Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1902-12-19
The "HolY Ghost and U.s.

The headquarters of the Holy
Ghost and Us" society are in the
town of Durham, Me-, where there
is great temple. The buildings
cover and inclose several acres of
land, and are on the top of the high
est hill in the town. The great gol-
den crown that is perched airily over
the main temple can be seen for miles
around.
On the Androscoggin registry of
deeds all this property, which is
valued conservatively at $150000, is
decided "to Lord God Almighty, Frank
w. SANFORD, trustee" For about
seven years the chief evangelist, the
originator and the entire motive pow
er of the movement-Mr. Sanford
has travelled all over the world
preaching the doctrine of Shiloh"
ana thorough conservation, and So
liciting funds for the work The
average number living at Shiloh" is
150 and all these give their labor to
the cause. Most of them are artisans
and farmers, and the building as it
stands is largely the result of CON
tributed days works" Several
hundred persons have sold their en-
tire property and have turned the
proceeds into the common fund at
"Shiloh." These families and indi-
viduals have taken up their resi-
dence at shiloh" By virtue of this
| residence they have now become citi-
zens of the town of Durham. which is
a little farming community number
ing only about two hundred voters.
That is the rule governing Shiloh"
] xrfth
price. All who feel attracted to the
work are at liberty to come to the
temple and share rations with the
rest so long as they feel that duty
calls them there. The saints have
been imposed on in the past by some
| irresponsible wanderers. but for the
most part those who accept the hos
| pitality of the place are sincere and
| devout and do their share toward
| supporting the great plant.
This incident which occurred at
| Durham shows how completely Chief
Evangelist Sanford rules his follow
ers: On the west side of the grounds
there is a lofty tower in which for
three years constant prayer has been
in progress day and night. the suppli-
cants relieving each other like senti-
nels.
To this tower Sanford betook
| himself one day "for little talk with
God" as he expresses it. He has
these talks" nearly every day when
he is in Durham, and declares that
he converses with the Father as man
| to man. and no one at "Shiloh" ven
lures to gainsay his assertion. On
this particular day he descended from
] ha with ~ NJ
joy upon his face The converts
gathered around, knowing that some
revelation was about to be heard
THE Father says that this day
am to baptize you all in the Andres
coggin river"
This was on Thanksgiving day and
the river, which washes the foot OF
the hill on which the temple is raised
was covered with ice.
But we have all been baptized be
fore" one of the followers was bold
enough to protest.
"Ah, yes" said Sandford but not
in the right way. You must be
immersed face downward"
Singing and shouting, all the saints
took up their line of march to the
bank of the stream, and several of the
elueIS DlOhe iCe loi SpdSS SuliSlch'
to accommodate the ceremony One
after the other two hundred men, wo
men and even small children were
led into the icy waters and were dip
ped under face down. once, twice and
thrice Then these dripping wor-
shippers stood on the bank and sang
and shouted while others were bap
tized The day was overcast, and
the keen wind stiffened their garments
on their bodies. A number of the
candidates who were baptized were
at the temple for the day only, and
did not have suitable clothing for
a change One of them was Mrs
Marie Lombard, of Auburn, Me-, who
died a few days later from results
of the immersion in the icy waters.