Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-05-09
THE ADvENrIsrs IN MAINE.
Incidents of the Watch Kept Forty
Years AgO-Pranks of the Boys.
To-. III L.,ctstn1 I IL \ .LoaL,..nL


Incidents of the Watch Kept Forty
Years AgO-Pranks of the Boys.
From the LeaeistoR tNe.l Journal.
The accounts of the eccentric perform
ances of 1.-THE Latter Day Millertes in
Eastern Maine have revived number of
anecdotes of the equally curious perform
ances of the believers in the immediate
coming of the Lords chariot in days gone
by.
An old resident of Canaan tells of a
prank he and several other young men
perpetrated on a band of fanatics who
gathered in that town 10 await the blast
OF Gabriers trumpet thirty or forty years
ago. 1t had become nOised throughout
the town that these disciples were to as
semble in a certain barn with their ascen-
sion gowns on, and there with solemn
ceremonies make ready to receive the last
dread summons. SO these youngsters, by
dint of great eXertiOns, secretly raised
heavy log to the ridge pole of the barn.
When the Millerites were assembled and
all was hushed the rOgues sent the log
rolling down the roof of the barn with
terrific rumble. The wailing and grOan-
ing and shreking which came from the
barn indicated that the believers thought
the chariot was really coming, but were
not so ready to get aboard as they pre-
tended to be.
Richmond was one OF the towns to
which the excitement spread at this time.
1t is a wel-preserved chapter of local his
tory that a certain old lady was made
crazy by constant dwelling on the theme,
and had an ambition to fly up a short dis
tance and meet Gabriel before he had
blown his horn. She wished to 20 early
and avoid the crowd. On the appointed
day she climbed on top of the barnyard
fence, and tapping her arms, essayed to
fly. She lost her balance. fell down, broke
one of her arms. and Gabriel didn't come
a ter all; but 1t was not long before the
world came to an end for her.
There is touch of agricultural realism
in a "reminiscences of a Lewiston eX-MayOr,
who says: SAT the time of the old Miller
lite excitement | was at work on a farm
for a man who became a thorough be-
lever. On the morning of the day desig-
mated for the end of the world he told me
to let the cattle into the moving field, ard
discharged me. ] did not let the cattle
into the moving field, but hued out with
another farmer. The next day my old
employer tried to hire me back, but l
would not 60"
An old citizen of Topsham says that in
that town the Millerites proposed to well
come Gabriel with full stomachs, and
made preparations to spend the night be-
fore his coming in feastIng. A wealthy
farmer, who had become converted to the
belief dedicated all his live stock and
provisions to the cause, and held a great
barbecue on his premises. He invited
every body for miles around to come and
eat parting meal with him. The crowd
came. Oxen, steers, lambs, and pigs
we're roasted whole. Cider barrels were
set a-running. Great pots Of beans and
brown bread were baked. They ate him
out of house and home. The next day he
was alive and the sun was shining, bur
his barn and cellar were empty. He had
less property, but more sense. The smell
of siDged wool fingered in the neighbOr-
hood for several days.
| remember having attended a camp
meeting held by reYiVers of the Millerite
theory 10 years ago. The services were
held in canvas tabernacle in a grove.
and the faithful pitched their tents around
it. In the evening, when the loud drawl
of the elder echoed among the trees, often
interrupted by grOans and shouts of en-
thusiasm from his hearers, as he depicted
the significance of the dragons and many
horned monsters that were drawn on his
chart, and told of the terrOrs of the judy
ment, when 200 excited voices shouted
their peculiar hymns, or two or three de-
luded men and women were eXhOrting IN
as many different keys at the same time
it seemed like an unearthly cOnYOcatiOn.
One night several young men introduced
a goat into the camp meeting. While the
services were well under way in the tab
ernacle and the elder was discoursing on
the vision of the monsters that came up
out of the sea, this goat was let into the
tent among the crowd of men and women
absorbed in the talk Of the prophet. The
goat upset two or three chairs and bleat-
ed, and then went on general rampage
through the tent. AT first the disciples
thought that they had been granted visit
from one of the mystic beasts of the
covered that the goat was of the earth
very earthly.
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