Valuable?

 If you find this blog valuable, please comment below. There are several paths forward, two of which do not include keeping this blog active.

One of the choices I'm considering is moving this blog to WordPress. I need a volunteer who can follow the steps and install the IP blocking software so I can get rid of all visits from Toledo Telephone USA, Poland, Russia and Korea. 

Another option is to make this blog invitation only. Probably not the best choice.

I can recreate the private blog and leave this one up with a notice that new posts appear on it. People can request access, and I can weed out the trouble makers.

I can leave this blog as is and do nothing.

I may move pertinent information about my books to a publisher's web page. That would mean a publisher's blog on which new research would NOT appear, and a web site for Fluttering Wings Press. 

I can switch to an invitation-only forum similar to that of a scholars' group to which I belong, leaving this blog up and open to web searches, but with comments turned off and NO reference to the group forum.

Conley, yet again ...

 There are issues, questions that I'd like resolved but probably won't pursue. But here they are if you wish to try:

1. Emma D. Conley's birth name and parents.

2. Letters by or to W. H. Conley. I have yet to get an answer from the C&MA archive. The issue seems to be a covid virus closure and a move. 

3. I've found a limited number of newspaper articles between 1875 and 1885 that mention Conley. There must be more. I'm just not finding them.

4. Articles about Bethany Faith Cure Home in Pittsburgh. Send even if you think I may have them.

5. Conley continued to have a business relationship with A. D. Jones into the 1890s. We still need a volunteer who can visit the Library of Congress and photograph the remaining issues of Day Star. Ask me for details.

5. Faith Cure pamphlets published in Pennsylvania between 1880 and 1895. I am familiar with the Library of Congress collection but haven't asked for copies of anything from them - yet.

A note to "Older Other Sheep": If you believe I've misunderstood your intent, email me directly and we'll resolve the misunderstanding.

...and the answer is...

Relating to the previous post, the answer is "leaders." I don't know what paper your clipping is from but when the Pittsburgh Post for 26 November 1885 reported events (maybe in another edition to yours) this was the result.

 

Deciphering text

 Some of the available microfilms are hard to read. Below is an extract from an 1885 newspaper article. I cannot make out one word: "hers was one of the greatest cures of the ???" Can you decipher this?

The word may be "leaders," but I am not at all certain of that. Help!

 

The Cole Sisters.

 "The women in question were named Cole and were sisters living at No. 14 Linton street." - Pittsburgh Press, Jan 18 1892.

These women play a brief part in Conley's story. But I would like to know their complete names. I've looked two period city directories with no result. I searched both name and address. Can you do better than I have?

Faith in God (2)

I asked Bruce where he found the reference to the paper Faith in God and he gave me a link to the Pittsburg Dispatch for March 6, 1889, page 2. There was a substantial article covering two columns.

The first part of the article was taken up with glowing testimonials. The latter part mentioned a "wealthy gentleman of Allegheny (who we assume must be Conley) and also the paper Faith in God going out with 30,000 copies.

One hopes more can be found on Conley's activities and motivations at this time.

The Hamilton Building was at 91 and 93 Fifth Avenue in Pittsburgh. Does that address seem familiar to you?

Faith in God

 This was a periodical published in Pittsburgh about 1888-1900. I've checked worldcat.org and the Library of Congress. It's not listed there. Any issue will help, but the 1888-1897 issues are the most important. Can you find any?

Additional: Bethany Tract Rooms, an adjunct to Bethany Faith Cure Home in Pittsburgh, published a series of tracts in 1889-1890. While published anonymously, the appear to have been written by Conley. I do not know titles. And I'm at a lost as to how to proceed. I've enquired of the Carnegie Library in Pittsburgh. Too soon to expect an answer, but I do not expect a fruitful result. 

Bethany Tract Rooms was later called Bethany Bible and Tract Repository.

Do your best!

Conley's Business

 I am including basic information about Riter & Conley. I do not need help with this aspect of Conley's life, though if you have something that might help, do pass it along. My reasoning here is that the company was a major part of his life, and basic information will give my readers insight into the man.

R & C had safety issues, as most industrial institutions did in that era. The company's response allows some insight into the men who ran the company. The issues over wages and hours that filled the steel industry in the 1890s [think Homestead Insurrection], affected Conley. What he said reveals his thinking. 

Your thoughts are welcome.

Update: My access to Pittsburgh newspapers published between 1884-1889 is limited. Anything you can find about the Conleys from those years, perhaps on ancestry.com will be helpful.

Emma Conley

I had a "folk memory" that the Conley's daughter, Emma, was adopted. The usual searches on Ancestry and newspapers.com yielded nothing, but assuming that the indexing system for these sites might be a little less than perfect, I tried a visual examination of the actual newspapers for the week of her death. In the Pittsburgh Daily Post for 15 December, 1881, notice of her passing was recorded. And there was the information that she had been adopted.

Conley again

 

I need what ever information you can supply about Conley's daughter Emma. Anything at all will help.

Conley

The July 31, 1897, Pittsburgh Press has a death notice and comment about Conley's will. I do not have access, but I believe those with an Ancestry account do. Can you help?

Addenda

Here are two cuttings from paper.

From page 2

From page 7

For another project

 Another German language card to translate. Please.

Bern Bible House

 Markus, a friend to this blog and my research, sent a mass of material many months ago. This is one of the items he sent. This post card shows the architect's drawing for the "new" Bern Bethel. Can we date this card?

 

This Blog

 

            Our blog attracts a variety of readers ranging from serious researchers to the merely curious. All are welcome. Except sometimes.

            I will delete argumentative comments. I expect comment-trail posts to be polite. If you throw a temper tantrum, I will ban you.This is a history blog focusing on the Watch Tower’s Russell years. Occasionally we discuss something from the Rutherford era. We do not allow controversial comments, unsupported by original documents. Unsupported speculation is not history, and it is unethical to present it as such. If you make a claim without documentation to support it, I will view it as an attempt to foment controversy.

            I am open to articles by those not on the editorial list. They must be exceptionally well researched, footnoted to original sources and well written. If English is not your primary language, we will work with you.

            An original source is a journal or diary, letters, contemporary newspaper or periodical articles, something in the character’s own words, contemporary legal documents. You must use reasonable caution. For instance, periodical articles about Russell often contain fabrications. If I see something in your otherwise well-written article that is misleading, I will return it to you for further research.

            I do not allow fables to pass as solid research. This includes things like the Rutherford ‘bobby pin” story. The photo that supposedly shows him drunk that in fact shows him drinking root beer is another misrepresentation. There are others. Before you’re gullible enough to swallow such things as fact, do some real research.

            We do not indulge in personalities here. No insults. No arguments. I do not allow requests for deeply personal information. You may not ask me – or anyone else – about our age, hair color, or any other irrelevant thing.. You may not ask for specifics of someone’s income, place of residence, or any similar thing. You may presume that individuals on our editorial staff are academically competent. In this setting, details are none of your business. Our research speaks for itself.

            I do not care what your religious or social views are. They’re yours. Keep them to yourself. There are other forums where you may express those.

            Most of the Watchtower publications can be found online. It is rare that we will fulfill a request for a scan or photocopy. There are many newspaper archives. One of these is provided by the Library of Congress. It continues to grow. Search key words and names, but remember that newspapers like to fabricate. Google Books is an excellent resource. [books.google.com] There are other online libraries. Not all books are created equal. Use good judgment.

            Extraneous, off topic comments are unwelcome.

            I do not accept invitations to podcasts, call in shows, radio interviews, or any thing similar.

            Occasionally we get comments from people who need to develop their reading comprehension. There are web pages that will help with that.

            We attract trolls. Google, who owns Blogger, blocks some at the gate. Others show up, but I disallow their comments. We have a reader from Poland that is very unwelcome. [Gdansk, Pomorskie, Poland IP Address: Upc Polska (66.102.9.63)] And we have another whose ISP is traced to Toledo, Washington, United States, IP Address:

Toledo Telephone Co (208.70.50.219). I cannot stop them from reading this blog. But no comment from them will appear here. Do not join this group.

Rotherham

 A friend to this blog asked a question about the Society printed Rotherham New Testament. Can you answer his question?

Dear Bruce,

Writing Archives got in touch with a couple of years ago because I have a copy of one of the first Bible’s that the Bible House published: The New Testament. Newly Translated (From The Greek Text of Tregelles) and Critically Emphasised. With An Introduction and Occasional Notes

They were doing some research into the various printings of the Bible.

I can see why they were doing this now.

I thought that you mentioned Rotherham in Volume 1, but I couldn’t find the reference.

Do you know why Rotherham’s translation was favoured by the Bible Students?

I need this ...

 A booklet in the British Library, St. Pancras, is not available to me. Perhaps one of our British readers can acquire a scan and share it. The title is: 

An Answer to the Latest Slogan of Russellism: "The New World has Begun!" [the title of a lecture by C.J. Woodworth based upon the writings of Charles Taze Russell]. Also an examination of the statement that "Millions now Living will never Die" [the title of a work by Joseph F. Rutherford, also based upon the writings of C.T. Russell].

The author is William Charnock Procter. 

Can you help?

Mystery names

 A friend to this blog acquired one of Storrs' books. These names are on the front free endpaper. If you know anything about them, do let us know.

The Franz brothers and the draft

 

Three members of the Franz family all had to complete draft registration cards over May-June in 1917.

The first was Albert Edward Franz (1889-1940), He was drafted on May 24, 1917, at the age of 27. At the time he was a well-known Bible Student, featuring in the Photodrama work in Chicago and regularly writing for the St Paul Enterprise newspaper (later called the New Era Enterprise).

In answer to question 12 on the card, Do you claim exemption from the draft (specify grounds)? Albert wrote: “Yes, A Christian and member of the International Bible Students Association, also physical.”

Two weeks later, two of Albert’s brothers were also drafted, on the same day, on June 5, 1917.

The older of the two was Herman Franz (1891-1977). He was 25. He also claimed exemption. His answer: “Yes, Student member of the International Bible Students Association.”

On the same day, a third brother was drafted, Frederic Franz (1893-1992). He was 23. He too claimed exemption. “Yes, Member of International Bible Students Association.” He gave his present occupation as “Ordained Minister and Stenographer.” He would spend most of his life in Bethel and became vice-president of the Watch Tower Society from 1945-1977 and president from 1977 to his death in 1992.

A fourth brother, Alvin Franz (1901-1978) appears to have just missed the draft because of his age.

The draft cards for WW2 did not provide a section for someone to claim exemption. However, the WW2 card for Fred Franz is of interest. It gives his occupation as “Administer of the Gospel under the direction of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society.” His contact was Grant Suiter, his residence was 124 Columbia Heights and his workplace was 117 Adams Street, Brooklyn.

Spirit of the Word

 The Spirit of the Word was A. P. Adams' magazine. Issues are very, very rare. A reprint of volume one is on ebay. This was done decades ago, and it omits key letters and (I think based on a Watch Tower comment) that it omits a key article. It lacks any mention of Zion's Watch Tower. But some of you may find this useful -

 https://www.ebay.com/itm/373633492621?hash=item56fe4aa68d:g:feoAAOSwF11g3PUp