Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1886-05-15
ECCENTRIC LORENZO DOW.
,cR.rs FRoM rHE DIARY or '"f IT.
,yERaNr REDIvaiSr.
tn. r.c,,,.r M.,h"d. witch ITO Employed In
~. Career ~ u Travelling rrsachcr.
where ~. Me, uis wiio-it,s In
rrc-s,ons ot the place.. visited

That Lorenzo Dow, tho eccentric evaneo.
list oi earlier times, was no bumbug every
point In his Ito and character goes to show.
lie was earnest TO the very verge OF fanati-
cism. Tho atmosphere In which he was
raised was ono Of extreme religious iervor,
and he showed signs Of Its effect from his
earliest years While at play one day when
but four years of age, no " suddenly fell into
muse about Cod and heaven aud hell
about which ho had even then heard much.
When his comp,nion observed his abstrar
ton aud asked him concerning II, Lorenzo
responded " DO you say your prayers ~
" No." Then Will not play with you
YOU ara wickod," aud into the house he
went. When but II years old he began Ia
have those dreams, or half frances, which
followed htu all his lite aud In which ho
placed such implicit belief iio thought on
this occasion that the prophet Nathan came
to him and told him no would die at - IL
made deep impression ON his mind aud re-
NAMED to hsra4s him until alter that period
WAS passed.
When less than II years Of age u conviction
of his lost condition came upon him aud car
ried such a weight of woe that he determined
Ia put an end To his life and know tho worst
IIe loaded gun aud went into the forest,
bat before putting his idea into Sccution the
thought came to him that II lao would wait
snmo means of relief might be granted him.
About that time tho Methodists made their
appearance In the noighborhood. one oi
them, Hope Hun, preached with surh power
that when Lorenzo heard him ho was terri
hly affected. " had liked To have fallen
backward, ," To uso his own language, " but
saved myself hv catching hold OF my cousin,
who sat hy my side aud durst not stir fOr
-nme time tor fear lest should tumble into
he'll. After the assembly was dismissed |
went out of door, all nature seemed To
wear gloomy aspoct, and everything |
cast NV eyes upon seemed Ia bend itself
against me and wish mo oil the face OF the
earth. went tu the funeral OF one Of my
quantauce~ the same day, hut dur-t not
look on the corpse for fear Of becoming one
myself | duTSt not 90 near the grave lest |
should i,u In and the earth come In upon
uo." This condition uf mind remained Tor
some uulc. lio half expected Ia SEQ the
devil pick him up and carry him oil bodily.
one night he dreamed that Satan and an aS-
sistaut came into his room, bound him with
chains aud carried him to a place of torment.
out of all this agony came peare at last, and
when tho conviction came Ia him that he
ruulh ho saved, " the burden ui sin aud
guill and tho ioar at hell vanished from my
mind porceptiby ~ hundred. pound
weight falling from n mans shoulder
AMAZED Al rus CALL TO PREACH.
When he heard the call to preach lie was
amazed aud terrified, aud tried To believe
that II WIS but "A false call from Satan, lla
tried as many devices of escape ~ Jonah,
but they were at no use. Many difficulties
lay in tho way, but ho finally mastered them
ali and commenced his wonderful itinerant
career Even thon lao had hours OF the deep
est doubt and most severe hulietings of
spirit. On one occasion he dreamed that he
had AN interview with Adam and Eve in the
GaFlau ot Eden, and was much concerned
to know what il might imply. Again, he
sets the g. words down In his diary Satan
pursuCs Ine from place Ia place. on how
can ponpie dispute there being devil II
they underwent a. much ~ do with his
hutfeting they would dispute II no more"
He notes case of faith cure even In those
early days, IN the ctso nt one Mary Spsud-
ing. who had been " suddenly and miracu-
lousy restored from an Illness which had
contu"i her to her bod about tho space ui
nine Years"
During the first eight months of absence
from home he travelled over i,OOo miles,
through heat in the valleys and cold on the
mountains; frequently sleeping with n
blanket on the hoOr, where he could SEQ the
stars through tho roof, while the frost WAS
sharp aud npping going through rain and
snow, often with no path at all, travelling all
night sometimes to reach his appointments,
preaching from ten to fifteen times week,
and often cold hungry and IN want. This
describes the main features OF all the work
ing years oI his life. once, in the space OF ,
DAYS hr Travelled 80 miles, preached -
time-, visited many at their houses, ami
spoke to "A number OF class meetings.
TuE "CEN2V PREACHER.'
Gccause lac WAS not recognized 10y many
of the ministars al his church at that time, hs
gave mp tho name oi Methodist. He wa
afraid he would borOme insane, and many
called him the crazy preacher " from the
start. lie was at times eccentric to tho bor
ders Of luuary, and one cannot marvel tina
many odd and unfonnued stories get all "a
concerning him. One day ~ he was riding
along ha buC,ne so depressed in soul that b,
Iesped from his horse, knott in the We
grass and pray ed aloud. lio began, at on'
tme 10 question young woman about th'
condition Of hur soul. He met with cool AN
swers Welt" said he at last, "Pll pra,
to God Ia seud tit Ot sickness upon you,
nothing else will do, I" bring you to good
and 1t you won't repent, 10 take you out o
the way, :" Tint you shall not hinde
others"
"If you'n pray Tor such things a. this,
WAS her answer, "you cant be the friend q
my soul you pretend TO be, and I'll yentur
all your prayers
She was angry at first, then grew restes
aud uneasy, became troubled in mind, an
finally was one Of Dow's most Jealous con
yerts and trends. lie askC Il another oma
to pray. Sho responded that she did no
have lime. Then IN buy your time,
said Lorenzo, whGreupon she agreed 10 CIV
one day inr dollar She supposed he wa
in Jest, but he threw tho dollar in her Ia
and went away. She called after him tn tah
the money, but ho refused, and added,
You go 10 hell 1t may follow aud enhanC
your damnation." She put OIL the task Il
ten DAYS, when " her conscience roarin
loud" ~ Dow says " she took tho day All
read two chapters in the Bible and retire
thrice tn pray to God to show her what sl
was aud what hs would have her TO be. Il
tore night SHE felt distressed on account
her soul, and before long found the comfort
OF religion
one evening, when he had a hOusefnl
Young men, he placed his back against u
door 80 none ot them could escape, al
preached 10 them with snch terNor that soii
cried aloud Tor mercy. young Wonlf
with whom he was talking suddenly broi
away from him aud ran. lie followed b
10 the house oi "A neighbor, aud sitting dow
in door, would not lot her out until q
had chosen to serve either God or Satan
fortnight She chose the latter sayin
:" ! can't keep the other" Lorenzo solemn
called on God to witness, and added "
pray God that you may be taken sick beiC
the iornights up" Before night she gr,
uneasy, soon broke her promise, and bee ~
convert and IA member of the church.
THE woMEN GUST AN INTRUDER. 1
A man whom he had offended by pI,
preaching came into church and tried to p
his nose. Dow dodged, whereupon I
women arose on inasse aud put the intrud
out OF doc rs. In his diary Lorenzo 81
down many incidents which show the pc
~ a ia mil "A n