The Washington, D. C., Times - December 7, 1914

This is the earliest version of the Rutherford speech I could find.

Facebook

We've said it before, but apparently I must say it again:

Do NOT link to this blog through facebook.

Mrs. M. R. Peck

This may be Emma Peck. I need to know her biographical details. She was a colporteur in the early 1890s. Anyone?

J F Rutherford visits home

Meyers

I need the identity of the brothers Meyers mentioned in Zion's Watch Tower. The Meyer mentioned in the 1886 Tower is probably G. M. Meyer, an age to come believer. There is another who was an early days evangelist. Russell spells his name "Myer." He may have been Fredrick W. Meyer, but at this point that's just a guess based on ephemeral information found in an 1891 newspaper. This is rather urgent.

Can you help?

Off topic but fun

I can still sing this without looking at the words. Can you?

Rules and stuff ...

Please remember that people of various religions visit this blog and occasionally post here. This is not a religion blog; it is a history blog. Unlike social media, my expectation is that you will treat other posters with respect and that you will keep on topic.

Please do not send me tracts in an attempt to convert me to your faith. They never present anything new. Many of them are poorly written. I discuss religion in other settings. I generally do not engage with religious discussions here or through email. I am, however, pleased with your concern for my salvation.

I do not take phone calls. The phone number you can find on the internet goes to voice mail only. I do not even hear it ring. It’s a catch-all for spam calls.

I cannot undertake a research project other than my own, though I am open to questions that I can briefly answer. There are excellent resources on the Internet. I use them. You should too.

Some of you address me formally as Dr. Schulz or Professor Schulz. I’m much happier with “Bruce,” though as along as you do not call me unkind names you may do as you wish. I’m old, and by now titles are meaningless. They never meant anything to me anyway. The most satisfying moments as an educator weren’t teaching adults, but teaching children. I remember a very small girl climbing on my lap, patting my face and saying, “Mr. Schulz, I wish you could be my teacher forever.” That matters. The rest does not.

I appreciate my readers’ patience. Original research is challenging and time consuming. Chapters move off to the next volume where they are more appropriate; new information adds to my outline. The chapter about Maria Washington is an example. Fifty pages of Bible House sermon notes from 1892-93 will produce at least another short chapter even though they date from slightly after my nominal break-off point.

I especially appreciate recent donations to my research fund. They have put into my hands original material that no one within the last century has seen.

There are things I would love to know. I continue to probe at Watch Tower finances in Russell era. I lack names of earliest adherents. Not that I don’t have some, but there were many more, hidden from history. I wish we could uncover their experience.

Never presume I know what you know. If you know something, tell me. Perhaps I am familiar with the matter. But maybe I am not.

In my old age I have more patience ... maybe

or just persistence ...

As our regular readers know, Rachael believed that hiding 100 year old – and older – documents from researchers is unethical. She was particularly displeased with three institutions, one of which has in its archive Watch Tower financial information from the 1880s and 1890s. My viewpoint is that solid and persistent research usually opens other paths to the same information, or at least to key elements of it. A member of the Watchtower writing staff told me that he believed that God “shook out” items when they were needed. I don’t think that applies to my research, though one never knows ...

We wrote, and I continue to revise, a chapter entitled Organizing and Financing the Work. Writing that chapter raised questions that only access to the first Watch Tower ledger book could answer, but though we had access to four pages, we were repeatedly denied access to more. I do not know why. So some questions remained.

One concerned the source of donated lands in Florida. The presumption was that the Russells donated the lands. They owned land in Florida later. The ledger book would answer that, but we could not see it. Patience tells ... We now know who donated the lands, and probably why. The answer is unexpected. I can document this. This will appear in the above mentioned chapter.

Another question was about continuing financing. It wasn’t all by donations. Russell invested to finance the work. There was more ... And I will include it in that chapter. It always pays to persist.

Here is a broad hint: 

Ethics

I'm struggling with a question of ethics. Rare for me, since I usually make snap decisions, based on my understanding of divine guidance. However, I have the last version of Rachael's introductory essay at hand. I have not posted it. It is with a few small changes the same as the last one.

She added to her bibliography. She made small changes to text. And she included a strongly worded criticism based on a recent experience. I would swallow the experience, and not comment on it. She chose to add a sentence to her essay. Our agreement was that it was hers to write without interference from me. I am uncomfortable with her criticism. She could be 'snippy' and pointed, often was. She was gentle with children, not so much with adults.

I do not believe my obligation to let her speak her mind has passed. But I can add a disclaimer. I can delete the phrase, which I am very reluctant to do because of my promise. [And her comment is undeniably true, even if pointed.] While I must make my own decision, I would welcome comments.

Also, she included a name in the 'thank you' portion of her essay that she was inclined to delete. She had not made a decision by the time of her death. Comments?

Louis F. Zink

I need a crisp photo of L. F. Zink. The two I have are very poor quality and while I will use them if I must, I'd rather have something better. Can you help?

Thurman's book

I mention W. C. Thurman several times in our books. His Sealed Book Opened is on ebay for a very low price at "buy it now."

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1864-The-Sealed-Book-of-Daniel-Opened-William-Carr-Thurman-1st-Edition-Scarce/192879747310?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

Bible House Sermon by James Augustus Weimar

December 11, 1892

Storrs relevant material

These are all downloadable.

https://books.google.com/books?id=A8BGAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA312&dq=%22geo.+storrs%22&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjjofb5wN_hAhXKx1QKHYDBCsg4FBDoAQgpMAA#v=onepage&q=%22geo.%20storrs%22&f=false

https://books.google.com/books?id=NmoFAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA438&dq=%22geo.+storrs%22&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiglLO0wd_hAhVGrlQKHRkZCDs4KBDoAQhJMAc#v=onepage&q=%22geo.%20storrs%22&f=false

https://books.google.com/books?id=iKAQAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA168&dq=%22geo.+storrs%22&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwixm_nbwN_hAhWIhVQKHSLUCc0Q6AEITDAG#v=onepage&q=%22geo.%20storrs%22&f=false

https://books.google.com/books?id=0qQgNtey_BgC&pg=PA20&dq=%22geo.+storrs%22&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwixm_nbwN_hAhWIhVQKHSLUCc0Q6AEIWDAI#v=onepage&q=%22geo.%20storrs%22&f=false

https://books.google.com/books?id=IwUZAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA3&dq=%22geo.+storrs%22&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwixm_nbwN_hAhWIhVQKHSLUCc0Q6AEIXTAJ#v=onepage&q=%22geo.%20storrs%22&f=false

https://books.google.com/books?id=o3dXAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA98&dq=%22geo.+storrs%22&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjsqfzqwN_hAhWRLHwKHbFIBeI4ChDoAQhNMAc#v=onepage&q=%22geo.%20storrs%22&f=false

The Ledger Book

This is a small extract from a ledger book containing notes of sermons given at Bible House in the early 1890s. It is unique, one of a kind, and a new research resource. I need to identify the note taker. The handwriting is a bit familiar, but I'm uncertain of his/her identity. Can you identify the writer.

Maria Russell's handwriting from about 1915:

Do they match?

I need addtional information about this ...

 

My German is very poor, but as I read this it says:

Ten pit workers were injured yesterday in the "Otto Zeche," at Branchdale, Pa., by an elevator's pulley wheel falling in on them, one of them, named John James, probably fatally.

 

All issues related to this post have been resolved.

question from a blog reader

 

"Do any of your site visitors know in what year did Philip Rees, past branch servant of Australia and Assistant branch servant of the UK, die.  Also what was the cause of death?"

Original documents

I've been offered a cash of original documents. The owner wants $400.00. I do not have that. Can we raise that through donations?

To make this work, I would need the total by tomorrow. Vain hope, I suspect.

Bruce

Free to Download

Mob, under pretence of law ; or, The arrest and trial of Rev. George Storrs at Northfield, N.H., with the circumstances connected with that affair and remarks thereon. 

https://www.loc.gov/resource/llst.007/?st=grid

Identification?

A sister S. Webb from Manitoba, Canada, is mentioned in the September 1890 Watch Tower. We need a clear identification. Anyone?

We need a copy of this

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C2657246

Anyone?

Both of the Thomas brothers are mentioned in SI vol 1

We need ...

I need the first names and biographical details for W. J. Webb, a Watch Tower colporteur in the 1890s. He is mentioned in The Watch Tower. He lived in Manitoba, Canada. Can you help. 

Update:

William J. Webb, born January 1862 in England. Immigrated to Canada in 1889. Some slight evidence that he first arrived in the United States through the Philadelphia port of entry. His first religion was Methodist. Census records continue to show him as Methodist after his association with The Watch Tower. We have found other examples where Canadian census takers, unfamiliar with Watch Tower belief, enter Methodist.

His wife, two years younger than he, was named Ellen [Once spelled Ella]. He had a daughter named Florence.  Ellen was born in England.

The Bible Student Movement in the Days of C. T. Russell suggests that his middle initial may stand for Jeff. At this point I think that unlikely.

Can you add to this?