The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1906-04-25

1 have promised just a little bit
more than should. The fact of the
matter Is, that the Herald has kept
me SO busy during the fearful dis
aster that has overtaken San Fran
cisco, that l have found it quite 6
difficult matter TO get the time to
do what promised.
However, l will try.
Travelling through Kentucky sew
eral years ago | stopped one night
at the home of an apparently we'll.
TODD farmer. After the usual Ken
lucky courtesies the evening was
spent in a most enjoyable CONVERSE
ton. 1t was enjoyable to me for the
reason that it had reference to a
subject with which / was more or
less familiar. 1t was upon the SUBJ
ject of Dowie.
No doubt the best manner in
which l can tell this story Is to tell
1t in the language of the man who
told it to me. He was a native of
Australia and lived there when the
event happened, so perhaps, his tale
will be far more interesting than
mine would. Fortunately I have
kept diary of the interview and
can give it to my readers with more
or less accuracy. 1t follows:
81 lived in Melbourne when I first
heard of John Alexander Dowie. He
was not a doctor then, nor had he
any idea of ever becoming an apostle.
He was merely Mr. Dowie. Nobody
knew him by any other title.
II was a young man. l had a
fairly good education. / was the
son of farmer in the good old state
OF Kentucky. But, to my misfor-
tune, had fallen heir to some money
and had left the old homestead for
parts that I had read about. / went
to New York and from there to Eng
land The farther I went the more
interested I became, until / suddenly
woke up and found that my money
was not lasting as long as my inter-
est was. In Liverpool, after seeing
the greater part of England, real
lied that most of my money was
gone. So began to look around for
a Job After a weary search the
first thing that struck me was trip
on the water, so l shipped and was
soon a stranger in Australia.
81 wandered over the city of Mel
bourne until 1 was heartsick and
homesick l did not know what to
do. l wandered one night into an
evangelistic meeting and heard some
of the most interesting talk that I
ever listened to in all my life. The
man who did the preaching was one
whose name have forgotten, but
he was particularly lovable man.
AFTER he had finished his sermon
l went to him and asked If he had
anything that would fit me, for he
had said that there was no man on
the face of the globe that he could
not save that had any desire to be
saved. He asked me a few questions
and finally put me to work in the
bookkeeping department of his COM
munity.
HE was more or less of social
list. He was the leader of a COM
munity that had everything in COM
mon. He had been interested in It
for some time. He told me that he
was the organizer of the plan and that
he had spent the best part Of his life
in getting what he had together.
This is what he had built. He
had branched out from that to a
school for different branches. There
were volunteer teachers for different
branches of the regular college and
school courses. Then there were
classes for higher branches. One
could study the languages there, or
professions, even to ministry. So !
was very much interested in the
place. Particularly so because I was
rapidly becoming the chief confidante
Of the prime mover of the commun-
ity enterprise.
But l had noticed that the little
man to whom l was wont to look up
to as my superior was fading away.
He was losing his accustomed colo
and agility. There was no doubt in
my mind but what he was entitled
to a long and uneventful rest. !
urged it upon him and he admitted
the truth of it. But it was the gov
eminent of his little colony that
bothered him.
This difficulty was soon solved.
A bright and active member OF the
faculty soon joined US. He was in