Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1897-01-29
THE END Of THE WORLD.
Widespread Terror Caused By
Millennium Prophecies.

;, ogic.l order have announced tn
o coming of the millennium dul
ing the year 1897. Their prophe
cies are based upon uuusua
, events i'll the planetary system
but to the lay mind these adroitl
, adduced reasons seem feebl
causes for such a monentous up
, heaval. TO present these rea
SONS is not the object of this ar
ticle, but to describe the panics
caused in ruder ages of th'
worlds history, by similar an
nouncements of the coming o
doomsday.
In older times the dread causec
by a millennium prophet wa:
worldWise, affecting the rich anc
the educated as we'll as the pco1
and the ignorant. Nowadays
the audience of the doomsday
terror is very limited, conpris>
ing the very ignorant, whose
minds have been perverted by
fantastic religious notions.
This was demonstrated most
peculiarly in Atlanta, Ca, some
three years age, when a negro
evangelist, ignorant but eloquent
announced that the godly would
be transported to heaven after a
certain hour in the afternoon OF
a certain day. For weeks before
the date set for this phenomenon
he went among the poorer ne
groes, exhorting them to prepare
for the celestial fight.
Hundreds of his followers
were worked up to a state of
tremendous enthusiasm and dis
played implicit faith i'll the
truth of the prophecy. They
went among their less godly rel>
atives giving away all of their
household effects and clothing.
The few who had accumulated
savings gave these away, too.
On the day the great event was
to occur they mounted to the
roofs of their shanties and cabins
in obedience to the commands
of the exhorter, who had informs
ed them that the angels could
see them more easily and get
them to Heaven quicker.
Although the flight was not
to take place until 2 o'clock in
the afternoon, all of them were
up on the roofs before daylight.
They waited there patiently in
the heat of the boiling sun anx-
ious, but confident.
THOUGHT HE COULD FLY.
Two o'clock passed, but the
angels came not One of the
who had become fren-
zied with excitement, made a
leap into the air as the bells of
4 nearby church tolled out the
hour. He expected to be waited
to heaven, but he fell into the
yard around his house and broke
his leg. Whe the ambulance
came toitake him to the hospital
he fought the doctors, explain
ing that the angels would come
and not find him.
The others waited and waited,
some of them until midnight.
Then they became sleepy and
hungry and began to lose faith.
First one then another climbed
down and the exhorter disap-
peared. The next day there
was tremendous excitement
among the kindred of the godly
ones. The latter went about de-
lnanding the return of household
clothing and money.
Most of the recipients refused to
return the treasures, and the
civil courts were soon filled to
overhowing with litigation.
Thus ended the prophesled flight
to heaven.
In 1924 all astronomer named
Stoffer announced thata peculiar
conjunction of the plane =, would
cause a second deluge, and
though this was distinct con-
tradiction of Biblical teaching
the belief spread extensively
through France, thousands of
converts preparing for the floods.
On all sides Noah's example
was followed, One Partisan sold
all of his effects and real estate
to purchase the timber for an
immense raft, which he stocked
with provisions sufficient to last
his family for six months.