforum.genealogy.com/montero/messages/40.html
“ My grandfather was Roberto Montero, born in 1895 in Ibagué, Colombia. He was the son of Deogracias Montero and Amelia Varón of Ibague. He left Colombia at age 16 bound for Cuba, but met an American on the way and decided to come to the US instead. He worked in the Nabisco Cookie factory in New York while studying English and linotype operation in night school. He secured employment as a linotype operator and made this his career during his travels around the United States and Mexico. He was an early adherent of the Jehovah's Witness religion and helped start the JW branch in Mexico. In his later years, he settled in San Diego CA and worked for the San Diego Union newspaper. He also taught Spanish at night in adult high schools in the San Diego area, authoring a text "Essential Spanish by the Association of Ideas". As far as I know, he was an only child.

My grandmother, Noemí Enriquez, was born in Cusihuiriachic, Chihuahua, Mexico in 1898. She was a homemaker throughout her life. As a child, she'd learned some of the healing arts of the Tarahumara people from which she descended, and this spurred a lifelong interest in homepathic medicine. People sought her out for her abilities as a healer. Her brothers were Rafael, Abner, and Tony Enriquez of Los Angeles, CA, and Sefora Enriquez of Redlands, CA.

The children of Roberto and Noemí are Maria Luisa Montero of Rosemead CA and Robert Montero of Montebello CA. Maria Luisa, my mother, married Gildardo Enrique Bordier of Parral, Chihuahua, Mexico. Their children were Robert and Daniel Bordier.

Robert Montero married my aunt Hilda, whose maiden name unfortunately I cannot recall. Their children are Arlene, Delia, Richard, and Robert Raymond Montero.

Would be interested in hearing from any relatives or descendants of this branch of the Montero family. “ No followups.

A (non JW) history of Jehovah's Witnesses in Mexico is found on http://www.historicas.unam.mx/moderna/ehmc/ehmc28/333.html

As far as I can see it is not written by an ex-witness but by resl historian. See his footnotes!

I have his draft regitration card form WW 1

Semer said...

I check this and the private blog nearly every time I use the Internet. I really love your work. I wish I could be of more help, but at least I've purchased both of your books and told a lot of friends in Spain. Thank you for your work!

Miquel Angel Plaza-Navas said...

Thanks Ton. Yes, I think I have quoted almost all your comments on my thesis. Recently I found also the genealogical info about Roberto Montero and I tried to contact his family without any results.
Yes, I know this blog is from a previous period... but I know also that Bruce, Rachael, etc. was interested in the beginning of Bible Students work in other languages and places.

What I need to find is any info (at newspapers or any other place) about spanish meetings (from 1900s on)... I have researched digitized newspapers from California (only those that are of free access) but I haven't found any.

Sister Zallmanzig and Varro, and brother Montero... and the existence of spanish translations of several publications from 1908/1909 on... must have written some info on newspapers... but I haven't found anything,

And also I would be very interested to find and consult any spanish watchtowers from the U.S. edition at Los Angeles. I think it began on 1917 and finished on 1931. I haven't found any issue.
And also, from the spanish edition published in Spain, from1925 to 1931, more or less. I have seen only two issues.

If any reader of this blog knows how to access to these publications, please, share with me.
Thanks Ton, again.

Ton Hollander said...

To answer B

B van België dus,

No in Belgium not many papers, and I nver found anything Theocratic
Did you find http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=q&r=1&results=1&sf=byDA&r=1&o=10&e=--1912---1937--10--21-byDA-on--2Photo+drama+of+creation--
for example in New Zealand? 28 citations for Photo drama.
Lots to find on Trove in Australia.
Both The Aussies and the Kiwi's show a lot of that.
Nice to meet you, Ton

B. said...

Ton, yes, that's what I meant about New Zealand newspapers. But perhaps one day I'll come up with some details about Russell's visit in 1891.

RKj said...

Ho conosciuto questo blog grazie a un forum dove vengono ondivise le interessanti e belle informazioni, foto, e documenti pubblicati qui.
Grazie per il vostro lavoro!