The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1907-02-24

LN1 ADIOhlhN, holO
and benches aud disappear In tho for
cst, wailing, Lost! Lost" Twenty
thousand people NJ times would be
present at one camp meeting.
was not long before tho nervous
excitement took more terrible forms
exhnusting ltsaclf IN the Jerks" the
holy laugh" and The barking exercise
The Jerks began In the head ana
spread rapidly 10 the feet The head
would then bc thrown from side 70
side W. rapidly Tint tho features would
b. blotted out and the hair would
snHp, when the "Jerking" reached
the other parts Of the body the suffer-
nr would be hurled over hindranccs
Tint came IN his way nnd finally
dashed upon the ground 10 bounce
nbpu, like Ii ball " IN sasJ that at
many ~ the cumpmeetinga, saplings
were cut of breast high for people 70
Jerk" by. Many marvellous tales are
are told by Ecoffcrs and cynics. par.
ticunrly physicians, who were at
tackled by retributiyc Jerks" and
bounced and dashed about until they
cried for mercy md were converted
Entire Community Demented.
Travellers IN Kentucky at this tim"
aay TINT the entire community seemed
demented Thc high nervous tension
and the morbid excitement drove mn"
ny insane, Men dreamed and saw vis-
IONS, A peculiar prevalent form Of
mental disorder was freeing the dcy-
| H." Men and women wno hal been
aroused 10 ihs highest frenzy Of ex-
ctement fnnried themselves dogs and
went down on III fourR and barked
until the voice refused TO act During
! this outbreak, II was common sight
! ~ see half dozen or more men
| around tree barking and yclping.
They had "trce17 thr devil and were
driving hie satanic majesty out OF the
! community,
one Of the wcirdist and most un-
cauny features of this strange revival
was the "noly laugh" Sometimes
under the strain Of exhortatlon, the
! preacher would suddenly break out
| into uncomfortable laughter, In mo-
ment, as II by coniagion, his great
crowd Of auditors would follow him
until thousands would Join In "A Titan
| Ic laugh that shook the depths OF the
forest with bo!sterena OUTLAWS II be-
| came recognized part Of the revival
service after 1903. and can be found
| in isolated districts Of the South even
now
A strip OF territory extending from
Vermont. on the east, through Central
New York to Pennsylvania was during
the first nifty years OF the republic q
! remarkably fertile breeding ground fol
| all manner Of freak cults, The lake
country In particular was saturate,
| with the bacillus Of innovation. Innu'
meruble prophets sptnng into th'
ilmelisht and issued clarion calls Il
converts, for new dispensation, II
practically all OF which new relations
Of the sexes were declared by divine
inspiration" In this district norrill'
ism. Marmonism. anti Masonry, the
| Rochester brotherhood Spiritualism
the Oneida Community, the Pilgrims
aud a host OF forgotten minor cults
grrmInatcd and throve. And II wa:
la this district that the great reforms
! voiced In prohibition, abolition and
woman suffrage found courageous
leaders and aggressive converts. /
constitutes remarkably interesting
problem In effect of environment tina
woull have fascinated the genius o
Buckle
Thrashed The Holy Prophet.
DorrilIsm was one of the first o
these fungus growths, A stout cam