Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-03-22
NAMES OF HOLY WRIT
That Have Been Attached to Places
in Western Pennsylvania.
DUB SHARE OF SACRED MOUNTS.
There Is Sharon and a SOdom, and
Hosts of Titles Like Them.
WORsHIPING IN TIE HIGH PLACES
WRITTEN FOR THE DISPATCH

MIS-. OlgOurney, VINO llVeQ anu QleQ ere
the glamor surrounding Indian character
wore off, wept because of their sad fate, but
comforted herself with the reflection that
they had impressed their memory in the
nomenclature Of mountain, hill, river, forest
and dale.
Our Covenanter fellow citizens sigh be-
cause they cannot force on our secular Gov
ernment an express recognition of God and
Jesus Christ in our Constitution and else
where, but they may get some comfort from
the fact that they and their cousins-Ger-
man Presbyterians OF every shade of belief.
and, in fact. by the aid of all religious Or
ganizations-have succeeded to remarkable
degree in fastening scriptural nomenclature
on most parts of the United States, and es-
pecially in Western Pennsylvania.
Seen With a Field Glass.
Standing on a knob in Robinson town
ship can be seen by the aid of a field glass
Mt. Gilead, Mt. Calvary, Mt. Nebo and
Mt Lebanon. Within mile is Mt. Union
Church, and why the United Presbyterians
happened to make the break is not explain
able. Were it not for the smoke and a
range of hills Mt. Olivett on Wylie ave-
nue., might be seen from the same eminence.
and down in Beaver county a short distance
below is Mt. Carmel.
Going down the Fort Wayne Railroad we
soon come to the ancient town of Sharon.
A little further out is the village of Galilee.
Further still Palestine and "Enon near
Salem" though there is not much water
there, not enough to induce John the Bap-
tist to loiter, and the majority of the native
population is of Observation-Disclosures
leaning in theology.
Galilee Beyond Jordan.
Until few years ago there lived for
large part of the century north of Galilee
colored man named Jordan, who became
famous in a controversy that ended lately in
the State Supreme Court. He lived be-
tween Galilee and Enon, and standing
joke with the population in the vicinity of
Hell's Hollow was to refer to "Gali-
lee beyond Jordan" If by any
chance person failed to see
bouts, he was set down as either ignor-
ant, stupid or unregenerate beyond hope of
reformation. The disreputable denizens of
HelTs Hollow had been cleaned out long
before the Ft. Wayne Railway was built.
Within few miles of Salem is the village
of Damascus. This name has q sort of
heretical sound, but it is scriptural never
thsless and was probably bestowed by the
Quakers, mild sort of heretics.
Ohio also has a religious center named
Zoar and such names are given localities at
short intervals all over the early settlements
of both States and we have Beulah in Will
kinsburg. Near Mt. Lebanon, on the South
side, is the village OF Sodom. As there is moth
ing in the topography of the neighborhood
that suggests the name, it is conjectured
Il - -
named for the reason that a mother wanted
her baby called Beelzebub. She said it was
not only scriptural but had q distinguished
sound, and she couldn't see why s...scripss
tur" name wasnsf ~ good as another.
Worshiping on High Places
In this connection it is interesting to note
that man, as far back as we can follow his
movements in the world IS early dawn, always
had penchant for worshiping on high
places. and this preference is still noted, es-
pecialiy In the rural districts. If 'the
groves were Gods first temples" it is as
certain that those groves, whether in the
land of Shem, Ham or Japhet, or in those |
of Indians not taxed" were on hill tops,
and where the natural hills did not suit the |
worshipers' fancy they made them to order. |
The Mound Builders worshiped on high |
places as is evidenced by the discovery of |
sacrifcial tools In all the mounds that have |
been explored. Is it not just as probable |
that the Tower of Babel was built for a |
place of human sacrifice, as for retreat in |
case of flood and that the builders caused |
"their sons and daughters to pass through |
the fire unto Molech?"-a practice de-
nounced by the Prophet Jeremiah on those
who built the high places of Baal. Balaam,
the prophet who was engaged by Balak, |
King of Noah, to curse Israel, went up into
the high places of Baal," after the con-
troversy with the donkey and offered seven
bullocks and seven rams preparatory to tie
''Ihe high place" also to bless the sacrifice
before amounting Saul, King of Israel.
There Are Plenty of Instances.
So also Solomon, before dedicating himself
to the work of building the temple, went to
'the high place that was at Gideon" and
here offered thousandtburnt offerings In
The first book Of Kings, xiv, %, Judah was
lenouced for its sins, For they also built
hem high places and images and groves on
avery high hill and under every green tree"
1t is probable that in the latter years OF the
Jewish Theocracy the idolaters had brought
he "high places" into disrepute and the
feeling engendered against them seems to
nave pasesd down to apostolic times, for
Paul in writing to the Ephesians speaks of
against spiritual wIckedness in
high places"
Though commentators have put differ
mt construction on Paul's meaning, yet the
he fact that Ephesus was in a country full
# sacred groves and mountains dedicated
o the worship OF heather deities, seems TO
make it probable that he was denouncing
Worship similar to that of the Mound
Builders NJ. V. B. DoUTHITT.