The hydraulic press., 1859-10-01
"CAN SUCH THINGS BEa"
Mrs. Browning says


GIVE seen men. veracious, nowss mad,
Who have thought dreamed, declared and testified,
They've heard the dead aitieking like a clock
Which strikes the hours OF the eternites,
Beside them. with their sural ears, and known
That human spirits feel the human way,
And hate the unreasoning awe which waves them on
From possible communion. 1t may be-"
And so we are compelled to say, in unconvinced
yet confounded manner, sit may be- to the wonderful
narratons of spiritual manifestations which week
ly published by the Family Circle, Journal conducted
by intelligent and respectable whom do not
think woud wiully deceive their readers. These mart
iestatios called, made in Sonoma Valley. first
ct the residence of Gen. Vallejo, and afterwards at
other respectable dwelling by. Written commu-
nicatons- were received through mediums, and some
were written without the aid of mediums by the spirits
themsevesl The rappinss were loud and frequent
drum was brought, by request, distance of quar-
ter of mile and quietly rolled into the sitting
/ appearing though animated. 1t placed upon a
table, and the spirits commenced beating upon it with
1 the only stick present The company appeared to like
this supernatural music and requested the spirits
bring another stick that they might have better per-
| formance. This reasonable request was complied
| with. though it is singular circumstance that the
| phenomenon cond only take place while tho candles
| were extingnished. The spirits were obstinate
and refused drum with two sticks abstractng of
the sticks rather sptefuily but returning again by
request. The drum then violently pushed from
the table, bruislng of the circle considerably.
subsequent attempt to hold upon the table des-
perately resisted by the unruy spirits, who could
have been in avery good hoaor. and resulted in their
uPscttiug the table, drum and ALL in spite the great
est exertions of human strength More communica-
tions were then received through writing medium
On another evening the spirit of the poet Milton
asked the question-'Is wine injurious man ?" Why
they should address such query the author of Par
aise Lost do not know, unless it because he is
said to have given profound opinion on the vine
| topic when a youthful student Being asked for an
essay uroe the miracle of Christ turning water into
wine he remarked-"The conscious water Its God
and blushed." To his Sonoma friends he replied that
wine is not njurous-far from it. "Wine is ordained
of Godbut like many othog OF our Creators precious
gifts tits misapplied and abused; and note most be
loved disciples and readers you must drink shc
as g,shes pure and rich from, the bushing grapes Of
| SOnono; not that mixture of all denominations whose
only vintage is in cellars, sunless, damp and fetd.
where guilty fabricates poison for nation'-
Commend us to Miten's TASTE If he had been mem
Der of the last Legislature he would undoubtedly
favored Fuersb for the prevention ofadulteration
lie goes in for the support of home products saying
effect-"dont drink. but if You must drink mbibs
Iy native wines" Milton. you fellow after our
heart; yet why did you discriminate in favor OF
Sonoma as against Los Angeles and other wne-rasing
sections? If there Tor ,referring Sonona
wine, let us have them. 1t is possible he might have
given them, but unfortunately the medium through
whom he spoke renGere: unfit for spiritual COM
munion blythe great interest he took in the election
that then approaching. We await further deYel,
opments with inipatience, and hope the medium was
not defeated candidate, that he may act his part OF
amanuensis to the distinguished dead in calm and
becoming manner.