The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-12-03

The pair travelled the length and
breadth of the land in a wagon, speak
ing at street fairs. at the races, any
where they could get a crowd. In
California they drew about them
large number of followers. In Colora-
do they found others In Texas many
fiocked to their standard. Then came
to Benjamin message. He was to HE
himself to Benton Harbor, call his peo-
pie around him and begin the watch
which should last until the beginning
of the millennium. That watch began
last March
Before the rise of Benjamin and
Mary to the leadership the Flying
Rollers were guided by one Michael
Mills of Detroit Mich. He let his hair
grow long, stopped eating meat, threw
away his worldly goods and began
preaching. He called himself Prince
Michael, but was better known as
Prince Mike. Prince Mikes religious
crusade landed him in the Michigan
penitentiary after he had stirred Mich
igan by one of the rOttenest social
scandals in the history of the state
Prince Mike made of his church a
freelove society and set himself up as
sort of American Abdul Hamid. This
brought about his conviction, a false
conviction, his followers claim, and
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shorn his head he gave up the leader
ship. 1t is claimed, however. that
Prince Mikes hair was sold to a mu-
scum for 500, which to him was some
consolation.
The present Flying Rollers now dis
own Prince Mike. They say he was
not one of them. He was not one of
the elect, and he promulgated only
few of the ideas now being reHgiously
followed at Benton Harbor
The life of the long-haired saints is
largely mystery even to those who
live beside them. Within the limits
of Benton Harbor they have erected
a large hotel and printing establish
ment and are now building a home"
In another part of the city is a school
where the children are isolated from
the offspring of worldly parents. This
school is taught by a saint, who years
ago achieved the dignity of school
master. He holds no teachers license
and the authorities do not know what
he teaches. These children, long hair
ed like their parents, are not, nor will
they ever be, permitted to mingle with
other children. They have no toys.
They are fed on vegetables and Benja-
Minis brand of the grace of God, and
they get their amusement out of chas-
ing each other across the back lots
on the outskirts of Benton Harbor.
This is only a touch of the life of
the children of the City of Israel These
children must work; everybody must
work. All the food and clothing is
bought by money from a common fund.
The financing of the colony is sort of
religious socialism. The children who
work may eat. There have been charges
that Benjamin has subjected his fol-
lowers, especially the women, to the
most cruel sort of drudgery. Those
charges have never been proved Still,
the other day 1 saw three young girls
plastering walls of the new "home."
DO you ask these children to work
like this?" Benjamin was asked.
"Oh, they are only playing" he an
swered.
Then, turning to the girls, he said
You're only playing, aren't you, girls?"
They all answered yes. But they had
mortar on their clothes and in their
hair just the same.
The leaders of the Flying Rollers
have plenty of money-how much they
will not say. They are spending it. This
money has come to them as money
has come to John Alexander Dowie, by
gifts" from the followers. Every con-
vert must lay all at the feet of the
leaders. Every man and woman must
become penniless. That, they are told,
is the secret of their souls salv alton.
and Mary four farms near Benton
Harbor, five homes within the city,
tracts of land in almost every state in
the Union, and scores of promises of
more to come. Benjamin says he takes
it to keep it in trust for the Lord, and
when one of the. zealots gives up his
own he cannot play Indian and take it
back. 1t will remain the Lords.
Benjamin told me how he expected
6n his share of the
work. He believes three and a half
hours work each day is sufficient. Yet
the women have spent long hours
most of the autumn, drying apples,
and the colony has enough dried ap-
pies on hand to feed an army until
the end of the present dispensation
While the women are supposed to
work, the saints do not believe that
animals should be worked. They will
hitch a horse to wagon at present
but they are going to stop that as
soon as the city is built.
The Flying Rollers are strict vege-
tarians. They will eat nothing that is
not a product of the soil. Where
Dowie put a ban on pork, they have
put a ban on every form of flesh
Neither will they eat eggs. Only the
children may drink milk. Coffee they
regard as a terror. Tobacco-they hard
ly know the word.
They all show the results of their
habits of diet. They could tell the
beauty doctors a great deal, for the
compilations of both men and women
are clear and beautiful. Their hair
would drive a wigmaker to distraction.
Both the women and men wear their
hair flowing. They regard fine feathers,
too, as inimical to their eternal well
fare. Corsets they abhor. Shoes they
regard only as a necessity, and many
of the men 90 barefoot ed.