Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1880-05-04
From the New York Herald.
WHAT is He 4?
A Virginian Who Claims to
Possess the Power Of Heal
ing.
MILLER'S MANIPULATIONS
Thousands of lnvalids Craving
His Assistance,
DOCTOR WITHOUT DIPLOMA.

DOCTOR WITHOUT DIPLOMA.
SALEM, VA, April 20, 1850.
No more famous man trcads the soil o
the Old Dominion to-day than DR.. Mil
Ter, late of the barren hills of Scot
county, quietly attending to the dutie
devolving upon him as proprietor Of {
little Overshot watcrmll. Miller spen
one year in the far away county of Scott
his only care to keep the wheels in mo
ton and occasionally to rub the rheuma
tism ont Of some home spun clad son o.
daughter of the mountains. But thi
Utopian case has had sudden ending
So great became the doctors" rcputa
ton that crowds flocked to see him every
day. They came from far and near, some
from distant States, riding sixty miles
over rough mountain roads from the
nearest station. The little cluster Of LOG
houses about the mill where the miller
milled was filled TO repletion; provisions
grew scarce; the mill wheel stopped fol
want of watcher and crisis in the
economy of the whole community was
imminent. Miller had to go where the
hundreds that flocked to him could be
housed and fed. Your correspondent
heard a week before his moving that he
was going, so taking the train for Glade
Springs he intercepted Miller there OH
the famous Tuesday night when the
healer, tired and worn from sixty-mile
ride, arrived. 1t was intended that he
should get into the village quietly and
rest without disturbance. No such con-
summation. The town was packed at
ten O'Clock that night with the halt, the
lame and blind. Il seemed as though
the alarm bell had walked them from
sleep in the farms and hamlets and call
ed together an excited, jamming, crush
ing mass. The hotel was filed. Peo-
pie poured into every room and crowded
every hall. "Miller! where is he? send
him hcre!" "IIere he goes." were ex-
prcsslons Of eagerncss heard everywhere.
Miller, never excited, passed among the
throng of people, dispensing his marvel
ous gift Of relief or p0lliation; and two
o'clock A. NJ. found the crowd no less
dense, while new comers told of scores
Of others that were on the way from the
woods and hills.
APPEARANCE OF THE "DoCToR."
Having heard of the gift of healing
said to be possessed by this man, and
knowing that hundreds Of people had
been flocking to Scott county for year
before, your correspondent naturally cx-
pectcd to see some extraordinary person
some appearance grand, gloomy and
peculiar. In this he was disappointed
"Dr. Miller" is one Of the most ordinary
Of men, both in appearance and man
ners, and his education has 70 far been
neglected that he can scarcely resd or
write. He is true type of che copper
as clad mountaineer, and differs from
the class 10 which he naturally belongs
only in possessing an untirlng energy
that glesms from his eyes and animates
his whole body. lie 10 flrty-flve years
old, FIVE feet eight inches high, stopped
In shoulders and awkwardly constructed.
His eyes are blue, set amid wrinkles and
under heavy projecting brows. His hair
Is brown, cut square across, just cscap-
ing his coat collar. He wears full sci
of thin, sandy whlskers. His mustachcs
are trimmed until they are stiff and
brushlikc. lie nose is straight, fore
head rather low and narrow and his
check bones very high, He dresses bet
ter than he did In Scott county. lie
wears now suit of dark clothes, not
very old and not often brushed. His
boots are heavy and never blackcned.-
He wears silver watch chain, from
which depends set Of charms that ring
like little bells, announcing his coming
or going with their constant jingle
Ills hat is Y black wool, low crown and
bfond brlm, ever pressed close upon his
head. lie ignores both collar and cra-
vat, and keeps his coat sleeves constant
~ pushed up to his elbows. Such Is the
now famousprodigy, the celebrated heal
er Of diseases, Or. Miller, who Ia draw
II T. such crowds Of the afflicted sons of
earth to his presence as perhaps have
never been gathered by any man Ia our
century, certainly not In our land He
So not rcpulslye, though ignorant, uurc-
1ncd aud careless Of dress or manner;
he phsaes inspection from all classcs,
save some mere exquisite, for his shirt
bosom is white, his hands often washed |
and his tone cheerful and sympathetic.
now nE CURES.
The "Doclor' claims TO be diyinely |
10 relieve the sick and the
afflicted, lie does NOT eay that he can
euro every disease. Nor docs he claim
to be- more than common man depend
ing, like NIL men, for salvation upon the
Of Christ. He emphatlcally
declares, though, that on account Of his
mltl God has given him degree of the
same power over diseases that In The be-