Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1865-10-18
BPESnnll.


About sixteen years ago the Rev. DR..
Cumming, very popular Scotch Presby
terian preacher in London. poet
ical, and learned, and q man whose
blameless life would seem TO attest the
excellence of his doctrine-annOunced
first from the pulpit and then through
the press, that the world would be de
stroyed and eternity be commenced about
the year 1860. About the time Of this
prophecy, however. the reverend gentle
man purchased a house or rather its lease
for an unexpired term of twenty-one
years-baing a round dozen Of years be-
yond his announced day of doom. This
rather weakened the popular faith in the
prediction. When 1860 arrived, and the
globe continued to revolve on its axis as
usual. DR.. Cumming took upon himself
to defer the millennium until 1865, but
has not alluded to the subject lately. In
this country. however, where Dr. Cum
ming's republished writings have obtain
ed great popularity, his followers, among
whom are some of the most learned di
vines of nearly sll churches but the Cath
olic, have not abandoned the idea that
the latter days are near. In PhIladel-
phia there is periodical entitled Pro
Dketic Times. wholly devoted to the ex-
preston and elucidation of this idea In
its articles the reader will find great learn.
ing, subtle reasoning. and firm belief.
The writers are undoubtedly in earnest.
Some two or three months ago, Mr..
James Dundas, who lived in "A splendid
house on Broad street, corner Of Walnut,
Philadelphia. departed this life, leaving
his property, variOusly estimated at from
two to three million dollars, TO be princi-
pally divided among relatives Of his wife,
not having any son of his own. On Mon
day OF last week his dwelling house was
sold by auction, and realized the large
sum of $4,000. Il covers u great eX-
tent of ground-actually, almost, from
Juniper to Broad street, and from Wal
nut to Sansom Ii included, besides
quite a palaiial mansion, an extensive
garden, in which was a tank containing
one of the most magnificent specimens
of the Victoria Regina ever cultivated
larger than the great plants OF this rare
species introduced by Sir Joseph Paxton
into the gardens of ChatswOrth, and by
Sir VIM. Hooker into the National BC-
tanical Garden at Kew This plant went
with the house. but the greenhouse and
conservatory plants, most of them impOr-
ted, and largely from Holland and BelgI-
um, were sold separately on Thursday,
and realized $4,000. Ii WAS q singular
sale, not one of the plants being exhibi-
ted when the bids were made. The buy
er was Edwin Forrest. who was immcdi-
ately offered $4,000 for his bargain.-
Three davs before the auctioneer came
upon the scene, intending purchasers
went TO Mr. Dundas' greenhouse. cata-
logue in hand, noted such plants as they
cared for, on that memorandum in the
catalogue made their bids for each floral
treasure that they desired to obtain. Of
the future destination of Mr.. Dundas'
mansiOn-which is too large for any one
but man of colossal fortune-somethiug
certain may be known in a few days. If
il be dealt with according TO rumor. it
will become worlds wonder. Il Is moi
situated exactly in the fashionable pa. 1
of Walnut street-which extends from
Fifteenth TO Twenty first street; hut for
q special purpose it is remarkably well
adapted.
Mr.. Barnum has found a tough Gus
toner in the Round Table. which is doing
the public real service in exposing the
humbugs of the Snowman, the chief of
which is his American Museum" For
three weeks the Round Table has let fly
a broadside. The last against the immor-
ality of the Snowman, here we quote {:
I'VE refer to the morality Of the enter
tainmeDts there offered, upon which its
owner ofttimes laws special stress. This
morality, however, is of a quality that
will not bear close examination. In fact
to the Impractical eve, it too nearly re-
sembles dishonesty, falsehoOd and swim
ding to be the genuine article. Morality
does not lie but ut the museum they put
together the tail Of a fish and the body of
a monkey. and assure the public that it
is Feeiee mermaid Morality does no.
defTaud you Of your money under false
pretenses; but at the museum they take
a poor, idiotic negro girl and impudently
announce that she Is a new species Of an
imated nature, "a connecting link be-
tween the human and the brute creation" ="
and that she was caught wild in Africa.
whereas the poor girl was purchased by
circus proprietor from southern planta
ton Morality does not consent 10 will
full deception for the sake of pecuniary
aggrandizement: but at the museum
they hire a pretty German woman, de-
clare her Circassian. and, at the witty
suggestion of a certain orientaIist. chris
tisn her Zeruby, which is the Turkish for
humbug. It is easy to perceive, then.
that the museum morality is not the kind
which is taught in the Scriptures. preach
ed from the pulpit, and practiced ny good
men. For Just such breaches of the NOR
al law as those we have pointed out.
rogues of high and low degree are sent to
jail every day." The Round Table asserts
that the museum is the resort of loose
characters, and that NJ. evidently takes
the ground that "the money of cOurte
sans and pickpockets is as good as any
body's else. and sees no reason why he
should refuse it." We think n. B. must
begin to mince a little
Mr. Beecher, in one of his lecture
talks" refers to his connection with Ply
mouth Church, which pays him an annu-
al salary of Sl2 900, in the following Ian
guage:-"My relations with this plant
that ChrIst's own hands planted have
been so well nigh unclOuded. have been
80 full of JOY and satisfaction and remu-
nerating labor, have been so almost un-
DTOheuly ndppg- ludI L CHI hdENilN lulaE-
inc another situation to he comparable
with the one which l hold. If felt that
all ministers of the gospel could have
such satisfaction as l have had, | could
very sincerely say to the young and as
piring men of my time, Choose first the
ministry of the Gospel; for, above all 9TH
er things on earth, it carries with it its
reward. Even if one were permitted TO
choose from so low q motive as worldly
comfort, l should say, Choose it. But
am sure that any man who chooses the
minstration of the Gospel, in its higher
or lower spheres, either from the love
which he bears TO God, or from the sym
pathy that he has with his feliow-men,
will almost forget its exterior relations
and blessings in the plenitude of its spir-
itual remunerations in the meTcies that
God sends within. There Is no position
in life that is free from care, or free from
disquiet. Nor is the ministry an excep-
tion. But in it less, it seems to me, than
in almost any other avOcstion, are the
cares and infrmities of man permitted
seriously to disturb the soul, or throw
it from its equipoise"