The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1891-05-30
END OF H WORLD.
William Miller and the Men Who Be.
lieve His Prophecies.

torn down. 1t was near what IS now
the residence of L. K. Albro. There
he first saw the light of day Feb. Is,
1882. In his early boy hcod his father
removed to Low Hampton, Washing
ton county, n. Y. At the age of TWEEN
ty-twu le was settled in POnltney.
VT, aud was tor a time sheriff of the
county. He was a captain in the
United States army during the wal of
1872. He always had IL great love for
the Scriptures, aud at a very early
age became u great student of the
Bible. After his researches III the
Book OF Daniel for several years he
became convinced that the fifth monar.
chv predicted by Daniel to be given to
the people Of the saints of the most
High under the whole heaven, for an
everlasting possession, is aboat to be
c0nsumated.
SO strong WAS this conviction that he
felt compelled to reveal his beliefs to
the world, and in summer of 1888 he
began preaching. at first to his neigh
bors and people in his immediate To-
cality. As his name became more
widely known, however, he received
lnvitaticns to pleach i'll all parts of
the country and event in Canada. He
lahored almost continually for twelve
years.
After the failure Of ais prediction of
the end of the world in 1S43 he wrote
can Apology and Detense,n ac-
knowledsing thathis calculations rs to
the time were wrong, but declaring
that the nearness of the event was sus-
tanned by Scriptural evidence.
He died Dee. 90, 1919, at Low Hamp-
ton, he was Il man devoted to his fami-
ly and agreeable in his social relations,
and was noted for his strict integrity
In all things. His natural amiability
was rufled only when he felt himself
misrepresented or ridicnled, as he was
sometimes, when he was prone to in
d1lge in scarcasm at the expense of
his revilers.
Leading Adventists of to-day believe
in William Miller and the doctrines he
taught. They believe that the time
is not far distant when there will be
an end of all things. They further
believe that the only mistake Miller,
made was in fixing the date.
The early AdveDtists who lived at
the time of Miller, many of whom
heard him preach, differed in many
respects from the Adventists of to-day.
As early as in 1910 there we're Mil
lerites scattered all over this part of
New England and New York State,
and some in Vermont aud Connecticut.
The women especially became much
excited about that time, and in it is
the common report that many of them
expected every night when they retir-
ed that the world might come to an
end before morning, and every morn
ing when they looked at the sun they
thought perhaps they had seen it rise
for the last time.
Whether the Adventists really had
their ascension robes ready, as is
sometimes asserted. is not capable of
absolute proof. There are however,
many stories or traditions of the Ad-
ventists of fifty years ago 1t ia said
that some families really had in their
possession ascension robes, until the
time Of the coming Of Christ should be |
fortold by the signs in the heavens, |
when they intended to put them on
and be in readiness for the end of the !
One man in Pittsfield states that q
Of his fathers, who became a
convert to this doctrine, neglected bis
business and spent his whole. time in
studying and expounding the Millerite
doctrine. 1t was the story that this
man had ascension robes prepared for
himself and his family, and that on the
great day in 1913. when it was predict
ed that the prophecies were about to |
be fulfilled, he locked his cattle in the
barn, and he and his family put on
their rObesand waited until late at night
when, as nothing occurred, they took
them off again.
1t may be remembered by some of
the oldest inhabitants of New Eng
land that Boston was atthe very height
of the excitement Delegates from all
parts of New England we're present.
One man. who vas we'll educated. and
had been a Baptist preacher, but had
been converted to Millerism, tended
tbs meeting. Hereturned to his home
full Of enthusiasm on the subject of
Nillerism, and with his packets full of
gold. When inquiry was made rs to
how he, obtained the money he said :
that at the meeting nobody valued
money, rs the end Of the world was 80
near, and that this wac given him by
some of the brethren to defray his
expenses home, and, as he had a large
family, he thought it might come han
dy during the few weeks that were to
efkbss before the end Of the world.
Not long after his return, or one /