Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1883-04-05
How to Be a Prophet.

The loss caused by belief in Virgins
storm is estimated among the millions
! Fishermen remained idle on shore for DAYS
awaiting for it to elbow overs and missing
the most lucrative part of the Escatch.
i-Vessels were detained in New York and
other harborss to the great loss of owners
and shippers. The European steamers
for several days left port with a reduced
4 passenger list. In many parts of the
country individuals devoted their time
/ to removing their goods to place of
i-safety, to digging holes as places of
] refuge and fastening down their dwellings
| in order to prevent their being uprooted
by Virgins storm. Besides these mates
rial losses, there has been much mental
anxiety, If not agony, great fear, nervous
/ ness, waKefulneSs and even insanity. In
deed it may be questioned if the predic-
ton did not do more damage, than the
storm would have done.
a1n spite of education and a widespread
! intelligence, there is large residuum of
superstition still left in the human mind.
| There is a fear of the unknown to which
positive and fanatical persons can appeal,
| by definitely shatlowing forth what they
claim to be the KNOWN There is stillan
awesome confidence in the professional
seer or prophet who outlines his pictures
boldly and distinctly. The man who says
he knows is far more reverenced and is
even more popular than the man who says,
he does not know, and does not believe
that anybody knows. From the young
| girl who lets her palm be read by the
gypsy and hasher fate and fortune foretOld
therein; or who gazes into the mirror for
glimpse of her future husband on Hal
| lowe'en; to the man who consults clair
| vOyants for his business ventures; or the
number of the lucky lottery ticket; or
! who prepares himself for the destruction
! of the world and his own ascension on a
| fixed date; or who trusts to weather
prophets; or who trembles over alleged
collisions between the earth and the
| comets; or who is anxious because this
man predicts short crops, and that one
commercial panic; or who is made
gloomy by the bowling of dog at night
that forebodes a death; or who is terror
stricken when thirteen are found at the
table; or who reposes a particle of faith
in any Omens, signs, prophecies or sooth-
saying, there are all degrees of satisfac-
ton in the uplifting of the curtain which
hides the future.
He who literally and truly thinks that
/ no one knows what a day may bring
| minds of his felloW-beings compared to
that exerted by the man who declares
with much energy and positiveness that
he knows it all and with the utmost ex-
actitude. The clearer the alleged vision
! the more acceptable it is; the more de-
tails, the more impressive. II Smith
should rise and say: eve shall have a
| severe storm in March" everybody would
smile at his simplicity and answer, "we
/ GtleGyS have severe storms in March"
But when Virgins uplifts his voice and
| declares that on March 9, 10 and II there
will be the greatest storm ever known,
and describes its origin, course and
! consequences 1T eXcites : compare
lively little derisiOn. CONSERVATION
! drives away the smile and terror
leaves no room for ridicule. So if the
| fortune-teller should only inform the
young and handsome girl that she will
| be married befor she dies, she will be in
! diferent-she was. already sure of that.
But when the Remany witch describes
the husband--his height, his features,
| his manly demeanor, his Wealth-the
| young woman begins holding her breath
with wonder and exu1tation; thinks she
is in communication with Sibyl, and al
most faints with terror, if the shutting
of the cards foretell her unhappiness,
! early death, or other misfortune.
ITO many minds thus constituted, there
is 8 fascination not to be resisted when
prophets pick at the. locks which bar out
| the future. On the other hand they feel
an unconcealed Impotence toward cold,
| unbelieving natures who declare that
science has not yet placed it in anylInan's
power to predict with any. degree of
positiveRess the incidents and accidents
of life or weather. For while man in
good health may with almost absolute
| certainty predict that he can go around
the world in eighty days, or keep an APP
| pointment at St. Petersburg next July,
| he may with impunitY laugh at another
itwho should predict that in going around
| the world he would be wrecked IN the
Red Sea, or be killed in a collision the
LIST of July on the railroad from Moscow
to the Russian capital So, too, he would
t be safe in saying that there would be a
thunder storm between the 10th and 10Th
of July, but absurd If he We're to declare
just what damage it would or what per
son the lightning would strike. Yet there
are thousands of people who would smile
at the first prediction and be terror
stricken at the last The first appeals to
the judgment and experience and dis
turbs nobody; the second appeals to the
imagination and proyokes alarm. de
trom Free Press. e1l Eg
The, Tyler (Tenn.) Independent is
responsible for the following: "An ami
NAL resembling a kangaroo was killed a.
few nights since on the premises of John
-Wagnersi We are informed By reliable
authority that the animal was about the
Size of large cat with its front legs meas;
t1riilg about four inches IN length. and its
hind legs about three feet,in length. The
most prominent feature of the animal
was its tail, which measured about nine
feet three inches.
pa -RS-b----@1
8 MORRISON Heady, the deaf-blind poet
of Kentncky,i is astonishing the New Or
leans people BY defeating their most skill
fuI chess players. He hasa board on
e+oy11 fi%Ao6 into