The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1885-07-31
THE ADyENTISTS IN MAINE.
Incidents of the Watch Kept Forty Years
Ago-Pranks of the Boys.

Ago-Pranks of the Boys.
Lewiston. CAie) Times.
The accounts of the Latter Day Mil
lerites in Eastern Maine have revived
a number of anecdotes of the equally
curio performances of the believers
in the immediate coming of the Lord S
chariot in days gone by.
An old resident of Canaan tells of a
prank he and several other young men
perpetrated on band of fanatics who
gathered in that town to await the
blast of Gabriel's trumpet thirty or
forty years ago. 1t had become noised
through the town that these disciples
were to assemble in a certain barn with
their ascension gowns on, and there
with solemn ceremonies make ready to
receive the last dread summons. So
these youngsters, by dint of great ex-
ertions, secretly raised a 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 ter
rife rumble The wailing and groan-
ing and shrieking 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 pretended to be.
Richmond was one of the towns to
which the excitement spread at this
time. 1t is ii well preserved chapter
of local history that certain old lady
was made crazy by constant dwelling
on the theme and had an ambition to
fly up a short distance and meet Ca
briel before he had blown his horn.
She wished to go early and avoid the
crowd. On the appointed day she
climbed on top of the barn-yard fence,
and tapping her arms, essayed to fly.
She lost her balance, fell down, broke
one of her arms, and Gabriel didn't
come after all; but it was not long
before the world came to an end for
her.
There is touch of agricultural real
ism in reminiscence of Lewiston
ex-mayor, who says: ''At the time of
the old Millerite excitement | was ct
work on farm for a manwho became
a thorough believer. On the morning
of the day designated for the end of
the world, he told me to let the cattle
into the moving field, and discharged
me. l did not let the cattle into the
moving field, but hired out to another
farmer. The next day my old en-
ployer tried to hire me back, but l
would not go.
An old citizen of Topsham says that
in that town the Millerites proposed to
welcome Gabrielwith full stomachs
and made preparations to spend the
night before his coming in feasting.
A wealthy farmer, who had become
converted to the faith, dedicated all his
live stock and provisions to the cause,
and held great barbecue on his prem
ises. He invited everybody for miles
around to come and eat q parting meal
with him. The crowd came. Oxen,
steers, lambs and pigs were roasted
whole. Cider barrels were set a-run-
ming 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,
but his barn and cellar were empty.
He had less property, but more sense.
The smell of singed wool fingered in
the neighborhood for several days.
l remember having attended camp
meeting held by revivers of the Miller
ite theory fifteen years ago. The SER
vices were held in a canvas tabernacle
in grove, and the faithful pitched
their tents arouud it. In the evening,
when the loud drawl of the elder
echoed among the trees, often inter-
rupted by groans and shouts of enthu-
siasm from his hearers, as he depicted
the significance of the dragons and
monsters that were
drawn on his chart, and told of the
terrors of the judgment day, when 200
excited voices shouted their peculiar
hymns, or two or three deluded men
and women were exhorting in as many
different keys at the same time-it |
seemed like an unearthly convocation.
One night several young men intro
duced a goat into the camp-meeting. |
While the services were well under |
way in the tabernacle 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 absorb |
ed in the talk of the prophet. The
goat upset two or three chairs and |
and then went on a general |
rampage through the tent. At first
the disciplesthought that they had been
granted a visit from one of the mys
iic beasts of the dreamland of Daniel; |
1ut they soon discovered that the goat |
vas of the earth, very earthly.