The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-10-26


church. the institution presided over
by John Alexander Dowie. of Chicago,
was baptized yesterday afternoon by
being dipped three times in the icy
waters of the Roaring Brook TO the
great enjoyment of half Il hundred
small boys, who were eye witnesses of
the scene and who robbed it of the
impressiveness of a religious ceremony.
The convert who was baptized was
Henry Saam. of Sloan avenue, and
the man who did the baptizing was
Rev Gideon Hammond, Dowie's Phiia-
delpha representative The scene o:
the baptism was the Roaring brook at
the easterly end of Gibson street.
There is n pool of water about four
feet deep at this point, surrounded by
high. overhangins rocks and forming
an ideal place for out t-of-door INNER
sion providing, OF course. the weather
was warm. Yesterday WAS certainly
not warm 4 cold breeze was blowing
in the afternoon when a number of
persons began to assemble to witness
the ceremony.
THEY BUILT A FIRE.
In fact. so cold was it, that some OF
the members of the party lit Il fire and
stood around it shvering while the
Rev. Mr.. Hammond took soundings to
ascertain the depth OF the pool and
waited patiently for the converts to ar
rive. He waited for over half an hour
and had about decided with the crowd
that their nerve had gone back on
them at the eleventh hour. when Mr..
Saam put in an appearance over the
crest of the hill. accompanied by sew
eral local members of the Christian
Catholic church.
There were to have been several bap.
tized. but Mr. Saam was the only one
whose faith was strong enough to per-
nit him to risk pneumonia by ven-
turing into all icy pool of water at this
time of the year.
Rev. Mr. Hammond and Mr.. Saam
immediately repaired to nearby
house to don their baptizing clothes,
and the crowd waited eXpectantly for
them to put in their appearance. There
were upwards Of fifty small boys as
sembled on the scene and they were
about as happy as if they We're going
to the circus. The grownups in the
throng numbered about twenty-five.
After a long wait the clergyman and
the house and approaching the pool.
Both wore long black robes and their
ordinary head-gear. The clergyman
had on a big pair of rubber boots.
Mr.. Saam wore his trousers and
shoes. but he removed the latter at the
suggestion of the Rev. Mr.. Hammond.
His shoes removed, he stood irresOlute-
ly on the bank as if he hadn't quite
made up his mind to go in.
SAAM HESITATED.
Come on said the Rev. Mr. Ham
mond, who was waist deep in the
water. as lie smiled a smile of encnur-
agement
Mr.. Saam hesitated for an instant
and then stepped boldly in up to his
ankles.
'Ouch,' said he. It's cold
Come on" said the Rev. Mr. Ham
mond and Mr. Saam walked in up to
his waist He shivcred and shook with
the cold, but the Rcv. Mr.. Hammond
caught him by the shoulders and stead
led him.
At this juncture an enlerprising
photographer. who had planted his
camera on the bank a few feet away
he was ready TO take a picture. The
crowd stood aghast.
ITS not right to take a picture of
a religious ceremony like this. It's
altogether wrong" said a woman in
the crowd.
Everybody seemed 10 be waiting for
the Rev. Mr.. Hammond to Indignantly
order the photographer away from the
scene but he did nothing of the kind.
He surprised everybody by taking hold
of the shivering Mr.. Saam and turning
him round towards the camera.
Turn around Mr.. Saam,'' said he.
lit will only take Il minute" Then as
the Rev. Mr.. Hammond and the quak-
ing Mr.. Saam posed. under their most
uncongenial surroundings, to say the
least. the photographer took the cap
off the lense and in a few seconds the
photograph was taken.
HAMMOND PRAYED.
This over the Rev. Mr.. Hammond
started the baptismal ceremony. He
raised his head to heaven and uttered
IA fervent prayer, calling down the Div
inc blessing ON the assembled crowd
and ON the man whom he was about
to baptize, Then with final eXhorta-
tion, he duckcd the resisting Mr.. Saam
completely under the water.
Mr., Saam arose to the surface shv'
ering and shaking in every limb. the
cold water streaming in rivulets down
his face and triclling in small streams
down his back. He didn't seem to like
the idea of being ducked second time