The state herald. (Holyoke, Logan County, Colo.) 1887-1921, 1893-08-11
MYSTERY OF THE CAVE.

IL J ~ 1 xI1S4 VI x11 VA la
Among the mountains 6i North
ern Tennessee theirs is an extensive
eutcropping d delieately-tinted limo
stone, which presents the appearance,
ct q little distance, Of d vivid pink
ish, red. The. country ID Very rug
ged, broken into valleys, sometimes
long and narrow, sometimes round
and Gpp-shaped, shut in by moun7
tains and cliffs OF tho familiar "rod
rock" IS 1t, is called by the natives.
Small villages. ,oitentimes OF loss
than fifty inhabitants each, are
scattered along these valleys, and
occasionally tho cabin Of o mount
hinoer peeps through the dark pines
Of some lonely hillside.
II was In the spring OF 1860 that
! first visited this part Of Northern
Tennessee In the interest Of o land
and lumber company which had just
been formed In Philadelphia NY
commission was to examine the tim
Dor lands OF that section and also
its agricultural resources with view
to possible large Investments there
by the company. | made my head
quarters while exploring the vicin-
ity ut Milmont, one OF the larger
mountain villages, which boosted d
hotel, public hall and three saloons
While | was at Milmont travel
ing revivalist-one Of the most Pc
culiar individuals lover met-arrived
In town and began to hold open air
meetings, as there was no church in
the place and the fee for the use OF
the public hall ($8 a mighty was far
beyond his slender resources. Any
thing in the way OF excitement was a
perfect godsend to these secluded
mountaineers, and they thronged to
the rcvivalist's meetings every
evening. much as thoy would have
done to the performances of n dane
ing bear or tho sleight-of-hand per-
formances Of travelling peddler.
And for my own part was not long
in discovering that there was quite
as much Of the charlatan about this
shaggy revivalist as there could have
been in any wandering trickster. His
methods were such as. believe and
hope, were never before practiced by
any revivalist In creation. and could
have been effective only with the
most ignorant, superstitious and
gullible people. The chief agent
which he employed in producing con-
versions was vcntriloquism. This
art he used with great skill, so that
the results to one unacauainted with
the phenomenon OF voice carrying
must have appeared truly miracu-
lous- After raising his hearers to u
high pitch OF mental excitement by
his wild exhortations and denuncia-
tions, he would suddenly assume a
tragic attitude and cxclaim: "Hark!
the gates Of heaven and hell are
opcning" Then would follow cries
issuing from tho ground as OF devils;
blood -curdling summons to uncon-
verified individuals In tho crowd to
come and be toasted upon subtcrra-
ncnn griddlos. or perhaps tho mys-
terious voices seemed to come from
above. uttering tender and pleading
invitations to accept the mercy Of tho
Lord and be saved before II was too
late.
Tho effect OF these apparently
miraculous manifestations upon tho
supcrstitious and impressible noun
taincers was tremendous. Some Of
them went temporarily insane
through fear and excitement Nine
out OF every ton women became hys-
terical. Tho children had fits and
even the babies went into commissions.
But one and all wero Us eager to got
over the threshold OF heaven and DO
saved from tho tcrrors that throat
encd them as crowd is to get In
doors when mad dog Is running
down tho street
watched tho unholy excitement
for three or four days. and thon my
Indignation got tho better OF my
curiosity and | drew aside big Lem
wisscll. the landlord OF tho hotel
and ono Of tho revivnlist's most bad
ly frightened converts
Lem" ! said. did you know that
that fellow is fooling youa"
LENS great steel gray eyes
opened as wide Ms saucers.
ale Ia fooling you." ] repeated.
Every penny that goes Into his hat
goes 10 an imposior. Tho sounds
that you seem to hear coming out Of
the ground and tho air are made by
his own mouth. They arc produced
by mn art called vcntriloquism. which
enables man 10 throw his voice 10
any point he chooses and mako II ap-
pear TO others TO come from there.
II you don't believe me. get mrn TO
clasp his hand over tho rascal's
mouth next timc the devils begin to
below for somebody TO roast and see
| II they don't shut up ns suddenly ns
his windpipc"'
LON wisscll looked ut mo search
ingiy for full minute. Thcn his
big hand closed over minc. "You
look squAr.' no said. "and I bclicvo
you talk squnr.' IN 500 somc Of tho
boys. 10 At tho moctin' tonight.
Mebbc thar'll 10 fun"
was promptly and prominently
present when tho villagers began to
| gather for their usual religious dis.
sipatIon that evening. Tho rovivalist.
however. did not put In mn appear.
ancc until nearly twenty minutes
after tho customary timo for opening
tho service. Thon hc came hurryIng
down footpnth that lcd 20 u plateau
above the village. Ito Ind n strange.
cunning. cxultant look ON his faco.
NJ II no had made somo important
discovery. which no intended to keep
secret until no could turn " 70 his
own advantage.
I noticed that LON wissoll and
half a dozen othor leading spirits
" the town were gathered closely
about tho big hogshcad from whose
top tho reviyalist was about 10
speak. As he climbed his rude ros.
trum md began his Incarnation tfor
Tho wild. rhythniic. inrohorent nd.