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Tuesday, February 2, 2016

From "New Workers" - Rough, uncorrected draft.



Alfred C. Malone

            Alfred Malone, a physician from Palestine, Indiana, though aged, was preaching the message at least by 1885. He wrote to Russell explaining that he had preached a series of sermons at Paris, Illinois, and sending a synopsis of their contents which Russell published in the September 1885, Zion’s Watch Tower.
            Malone was born in Indiana March 20, 1819, and was sixty-six years old in 1885. A brief biography of Malone says he went to school in Owensville, Indiana, but was “mainly self-educated.” He was a clerk early in life, then a school teacher.[1] In 1846, he graduated from Ohio Medical College in Cincinnati and practiced as an Eclectic physician. He moved to Palestine in 1850, opening a general store and a drugstore as an adjunct to his medical practice.[2] Shortly after graduation, he wrote to the editor of The Botanico-Medical Recorder, addressing a controversy in medical education. His article is slightly biographical, and we take from it this fragment: “Before I commenced the study of medicine, but coetaneous with the idea, I commenced pouring over my Latin Grammar, and Lexicon so that I might, at least, have a smattering of Latin ... . This idea was so preponderant, that I studied so intensely, and after night by the dim light of a taper, that I have almost studied out my left eye.”[3] His biographer said, “In politics, Mr. Malone is neutral; he has not voted since he helped elect Abraham Lincoln.” He was twice married, his first wife dying in 1861.[4] Malone was a prolific writer, contributing articles to the Cincinnati, Ohio, Gazette, and “three other political papers.” He contributed articles to various medical journals.
            We do not know what his religious affiliation was in the 1840s. But we know something of his religious views, and they tend toward Literalism. He expressed them in response to another physician’s suggestion that doctors maintain a certain mysticism about medicine. Malone rejected this, and compared it to the state of Christianity:

As in the political, so in the religious world, mystery is the watch-word. Let us keep the people in ignorance. Thus it was that the “man of sin – the son of perdition – who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped,” usurped the throne of the King Eternal; and, thus it is, that the leaders of the belligerent parties of the day, in some measure, now keep up the divisions which have been made by the same potent enemy of man – mystery. They teach the people that the word is a mystery; that it must be spiritualized; and that, until this is done, the common people cannot understand it – that they are called and qualified to explain it: but each sectarian establishment explains it differently, hence, so much division. Mystery is mighty you see, ... to subserve party purposes, and unduly exalt a certain class at the expense of the Bible. ...

This is all taught to be religion, and the religion of the Bible. But we know it all to be a farce, and why? Because it has been stripped of its mysteries by God-loving, God-honoring, and God-serving ministers, so that we see all its native deformities. “Technicalities” indeed! They only serve to create a stupid admiration for those who use them. The glorious gospel of the ever-blessed God was noted for its introduction among the poor, and its perfect adaptation to their understanding and condition. “To the poor, the gospel is preached” was one of the Messiah's confirmatory evidences of his mission. The divine philanthropy of the King Eternal encircled in the arms of his benevolence the whole human race, by adapting his gospel to the capacity and condition of the needy as well as the affluent, the illiterate as well as the learned, the rud& as well as the 'polite.

As in the religious, so shall it be in the medical world. Every thing should be plain, and adapted to the capacities and understandings of all as far as practicable. The same arguments that will apply to the abolition of mystery and “technicalities” in the religious world, will apply with equal, if not greater force in the medical world.[5]

            So much of this is Literalist belief that we suspect he had already been exposed to it. There is a confusing bit of Disciples history that associates the Malones with that church in the 1850s. In 1858 he and a few others withdrew (a Disciples history says ‘reorganized’) and formed a separate congregation. We suspect that the division was on doctrinal grounds, but we cannot prove that. Malone connected with One Faith believers as associated with The Restitution. Writing that he was “known as a gentleman and a scholar,” his biographer noted that Malone contributed to Prophetic Watchman, (Howard, Illinois), The Gospel Banner, (Geneva, Illinois), The Herald of the Coming Kingdom, (Chicago), and The Restitution, (Plymouth, Indiana). These are all Age-to-Come and One Faith journals. He wrote to books as well, Bible Religion and The Age to Come. W. H. Perrin, the biographer noted above, described Malone’s books as works of merit. We failed to locate Bible Religion and cannot comment on it. But we think The Age to Come is a thoughtful and well-written book.
            As its title suggests, it presents Age-to-Come belief. Malone’s opening words were: “That the Bible teaches the grand and glorious doctrine of ‘the age to come,’ embracing ten periods of a hundred years each, otherwise called ‘the age of ages,’ I think is fully revealed in that Book, and will be thoroughly shown as we proceed in the investigation.” As cogent as much of Malone’s book is, it is significantly at odds with Storrs and Russell beliefs about the nature and scope of salvation. Malone rejected Fair Chance doctrine.[6] Malone’s Age to Come is an effective statement of where the Allegheny Bible Study Group was in 1870 or so. To adopt Russellite views, he had to travel similar paths. Not many One Faith believers were able to do that, but Malone gives a clue to the impulse that took him to Watch Tower belief. We find it in his book: “Catering to a theory, is not conversion to Christ. An entire acceptance of the Divine Word, a child-like study of its teachings, and an implicit obedience to its commands, not a hunting out of what is pleasing and peculiar in some points only, is the only safe path.”[7]
            We do not know when he finally accepted Watch Tower doctrine, but he was preaching it by 1885. He wrote to Russell, sending a précis of lectures he had given in Paris, Illinois, “hoping that it will not be uninteresting to yourself and the readers of the tower.[8] Finding the detailed content of a Watch Tower worker’s message is a rare event.
Malone reasoned from Scripture that God is the Savior of all men from the Adamic sin and death. He is first the savior of “very few, a ‘little flock.’ Then he saves a “great crowd.” Salvation is “builded upon God’s philanthropy and the eternal fitness of things.” The work of the present age is to bring the Little Flock to salvation because it is “destined to be kings and priests with Christ.” The Little flock assists in bringing the many to salvation. However, God is “not now the Saviour, in fact, of all men, nor indeed of any as generally taught – a Saviour from famines, pestilences, earthquakes, cyclones, etc., etc. But he will be ‘the Saviour of all’ from the effects of the Adamic sin and  death.”
            “Adam and Eve wrecked themselves and the race in the loss of innocence, in the loss of God's image, and in a gain of sin and death,” he said. Animal creation was affected because perfect human dominion faded. When perfect, Adam and Eve “only fell a little short of the angels of God.” Using concepts anyone familiar with current Watchtower doctrine will recognize, he amplified his view of paradise:

And all intelligences were put under contribution to administer to their necessities and happiness. His sight was flooded with glory; his taste was satisfied with richest viands, and his ears were thrilled with grandest melodies, his lungs were filled and bathed in the life-inspiring atmosphere, and his blood was made to leap and dance with a perfect manhood – God's inexpressible gifts for the perpetuation of a glorified manhood.

And this perfect state of manhood might have been continued forever, as the means to this end were placed within their reach. But with the entrance of sin, Eden was lost, lordship was lost, innocence was lost, happiness and a glorified humanity were lost, and pain and woe and misery were gained! ...

Through the disobedience of one man the world was flooded with sin and woe and death; and these could never have been lifted had not another perfect and obedient Man Redeemed-Ransomed the race.

            This salvation is universal, and "God will have" it, no matter who may oppose; for "He works all things after the counsels of his own will." Malone did not advocate Universal Salvation, and that’s not what he meant here. He meant that salvation was available to all, through the sacrifice of Christ who filled Adam’s place. He rejected Universalism. Instead he believed that, “As all sinned and died in or by Adam, so God being just, after the ransom was paid, the Redeemer controls all and may restore all to Adamic life and perfection; and then put them upon trial for themselves, not Adam for them; they will live for, or in, their own obedience; or die for their own sins.”
            God accomplishes this through the selection of “a little flock” who are made rulers in the Kingdom of God, administrators of divine blessings. Malone described them as a “race immortal rulers.” This “is an election by grace for kingship and priesthood in the kingdom. This salvation is only for "the little flock," for the Bride of Christ, for members of his Body; and here there can be only so many. Christ's Body is not to be a monstrosity, but perfect and complete.” This ‘truth’ has been “lost sight of” by the many. Instead:

Now it is popular, honorable, and leads to wealth and fame to belong to some so-called orthodox church, but in Paul's day, it meant the loss of caste, of riches and honor, and even life itself to be a member of the true Church. Pure Christianity is unchanged; now, as then, "they that live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." And, if we are not partakers of this persecution, of this dishonor, we "are bastards and not sons." That is, many claim to be children of God, to belong to "the little flock," to the consecrating ones, whereas they only have "a name to live while they are dead" to this life of toil and labor and entire obedience to God!

            True members of the Little Flock must live as Christ lived, suffer the insults and persecution he suffered, and accept rejection for the sake of faith. Christ also saves a great crowd. The Little Flock exists for the blessing of the bulk of humanity, including those who fell short of grasping the “crown.” “These, though losing the crown, may be ‘saved in the day of Christ.’” Most of Christendom believed that the world is on trial now. This is not Scriptural. Malone said so:

The world is not now on trial, nor has it ever yet been. Adam was tried and failed, and all men in him. The new trial of the world cannot take place until the Head and Body of Christ are prepared to offer it. The Head of the Christ has been tried and triumphed. "The little flock" is now on trial, and when it shall have triumphed and been joined to the Head, then the trial of the world shall commence. When the King and Queen – the Christ and his Bride – shall have been married, then, and not until then, shall "the times of restitution" bear their perfected fruits. The "little flock" are not to be restored; they are to stand out as bright stars, and shine as the sun over a restored earth. The restored earth and its restored lord- mankind-will be indeed grand, but the "little flock," the Body of
Christ, his Bride with the Head is the grandest of all! far above angels as well as men.

The pure wife is the glory of a pure husband; the redeemed, glorified Bride is the glory of Christ, and Christ is the glory of God! Everything in its own proper place and time; but "God over all blessed forever”!

            Malone was an old man when he entered the Watch Tower ministry. In the spring of 1888 he met General Benjamin Harrison. A record of their meeting describes him as “an elderly physician of Palestine, Illinois.” Malone told Harrison, “I have wanted to meet you, as I am firmly convinced that you will be the nominee for the Presidency by the Republican National Convention ... and that you will be elected next November. I am an old man and do not expect to live to cast a vote in another Presidential election after this year, but it will be a source of great satisfaction during the remainder of my life to know that
I have met the next President of the United States and to have cast my last vote for him.” Alfred Malone died July 28, 1892. Benjamin Harrison served as President of the United States from 1889 to 1893.


[1]               The store that Alfred clerked for in Owensville was Hall & Warrick.
[2]               We read several of his medical journal articles. Only one of them contribute to this history, but, for the record, we found articles by him in the August 1872, Chicago Medical Times; the October 1856, American Medical Journal; the January 1861, Eclectic Medical Journal;
[3]               A. C. Malone: The Physician’s Character, The Botanico-Medical Recorder, October 23, 1847, pages 337-339.
[4]               W. H. Perrin: History of Crawford and Clark Counties, Illinois, Part III, Biographical Sketches, 1883.
[5]               A. C. Malone: The Physician’s Character, The Botanico-Medico Recorder, Pages 337-338.
[6]               see pages 48-50.
[7]               page 105.
[8]               A. C. Malone: Fruits of the Ransom, Zion’s Watch Tower, September 1885, page 4.

OCR Newspaper article - 1914



In Ocean Grove Police Get After New Doctrine preacher BUT GOOD FOLK SHOWER $20 BILLS UPON HIM

"Millennial Dawnism" Gets in Hands of Blue Coats While Originator of the Doctrine Gets Hand Much Coin Pastor Talks on.

New York, July 1. What if the police were called out yesterday to escort out of Ocean Grove, N, J., the disciples of Pastor Russell when they tried to distribute pamphlets on "Millennial Dawnism" in front of the Tabernacle after a meeting in that stronghold of Methodism.

What if the police herded and hustled the Russelites all the way to the Ik'ck Street bridge and seeing them over it into Asbury Park? Pastor Russell he should worry! ' "The objection," Pastor Russell said when seen at Asbury Park after, the rout of his evangelists, "to my association by the, Ocean Grove pastors and others in opposition to me over the country is that I tell the truth that they do not dare tell and I get money without taking; a contribution. It keeps coming in to me. "

"For instance" be drew forth an envelope, ripped it open and extracted five $20 bills, which he slipped into his waistcoat pocket forthwith "There you are now. That's the way we get them every day. I don't take collections. The spirit of need and help prevails in my association;- There is a true spirit of giving. This is what irks the ministers; they don’t get much voluntary gifts. That is the chief reason for their dislike of me."

In the course of the interview the question came up whether Pastor Russell had been separated from his wife. "Oh, yes," said he, "she left me twenty years ago. She tried to get too much space for her writings in our publication and we had to cut her off. That's what made her leave me. We are better off without her.

Escort Pastor Russell Out

July 1, 1914

Greenwood Daily Journal from Greenwood, South Carolina · Page 1

Anyone in France?

Hello again: I want ask you something with William I. Mann.
We all search a long time to get a photo from him.
In the french book/magazine there gives an biography about him. I tried to get this book, but no chance. I have the hope that - maybe- is a photo included, but maybe not. The book titled:
"Le petit inventeur - ed. albin michel, paris 1930 complet"
Do you know readers from the blogg in France which can look in a library in Paris or so???

According to Worldcat, this is a periodical. A library in Paris and a library in Switzerland have it, but we do not know if the library in Geneva has the complete run. Do we have the exact page where Mann's photo appears? - R 

Monday, February 1, 2016

The Shoe Maker. Remember him?

This is where we are in raw, rough draft:



The Shoemaker

            An aged shoemaker wrote to Russell from Delhi, New York, in the fall of 1883. He described himself as over seventy years of age, “a poor man, a shoemaker, or rather a shoemender.” He was raised in the Presbyterian faith, but after immigrating to America in 1839, converted to the Baptist faith “from conviction.” He encountered George Storrs sermons in 1845 or 1846, and would have read Storrs material after his exit from Millerite Adventism. He was convinced by Storrs Six Sermons to abandon belief in inherent immortality and expelled from the Baptist church for it: “The hand of fellowship was withdrawn from me, because I believed I had no immortality now, but rejoiced I had it as a prize before me, and also because I believed that Jesus Christ was the Son of God. The Bible then seemed to me like a new book, and I bless God it has been brighter and brighter all along.” He also adopted Age-to-Come belief as reflected in Bible Examiner.
            He was an active evangelist locally at least by 1882, subscribing to ten copies of Zion’s Watch Tower that he used as missionary papers. He was less successful than he wish, and reduced the number in August 1883: “I find some actually refuse them; others refused to be interested; and as I do not believe in forcing men, nor think it proper to cast pearls in an unseemly place, this year you may send me five copies. It would give me pleasure to increase rather than decrease the number, but when Jesus says, ‘Let them alone,’ I obey.”[1]
            Despite the many clues to identity found in his letter, we were not able to firmly attach this letter to a name. However, of our limited choices, we believe the most likely identity of our shoemaker is A. W. Webb. His biographical details fit those of our letter writer. He was an immigrant, born in the United Kingdom in 1826. He came to Delhi in 1840 and was “actively engaged in the boot and shoe business.” He was a temperance worker.[2]


[1]               C. T. Russell: View from the Tower, Zion’s Watch Tower, August 1883, page 3.
[2]               History of Delaware County, New York: 1797-1880, W. W. Munsell & Co. New York, 1880, page 169.

Near Future



            We are entering on some of the most complex and difficult research we’ve undertaken. (I wish Ton were still alive!) Here’s what we have before us.

            1. After Russell established Zion’s Watch Tower the controversies over the Ransom/Atonement doctrine continued and grew more complex. There is little you can do to help us with this. It requires a massive amount of reading, and even more “thinkin’ ‘bout it.”
            What you can do:
            We need to see the issues of Jones’ Day Star in the Library of Congress. This requires a personal visit and a good digital camera. The LC is over 3000 miles from my front door, and I can’t afford the trip, but if you live near or will visit soon, please help.
            We have four years of A. P. Adams’ Spirit of the Word. This is a very small collection compared to the total we know were published. If you have any, even a single issue, please scan them for us.
            We need a clear copy or scan of Myers’ The-At-One-Ment.
            Newspaper articles touching on this issue are illusive. Anyone?
           We need any issues of Paton’s World’s Hope. Ask before you copy or scan. We have a fair but very incomplete file.

            2. We think it important to connect Watch Tower adherents and their beliefs to contemporary events. This is very time consuming, and it will require some perceptive re-reading of Zion’s Watch Tower. This will spill past the 1887 date that is the putative end of Separate Identity. We are equipped to do this. We aren’t as well prepared to analyze how events in Europe influenced Watch Tower belief and opinion. Russell’s comments on European events were drawn from American newspapers and from clippings and letters sent from adherents in the UK. We need perceptive comments on the Watch Tower’s view of European events.
            We don’t expect you to write an essay. Just read through the early issues, and, if you find something that ‘clicks’, email me.

            3. We are adding a part 2 to the Food for Thinking Christians chapter. As written, it presents the first circulation of Food in satisfying detail. There is an unexplored after story that we can’t leave out. At first we saw it as a minor issue worthy of a paragraph. It’s far more important.
            I don’t see anything here with which our readers can help. Perhaps newspaper articles from 1883 and 1884 that mention Food.

            There is more, of course, but these are the difficult issues for the days ahead.

Saturday, January 30, 2016

And then there is this one ...

A shoe mender/ maker in Delhi, New York. An immigrant probably, born about 1813. He arrived in America in 1839. We need a name. His letter to Russell, written in 1883 is below:



Delhi, N.Y.

DEAR BROTHER: -The time is come when a remittance is due. I enclose $15. Last year I took ten papers in the hope of interesting and doing good to some. I find some actually refuse them; others refused to be interested; and as I do not believe in forcing men, nor think it proper to cast pearls in an unseemly place, this year you may send me five copies. It would give me pleasure to increase rather than decrease the number, but when Jesus says, "Let them alone," I obey. Please send me a Variorum Bible, and, if you can, send me two more of "Food for Thinking Christians," and two more "Tabernacle Teachings," as a reserve for opportunity to do good. I know that the others I got have done good. What remains of the remittance place where you think best. I think the claim of the Swedes is good.

Perhaps you would like to know who I am or what I am. I am over seventy years of age; what the world would call a poor man, a shoemaker, or rather a shoemender. But I bless God for his goodness to me. I was brought up a Presbyterian; came to this country forty-four years ago. From conviction I became a Baptist; afterwards in 1845 or 46 George Storrs sermons were the means of a great theological revolution with me. The hand of fellowship was withdrawn from me, because I believed I had no immortality now, but rejoiced I had it as a PRIZE BEFORE ME, and also because I believed that Jesus Christ was the Son of God. The Bible then seemed to me like a new book, and I bless God it has been brighter and brighter all along.

As proof texts for the restitution of the human race, although I have no remembrance of seeing them alluded to, I would quote "Ps. 90:3\ "Thou turnest man to destruction; and sayest, Return, ye children of men," I used to look upon the word return, as to return to dust, but I was forcibly impressed by noticing that word marked by a capital R as being an emphatic word-and the reason assigned in the "following verse\ "For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night." God is not limited by years nor ages for the accomplishment for his gracious purposes.

Again, "Jeremiah 12:15-17": "And it shall come to pass, after that I have plucked them out I will return, and have compassion on them, and will bring them again every man to his heritage, and every man to his land. And it shall come to pass, if they will diligently learn the ways of, my people to swear by my name the Lord liveth; (as they taught my people to swear by Baal;) then shall they be built up in the midst of my people. But if they will not obey, I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation, saith the Lord." By carefully reading the "preceding part of the chapter", I came to the conclusion these promises are yet in the future. "Oh, that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men." Yours in love,

Seeking the lost ...

Here's our current research challenge, or one of them at least. We need the name of the physician:



The Doctor

            We have no name for this person, though we know he was active in Georgia, handing out one of the extensively printed ‘sample copies’ of Zion’s Watch Tower. A letter to The St. Paul, Minnesota, Enterprise written by a “Mrs. W” tells the story. In 1885 the local physician was noted for his personal evangelism in behalf of the Watch Tower faith:

Like others of our town, in Georgia, I thought the physician who tried to give me the Truth was “As crazy as a March hare;” for his talk was so different from anything I had ever before heard as Scripture. Providentially, however, the old Doctor left on my table a copy of the Watch Tower – at that time a little sheet about the size of a Bible Student’s Monthly, or a little larger; and after reading one article, I began to “search the Scriptures daily whether these things were true.” From that time on I have never for one instant doubted that what I had found was indeed the Truth.[1]


[1]               Voice of the People: What our Readers Say, St. Paul, Minnesota, Enterprise, May 8, 1914.

Thursday, January 28, 2016

Hummm

The Cleveland, Ohio, Directory for 1909 lists the "Millennial Dawn Mission." The only other use of that name that we can find is in India in the early 1920s. (The book that appears in is vague and it may have been in use in an earlier period.)

Can you find additional uses of that name?

Monday, January 25, 2016

Cobb

We eliminated N. J. Cobb from the list of possibles for "brother cobb" mentioned in 1887

Sunday, January 24, 2016

Looking forward ...

It's never too early to plan ahead. After bunches of emails, phone calls, and face to face, Bruce and I think we should divide book three in our history series into books three and four. As we see it now, book three will cover the years from the publication of Plan of the Ages to 1912, ending with the Missionary Tour and report.

We aren't near done with volume 2 of S. I., but it's time to put material together. You can help. We need someone to scour the newspaper archives (such as fultonhistory.com; the Library of Congress Newspaper archive, etc.) for Russell's Newspaper sermons and, more importantly, for comments on his newspaper ministry. Also search Google Books.

Instead of sending articles piecemeal, or sending entire newspaper pages, open the .pdf versions of the articles, cut and paste them into a Word document (or Word Perfect), include name and date of newspaper; include title of article. When you accumulate significant material, send it via google documents or dropbox.

This will help me stay organized. (Bruce seems to thrive on chaos; I throw up my hands in dismay.)

Other than the two famous debates (1903, 1908) there were other proposed debates and some actual debates between Watch Tower adherents and others. We need to document this as above. Again, poast it all into one document and send it that way.

Jerome has his hands full. So I need other volunteers for this. This is not a rush assignment. Book three is only in the planning stages.

We will need "country histories" too. Most of the Yearbook histories omit significant detail. You are interested in the history of your country? Research it in depth for the period 1885-1915. We want newspaper clippings, magazine articles, extracts from books. If in a foreign language, please translate them for us. I can translate German, but not well. (It gives me a headache. Save me the headache.)

Anyone?

Saturday, January 23, 2016

This is what ...

This is what happens when we get help solving mysteries:


            Macon Carter van Hook was born in North Carolina sometime in December 1843 to Southern-born parents who after living in Ohio for a period, immigrated to North Carolina. Though attached to the South by birth and parentage, he served as a sergeant in Company K of the 6th Iowa Volunteer Infantry, applying for a pension in July 1865, as an invalid soldier. Russell mentions his work in 1887 and we hear nothing more of him until 1894 when a letter from him appears in Zion’s Watch Tower. Sometime before 1887, he and his family moved to Columbus, Ohio. The 1910 Census shows him as retired, but he continued to present Bible lectures in Ohio. Our last notice of him seems to be an advertisement for a lecture entitled What Happens After Death, given in Portsmouth, Ohio, in January 1914. He died in Columbus, Ohio, April 27, 1917

and this: 

Van Hook, Macon C.  (Veteran.)  Age 18.  Residence Oskaloosa, nativity North Carolina.  Enlisted July 12, 1861.  Mustered July 18, 1861.   Re-enlisted and re-mustered Jan. 26, 1864.  Wounded severely in side May 13, 1864, Resaca, Ga.  Promoted Fifth Corporal Jan. 1, 1865; Fifth Sergeant March 1, 1865.  Mustered out July 2, 1865. 

Thanks to Miquel we now have this:


We don’t know who “Brother” van der Ahe was. The most likely candidates are two Pittsburgh residents living and working near the Russell’s Fifth Avenue store. The Pittsburgh directories spell the name as Vandera. Thurston’s 1869 Directory lists William, a salesman, and Louis, a shoemaker. There is no firm identification of Van der Ahe.
            Macon Carter van Hook was born in North Carolina December 8, 1843 to Southern-born parents who after living in Ohio for a period, immigrated to North Carolina. Though attached to the South by birth and parentage, he served as a sergeant in Company K of the 6th Iowa Volunteer Infantry, enlisting at Oskaloosa July 12, 1861, when he was eighteen and reenlisting in January 1864. He was severely in the right side at Resaca, Georgia on May 13, 1864. He applied for a pension in July 1865, as an invalid soldier and was granted four dollars a month.
            Russell mentions his work in 1887 and we hear nothing more of him until 1894, when a letter from him appears in Zion’s Watch Tower. In 1883 he and his family lived in Miamisburg, Ohio. Sometime before 1887, he and his family moved to Columbus, Ohio. The 1896-1897 R. L. Polk directory for Columbus says he was employed as an “agent.” The 1910 Census shows him as retired, but he continued to present Bible lectures in Ohio. Our last notice of him seems to be an advertisement for a lecture entitled What Happens After Death, given in Portsmouth, Ohio, in January 1914. He died in Columbus, Ohio, April 27, 1917.[1]


[1]              Residence in Miamisburg, wound, and pension details: List of Pensioners on the Roll: January 1, 1883, Government Printing Office, Washinton, D. C., page 233.
 

HELP!

So at some point the blog post index and the 'search this blog' box went missing from this blog. I don't know how to fix that. Anyone?

Stuff

So we have many secondary research issues, things it would be nice to know but we can live without if we must. I'm enlisting your help with some of these.

We want to know the name of the Methodist clergyman in Americus, Kansas, in 1883.

We want to know J. B. Adamson's exact occupation.

We need to identify "brothers" M. C. van Hook, Myers and Cobb - early Watch Tower evangelists. Thanks to Miquel, we now know that M. C. van Hook is Macon C. van Hook, born in North Carolina in 1844 and later a resident of Columbus Ohio! Super stuff!

We need a reasonable biography of William Dow of Albany, New York. He supported Russell in an article appearing in The Albany Morning Express in 1895.

Because some blog readers are from Britain




Thursday, January 21, 2016

Miquel!

Thanks for what you sent. Hugely important things in that group.
Rachael

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Out of Babylon: Current Work - Temporary post

If you copy this for personal use, please don't share it off the blog.



Out of Babylon

            There is almost no record of the earliest congregations’ internal structure or of the nature of their meetings. Though meeting guidance was given as early as 1884, a standard meeting format wasn’t introduced until the 1890s, and nature of meetings varied by place. To understand them we must rely on comments made in later decades. While some of his observations were appropriate to later years, the anonymous author of the Watchtower series “The Modern History of Jehovah’s Witnesses” accurately describes affiliated congregations in the period before 1900:

Thanks for the comments, everyone! Helpful and encouraging. The rest of this post is deleted.

James E. Fitch - As we have it now.



James Edwin Fitch

            J. E. Fitch (1830-1926) was an early Washington Territory pioneer and Methodist clergyman. In the late 1850s Fitch was in Wisconsin, working in cooperation with a Baptist missionary “for the purpose of showing to the world how well Christians could agree, and to show their love for the churches; and a revival ensued whereby many were saved from the sin of the world, taken into the Churches.” About two hundred converts were added to the Methodist church during the first year (1857-1858) of Fitch’s ministry in Wisconsin.[1] In 1868 Fitch was in Iowa.[2] His ministry within the Methodist church seems to have been successful.
            In 1882 Fitch was living in North Prosser, Washington. Fitch read Food for Thinking Christians and was convinced by it. He recounted his conversion to Watch Tower doctrine in a letter to The St. Paul, Minnesota, Enterprise: “The Holy Sprit led my companion and self out of darkness into light, 36 years ago, by reading and studying that blessed little booklet, ‘Food for Thinking Christians,’ and the later restitution publications, ‘Searching the Scriptures daily whether these things were so.’ We have never doubted these precious harvest truths from that day to this.”[3] He and his wife left the Methodist Church which he later referred to as the “barren desert of Methodism.”
            We did not find a reference to Fitch in The Watch Tower, so his work within the Watch Tower movement is unclear. However, we run across him in one of the first person interviews that sometimes contribute to our research. In the late 1970s and early 1980s the elder of us interviewed surviving members of the Hazen family, long time residents of the lower Yakima River Valley. Kermit Hazen, an elder in the Pasco, Washington, congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses recalled his father’s interaction with an aged and infirm former colporteur. Though the connection is tenuous, we think this is Fitch. He lived in the right place, near Prosser, Washington. The aged colporteur’s family opposed Watch Tower teachings. Fitch’s family presents him as a Methodist. The 1900 United States Census notes Fitch as “a preacher,” hence a colporteur within Watch Tower parlance.


[1]               History of Vernon County, Wisconsin: Together with Sketches of Its Towns, Union Publishing Company, Springfield, Illinois, 1884, page 406.
[2]               Minutes of the Annual Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church for 1868, New York, page 188.
[3]               Found in the March 12, 1918, issue.

The "Mailing Tracts"


We need clear scans of  tracts 7, 9, 10, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, and 21. Can you help?

Friday, January 15, 2016

James E. Fitch

Letter from Fitch in March 12, 1918 St. Paul Enterprise
He lived in Washington State at the time of writing.
We need some basic biography for him. Can you help?

Thursday, January 14, 2016

Just a reminder ...

Some of our readers feel a sense of ownership when it comes to this blog. But the blog belongs to Mr. Schulz and myself. We set the rules, enforce them and make policy.Often if you see a scold or a restatement of the rules, we will not tell you why we did that. Assume you don't know the whole story.

We do not care what religion you are; you many not break the rules. 

Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Jerome or Roberto

Help me if you can. I want to block visits from S. Korea and Russia, the entire countries.

I'm asking politely. Since neither the Russian nor the Korean visitors to this blog can abide by the rules, I'm asking you to stop visiting this blog. I don't want you here. You have absolutely no ethical standards. A thief is a thief. You are not free to use our material without our consent. Stop it and go away. Be nice little boys.

In the past week ...

In the past week we've had about 100 visits from South Korea, and in the past month 150 visits, but NO comments. Why is that? Do you feel free to use our material without even a thanks? Civilized behavior demands a thank you when others further your research, does it not?

You are making me uncomfortable and suspicious. It takes effort to block an entire country. I'm asking you to state your reason for coming to this blog or to go away and stay away. If I have to block the entire country of South Korea I will. I'd rather you just respect the rules here and GO AWAY.

The material on this blog is copyrighted. You are not fee to use it without permission. Even if that's the usual practice in Korea.

Roberto!

Thanks for crafting the new header. Much appreciated.
Rachael

Saturday, January 9, 2016

So you know

I'm swamped with end of semester stuff and planning a teacher (and para-educator) training day for staff. So you may not see much new material on the blog for two or three weeks.

We have a new reader (or readers) from Korea. If that's you, leave a comment and introduce yourself. We lost a couple of readers to a fit of temper. Shame on you. All we ask is that you keep your comments to historical matters. We respect everyone's religious views, but we do not debate them here. If that bothers you, then you do not belong here. Restating rules that have been in place here since the blog was started is not a scold.

We need Russell era controversialist booklets and articles, especially those published before 1910.

There are several Hessler family obituaries that might lead to living family. The obits suggest the family continued as Jehovah's Witnesses. Anyone volunteer to trace living family and contact them?

If you email me and don't get an immediate reply, know that I'm not ignoring you. I'm very busy. Sometimes you have to wait. If you don't hear from me in a week, resend the email.

Mr. Schulz is some better, but please do not email him. He works on our project, sleeps a lot, and his work is limited to a few hours a week. Please direct your questions and comments to me.

I was asked about blog 2, the private blog. It is inactive. 


Friday, January 8, 2016

Comment

Mr. Schulz and I invest a huge amount of money and work to further our research. We don't ask you for money. We do like comments. The same two - sometimes three - people comment. Everyone else that visits this blog avoids commenting. Even an "interesting" or "well done" is good.

Lack of comments is personally discouraging. You want this work to continue? An occasional comment helps.


Thursday, January 7, 2016

Remember this?

From the chapter titled Out of Babylon (with slight revisions)



The Woodworths were not alone. Others represented pre-existing interest in Scranton. Among them was D. M. Hessler. We know little about Daniel Milburn Hessler. (1860-1917) He was a prominent citizen, owning a laundry business in Scranton with branches in New Jersey, Indiana and Pennsylvania. He appears once in the Watch Tower through a letter to Russell in February 1891, and he named a son born that year Charles Russell Hessler. Commenting on a new cover design for Zion’s Watch Tower, we find him expressing his strongly held belief:

I received January number last night and quickly noticed the new suit in which the tower is clothed. I feel sure that the improvement will be greatly appreciated by its readers. The emblem of the cross and crown is an appropriate and beautiful design to be worn by the tower. Its presence should ever encourage, sustain and comfort the household of faith. It should also be a warning or reminder; for as the cross and crown are inseparable in the design, so the two are to be inseparably associated in the experience of the overcomers. If we would wear the crown we must bear the cross.[1]

            Hessler drops out of the record with this letter. We do not know if he maintained his interest or how active he was within the Scranton congregation. By  July 1895, meetings were held in George W. Hessler’s home at 728 Green Ridge Street. Erlenmyer would have directed the Woodworths to this meeting. The one notice of it appears in the July 13, 1895, Scranton, Pennsylvania, Tribune:

The Watch Tower Bible class will meet at the residence of G. W. Hessler, 728 Green Ridge street, [sic] Sunday, July 14, at 10 a. m. The subject will be “Restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all the holy prophets since the world began,” Acts, iii 21. The leader will also explain from the “Chart of the Ages” the special call of this gospel age, “The straight gate and narrow way to life, and the few there be that find it.” Matt. Vii, 14.

            We do not know who the class “leader” was, but we do know something of George Hessler. [died May 1913] He was a cabinet maker, “well known in building circles,” and a member of the Improved Order of Heptasophs, a fraternal organization. Hessler was an inventor, holding patents for a ‘book holder’ and a toilet chair.[2] A German immigrant, he became a citizen in February 1909.[3] Later in life he invested in a Cuban gold mine and he was swindled.[4] As with Daniel Hessler, we do not know if he maintained his interest. When his daughter Hazel was married in 1905, it was by the “Reverend Stahl.”[5] This cannot be taken as evidence of later belief because in this era adherents turned to clergy for weddings. Few Watch Tower evangelists were recognized by state or county officials to perform marriages.


[1]               Extracts from Interesting Letters, Zion’s Watch Tower, February 1891, page 29.
[2]               U.S. Patents numbers 263,290 and 752,551.
[3]               Scranton Wochenblatt, February 25, 1909.
[4]               The Scranton, Pennsylvania, Truth, January 12, 1911.
[5]               The Scranton, Pennsylvania, Truth¸ June 7, 1905.

D. M. Hessler's son Charles Russell served at Bethel in the 1940s and is mentioned in the 1943 Yearbook. Can anyone help us connect with Hessler relations who are still Jehovah's Witnesses?

Benjamin Ford Weatherwax


1836-1903

As featured in recent chapter on this blog "Out of Babylon"


With grateful thanks to Diana via Ancestry.com who is a vaguely distant relation. She gives permission for the photograph to be reproduced as we see fit.

Wednesday, January 6, 2016

Not so wild wild suspcion

The evidence is so slim as to be suspect, very suspect, but we're working on the supposition that Brother van der Ahe was Chris von (also van) der Ahe, the owner of the Browns baseball team. All we have is the possibility that he met a Watch Tower evangelist in New York. We think the possibility is strong. He had a connection to Pittsburgh, were he was well known.

We need to prove or disprove this. We're up against a brick wall. Can you do better?

We believe his interest was short lived. We believe that personal difficulties started it and ended it. But, everything is just suspicion. Help!

We probably have to give this up, as fun as it would be to have a drunken baseball club owner in the story. Our focus has switched to William Van der Ahe, aka vonderahe and vondera, etc. He appears to have been a clerk, maybe in Russell's Federal Street Store. HELP!

It's time (We think) ...

To start preparing Separate Identity, volume one, for ebook format. The first step is to make corrections to the text. Send me a list of the "literary owies" you've found in the test.

Roberto, can we ...

Can we add some sort of "Please visit our newest posts. We'd love to see your feedback." thing to the blog title?
R

Saturday, January 2, 2016

"Fringe" items


A sample of the kind of advertisements that started appearing in the St Paul Enterprise newspaper in 1917. If any survived they would be highly collectable today.


I rather like the "Four pages, over 2,000 yards..."


Tuesday, December 29, 2015

Richards again ...

We need to know if he shows up in The Watch Tower in the 1920s and 1930s. Anyone help?

Monday, December 28, 2015

We need to confirm birth data for this man



William E. Richards

            W. E. Richards was born in Illinois in May 1861 and joined the Methodist Episcopal Church as a youth. By the time he appears on the pages of Zion’s Watch Tower, he lived in Ohio with his wife and children. Writing to Russell in February 1892, he recalled his youthful interest in the Bible and his desire to preach: “From a child I have read the Scriptures, and all other books that I thought or hoped would make plain to my understanding the truth, as I was hungry to know and anxious to teach it.”[1] By the mid-1880s he was “


[1]               “Out of Darkness into his Marvelous Light,” Zion’s Watch Tower, March 1, 1893, page 78.

We must

We must be boring everyone.