The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-05-25
Franz Miller'S Peculiar
Religious Belief.
Thinks He Must do Penance
for Fighting in the War.
Brigham Young as Healer 10
Observe the Eclipse OF the Sun.

At what Is known as Scarritt's Blun In
Missouri Franz Miller is living In SOIL
tude for the sake of his own peculiar
religious Beliefs. He was born in Alsace-
Lorraine, sixty-one years ago. When he
was II years old he came 10 the Oniteu
States and followed the trade OF SHOE
maker until the outbreak OF the war OF
the Rebellion. when he joined the lohth
United States Infantry ut the barracks No
Newport, Ky. He fought through the War
and TIE terrible scenes on the DattioHeIi
sct him thinking He imagined he hai
dome wrong and that reventance would be
the only way TO salvation. he stnrteu 10
do chat by carrying what he called the
..hlacls cross" for fifteen years. Dui uilns
this time he was To have no 1lXeu aooue' lo
accumulate no property, 10 inaho ho
friends and TO shun mankind. lie wan
dered hack and forth across tne OouItIS
and then one nig,l6 the "spirlt appcateu
To him while he was walking %tweeh
Armourdalo and Rosedule He saw satan,
in great rec cloak, standing on the Diuli'
A moment lator tho shadow OF M"i-
chizedek enveloped him, and Miller KNOW
he had hecn promoted TO the reu cross
order. He settle, down ana ran shoo
shop in Kansas City. near the junction.
Then he lived hermit's life at weston,
Mo, and three years ago he took UP ms
abode in % cave excavated In tnc SchTrItO
bluff lie has lived there since, alone
and happy. Sometimes, he says. ne earns
as much ~ - cents u day picking rays,
and this sum suficcs 10 buy Tread ana
coffee. his chief articles OF sustenance.
Ho saws no never hegs. The nurses ia
the Scarritt hospital would provide Tor
him. but he docs not accept their hospl-
tal.ty. il;s aim in life, he says, Is 10
be az peace with the world and atone for
his sir IN taking part In the war TIC
mover reads tho newspapers, because they
suggest worldly thoughts TO him. III
Miller lived in "A more civilized way, he
would bo handsome man. As 1t Is his
long hair ard tangled beard. together
with an evident dislike FOR soap ana
water, make him look tho ideal hermit.
A man who hnd lost leg having heard
that some marvellous cures were workCu
by Mormon preachers, finally Joined that
sect in the hope of getting healed hlm-
self, The preachers referred him 10 Brig
ham Young ~ thu any -nrnphet- among
thom capable of treat ng such cases S
his. So OF to salt Lake City he went anu
presented himself before Young. The
Mormon leader was equal tn the emer-
Qency He assured the man he could
cause another limb to come In place Of the
lost member but called attention To the
fact that he had but few years vet To
live while there was an eternity beyond
the grave. "And If / now give you an
other leg, "said the prophet, you will not
only have this one when you get To
heaven. but also the one which you lost,
SO you will go through ali eternity on
three legs Horrified ny such pros
pect the man retired, satisfied TO get
through the remainder of his years on
earth with the aid of his crutches.
The United States government is
already preparing to take observations OF
the total eclipse of the sun, which Will
occur on May 2S, 1900 Observation
stations will be established along the
path of the total eclipse and experienced
astronomers In the service OF the govern
ment will be sent down TO take the obser-
vations ana make the astronomical calcu-
lstions which 1t is expected will be so
valuable to science and TO astronomy. IL
may seem rather early to begin To take OBJ
servations now for an event that will not
occur for the next three years, but the gov
ernment will begin TO take the observa
tions May IL. and continue until the
same date In the month of June. These
observations will be for tho purpose of
determining the best points at which to
establish the permanent stations, where
the final observations will be taken dur
ing the eclipse Of 1900.
The path Of tho eclipse will extend in a
direct line from New Orleans To Nor
folk, Va, and will pass through Georgia
in the locality of Macon. Blank report
sheets have been sent To all the weather
bureaus in the vicinity of the path Of the
eclipse with tine instruction TO the
weather man to secure the services of
capable and intelligent men to take the
observations and register tho results in
tho sheets made for the purpose The
exact condition of the sky, of tho sun
and of the whole heavens will be marked
down In the sheets every morning of the
month when the observations are being
taken. and all of the sheets when filled
out will bc sent to Washington AMI care
fully graded. The permanent observation
stations will be established at the points
where the first observations taken receive
the highest percentage.