River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1889-10-03
MAKES HIS OWN GODS.
Pennsylvanian Who w0rships Three
Hundred uome- Made Gods.

Pennsylvanian Who wor.hips Three
Hundred tiome- Made Gods.
A most remarkable character has
just been unearthed here. He is thor
ough idolater and daily bows down 10
gods of his own manufacture, within
sound of the church going bells. as rev.
emily and devoutly rs the most pious
Hindoo or Zulu. II has made relig-
ion entirely his own and has evolved
out of it some three hundred or more
gods, who dwell in aud speak through
the same number Of idols of clay. which
form the chief furniture Of his house.
He is constantly making the acqualnt-
ance of new supernatural beings, and
as soon as he does so he proceeds TO
make an image, which is supposed TO
re resent the outward and physical ha-
biliments of the new divinity. All of
his gods are hollow and are from time
20 time filled with such food as
he thinks their peculiar nature
demands. Among others he has a
god of medicine. This il filled with
pills and odd prescriptions, and
whenever he feels unwell he prays to
this divinity, and always, he says. with
beneficial results. He has a god of
sewing machines, which is filed with
blank contracts for the purchase of
machines on the installment plan. He
claims that the worship of this god
will help any one to get a sewing
machine, though no instances of its
successful use are given. He has one
image which he calls the god of
preachers. and says it has a congrega-
! ton of 800 in its stomach. He has
one god which he says is inhabited by
his own celestial spirit, and another
which contains the spirit of his
mother.
The god Of the Reading Railroad
Company occupies prominent posi-
ton among his collection. The interior
of this god is filled with cabbage, and
its particular mission is 10 keep cows
off the track and prevent accidents
generally There is a god of horses,
filled with hay and oats; god OF fruit,
filed with apples; a god of the wealth
err, that regulates storms and floods;
god Of watermellons; a god of truth,
which is in the shape of hand, and
gods which represent almost every
thing imaginable.
He has these images set up on shelves
in his cellar and his garnet. and wor-
ships them constantly, according to his
needs His name is William Christoph
Clemmer, and his house is at GA LO-
Gust street, where he lives with his
wife and six children. He is a brick
maker by trade, and works regularly
at one of the brickyards of the city.
occupying all of his spare time with his
idols, which he fashions out of clay
obtained at the brickyard. He is a
Pennsylvania Dutehman. and can not
speak English, is unlettered and can
| scarcely read, so that all his strange
ideas about the deities which he wor-
ships are evolved from his own imag-
ination. A great many of his gods are
supposed to contain the spirits of his
friends. living and dead, but he has
gods also which represent those whom
he considers his enemies. These he
has set apart by themselves. aud they
are treated with great Difference and
consideration, so as to placate them
and ward off as much as possible any
harm they may intend toward him.
Clemmer's mania does not seem to
interfere at all with his regular occu-
patton, though the purchase of food
for them cuts down somewhat the sup
ply Of his family. lie is allowed to
have his way in the matter, however,
lest if he should be thwarted he might
become violent. The images are very
rude and inartistic. but there is con
siderable expression in the faces Of
some Of them and in all cases the out
ward lineaments are supposed 10 be a
reflection Of the particular spirit with
in. He has been three years in max
ing the collection and il is his am
bition TO build temple on Mount
Penn as a permanent home for his
deities, where they can be wOrshiped
and consulted by every body. lie
pretends that he has revelations every
day from some of his gods, and that
they regulate every action OF his life
and tell him what to do in every
emergency.
Clemmer allows no one to NEEDLE
with the idols when he is not at home.
but when he is there he is glad to
show and explain them to any one,
and endeavors TO impress every one
with his peculiar beliefs, having no
doubt that all the world viii sooner or
later see the necessity of consulting his
gods. Reading (Pa.) Cor Philadel-