Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1876-12-23
Peculiar Religious Sect.
THE DoERILLIsIES, THE DIRTY PILGRIMS,
AND THE HOLY ROLLERS.

THE DoERILLIs1Es, THE DIRTY PILGRIMS,
AND THE HOLY ROLLERS.
In 1797--A sect of people sprung
up in Leyden, Mass. and spread into
Vermont, whose founder was Brit
ish refugee from Burgoynes army by
the name of Dorrill. He claimed to
be superhuman, and to have power to
give Immortality to all who believed
in him. They lived on vegetables, re-
jected all laws of Gcd or man, and fol-
lowed the dictates of their own pas
sions. They met once week to cat,
drink, hear Derrill S exholtations, fid-
die and dance. At one OF these meet
ings, spectator, Captain Foster, a
man of giant frame, heard Dorrill as
serting that "no arm can hurt me. -
The captain squared of aid knocked
the 'imposter heels over head; and, as
the fellow picked himself UP Fostal
knocked him down agar aid be.,.
him till lie renowned his nonsense,
and his followers, Disguised, fled from
MIN, and that was the end of Dorlil
lsm in Vermont.
In 1917 Isaac Ballard came from
Ascot, Canada, and set up to be Il
prophet. With a leathern girdle a
bout his loins, he traversed this coun-
try, and flock of fools followed him
and became his disciples. A Chris
tan minister, named Joseph Ball, be-
lieved in Billiard and Methodist
minister named Holmes also Joined
the sect. They all put their property
into common stock, and Billiard gave
to each what he pleased. They were
married and unmarried, were reward
ed and punished, as he directed. Fill
thiness was their cardinal virtue, and
old and young, male and female, roll
ed in the dirt of the street. Pilgrims,
they called themselves, and finally mi
grated west in body. At Cincinna-
ii they were largely reinforced by new
members; when they reached New
Madrid they made halt, and there
broke up, dispersed, and the most OF
them persisted.
In 1887 one Bridgeman, who had
been Universalist, becoming partial
ly deranged, claimed to be divinely
inspired. He gathered lot of half
cracked people like himself, and they
began mission of disturbing religious
meetings by screams and yells, pre-
tending they were acting under the
power of the spirit. They got pos
session of a Westinghouse and held
services there, barking like dogs and
initiating the noises of beasts. But
their chief worship was rolling on she
floor, and they got the name of "Holy
Rollers" A very sensible clergyman,
the Rev. Chester Wright, exposed
them in plain sermon; some of them
were put in jail for disturbing public
worship, and so they subsided.-Post.
e~ 1t is not generally known that
there exists in Fresno county, q IL
val to the famous 70 Semitic Valley.
The new valley is on Kings river,
is forty-fve miles long from east to
west, and has an average width at the
bottom of about half mile. 1t lies
five thousand feet above the level OF
the sea and its walls, which are about
three thousand feet high, are very
precipitous. In this valley, new
growth of colossal redwood trees
has been discovered. One of them
eclipses all that has been discovered
on the Pacific coast. Its circumfer-
ence, as high as man can reach and
pass q tape line around, is few
inches less than hundred and fifty
feet. This is beyond the measure
ment OF any tee in the California
grove. The hight is estimated at one
hundred and sixty feet; and a part of
tho top lying on the ground is over q
hundred feet in length.-Fresno Re
publican.