The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1891-05-30
FIFTY YEARS AGO /!
BY UNCLE sILAs.
No. is.

So " ~ w
the trouble Of calling in the aid of
Physicians to open the gates that led
down into the valley of shadow of
Death.
Whether that idea prevailed to any
extent in the Southern States, | d" no,
kn0W but such hereSies and fnoiishne IS
lrver did flo IRISH III that section OF
country
One Miller who lived. | believe, in
Massachusetts. made II calculation
from various dates in the old Testa-
mcnt, that this world must come 10 an
end sometime in May 1s43. The ques-
ton WaS discussed freely FIR several
Years. The advocates of the NJ, I.rite
theory. who were. known at that date
under the title of Millerites, used The
pulpit Of many churches for the ad.o-
cacy Of their theories.
remember one preacher who had a
large drawing of Il tree, with many
branches. that h used Il illustrate, lis
theory with, and prove his experiences
lntht solution of ahsIruse Mathematical
Problems.
On the trunk Of this tree We're the
ti@tltS 1913. Each branch, extending
'lp"a1d, had the pameof some impor-'
tatt fact, date or prophecy concerning
things HAT happened three or four
thousand years age.
Tie speaker with lis gold headed
walking cane would point ont those
dates, ard commencing his calculation
would cnnie down ON. branch. and
then another and another, Illustrating
aud IT tightening his argunIent b.,
quotations from tie Old Testament.
and show how time was coming to an
end, until they would all centre down
into 4. ID. 1913 u it'll an exartness that
w"nld make the hair of an innocent
youth stalIl on end, or ~astunisll tie
genius" Of Il mtdern politician footing
III, election returns.
The skill in these calculations con
sisted in making ida, )" in certain
places mean ".ear>": in causing
weeks" 70 become simply days" and
)" on Aud when there appeared any
difficulty TO make The length of time
dns.tail Together nicely, they
w"uld quote Daniels Time and Times
i, d the dividing of Time wnicl,
Time they ""nld, hy an easy process
II Mathematical cXpertnc>> make Just
large enough ia nrcnl', Tie distance
r. required +" MAKE. II bicr fit Will. The
other .lrnlati"n> aud bring ever,
prophecy down to May, 1913. with thai
>'lnllIrllN rceuiiai To figures. aud
I, n~ton>tlafiig %t,N"nd all shadow If
d"rlt fiat oit repeated quolations
Iltut Figures do MT lie.
This IL cttinc had gary adlerents.
and en- stant agitation, had created an |
idea I:iHI it might lie Il ilur one. aifunn
many people who did not talt much
faith iIi lie theory.
Bat there utrtu hers who were firm.
~ convinced tina, tie world would lie
destroyed ~. il c~trtain fix.d tiay in
" \ ('lr %trn'li, ! believed 1913 and
~ ~" i, actions the sllIcer,t, i
of their belief.
knew an Cd nciohor, Il soldier of
the Ind an wars. utn reused to do il
w.lk after January L, 1913.
Fir. wood dining the winter, IL fine
orchard Of Apple and Peach trees.
And there were others in the same
county who declined Ia pillow their
land OF max" any preparations for tie
planting ~ their usual crops. Many of
them prepared white rplits for that
tlav 70 ~ not to be taken u,.awat.S
and thrown Among the Angels in dark
gowns there was III instance, | heard
Of within i few miles from my home.
of three women VIII" were clothed IN
the il white robes, and seated on their
Steps, by sunrise, awaiting their
translation I" another home, which
they expected to reach IN time for
hlcaktast, whether that rel,ast was to
be bot o. cod. | have fungutien,
The Mill4rite orators. finding their
Mathematics at fauIt, tried to make it
appear. and agal, i. figures proved.
that they committed a slight error.
hit the faith of their followers was
staggered, and could not be maintain.
I'd by amy new raicnlati"ns. Yet, III
1875. | heard a preacher, in that same
church, arguing Incidentally that this
world could n.t exist more than eight
years at the most. and | could not helm
bu wonder whether the fruikiller ever
would pass that way aud do his duty.
After had written the above, an
article explaining the doctrines aud |
ideas Of Miller. together with Il ske,cl,
OF his latnr> ~ the propagation of his
faith, appeared in The papers, whicl,
can te found on another page of the |
SENTINEL. Whilst it i>ditficilt for one,
at this day, +" i%clit>e that such things
could haze prevailed at amy time, there
IL 40 flnrA .DlnIinm u LIZ nLntuL