Barbour Book

Before I get too far into S. I. volume three, I intend to update Nelson Barbour. I know enough more now to make a few corrections and add significant detail. If your research can add to the book, please do forward it to me.

I need a techie who can ...

I need someone who can help apply these changes to this blog:

https://problogger.com/protect-your-content-from-being-copied-in-3-steps/

Also, I reject the rather stupid claim that I hate Polish people. I detest thieves and trolls. Certainly, the majority of Poles are neither.

At this point, however, if blogger allowed it, I'd block all visits from Poland, Ukraine, Russia, and Korea. They're almost always from spammers, those who steal intellectual property, or who misrepresent what is on this blog.

This is a history blog. We disallow polemics here. And I strongly resent the theft of copyrighted material.

A Reminder

This blog's contents are covered by International Copyright and United States Copyright. You may link to a post, or quote from a small portion of it, but you may not copy it entire to you site.

This is directed specifically to the Polish readers who seem to have no sense of ethics, law or civility. Stop it.

The Finished Mystery

The March 1, 1918, Watch Tower was a special printing of The Finished Mystery, with a number of illustrations that remind one of the later Golden Age magazine. In the pictures that follow, note the special message printed (over-printed?) on the front cover of the magazine, to get the contents into the hands of those at the front.

William I. Mann

I was contacted by Mann's great grandson. I have permission to share this photo of him.

WT antecedents

Some of you researching American religious history as it is before Russell will find this useful or at least interesting:

https://books.google.com/books?id=iSddAAAAcAAJ&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

On the Mount of Olives (1910)

Back on September 17 last year a captioned picture was posted with details of the personnel appearing in the famous scene of the Bible Students on the Mount of Olives. Since then Bernhard has done further research and thanks to him we can now post a more accurate and up-to-date version.

Below the photograph is a list of names. Those in blue print are the sisters, but we cannot at present be sure of exactly who was who in the line-up. Bernhard has also listed those who had been or were part of the group, but did not appear in this particular photograph. Mary Rutherford is one example.

Depending on your device, you may need to click on the image to see it complete.

Our most recent visits came from here:

Lancaster, Lancashire, United Kingdom

Glasgow, Glasgow City, United Kingdom

Ivry-sur-seine, Ile-de-France, France

Monterey Park, California, United States

Whitinsville, Massachusetts, United States

North Kingstown, Rhode Island, United States

Cardiff, United Kingdom

Tacoma, Washington, United States

Daejeon, Taejon-jikhalsi, Korea [Spam visit]

Croydon, United Kingdom

Zagreb, Grad Zagreb, Croatia

Amherst, Wisconsin, United States

Gross Twulpstedt, Niedersachsen, Germany

Frederick, Maryland, United States

Carmarthen, Carmarthenshire, United Kingdom

Pechbonnieu, Midi-Pyrenees, France

Medford, Oregon, United States

Tullahoma, Tennessee, United States

Palermo, Sicilia, Italy

Umeå, Vasterbottens Lan, Sweden

Hillside, Illinois, United States

Dhaka, Bangladesh

Thornbury, Victoria, Australia

Visits this past week came from here:

Research Questions

I cannot undertake extensive research in your behalf. I'm old, infirm, and none of the blog writers knows every detail of Watch Tower history.

We expect you to pursue your own research. Yes, I know pinning some things to the ground is difficult. Do any of you think my research has been easy? That it has taken from 2013 to 2020 to finish volume 2 of Separate Identity should tell you that it has not been easy. There is seldom an easy research path. Do not expect every question you have to have an easy answer.

I also do not have time or the inclination to discuss your contrary observations especially when they are phrased or based on indistinct phrases. I may say, for example, that I've researched some aspect of Watch Tower history from many years. What does that mean? Three? Seventy? And when did I start? 1950? 2017? And at what age did I start? Ten? Twenty? Seventy? One cannot date an inexact statement on the statement alone. Do not expect me to engage with you over this or anything similar.

I've received emails from someone in Poland asking to differentiate between a date in October 1914. The event at hand is variously dated to the first and second, October 1914. This is outside my current research, and while it may be important, it is not a subject I'm pursuing or will pursue anytime in the near future. Do not send me a list of modern Watchtower quotations. The original source material is what matters. Find it.

If you can't find it, query the Watchtower Society. They made the claim. They can tell you why they used two different dates. Write them or email them if you have an email contact.

Their address is Office of Public Information, 1 Kings Dr, Tuxedo Park, NY 10987-5500. Include your email address in the return address. Date your letter. Keep your question simple and to the point. Expect a delay. The office of public information is working on some complex projects. No, don't ask what they are. I do not know; I only know of them. An answer will require some time. If your letter is obnoxious, do not expect an answer.

Postcard from Cedar Point

A friend of this blog has sent Bruce a scan of a postcard sent from the Cedar Point Ohio convention of September 1922. It was written on September 11 (obviously during the convention) and mailed on September 13.

Front of postcard:

Rear of postcard:

Close up of addresser and addressee:

Transcribing the card, it was mailed to Walter Hixon, Grand, Okla. and reads:

Dear Bro and Sis,
It seems almost as if heaven has come down to earth. It's wonderful and glorious to be here among 15 thousand of God's people. I wish you could just peep in a second when meeting is on. Will be home for Sun evening meeting, D.V.
Love
Bro J.B.S.

Note from Jerome

Who was J.B.S? Who was Walter Hixon? Hixon appears in the local newspapers several times in this period. From the Ellis County Capital (Arnett) newspaper for 6 August, 1920:

This ran for a number of weeks in this newspaper. Then in 1921, the Ellis County Capital for 29 April, 1921, carried this notice:

Out of available records on the Ancestry site about the only candidate I could find for Walter Hixon is a Walter H. Hixson. He was a farmer who was born 1874 and died 16 April 1958. He died in Ellis County, Oklahoma. At the time the Cedar Point postcard was written, Grand was the county seat of Ellis County. Hixson's photograph and family details are on Find a Grave, but I have not been able to find anything to connect him with the Bible Student movement. Can other readers supply more?

To add to Jerome's article:
From the St. Paul Enterprise, March 7, 1922

Margaret Land's obituary

As a footnote to history, here is CTR's sister's obituary.

As is common with obits, they are probably given to a junior reporter who doesn't get the facts right. You will notice a familial error in the report, but of course the main person who could ensure accuracy isn't there to do so.

From the Tampa Bay Times of November 29, 1934.

The published will of CTR gives his sister's name as Mrs. M. M. Land, but other references give the middle initial as R for Russell, including her death certificate. One wonders whether there was just a misprint in the published will.

Addenda

Mike C has kindly sent scans of Margaret Land's published poem. It again shows her name as Margaret Russell Land.