The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1894-03-06
oHoLY HuMBUd."
Another Citizen Who Correctly Meas
ures Mr.. Braekhus' Powers.
last year.

Astoria, March 8, 1894.
Editor OF The Astorian-Dear Sir:
Mr.. Braekhus and his preaching un-
Mr.. Braekhus and his preaching un-
craze among the Scandinavians these
DAYS. The majority of the members OF
Bethany church of Uppertown are thor
oughly convinced that he is a messen-
ger from God, whose mission 1t Is TO
wake them UP from their sin-sleep.
They are worked up to keen senslDill-
ty OF the danger In which their souls
are placed by constantly coming In
contact with the children Of the world.
In short, they are brought to very
high standard of holiness-so high, in
deed, that good many of them have
found II necessary to sever their con-
nection with the literary society Min
erva," which until now had held it's
meetings in the basement of their
church. This society was organized a
few months ago among the Scandina-
vians of this town. They We're offered
free hall In the basement of the Beth
any church, whose members Were in
fact, very anxious to have them there
The constitution provided that the so
ciety should be strictly non-religlous
and non-polltical, and nobody can say
that that rule has ever been trespassed.
This was done In order to secure the
aid and membership of all Scandina-
vians, without regard to faith or opin-
lons The Society Minerva made rapid
progress under the excellent leadership
of L. o. Belland Everybody took a
lively interest In It; the best of order
and harmony prevailed--in fact. the So
clety filed long-felt want. All seemed
10 have u sense of its educational and
sociable influence. Then came Mr..
Braekhus. During one of his frances he
made q bold front against the society,
which he declared to be OF the devil.
While the word of God was being
preached upstairs, the devil was permit
ted to sit down In the basement, and
knit his net to catch the children OF
God In, and free of rent at that. There
Is wrltten MY house shall be called
house Of worship, but ye have turned
II into lions den Wo 10 the shepherd
OF the Lord. wo to those children OF
God who permit such devilment to 10
on in their midst; drive the devil out;
chase him out in the river and let the
fishermen catch him In their nets"
This was the sum OF Mr. Braekhus'
eloquent plea for blgotry and supersit-
tion. This laundering sermon had the
effect Of rousing the susceptible con-
science OF Mr.. Steen. the shepherd OF
the Bethany congregation, who yester-
day ordered the society to vacate the
premises, and gave his sheep warm
Ing not 10 have anything to dc with Il.
am grleved and ashamed to Witness
such an exhibition OF fanatloism among
my countrymen In this nineteenth CEN
tury. Can It be possible that people
who claim TO have common sense can
consider well-meant effort by lot Of
worklnglnen. living as they do ~ a splr-
itual desert, to enliehtep themselves. 10
broaden their views Of life, TO foster
their soclahle instinct, % cultivate
their sense Of brotherhood and good
can any one. say, consider
such an effort the devices Of the devlll
II Il Is. let the devil have full sway. Are
-, - r,... .s1,f,,,n ana his fallowara