Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-07-15
A Chicago Character.

There died few weeks ago man who for
nearly forty years had been one of the characters
OF Chicago; man of great energy, intensely
DESTROYS of doing good, and friend of human
lty, who was the easy recipient of every ism that
came along. Seth Paine was born in Vermont
the birthplace of 10 Smith, Brigham Young
Brother Noyes, and the authors of various other
religions, which were doomed to be temporary
and unsuccessful. After cerking here for some
time, he started wildcat bank but was sold
out almost immedia ely, and the sheets of notes
went into the hands of a tObaccOnist, who used
them to wrap up his goods. IL was an anticpa-
ton of the fate of Confederate currency and
bonds.
Col. Paine was strong abolitionist a friend
oil LoVeloy, and an active underground railroad
man. When Spiritualism and Vegetaranism
were discovered he became a Jealous believer in
both, so much SO that when, in 1913, he again
started bank, female medium was always in
the private office, and was always consulted
concerning deposits. Since it was intended to
DO business only with those who were pure in
flesh and spirit, no accommodations could be
obtained by those who were given to the use of
tobacco or liquor. 1t was understood that n
person given to such practices could not be re-
lied on TO take up his notes, even though as
rich as CT9Sus. Still this was not as lunatic as
the Celestial bank, organized Il year or two ago,
where the treasurer lived in heaven, and kept
the deposits there and where the notes were to
be paid when the millennium came and earth
ana heaven were as one. These notes obtained
no extensive circulation, however, though one
hrm was paid in them for some JOB printing.
Colonel Paine also started the Christian
Banker as his organ, and attacked social and
political evils in it until he was again sold out
and sent 10 Jail, when he concentrated himself
upon the abuses of his new residence, and be-
came more of a master there than the sheriff
himself. 1t was a day of general rejoicing
when this prisoner, who set all rules at defiance,
and who had paper TO back him, was liberated
and turned loose upon the city. His release
was followed by one of the most curious suits
which ever occurred here. He and few of his
associates in spiritualism were proceeded against
under provision in the city charter, regulating
and prohibiting diSorderly houses. His counsel
Claimed that spirhualism was as much a creed
as Methodlsm or Epscopacy, while the other
side wanted to prove that it had not single
element of religion about it. All the ministers
IN the vicinity were called upon to testify The
court was overwhelmed with dissertations on
sectarian creeds, in this case and also in the
proceedings for a commission in lunacy against
another prominent spiritualist. Finally, spirit
ualism was decided not to be disordery-not TO
be proof of madness, and its adherents have not
since then been troubled by legal prosecution
After TINS matter was disposed of, Mr. Paine
shook of the dust of the city, and retired to
Cook county where he started cooperative
store, and stable of humanity" as he calledit
where all lovers of mankind might take refuge
de also continued the publication of his fearful
paper. This lasted for only year, and then,
after some years spent in other failures, he de-
voted himself to the cause of the "woman's
home" an institution to furnish cheap food and
lodgings to the working women. Grown more
practical with years he worked for it with sober
energy, succeeded in establishing it on a firm
basis, and when he died gave it all his property.