National Republican., 1881-08-02
SPIRITUALISTLC CAMP
THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE PRESENT.
Beautiful Spot In the Woods. Near Philadelphia.
Where the MateriAli1ers Meet-NotOrious
Mediums Prescnt-Thcir Appear
ancc and Work.


NEsHAM1NG FALLS, PA, July 3l.-Nesha-
ming Falls Grove, situated on the new route to
New York, some twenty miles from Philadelphia
IS beautiful place. Beautiful trees n creek with
miniature cascade aud many artificial touches
oi beauty make misplace attractive for those who
want TO spend few weeks during the summer. It
Is at this place that the First Association of Spirit
ualists Of Philadelphia are holding their camp
meeting. row of over forty canvas tents, set mp
on frames, facing the railroad show to the passing
traveller that there is something unusual going on
Down near the banks OF the creek a number OF
seats have been erected 'ncuth the trees, and
speakers stand, built in rustic style This grove,
where the speakers hold forth, hns accommoda-
tions for over
TgS TiioUsAND PEOPLE.
Sunday Is the big day at the camp meeting. At,
an early hour IN the morning the county people
commence coming Ia carriages wagons. OH foot
and on horseback. Then the trnius from the
city, loaded down, come rushing IN until Just be-
fore the time for the opening. The crowd Is gem
orally IN the ncighbothOod OF fifteen or twenty
thousand. The exercises are not, as some people
believe, of n worldly character but are conducted
with 0s much dccoTum ms church services. A
brass band oCiciates at all the services, but on
Sunday II only plays sacred music The exercises
are opened with music by the band, followed by
the singing Of hymns by the congregation, the ex.
position Of spiritlialistc truths by somc noted
medium, and aucxhibtion ofcabinet matcrializa-
tlons After the general meetings are over the
visitors and regular attendants skirt OF 10 the
creek, where they row
on SAIL OVER THE slLvEuY WATERS.
Weekday the exercises arc much of the same
Character with the addition of dancing in the
ing and music OF q popular kind. There are many
mediums on the ground. Nearly every tent has n
medium of some kind in II who gives exhibitions
n Ui ivpaa tO nj M
that under no consideration will they indorse any
of their doings. slate.writng, test and business
and Undertaking. mediums are always ready 10
give exhibitions OF their merits, providing tho nc.
cessary amount OF lucre is provided. Among the
notorious mediums present is J. W. Fletcher, from
London. Mr.. Fletcher is q slim, dandy looking
chap with a natty mustachc and side. .whiskers
lie has pale face and black hair. lie Is always
nttired In the finest and most fashionable clothes
with profusion of elegant jewelry, diamonds
being mostly noticeable Fletcher Is
THE NOTORIOUS MEDIUM
who, with his wife, was charged by Mrs. Hart
Davis q celebrated lady of England, with having
taken $4,000 from her, by telling her that her de-
parted mother had made 1t duty for her TO per-
form, After she had given this money she was
cogniaant of what fool she was, and so she had
Mrs Fletcher arrested. At the trial she was con-
victed and sentenced to nine months imprison-
ment. Fletcher, who was in America at the time
concluded to stay here, there was an indictment
hanging over him which, lift resulted In convlc-
tlon, would entltle him TO FIVE years imprison-
ment Mr.. Fletcher gives seances to all who desire
them for 50, he charging the most because he is SC
celebrated. You can, however, get oil the mys-
teries of the past present. and future unveiled "a
you for twenty-five cents by some Of the mediums
ofless magnitude.
THE APPEARANCE OF THE MEDIUMS
Is vastly differpnI from that imnQinQd m
jority of people. Instead OF eccentric. looking
people, with long, unkempt.hair, they arc well
dressed men aud women, and would be taken for
people of leisure by tho majority of people. II Ii
only the believers who are eccentric looking The
country people who are firm believers in spiritual
ism are the ones who give you the idea of o
spiritualistic crank" Themanagers ofthe camp
are very much afraid of newspaper correspondents
They fight shy OF them, and make you pick ali
your information up. They claim that they are
misrepresented always by the "press." The sec.
retary told me that If certain reporters who hat
written up the camp would only call again they
would be run off by the indignant believers.
THE SERMONS OR LECTURES
given every day by the lights Of spiritualsm art
chiefly harangues running down the Christian
God and the popular belief in hell. They claim
| that there is q Coda God in everything in the
trees the wind, and the air-and that this God, in
stead lof being a wicked, malicious, revengefn
God, IS a loving father who will not punish Hi
children by immortal imprisonment In hell One
point they make is that the Bible proves con.
clusvely by late events that 1t is not an inspired
book. They say that IL II was from the mouth o.
| God 1t would not need revision and a. revised re-
| vision of the revised version Last Sunday ther,
were over $4,000 people present and to-day II Il
is not too wet, it is expected that $4,000 people viii
be here. "SMILAX."