Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-10-22

ger. but to see the sad. puzzled faces
and vacant ioohs. as 1 saw 1t at that
time. that touched me. The strain on
the peoples minds. the struggling to
get up into something spiritual, the
irresistible slavery, told on the people.
Things may be different now, and I
understand things have improved
some, but the system is the same.
Those who have been there long have
got to get free from the influence be-
fore they can see through things. As
some have said. Things look different
in Shiloh" They claim to practice the
whole Bible, but only as Mr.. Sanford
intcrprcts it.
l was there when Leander Bartlett
died. This was the boy for whom Mr..
Sanford was convicted for causing his
death. He and my son were building a
little house in the woods, and were for
hidden to finish it. AS they walked
home they spoke their minds freely
about not being allowed to do anything
and admitted to each other that they
did not want to stay there.
Leander was taken sick, and thought
il was because he had been talking
against Shiloh He sent for the minister
and confessed Mr.. Sanford was very
angry. and said he could not pray for
him. He said all he could get from God
was rebellion and said he did MOI care II
he saw his dead body lying out before
him.
l had the impression that the boy was
being used as an example for The Doil,..It
of anyone in rebellion, as a great many
wanted 10 leave at that time. We we've
breaking a fast when he was taken to
lI.Art b.. .I.-.N tha
was announced eight Gays later
There is no natural affection among
the people or families. All are cold, I'M
compromising and terrible. No r!ty is
shown for each other, nor mere, in ANY
respect.
| knew about John Sandford',. f+~- fn..
l heard his father describe it in the
chapel. John had just ius.c, ~ ....
birthday and had been holy ior one week.
He was having meeting OF his own
with some of the ministers and turret
girls He did not obey his mother whem,
The punishment was Tor him to go win
out food water until he was winning
To- go up in the turret and take a whip
ping. Everyone on that hilltop knew
thai he Went three days and TN &C. nights
without food or water. His father said
he last night of the fast that lie asked
{" times for water,
tn water. Then John would say. ''Wil
be through" and his father would say
No" AT last he got courage enough to
go up in the ,urret. or office, 1 don't know
which for the whipping. Ny daughter
was passing through the hall and heard
him crying as he went up. He was
brought before his father the ministers
and turret girls. who We're the unwilling
cause Of his trouble.
Mr. Sandiord had said that they caused
hi:I. to sin. that they smutched him up. :
HIS father had a SNAIL brass curtain rod
il his hand. liz described how Christ
had nails through his hands and feet and
.t.:r.s ON his back. In the meantime
M. SandfOrd came near boiling. AT last
az n..: as his father saw fit. For some
!rtsoil he did not receive The whipping
ahd WIS told that Christ had borne it
tor him.
During the latter part of the fast it was
.i.-:.ei hat his fast was to be IA sacrifice
81 ~ ministers and school and through
il a'l nc families would be able to go
h"leh. 1t was also warning against
dsul.r,i, nee. | heard his father say that
ii lis >on had not gone through the fast,
a" had failed in any way. he would
never have wanted to look upon his face
again or own him as a. son.
When the babies tasted they went 10
hours without food or water. This includ-
I'll all the nursing babies. l should think
there must have been about 40 in all. lr
the room right over my head / could hear
them crying and IL sounded like Heck
Of little lambs: l called one of the min
listers to the door to listen TO them. but
he laughed and said it was the devil in
the babies. l was sick at the time with
mel vous prostration brought on by hear
ing a boy being whipped by somebody,
his father. l assume.
He was made to get up at ! o'clock in
the night and whipped until somebody
went in and stopped it. His screams
awoke most of the people In that section.
Almost any time You could hear some
child being whipped. and the rules were
that he must be whipped until there was
no doubt in the mind of anyone that he
was conquered.
The man who occupied part of our suite
thought his wife was not quite Obedient
and was continually laying down the In"
! to her. She seemed very meek and sweet
| through it all and said God was teaching
her by it. When she came home from,
the cottage. where she had hecn q,iaran-
tined for several weeks and her baby had
died of smallpox. her voice trenbled as
if she were crying. and he said.
TN have none of this: it's of the
devil!"
i She was greeted with no comforting
words. but he told her the chld's death
was a judgment because she had not been
Obedient.
These who leave have a rather hard
time. In the first place it is pretty hard
for man with family and not cont
Of money to leave. Those who go