The San Francisco call., 1896-04-10
A Seventh Day Adventist
Preacher Reconstructs the
Tabernacle.
OVERLAND WITH PURE GOLD.
Tap strieS and Drinking.Cups Made in
Arab'a-One-El venth the Orig.
nal Size.

AL OAdNb IHOuCl OF the MOSAIC laDeI-
nacle, which has cost its maker years of
labor and thousands of dollars, is just be-
ing completed in this City Only a few
finishing touches are needed and then,
probably for the first time in history,
there Will exist a reproduction, as far as
modern knowledge can reproduce it, of
the wonderful place of worship which
Moses constructed under divine guidance.
The model will be only one-eleventh the
size Of the original tabernacle, but even on
that diminUtive scale it has been q very
costly piece OF work, for it contains $4,000
worth Of pure gold, not to mention the
silver, brass, ivory, costly wood, skins
rugs, embroideries and precious stuffs,
many of which have been woven at great
cost on Arabian looms.
The constructor of the tabernacle is Rev.
J. W. kelchner, a Seventh day Adventist
preacher Of Iowa, who is an acknowledg ged
authority on the subject of much that per-
talns to the Mosaic dispenSatlon. Mr.
Kelchuer lectured for some years on the
subject OF the tabernacle, and believing
that he could bring the subject home
much more clearly to his hearers ii he had
a model, he set TO work to construct one
The vastness Of his undertak king dawned
upon the Adventist as he progressed with
his work, but by that time he had become
interested, and was resolved to spare
neither time nor money. 1t was easy
enough, he says, to get the gold, the brass
and the marble; even the precious woods
were not so difficult 70 procure: but the
curtains, the skins and the embroideries
were almost impossible to reproduce ex-
actly. However, Mr.. kelchner sent minute
instructions TO the Orient. Paintings and
sketches were made by artists in Chicago
and New York, and, acting under these
instructions, Arabian women wove the
rugs and the curtains, and their skilled
fingers traced out the embroideries,
which, being only one-eleventh OF the
original size were almost inhnitesimal.
The blue and purple and scarlet OF the
different textures did not always harmon
iZe, as they must have done in the Mosaic
Tabernacle, and this led Mr.. kelchner to
experiment largely with different dyes till
he had succeeded in blending his tints.
Several OF the leading architects and
painters in the East were also consulted
IN order 10 secure perfect harmony of de-
tail in the construction. Skilled jewellers
were employed in laying on the gold and
silver and in making the candlesticks,
cherubim, etc, while expert carvers were
employed for the ivory and woodwork.
The drinking vessels were made to order
In Arabian potterles.
All this occupied several years. Before
exhibiting his tabernacle Mr.. Kelchner
resolved to have large background
painted representing Mount Sinai, with
the tents OF the Israelites at its base, as
they were during the Mosaic encamp-
meDt. 1t was the desire to have this pic
ture painted by an artist who had made a
special study of Biblical subjects which
led him TO California. Wilbur A. Reason
has devoted three years of work abroad to
studying Scriptural painting and is well
known as an illustrator of sacred books
1t was TO him that Mr. kelchner was ad-
vised III Chicago TO 90 for his painting of
Mount Sinai, and being in q hurry 10 see
his work ended he at ouce packed up the
100 pieces of which his model consists
and set off to California.
He arrived few days ago and found
Wilbur Reason busy preparing to leave for
Europe. However, he consented to delay
his departure couple of weeks, in order
to paint Mount Sinai, and now both the
artist and the Seventh-day Adventist
spend most of the hours of daylight in the
studio watching the growth of the noun
tain, which is being paiuted from photo
graphs made in the Holy Land.
MIR. Kelchner considers that in three
weeks his tabernacle will be ready for lee
turing purposes, and he intends to set it
up in some large hall IN this CITY, Speak
ing yesterday of the difficulties with which
he has had to contend, he said: There
are no IeCORulZeu historical aut0OrltleS on
the subject. Many of the great buildings
and constructions of antiquity are de-
scribed by ancient writers, but we have no
account of the tabernacle by any one who
has seen it. In working from the account
given in Exodus it was difficult to get
things to harmonic, and / had to obtain
great deal of a ssistance from architects.
"a Methodist writer named Strong re-
produced the tabernacle, on paper at least,
a few years ago, and he may have made
some kind of a model, but Biblical author
tiles have stated that he MADE number of
errors. l have taken advantage of the
criticisms passed on his work, and have
obtained good deal of assistance in that
way.
MY model is sixteen feet long, and
both within and without it is made as fer
as possible of the materials indicated in
Exodus. The walls of the tabernacle are
of FURNISHED gold, the law is written on
tablets of marble and the ark is made
minutely according to the written instruc-
tions.''
The tabernacle has never yet been ex-
hibited, except to a few artists and archi-
tects in Chicago, who were interested
enough TO request private view.