A Place for Hosea

1896

Dean Hole, in his "Little Tour in America," gives the following good story, which was picked up at an entertainment given in his honor by the Lotos Club of New York. The quaintest story of the evening was told by Dr. Greer, of a tedious, monotonous preacher, who had exhausted the patience of his hearers by an elaborate dissertation on the four greater prophets, and when, to their sad disgust, he passed on to the minor, and asked, "And now, my brethren, where shall we place Hosea?" a man rose from the congregation and made answer, "You can place him here, sir. I'm off."


City Paved With Gold

Prescott, the capital of Arizona, boasts that it is the nearest approach to the New Jerusalem as described in the Bible, as its streets are being paved with gold. The granite used for pavements contains $4 in gold and twenty cents in silver to every ton, so that in time, when less expensive methods of reducing ores are used, it may pay the city to tear up and crush its street pavements. — New York Times.


Time for Prayer

If a praying machine were invented many would use it if it did not take too much time from business to wind it up.

Leader of "Holy Jumpers" Tells Experiences in Religious Life

1909

CONFESSIONS OF MRS. HARVEY

Leader of "Holy Jumpers" Gives Interesting Experiences in Religious Life

Mrs. E. L. Harvey, wife of the secretary of the Metropolitan Church association, otherwise known as the Holy Jumpers, a woman of much force of character and ability and one of the leading spirits of the sect, has an interesting article entitled "A Page of My Experience" in the current number of The Burning Bush. From this article we make the following selections:

From childhood I was brought up in the Methodist church and Sunday school and later in the missionary societies and Epworth league. I saw around me a company of young people who professed to love the Lord, who were members of the church but the great object with all of us was to make our class or our society a success.

Only for the week of prayer in the winter time was a special effort made to get souls saved and in that only a very few took part in assisting the minister or evangelist. Again, in the summer time the camp meeting would meet and for ten days the people were stirred up to think about getting someone saved.

Whenever I would hear a sermon preached which told of a life higher than that which I experienced, I was at the altar to seek holiness, but, immediately, on the return from camp meeting, came the usual round of strawberry suppers and ice cream sociables in the name of religion, and these sapped away the piety of each individual.

Trying to Outdo.

As a matter of course in all of these social affairs there entered much rivalry and jealousy, each one trying to outdo the other and secure the approbation of her fellow-workers — then came the vieing with each other in the matter of dress. Of course these things were supposed to be hidden, and yet in each heart was the desire to appear as well as her neighbor.

I had been married and we were engaged in mission work, but, we still attended the old church; but the fact that we were laboring in mission work caused me to trim down somewhat and helped me to get a different view of matters, and I began to see more clearly that real work for God did not consist in giving sociables and parties.

Realizing a Need.

A holiness evangelist was called to the Methodist church where we held our membership, and I eagerly listened to the red-hot truths and went to the altar to be sanctified as I thought that that was what I needed. The preacher told me if anyone in the church was sanctified, I was and that I should not be at the altar. However, I knew the stirrings of my own heart and knew that I needed the abiding presence of Christ.

God certainly changed my heart at that time and all desire for the social doings was taken from me and God helped me to take a decided stand against them and to refuse to lend any assistance to those who carried them on.

God's Voice Was Heeded.

My husband's business was prospering and I had an easy, care-free life and could have whatever I desired. God led me to spend much time each day in prayer and in reading His Word and holiness literature and I well remember how He talked to me about the manner in which I wore my hair, and very gladly I made it plain to please Him. The Lord also had talked to me about singing worldly songs and these too were laid aside. Then came up the question of fancy hats and, as though it were yesterday, I remember the first one I tore to pieces, taking off the drooping feathers and the flowers. The devil said that I could never stand it; but I believed God, and ten years have flown by since that time and I have never wanted any such things.

Silk dresses came in for condemnation by the Lord and these too were given up. Then came the wearing of gold. I had often been ashamed in our mission work on seeing my diamond engagement ring flash and would turn it under my hand, but when God talked to me about this and also all other gold — rings, pins, chains, watch, etc. — I became so heartsick and disgusted with gold that I could scarcely bear the sight of brass buttons and it was no trial to lay it off, and later I was delighted to see the gold and diamond "treasures" traded off to help pay for a bus to carry students to a noon meeting held years ago in Chicago.

Thus it was with other matters of clothing — the tailor-made suits became a thing of the past, as well as the sealskin coat which went to help pay expenses of the Bible school. These things all belong to the long-ago — the time which we would not recall for all there is in this world.

The Light Was Dim.

We heard no preaching upon these things — the light was dim. Once in a while some old saint would say a word but the holiness evangelists enjoyed coming to our home and we enjoyed entertaining them, but they did not speak out against anything they saw.

Dr. Carradine's Opinions.

It was in Dr. Carradine's meetings that God sanctified my soul; but Dr. Carradine told me that the Lord would never ask me to take off my wedding ring as it was the bond of matrimony —but, nevertheless, it went for I knew that gold was gold and God said through His apostle that it was not to be worn by the saints. Although Dr. Carradine in his public preaching ridiculed "rooster tail feathers" and plumes, yet he told me the feathers in a certain hat of mine were all right, and told me he believed the prettiest trimming for a lady's hat was ostrich feathers, and showed me the pictures of his wife and one or two of his daughters with hats heavy with plumes, which of course must have been bought with money which he received from holiness preaching.

God had told me I must not sing worldly songs, but Dr. Carradine, while at our home, brought in two copies of a song, "Her Mem'ry Brings Me No Regret," giving me one which he asked me to sing and sending one to his daughter in St. Louis.

The Home in Question.

The Lord began to talk to my husband and me about our home with its hardwood floors, oriental rugs and furnishings. I asked Dr. Carradine what he thought about that. He told me to never give it up, that it was none too good and that if we would give it up and live in a tent with a rug in it, someone would come along and say we ought not to have the rug. But still the voice of God kept talking and reminding us that there were thousands of dollars tied up in a home for us, which could be used to put missionaries into the field and win souls. The decision was made; the devil stood by, telling me I could never stand it as I had always loved my home. He said we were deteriorating and we were degenerating and would soon have nothing.

I told the Lord if I had to dress in calico and live in a tent the rest of my life I was going to be His child and do His bidding. It was sweet to do His will. The day came when we were to pack up and move out and to the glory of God I can say that there was not a sigh nor a tear but a constant song. A friend afterward remarked that as she saw the packing going on, she did not see how I could sing.

The Distribution.

When the different articles of furniture were distributed, some to the Children's Home, some to the Missionary Home, some to the Bible school it was a delight to see them used, not for self, but for the glory of God. Some pieces were sold and the money put directly into the work of the Lord. Then came the selling of the home — the title passed into the new owner's hands; the money went into the Lord's work; the bridges were burned, and, praise God, to this present day through the years that have passed since then we have never had one desire to have the home back again, but have thoroughly enjoyed the life into which the Lord has led us.

God Almighty Speaks Again.

When our home was sold we had no thought of living in the Bible school, but there the Lord plainly led us. Then the Lord called for my husband's business. It was prospering and growing; the proceeds had long been used for the Lord, but now He said, "Strip for the race and lay aside these burdens and let others assume these responsibilities."

So the business was sold, passing into other hands who bought it — name and all. This money also was put into the Lord's work, and there was no temptation to touch any of it to get clothing or anything for ourselves. Thank God, our Christ was welcomed to it all. He has cared for us during the years since that time, has clothed and fed us and we fear not the future, but trust God always.

—The Waukesha Freeman, Waukesha, WI, July 1, 1909, p. 2.

Religious Sect Sought Tranformation to Animals, Birds

1903

A Curious Religious Colony

Queer City Near Headwaters of the Rio Pecos, New Mexico

Of all the queer cities ever built, the queerest was undoubtedly that erected near the headwater of the Rio Pecos, in New Mexico, by Julian Ericson and his followers in the middle of the last century, says the Sioux Falls, S. D., Leader.

Ericson was an American of Norwegian descent, and inherited some money, together with a taste for occult mysticism, from his father, a Swedenborgian carpenter and contractor.

He early came under the influence of Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism, but quarreled with his leader and started to found an entirely new sect of his own, the cardinal principle of which was the transmigration of the souls of the faithful while yet on earth. That, is to say, he promised that his disciples should, at an early date, be changed into doves, eagles, lions, or, in fact, into whatever beast or bird they chose.

It seems scarcely credible that such an absurd, not to say nauseous, doctrine, should have succeeded, even for a time, in attracting converts; but there would seem to be no limit to human credulity and gullibility in such matters. Some hundreds of enthusiasts threw in their lot with him, and, following the example of the Mormons, marched westward from the settled states into the great Western wilds.

They finally brought up in what is now San Miguel county, and built a town of frame houses, at the back of each of which was a cage or den suitable to the needs of the particular animal or bird they expected shortly to become.

Of course, the promises of Ericson came to nothing, and in the end he and a number of his disappointed disciples were lulled in battle with Apaches. The others scattered to various parts, the majority going to California to die for gold; and the stronger of the cages, those erected for the would-be tiger men and lion women, were afterward utilized for a brief period as places of confinement for refractory converts.