The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1889-08-01
People In Centre County Pre-
pairing For Eternity.

BELLEFoSTE, July 2l.-It has late
" been rumored around here that
there is throughout Centre county,
as well as in Bellefonte, certain Sc
cret mutual organization that preach
and are preparing for the end of the
world, which they confidently be-
lieve will be next year, 1890.
Throughout this county alone, from
the most accurate data possible to
obtain, il is safe to estimate that
there are at least |, 100 and possibly
1000 adherents of this strange or
ganization, if organization it can he
termed. So far as it was possible
to penetrate into their working, no
real perfected organization with
legalized officers and appointed head
could be found. but simply n mutual
association who work in great Sc
crecy and who look to the most pro-
nounced one in their midst as the
proper one to lead.
The majority of the adherents are
professors of Christianity, and mem
bers of different UNCONVENTIONAL
churches. and no special church is
represented more than another. The
Bible they take for the foundation
of their belief and the occurrences
of the day as proof that their belief
is well founded. Most prominent
among the events brought up to
prove their faith is the recent null
tiplicity of floods and fires, with
wars and rumors of wars, the in
crease of crime and disaster and the
uprising of prophets and false teach
ers. The associations = work consists
briefly of preaching its doctrine and
substantiating it by practice, in
making preparation for the final dis
solution of this world. The only
man who could be prevailed upon to
say much about the association and
belief was c. ID. Miller, wealthy
anu oht VI uu-
herents of the belief. He said:
Il believe the world will come to
an end in 1890, and there are hun
dreds of othors-more than thous-
and, perhaps-throughout this coun-
try that believe the same thing.
This belief and association has been
current for years, and must in no
wise be connected with the prophe-
cies of Mother Shipton' or any of
the kind. 1t has sprung solely from
the teachings of the Bible, and
every day is made more plain and
convincing by the events occurring
around us. tell you what it is, we
all want to think less of self or accu
mulating money and such other
material things, and give more at
tention to the preparation of our
selves for the final dissolution which
is sure to come"
When as ked asto when he first
believed the end of the would be in
1890, he replied "As far back as
fifteen years ago | prophesied that
the end of the world would be in
1890, and that as it neared that time
the prophecies in the Bible would
be fulfilled and made very plain to
everyone
Mr. Miller then called attention to
the recent floods. I'VE believers in
this doctrine anticipated all the
startling disasters that have lately
occurred, though, of course, we did
not know at what time or place they
would occur. But all these recent
floods, large fires, earthquakes, rail
road accidents, increase of crime,
prophecies and teachings of this
later day have all been predestinated,
and are sure sign of the approach
of the end"
Mr.. Miller could not definitely say
Just why the year 1890 was set as
the time for the end of the world,
but in some unaccounted way they
felt certain that was the time. Mr..
Miller is a well informed and intelli.
gent man, and is thoroughly sincere
in what he teaches The believers
mode of work is to preach to then
friends. The only object in view
so far as could be learned, was tc
have all prepared spiritually. In
some places churches have taken VI
the idea and preachers are discours
ing over the theme to their congre
CATION.