The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-09-19
CRAZY new EDEN.
Where They Will All Go Naked
. and UGashamed.
THE( OLDEN RULES.

THE OLDEN RULES.
OF All the Grotesqu, Culta, From the
Holy Rollers to the Holy Ghost.
err, the Golden Rulers, Is by
Far, the Crazlest Of
Them ALI.
The Golden Rulers are a new sect
that, lead by an uncouth, ill'clao'
barefoot man who says he 'S Adam, is
making his way to the Pacific Coast
In search of modern Ellen. A young
or man, unkempt and meagerly clad,
with wild eyes and strident voice, ss
with the band and loudly p-'caims
himself Is the Savior Of mankind
Following them to that which the!
expect to be land flowing III milk
and honey Is . motley group OF men,
women and Chi 'dren, footsore, hungr!
n d faint, yet sustained, they d clAre,
by the hidden fIes uf the b ,ly Gaost
In feu ncY of faith, in zeal and az
unslterahle determination the Colder
Rulers resemble the one time DoW1ei
tes Of z on City, Mob. In the aoan'
don OF their rites they arc like the
HOLY r llers whom, until shot by .
frenzisd brother of one Of his discip
les, treir leader plunged into orgies
that made the band eligible for Gel
IN q State prison. Ihe leader OF the
Holy Rollers ia dead. The nan who
killed him Is also dead, bullet from
q revolver in the hand OF the sister
whom he had avenged sendirg him t.
his death. The sister is In pris@n, sno
the widow of tho departed prophet it
charged with being an accessory te
the crime. The holy R ,llers are scat
tered, and most Of them are In hid
ing. With the confusion OF sch1sns
in tho ranks OF 2 n and the diffusion
of the Holly Rollers there has arises
this new prophet who proposes t
gather all the disaf csed under hi:
banner, and found on the Pacific
Coast IN Eden where every ono wh'
loves God and is Of Independent
thought may live in E !enic simplici
ty.
The hegira of the Golden Ruler
began last month. T ley broke CANT
Just out of Oklahoma City, wher'
they had been practising thei' E ~
simplicity for three months, anu Srai
ed on their march to their fusur,
home. Where that is they do not
know, but John Sharp, or to use biz
ecclesiastIcal title, Alan, says tina.
the Holy Ghost will lead them through
the wilderness and on that spot wnic'
is to be their E len will set up biz
ing torch. All the dwellers In Okla
homa City were on the sidewalks O.,
peered out of the windows to watch
the departure Of the Golden Rule
bard.
Al the head marched the tall gaun
man Of fifty whose gr!zz?ed hair swep'
his shoulders and whose beard swept
his breast, for there are no r z>rs IT
Elem. He wore white cotton shirt
and brown jeans trcu he wa'
barefoot and hatless. Beside him
walked . tall youth Of lighter hair
aud no beard, whom his followers pro
claimed with every creak OF the wag'
on wheels "Jesus Christ, tho Savior
Of Mankind" There are forty mea,
women and children in the band. The
men, garbed 6 their leaders, walked.
The women II de, and in heavy wsg
ons, 'prairie schooners," were the ba'
bies and small children. There were
seven wagons, for children are rum.
erous In EIen, and the wagons we're
we'll filed. The wrmen, gowued IL
flJWtng robes Of white, were mounted
on the farm horses that had titled the
temporary Eden which was being de-
serted for the permanent one. AS they
marched through Oklahona City they
S2ug:
y I'VE are marching on to Canaan.
One Golden Ruler remained behind,
gazsd at the procession between pris'
on bars. For he had been detained In
the Oklahoma County Jill to answer
the charge of disturbing the pease OF
the comm unity. His name was Thomas
Ocopsr, and he Is tho only Golden
R.ler for whom Adam has not pro
cured bail, when the sect's ideas about
dress and manners conflicted with tho
city ordinances. Five times he whom
tho magistrate rudely persisted in call
ing John Sharp instead Of Adam had
appeared to bail out his followers, and
each time he D. tC nished ths SUR Jund
ing citizens of Oklahoma by the
amount Of money he rxti: led from
bis wallet, his trousers pocket and
the hem Of his trousers a, has no
bootleg. But Thomas Cooper was ig.
nored. He ssJs the snsL. was put
upon him because no had questioned
tho authority Of the modern Adam.
At the edge OF the city, before the
Golden Rulers struck out upon the
broad trail to California, their leader
mounted the back seat Of wagon and
delivered this farewell address.
Farewell, 20 ungodly! 1, who In
my several selves am Almighty God,
Adam ard Elijah, salute and warn
you. Ye are wicked city. I find
mine part from YOU without pain. I