The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1920-11-21
Hunger Strike of Mountaineer RevivaliSt
(FromSt Louis PosD

nounced that he would not eat until
his daughter had joined the church
at one of his reyivals, tasted for
more than three weeks in spite of the
extreme physical and mental strain
under which he labored-Girl finally
shows the firmer Will
Back in the mountains OF Russell
county, Ky. in the little settlement
church at Hays Chapel. near Den
mark, the Rev Joseph Woodbridge,
an aged revivalist. has just brought
to a close a novel hunger strike upon
which he entered with the purpose of
forcing his daughter, Della, TO join
his church. More than three weeks
ago, after reading of Lord Mayor Nc
Swiney's fast, he announced that he
would adopt the same method of
influencing his daughter and that
he would not eat again until she
came down the trail' at the little
revival he was conducting At the
same time he announced that he
would continue conducting the serv-
ices.
But when the fourth week was
he had to be carried into the church
on cot by friends and when his
vo'ce was so faint it hardly carried
through the narrow confines of the
little frame church. he suddenly called
Off the strike and announced that he
n, IA .1a IN have
heard n voice and received a message
telling him this was the right thing
TO do.
In the meantime, the daughter did
not join the church. Her will was
firlner than that of her father.
The fast was called off just in
time. The sheriff and other officials
OF Russell county had heard of the
affair and had decided that they
had no right TO LET the old pastor
deliberately starve himself. Denmark
is so far basck in the mountains and
so distant from a railroad that a round
trip there nccessitates horseback tray
el of three or four days. News travels
slowly. accordingly. The officials did
rot hear that the old man had started
his fast until ii had progressed more
than fortnight Then. when they
were making ready to investigate, word
came that he had abandoned his pur-
pose
The girl, his daughter stands high
in the esteem of the mountain peo-
pie. Her school was located about
seven miles from where her father.
weakened and emaciated as the days
passed. conducted his revival. Friends
say that Il was not a lack of relig Gus
belief that prompted her stand but
that she realized that a certain type
of revival had Gone as much harm as
good among the mountain folk ana
that she did not believe the proper
way of Joining the church was to do
so under the influence OF hysteria.
To those Of the outside world, the
peculiar fervency of belief in the
mountain people IS unknown. In their
simple horizon. religion looms up
more largely than II does in a more
complex life. Beliefs almost med1eVal
in their simplicity, that the modern
person would pronounce simply super
stitlon. are the foundation of many
a mountaneer's faith.
Literal Interpretation OF the Bible
Is the rule instead of the exception.
The story Of Jonah and the whale
and other miracles in the Bible are
accepted literally and not symDollcaily'
Every portion OF the Holy Book
is pored over for guidance and in
spiration. the Old Testament as We'll
as the New And many VINO nave
heard the statements made by those
capt,ired after the inception OF some
mountain fucd. where whole iamlles
have been wiped out. have been I'M
pressed with the obvious sincerity oil
The mounta'neers in the BELIEF that
they have Biblical authority for their
actions.
This. of course, is their twisting oil
tho old Mosaic law of AN eye for an
eve and a tooth for tooth Although
the laws OF Moses especially provided
for adjustment in case of accidental
deaths through the act Of some
other person. thc iaouutaineers, IN
heir fierce religious zeal easily hyp-
not'ze themselves into believing lhat
other texts apply to The case Wneh
one OF their family is Killed
"They that liv, 10y the sword snaH
,crIsh by the sword remarks some
,nountainecr whose relative mas been
killed. Forthwith he puts his r'l'
In order and starts uut in pursuit "i
vengeance. convinced tnat h" mas
scriptural authority for his action
Revenue officers, who have been
,mbushed and wounded when 40 the
,ursuit Of their duty, ana VINO nave
r,me In close personal contact Win
mo people. say that 10 is literally true
many OF the mountainecrs cohSo''
.,ev have the authority of the Hln''
or wi,hstanding any attempt at IN
orference with their "moonshining.
They will quote the fact that passages
the Bible recognizes the use ot
wine and that Christ himself turned
water into wine for the reireshmeh'
~ gathering. And tney ho'u '''''
-, earthly law can interfere With
drinking what the saviour has sane"-
i'ed. ~
In primitive community su'h
.ua,s did little harm. Fcuds wcf'
,.re. an spite ot th' belief ~ solne
,,.ttcrs thu' tn, we're si'''os
e. pastim, for h' young o'o''' ~
t,o mountains. .-.,..
gut although modern civilization
h,. not yet penetrated 20 all the ias''
{, ,sses of the mountains In Kentucky
ore life of the cabin folk Is mu'h
,h. same as that which prevailed
r.upra,ions ago. the pressure ot CIV
n alton is felt on their daily NE
A,d the beliefs and customs when
...,,t,a ura NOW found To