Catching up ... and

I've caught up with about half of my emails, starting with the oldest unread. I'm still on meds that make me woozy and sleepy. I walk somewhat better. Remain patient.

I'm trying to arrange a photocopy from the Wisconsin Historical Society. I may need a volunteer to make it, when everything calms down and the virus is a reduced threat. All three universities with a presence here are closed. All the schools are closed. The post office main counter is closed. But the pollution had dropped out of the air, except for occasional blowing dust from plowed fields.

I'm housebound anyway. And now I learn I was exposed to someone with symptoms ... Such an interesting time in which to live. If those John the Revelator describe as ruining the earth go away, it should heal fairly rapidly. I think the lock downs show this. I'm surprised how clear one of our rivers has become. It's usually very muddy, full of runoff from farmers' fields. So very interesting.

Anyway, I'll report the volunteer request later, when and if it become necessary and it's safe to visit the library.

My Thanks ... and

I'm still not able to function fully after my fall. Be patient if you're expecting a reply to an email.

My thanks to ZionsHerald who made the links work, and who has assumed coding responsibilities.

I need any material relevant to Nelson Barbour you may have. Send it even if you think I probably have it. Please.

C. B. Downing

I'm still restricted in movement, mostly bound to a chair. But there is this:

From the Chinese Recorder, 1911, page 529

In Memoriam. — Miss C. B. Downing

            Miss C. B. Downing died at the New Missionary Home at Chefoo, July 22nd, 1911, at the age of 82. Her early home was at St. Johnsbury, Vermont. In 1857 she joined the mission to the Choctaw Indians under the care of the Presbyterian Board, in what is now known as Oklahoma. At that time it required six weeks of tiresome travel to make the journey from Pittsburg, Pa., a journey which can now be made within two days. Miss Downing taught in the school for Indian girls until the work was stopped by the civil war in 1861. Miss Downing returned north and became a teacher in what is now the Women's College at Blairsville, Pa.

            In 1866 she came to China in a sailing vessel around the Cape of Good Hope, and settled at Chefoo, where she has spent forty-five years, with the exception of one year spent in America on furlough. As soon as suitable buildings could be erected and arrangements made a girls’ boarding school was opened under her special care. At that time there were no Christian families from which to draw pupils.

            When non-Christians were asked to send their daughters to school, the questions often asked were: Can girls learn to read and write? What good would their education accomplish? Gradually prejudice gave way and many happy Christian homes and efficient teachers and Bible women have been the fruit of this school.

            After some years, in consequence of failing health, she gave up the school and opened her home to missionaries and all needing rest and change. In early years she excelled as a conversationalist. Her humor, ready repartee and geniality helped to lift people out of despondency and take more hopeful and cheerful views of life.

            For several years Miss Downing, as strength permitted, assisted in teaching in the Anglo-Chinese School. Not a few of the young men who learned to speak English well owe much to the skill and faithfulness of her teaching. She also did much to help this school financially.

            She helped many of her pupils and Chinese friends to secure comfortable homes of their own rather than live in rented houses.

            The past few years of her life were spent in the beautiful new missionary home overlooking the sea. She assisted most liberally in getting this home established, believing that missionaries living in less favored parts of the country needed when weary in body and mind some health resort, in order to be always at their best and be able to do successful work.

            She was always ready to help any in sorrow or in need.

            A wave of sorrow swept over many hearts when the news of her death was heard.

            'Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.'

Hunter Corbett. Chefoo, August 3rd, 1911.

The St. Johnsburry, Vermont, Caledonian

Jan 11, 1878

Delays

I woke up this morning to about 100 unread emails. It will be a while before I can answer everyone. If you're expecting a reply, be patient.

I fell, hurting myself rather badly. I'm not doing much of anything, and answering emails is low on my list. Doctor put me on a narcotic pain pill, something they're very cautious about these days. It knocks the pain back, but leaves me on the woozie, unfocused side.

A. P. Adams

Some of you may find this useful

https://archive.org/details/songsofspiritout00adam/page/70/mode/2up

Latest Review of Separate Identity vol 2

Posted on publisher's web site:

Stéphane

            I want to paint the portrait of the book and tell its qualities as I judge them, without unveiling if possible the treasures of its contents, nor the discoveries and the surprises waiting there for the reader.

            The 2 volumes of Separate identity, and a third one under preparation, constitute the first real reference work of historians addressing the birth and the first decade of the Watch Tower movement, from the double point of view of its doctrinal evolution and its progressive rise and turbulent development.    .

            The works of Herodotus are entitled Histories, of a Greek word meaning inquiry or investigation : for the first time ever, it is to such a work of investigation, a patient, comprehensive, in-depth as well as objective and impartial work, that the two historians Rachael de Vienne (until her death last year) and Bruce Schulz devote themselves, since over 15 years.

           This innovative work not only brought to light novel discoveries, but standing as a true work in progress, the research, as it went along and was enriched with new elements, sprang up, opening new pathways to explore, requiring new developments (some of them important enough to necessitate a supplementary third volume).

It inaugurates a new decisive step of the research into the history of the Watch Tower — the movement and the magazine —, characterized by an increased granularity (or level of detail) of several orders of magnitude.

            Thanks to their rigorous method, and their attention to telling details, Schulz and de Vienne’s research stands out from the works of previous authors who wrote about this period of the Watch Tower history, whose works are often mostly superficial, patchy, and simply rehashing earlier works, or accommodating to the recourse to second or even third-hand sources — when not downright biased or polemical.

            They also stand apart from the official history works published by the Watchtower Society, which are as a rule insufficiently documented, despite their custody of the archives of the movement, and sometimes inaccurate, and notoriously rushed, due to the lack of time or thinking imposed by editorial constraints (short deadlines, apologetical pretensions).

            It took historians almost 140 years to submit the issues of the first years of the Watch Tower, for a start, to a close and systematic reading, followed by a classification and a sound analysis. Rather than their heavily redacted Reprints that omit not only a vast amount of items rejected as irrelevant, but also a number of important contributions, — either for having been penned by redactors having dissented in the meantime, or for dealing with doctrines no longer finding favor, — the original issues of the magazine offer to the investigator, besides in-depth articles on doctrinal topics and debates, a rich palette of announcements of any kind, of news echos, of travel, mission and even accounting reports, together with an abundant “Letters to the Editor” section. No serious study should skimp on, sweep, dispense with, avoid, obviate this invaluable collection of facts, it is the non disposable starting point of any research worthy of the name.

            Not only did the authors exploit this corpus as the basis of their work, especially in Volume 2 of Separate Identity, but they extended their review to the innumerable papers, newspaper articles, discourses, tracts, and to the 6 volume collection, that flowed from the prolific pen of Charles Russell.

            Then, to resituate the teachings of Russell and his followers, as well as their progressive elaboration, they confronted them systematically with those of the dissenting groups or of groups related by a community of doctrine, through an examination of their respective writings.

            They particularly committed themselves to unscramble Charles Russell’s investigations in the perilous field of the final ends’ chronology, but they have above all deepened the analysis of the dual concern which is at the centre of his message, — focused on the merits of the Ransom by Jesus Christ, — as well as the contradictory reactions it had to elicit, either of fierce rejection, or of enthusiastic reception : viz. the blasphemous lie of the eternal torment reserved to almost all humans, in total contrast with the bright perspective of the times of the “restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began“ as heralded by St. Peter in his founding speech of Christianity at Pentecost.

            To describe the sequence of events that shaped the life of the movement, its growth, its evangelism and its trials and tribulations, and to place them in the context of the time, they performed a multitude of cross-checks with an abundant harvest of documents, often never seen before, gained after a tireless hunt for newspaper articles, narratives, books, yearbooks, catalogues, family genealogies, obituaries, official papers, not to forget an array of old photographs… this monumental documentary base not having benefited from any access to the official archive held by the Watchtower Society, except for a handful of documents made available in dribs and drabs, and one single photograph — a proof, if needed, of the independence of the research and its lack of sponsoring.

            A similar approach was followed to reconstruct the biographies of as many people as possible mentioned in the movement’s documents, even when they appear under a simple name: first-day followers, collaborators, propagandists, missionaries, traveling speakers, occasional correspondents, up to and including opponents of the movement.

            The outcome of this untiring hunt for documents and original sources followed by their exploitation (classification, analysis, interpretation), results in a voluminous data set made of a myriad of details. Thanks to the talent of the authors, the synthesis of this accumulation of well established facts, being anything but rebarbative, blends into a harmonious whole of a teeming richness.

            As can be seen by consulting its table of contents, Volume 2 articulates on 16 chapters that fit together like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle providing a picture of the movement and its evolution seen from various angles : foundation and beginnings of the movement, segregation from the mainstream churches, organization into congregations, launch and funding of a huge publishing ministry, starting and extension of the evangelism, expansion of the field of activity to the United Kingdom, Canada, China, Africa, as well as the European Marches of the Ottoman Empire.

            The narrative, full of life, at times even thrilling as an adventure novel, interweaves with a portrait gallery presenting a variety of characters, often endearing, sometimes heroic, less frequently unsympathetic, and more than a few particularly colourful.

            The book opens with two prefaces where each of the authors begins by expressing a more personal view — and lets show through his or her own style — about their intentions, their expectations, their working method, the obstacles encountered, their opinion about the current state of research, and specifically the irreducible discrepancies between Russell and the Adventists. These exordia introduce a very elaborate monograph by Rachael de Vienne that broadens the project horizon, situating the characteristic teachings of the movement within the wider context of the history of Christian doctrines.

            The book ends with a To-be-followed : in an Afterword, it evokes the crisis that shook the movement around the year 1881, and led it to affirm its specificity by assuming a separate (organizational) identity, — thus reaching the conclusion of the research —, defering the detailed development of the circumstances to a third and final (?) volume of the series.

            Last but not least, Volume 2 incorporates no less than 1813 notes, and quite as many references, an eloquent invitation to plunge into the original sources, and why not, pursue the research…

The Barbour Collection

I'm very close to losing this. I've committed everything I can spare. If you can donate even a minimal amount to the cause, it will help.

Update:

  

I was not able to purchase the Barbour collection. It sold for over $2800, and donations combined with my own money totaled under $1000. If you want your contribution back, let me know by Wednesday next week.

However, if you donated to this project and are willing, I have put off buying expensive scans and photocopies from the Library of Congress, a Massachusetts based museum, and other libraries, and I will use the money for that. The amounts donated will nearly cover this. These are things I need to consult as I write SI vol. three.

  

If I do not hear from you by next Wednesday, I will presume you are okay with this. 

Among the items I need to see are tracts by early associates, some of whom left the movement. I need a photo copy of two years of a magazine, the complete set. Last quotation I had for that was $350 dollars. Research is expensive.

  

It is depressing to lose out on the Barbour material, and as I said, it has gone down a dark hole, purchased by a collector not known for his eagerness to share. If he reads this, perhaps he will provide me with scans or photocopies. I would be most grateful.

Help solve a mystery?

A brief article in the January 1861 issue of Prophetic Times is signed with the initials D. G. M. I would like to know who this is. Anyone find the answer?

Russell Talk Invitations

(Reverse side)

Tech issues ...

Blogger should be blocking access to the comment section for some language groups. If this is an issue for you, email me.

N. H. Barbour

As some of you know, I'm revising Nelson Barbour: The Millennium's Forgotten Prophet. I have an opportunity to acquire some original Barbour material. I do not have the funds. I hesitate to ask for assistance, especially since the amount asked is very high, in my opinion. However, since this is nearly unique I hate to see it disappear down a hole. Up to you. Can you help?

Most Recent Visits

A one sentence review of both volumes of Separate Identity

From: MOUVEMENTS  RELIGIEUX: Bulletin publié par  l’Association d’Etude et d’Information sur les Mouvements Religieux, Mars – Avril 2020, Numéro  476-477

Cet ouvrage monumental est fondamental sur l’histoire des étudiants de la Bible, de leurs précurseurs et des débuts de leur histoire.

"This monumental work is fundamental to the history of Bible Students, their forerunners and the beginnings of their history."

Some tech issues

A friend to this blog has updated the blog codes. That means that cut and past function has gone away. Blog editors have that function but they must use the post edit function to do it.

If there is something on this blog you wish to use for your own research, instead of struggling to copy it, email me. We like other researchers here, usually. But we expect you to observe the research and publication standards everyone should follow. That means you credit your source either in text or through a footnote. It means that you do not turn what one of us wrote into nonsense in another context. Trying to make something we write support an idea or claim opposite of our conclusions is dishonest. Do not do it.

Other behind the scenes changes may occur. They should not affect your ability to read this blog, at least in most countries. The few countries that changes might affect represent a collective of trolls, spammers, and pornographers who are not welcome here. It is necessary that in time we sacrifice some readers because of the persistent misbehavior of most of their fellow citizens.

There is a work-around for this. If I know you to be a regular reader and to not be on my "idiot" list, contact me, and I'll give you the details. But all of this is future and not an immediate worry.

Some thoughts on the new book

This is a collection of thoughts on Separate Identity volume 2, which has now arrived, as a suitably doorstop-sized package. It is nice to be able to thumb through it and examine it, and not just see pages in isolation on a computer screen.

It has been a long wait, but the book is not disappointing.

What aspect of the contents have I particularly enjoyed? Here are some personal thoughts.

One is the way the book turns around perceived accounts by delving deep into original sources.

As an example, I’ve always been interested in the premise that CTR visited various areas and started 30 congregations in the first year or so of ZWT. On the face of it, that sounds good and the way the Bible Student movement ultimately grew and developed is a matter of record. But the question remained - for these very early days, where did these people come from? They didn’t come out of the ether. They would have to be people with a prior interest; otherwise why would CTR go to their particular towns? Using information from existing magazines, including Storrs’ Bible Examiner and Barbour’s Herald, and other sources pre-dating Zion’s Watch Tower, the authors tracked down what can be known about those people and places. There were numerous independent local fellowships that came and went. These accepted speakers from all over, read papers from all over, and continued to do so for some years. Ultimately people had to choose. Some eventually chose Zion’s Watch Tower. But the background and details, brings this period alive.

Other examples: while opposition and personal attacks were there from the start, it was interesting to note how some clergy from established religions gave up their living and joined the fold. And from where did the majority of CTR’s early Allegheny Bible class come? Not the Adventists as commonly held, but from the Methodists! And every point that turns established concepts on their head is supported by volumous footnotes.

The other aspect I particularly enjoyed is the history of key individuals, which will obviously come even more to the fore in volume three. I am always happy to have detailed life stories, be they of the good, the bad, or the downright ugly. There are so many unknown or almost forgotten characters out there, and the bad ones are often the most interesting – at a distance. The Society’s own histories tend to concentrate on CTR and those who stayed with him. And quite naturally they focus on things from the early days that tie in with their modern mission. But a wider picture can be seen by following up the lives of some of those who started with CTR but then branched off. The theological mindset of those who became Universalists meant that some, like John Paton, tried hard to keep tabs on everyone. So the authors of Separate Identity have extracted details from such sources that, while theologically suspect for some of us today, do fill in the gaps in real history.

Still another aspect I liked is that the narrative is not just America based. Obviously American features prominently – Allegheny, CTR and all that – but a lot of books seem to be so America-centric it’s as if the rest of the world outside their bubble doesn’t exist. So the foreign language field at home and then abroad is an important section of this volume, and fills a gap generally unfilled (until the recent European series started appearing).

And context is also stressed. What was the world like in that part of the world at the time? What were popular beliefs of mainstream religion and why did people believe what they did? If you try and superimpose modern beliefs and attitudes on the 1870s and 1880s you miss the point that while some aspects of developing Watch Tower theology raised conservative eyebrows, much was mainstream belief. Rightly or wrongly, it is much of so-called mainstream belief of the day that has moved on.

It has to be noted that the book is long. One of my correspondents baulked at the thought of over 600 pages to add onto the previous 360 plus pages, and more to come. Well, frankly, this book is not for that person. You can’t really judge Separate Identity on the same terms as a commercial production. A commercial production is designed to make money, through appealing to the largest group of people who may buy it. A commercial editor would have reduced the size, and even in academic publishing I believe would have done so. It wouldn’t then be the same book but just another book in the WT history shelves. The length and detail make it unique, even if that may discourage some who could be dismissed as casual readers.

That is NOT a criticism, because the aim was to cover the minutiae, and so the discovered details dictate the length. Probably the only way to achieve this was by self-publishing; and as long as the formatting and layout remain professional looking – which it does - then that is fine.

As you describe in the introduction, there is some overlap of material in some chapters. The plan of the book means this is inevitable, and with two authors writing over years and not writing in chronological order means you can’t help this happening a bit. But adding an occasional “who we met earlier” “as discussed in chapter x” etc. (I paraphrase here) shows the book has been proof read as a whole and you are “aware” of its total contents. I think that is important to support the “professional” feel, and on my last read through this has succeeded.

So if you haven’t ordered your copy (and extras for a friends) – please, do it now!

I still need techie help

I need help banning all visits from Poland, Russia and Korea. ALL of them.

1919 Year Text Motto Card

Andrew's Review

Andrew had been of immense help. Along the way he read and reread various versions of Separate Identity, volume 2. This is his lulu.com review:

For anyone interested in the history of the Watchtower Society, this book is a MUST read. And not only this book, Separate Identity Volume 2, but also its predecessor, Separate Identity Volume 1. Both books in the series bring to light information about the early days of the Watchtower Society that even the Watchtower Society's own official histories do not. In particular, those fascinated by the person of Charles Taze Russell, who are interested in a more detailed look into his background, the evolution of his belief system, and his relationship to those who both revered and reviled him, this book will be a treasure. Some considered Russell a saint, others a con man. The true picture of Russell and his associates is much more complicated, and the incredibly comprehensive details Schulz and de Vienne have unearthed make this book one you will likely have trouble putting down. In the book, filled with astonishing detail, the authors have carefully followed Russell's journey through several decades of his life, and thoroughly give multiple insights into the mind of the man, how he came to believe what he believed, who influenced him, what teachings from others he accepted, which ones he rejected, and what motivated many of his readers to modify their own belief systems. An incredible amount of research has gone into telling the stories of dozens of people who became WatchTower adherents, some of whom stayed with Russell, and others who drifted away into other beliefs. In many cases their stories have never been told. Their histories are an essential part of the WatchTower story. In particular, Russell's belief about his own identity as an instrument used by God springs in large part from the enormous amount of letters he received from grateful readers, many who saw him as such an instrument. Using original sources, Schulz and de Vienne have shone a light on a period of WatchTower history many had thought was unrecoverable. They humbly concede that their work is only preliminary; but even if it is, the comprehensive nature of their work will surprise many who either thought they know much about WatchTower history, or had lost hope that it would ever come to light in such astonishing detail. Get this book! And then lend it out to anyone you know who has an interest in 19th and 20th century religion. It is a story that should have been told long ago. It is a monumental achievement.

1873-1874

Believers in Christ's return who focused on those years met in various places. Many left the movement at the end of 1873, but some persisted. One group organized a meeting in Springfield, Massachusetts. Beyond the fact of the meeting I know nothing. Can you fill in the details?

The Talentless Polish Troll

The [insert unkind word of your choice here] Polish troll has identified "Jerome" with someone I do not know, never heard of and wouldn't allow on this blog. He's looking in the wrong country. Our Jerome lives across the sea from me. Not only that but across the North American Continent and then the Atlantic Ocean. "Jerome" isn't his true name. Rachael de Vienne stuck that on him for the sake of his privacy, deriving it from  Εὐσέβιος Σωφρόνιος Ἱερώνυμος whom you would know as St. Jerome, because in some way known only to my dearly missed niece, he reminded her of the 'saint.' Sometimes the workings of her mind were a mystery.

The incompetent, Polish troll should improve his troll talent. Or give it up.

While I'm at this, let's note that using a different ISP does not change your point of origin, and statcounter will tell me your exact location. So, dear brother from upstate NY, you're not accomplishing anything. But if you must you must. 

Now!

On lulu.com, soon on Amazon and other book sites.

http://www.lulu.com/shop/b-w-schulz/separate-identity-organizational-identity-among-readers-of-zions-watch-tower-1870-1887-volume-2-culture-and-organization/paperback/product-24466010.html

Plain cover saves some expense. Price is higher than I would wish, but nothing like the 140 dollars if Routlage published it. Feedback is welcome.

UPDATE

SI2 isn't on Amazon yet. Publisher tells me it will take anywhere from 2 days to six weeks. No explanation as to why, but apparently it depends on how swamped Amazon is.

One person does not like long books. That's fine. Read something else. As an observation, Proclaimers is 150 pages longer. Given the type size difference, about the same as volume 2. Don't people read anymore?

Some concern from a Witness over Rachael's intro essay. My comment: IF the society did not object, and they were given the opportunity to do so, why should you? They sent me a photo to use in the book after reading it. Go wring your hands somewhere else.

The Card - Front and Back

The Search for Charles Buehler

(This is a considerable re-write of an article published here about six years ago. I have outlined in detail the research paths followed which may be of help to newer researchers looking for trails in their own research.)

One of my projects is to do a book on the various cemeteries in Pittsburgh that feature in Watch Tower history, particularly for the benefit of visitors/tourists to the area. A title like “Grave Matters” or “Grave Affairs” is likely. (Insert groan.)

Much of the research was done when I visited the area myself in 2014, and various articles appeared on this blog at the time, which will form the basis for the “new” work. But of course, everything needs re-researching in case there is more that can still be found.

This brings us to the strange case of Charles Buehler. A transcript of a death certificate, but alas not the original, has now become available on Ancestry. You would need to visit a record office in person to obtain the original, and since I live 3325 miles away from Brooklyn (give or take), that is a little impractical. (Any readers who can literally make the trip please contact me back-channel.) But the transcript does provide more information to help with identification – or muddy the waters.

But first, why is the death and burial of Charles Buehler of interest? In 1905 the Watch Tower Society through a holding company, The United States Investment Company, purchased farm land for a cemetery. In his last will and testament CTR asked that he be buried there, and in 1916 he was. The whole area was sold off at the end of 1917, apart from a couple of small sections just reserved for the Bible Students. The most famous one had a pyramid monument erected in its center, and this is the magnet for visitors to see.

The pyramid was designed as a family monument for Bethelites and Pilgrims with sufficient spaces for all their names on its sides. As it happened, only nine names were ever recorded, and were on three of the sides, leaving one side blank. The engravings were all done before the pyramid was installed and related to burials between 1914 and 1919.

The whole project was abandoned until burials restarted in 1943, with two exceptions. One was CTR’s sister, Margaretta Russell Land, who was buried next to him in 1934. The other was our mystery man, Charles Buehler, who was buried on this site on March 27, 1925. This is the one solitary burial throughout the whole of the 1920s, but there was no name added to the pyramid inscriptions.

The location of the grave is interesting. Below is a plan of the site, and the grave plots as they exist now including the four taken out by the pyramid. (Originally they hoped to cram in more burials, but a curved hillside site presented logistical problems, and the original plan that you can make out on the sides of the pyramid monument was soon rejected.)

The plan is looking across the site – to the left is in the bottom of the hill and to the right is the top. You can see where the named Bible Students on the pyramid sides were buried – apart from CTR himself, they were in little clusters at the corners of the site. In the top right hand corner were John Perry, Grace Mundy, Henry Addington, Lorena Russell (no relation to CTR) and Flora Cole. In the top left hand corner were Arabella Mann and Mary Whitehouse. In the bottom right hand corner was John Coolidge, whose stone still survives. But the bottom left hand corner was unused. However, it was obviously the plan to start at the four extremities of the Society’s site and work their way inwards. There were going to be problems when they met in the middle, but that was someone else’s headache in the future.

The one unused quadrant of the whole site, section T-47, is where the grave of Charles Buehler is found, in the far corner again, in plot H4. That fits the pattern, but then as noted above there were no further interments (apart from Margaretta Land) until the 1940s when the policy was to now sell off all the remaining plots.

So who was Charles Buehler? It is not an uncommon name in historical records, which makes the search more difficult. It is usually attached to families who came from Switzerland to the United States.

There are three known references to Charles Buehler in Bible Student materials. The first is the 1909 Convention Report. The 1909 Denver Colorado Convention program contained a symposium on The Fruits of the Spirit. C G Buehler gave the segment on Long-Suffering at the St Joseph convention, and his photograph was attached and reproduced below.

When I wrote originally I thought this might be our man, except that the newly discovered death certificate shows that the Charles buried in United Cemeteries was only about 22 in 1909. I think we must accept the above photograph as being of an older man, although as noted below likely related. Then (as far as this researcher’s labors are concerned) there is silence until 1922. In that year the Bible Students’ unofficial newspaper, The New Era Enterprise (formerly the St Paul Enterprise – named after the place, not the apostle) mentioned the Buehler name twice in connection with funeral reports.

The January 24, 1922, issue had a funeral report for one R Fritz who had died in an accident. The report, written by the widow, then residing in Kansas, reported “we secured the use of the community hall seating over 600 for the services and sent to St Joseph, Mo., for Brother M.E. Riemer, who sent Brother C.G. Buehler in his stead. The discourse was grand...giving the divine plan as briefly as possible and the people were very attentive. We have heard many favorable comments, some saying it was the best they had ever heard.”

Key points to hold onto are the reference to St Joseph and the family name Riemer. Two months later, the March 21, 1922, issue had a funeral report for Amy C Merrett, of Kearney, Mo., who “had had present truth since 1883.” The brief report noted that “Brother Charles Buehler of Kansas City, conducted her funeral.” (Kansas City and St Joseph, Mo., are only 55 miles away from each other).

Unfortunately the file for the New Era Enterprise for 1925 is incomplete, which is a pity because an obituary for Charles himself would probably have removed all mystery.

This Charles G Buehler from 1922 could have been the older man from the 1909 convention report, or the younger man who died in 1925 and was buried in United Cemeteries. Our Charles’ death certificate transcript says he died in the Brooklyn hospital, and his given address was 124 Columbia Heights, Brooklyn. His occupation, obviously in Brooklyn Bethel, was bookbinder. He was born c. 1887 as worked out from his age of 38 at death. He was single. Cause of death is given as septicaemia and osteomyelitis. His “executor” was given as Mr Hugo H Riem, friend (which is likely a truncated transcript for H H Riemer).

Normally Bethelites who died at this time were buried in the Society’s new plot on Staten Island near the radio station WBBR. But, for whatever reason, Charles B was taken to be buried in the otherwise abandoned cemetery in Pittsburgh. There may have been a family reason, the name Charles Buehler also occurs in Pittsburgh records, although as noted above it was not an uncommon name at the time. There are three Charles Buehlers in Pittsburgh directories - for 1884 (a baker), 1902 (a brewmaster), and 1909 (a machinist). Whether different people or relatives of the Charles in United Cemeteries it has not been possible to determine.

It seems most likely that Charles came originally from Missouri. His friend H H Riemer had a connecton there. When the Watch Tower listed names of those who had taken “The Vow,” the class at St Joseph signed from, amongst others, Hugo H Riemer and also a Clara L Buehler. There were actually six Riemer family members including M E Riemer, who was likely featured in the New Era Enterprise quote above. From the August 15, 1908 Watch Tower magazine:

The 1908 street directory for St Joseph lists a Mrs Clara L Buehler and also not one but two different men named Charles Buehler. There is a Charles who is a book agent, and another Charles G for whom no occupation is given. One could have been the older Charles whose picture was in the 1909 convention report (note that his talk was given at the St Joseph convention) and other could have been OUR Charles Buehler.

By the 1910 census the extended Buehler family was grown and scattered and difficult to piece together, but the 1900 census for St Joseph gives the likely branch that included Charles.

We have parents, and then in the full return a total of six children. The parents are the head (indecipherable but sometimes transcribed as Gustave) Buehler and wife, Katherine Buehler. Their eldest child is named Gottfried and was born in Switzerland. The father came to America in 1884, and his wife and first child in 1885. After Gottfried there was Charles, aged 14, who was the first to be born in America. There is a shared gravestone in the Ashland Cemetery, St Joseph, that is for Gottfried Buehler (1857-1926) and Katherine Buehler (1861- 1923) which helps clarify the father’s first name. 

Our Charles’ death certificate gives his parents as Gottfried and Katherine, so it is reasonable to assume that this is the right family and therefore the right Charles. This particular Charles in St Joseph received a life-threatening injury in a gun accident as a teenager, which may have contributed to health issues later on. 

Family records are a headache but those from the Ashland Cemetery suggest that the older Charles G Buehler of the convention report was a relative, maybe an uncle, or cousin once removed, as was Clara L Buehler by marriage to a Samuel Buehler. The older Charles lived on until 1940 but his obituary showed he had severed contact with the IBSA. His funeral was taken by J A Meggison.

So – a chain of possible evidence, conjecture, joining the dots maybe – such is the case of Charles Buehler. Such is the stuff of conjectural research. But the question still remains – why United Cemeteries?

Barbour again

This newspaper article is new to me. It helps solve some problems caused by a defective page in Herald of the Morning. It is from the Rochester, New York, Evening Express of August 30, 1881. I know it's drudge work, but I need basic biographies of everyone on this list. Anyone? Can you do one or maybe two?

So far;

M. Connell, Norwak, Ohio, appears to be Margaret Connell, wife of a well-to-do Blacksmith. She was 41 in 1881.

S. Buvinger, Pittsburgh, was the young son of William Buvinger. A very young child in 1881.

Mary A. Belding, South Windsor, Connecticut. Born about 1821. Died 1912. Married to well off farmer. In 1910 she is widowed living of a private income.

Orville S. Ensign, Eire, Pennsylvania. Born 22 Dec 1827. Died 12 Dec 1911. The 1880 Census lists him as a farmer, supporting his aged parents and sister. A Civil War Veteran. Later married.

Mary Jane Munsee, [Born Wright] Dansville, New York. Born about 1838. Wife of Henry Munsee, a Civil War veteran with the rank of Captian and a teamster in 1880. In 1870 he was a boatman. He died December 1886. She was born in New York. In 1863 they were Methodists. In 1882 Henry [May have been the father of same name] was in charge of track laying for the Lackawanna and Western Railroad. Mary died in 1905.

D. H. Higgins and Wife, Norwalk, Ohio. No information at this time.

Mrs. P. J. Hibbard, Pembroke, New York was Phebe J. Hibbard. She was born about 1830. The 1880 Census lists her husband Charles as engaged in “farming and gardening.”

Barbour's Sermons

I need as many newspaper references to N. H. Barbour's sermons as we can find. Remember that his last name is sometimes spelled Barber. Can you help?

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.

New to my research collection

Volume 2 only. Notes by Rufus Wendell, Jonas Wendell's nephew and with Storrs one of the organizers of the Life and Advent Union.

You might find this useful

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Bible-Students-Monthly-Volume-7-Number-3-Law-of-Retribution-Watchtower-Jehovah/362888511377?hash=item547dd73f91:g:OLYAAOSwNcReJfPx

You

In the last few years research into the history of Jehovah’s Witnesses has resulted in books and journal articles of mixed character, but often better than the few academic works previously printed. But coverage of the Russell era has not materially improved. Judging by content and limited contact with some of the authors, the fault seems to be lack of thorough research.

Some of those who visit this blog have notable research and writing skills. A few of us are aging. And we won’t be here forever. It’s past time for you to turn your talent into writing based on fresh research. Anyone can repeat the nonsense written by those who preceded them. A convention of academic writing is to reference and repeat what others have written. This nonsense takes the place of solid, fresh research. Where are the newer writers? Why haven’t you done your best to add to quality research?

It’s time to create a flood of deep, accurate research. If you want to see better quality books and articles, you must take up the task. No-one else is.