3 - Maria Russell - The Later Years

 Maria Frances Ackley married CTR in March 1879.  She left the family address in 1897, and in 1903 started legal proceedings to formalize the separation. It was granted in 1906 and a later hearing in 1907 settled the alimony. This article reviews what happened to Maria later up to her death in 1938.

After sharing a house in Cedar Avenue, Pittsburgh, with her sister Emma, Maria went to live in the Pittsburgh suburb of Avalon. She was there in 1907 because her 1907 book The Twain One was sold from an Avalon address. She is there in the 1910 census, living alone. She was still there in 1917 when a Bible student named ‘Sister Wilson’ called on her in what is described as “the regular Pastoral service.” The account was written up rather vaguely in the St Paul Enterprise for 20 February 1917, where Maria states she was not present when a Pittsburgh minister attacked her late husband from the pulpit as had been reported. The letter was headed “The Charge Not True” and the letter was sent in by J A Bohnet.

The point was made in the letter that “Sister Russell…professes full faith in the ransom, in the high calling, restitution, chronology and the Studies in the Scriptures in general.”

The letter also states that “Sister Wilson says she greatly enjoyed the visit and was invited to come again.” Maria also stated that she had much to do with the production of the first three volumes.

Whether Sister Wilson made another visit is not recorded.

While Maria was living in Avalon, her sister Emma gained a post at Bethany College in West Virginia. This was an educational establishment founded by Alexaander Campbell linked to the Restoration movement (Disciples of Christ). It had been a co-educational college since the 1880s. The details are given below as part of her newspaper obituary.

Maria was still living in Avalon and Emma was still at Bethany in July 1921 when their brother Lemuel was murdered and they were both mentioned as family. A disgruntled policeman shot Lemuel in a courtroom. See: https://jeromehistory.blogspot.com/2019/01/lemuel.html

When Emma retired, the two sisters finally moved to Florida at the end of 1922 and bought a house together. From the Tampa Bay Times for 24 December 1922:

According to Emma’s last will and testament dated 13 September 1926 the two sisters owned the house between them; they each had “a one-half undivided interest” in the property.

When Emma died first, her will left her share to Maria with a lifetime interest, but with the understanding that daughter Mabel, or if necessary her heirs would eventually inherit.

Emma died in early 1929. From the Tampa Bay Times for 6 February 1929:

This noted that her position at Bethany College had been former dean of women. A similar report in the Tampa Bay Tribune added that she’d held this position for eight years prior to her retirement. A telephone enquiry several decades ago suggested she had been “Matron of Phillips Hall” at the college which may be a more accurate description.

The 1930 census shows that Maria continued living in the house on her own.

There are several small references to her in the local papers – she leaves the area for a number of weeks to escape the excessive heat, she visits relatives in Chicago (her late brother Lemuel’s family), she tries unsuccessfully to get the taxes on the property reduced – etc. She doesn’t appear to have been much involved in local events, but that may just be because of her age. However, she still retains an interest in theological matters. One example is found in a letter she wrote in 1931. It is from the Tampa Bay Times for 29 July 1931, page 4.

Under the heading Open Forum and with the usual disclaimers, letters to the editor were invited.

Maria responded:

Editor The Times:

  If you can find space in your Open Forum I would like by this means to suggest a thought that present events have brought forcibly to my attention. It is that the present world-wide financial depression may really be viewed as a blessing in disguise however hard it strikes us both corporately and individually.

  It has compelled a sudden halt in human affairs, and both nations and individuals are forced to consider, to study, and to mend their ways. The eternal principles of truth and righteousness are put to the fore, and good men, providentially exalted to positions of power and influence, are pleading with the world, both as nations and as individuals, to repent and to do the works mete for repentance.

  Well, they are doing it. Praise the Lord! Our honored president points out and leads the way, and lo, the heart of the nations is yielding. Truly there is cause for rejoincing as nation after nation responds – in humility and in mercy toward one another. Financial prosperity could never have wrought this miracle, but “when the judgments of the Lord are abroad in the earth the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.” – Isa. 26:9.

  And this reminds me of the Lord’s typical course with guilty Nineveh. He sent his prophet, Jonah, to anounce that within three days the city would be destroyed, because the wrath of God was upon it. But Nineveh repented quickly, suddenly; and God also repented ad mercy stayed the hand of justice. It looks to me like a parallel case here on a very large – a world-wide scale. Consider: Notwithstanding the terrible experiences of the World war and its bitter aftermath, the interval since the armistice has been spent largely in hasty and feverish peparation for another conflict, which all know must be more terrible and ruinously destructive. No nation wants it, but anger, suspicion and fear impel them all to arm for defense from inevitable danger. (“And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come” – “Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth.”) But just as the nations stand today – armed to the teeth with every weapon of destruction that advanced science can invent, and trembling for fear of what seems inevitable in the nearing future, God has interposed in mercy and let the financial crisis come with all of its forebodings of world-wide disaster. Then, just in the nick of time He puts in the heart and mind of our noble president a plan for relief, conditioned upon observance of the principles of righteousness and mercy. Mr Hoover proved a ready instruments – wise, patient, resourceful, conservative, righteous, merciful alike to friend or foe. And lo, the nations and peoples almost everywhere respond, and the principles of righteousness and forbearance are everywhere coming to the fore.

  Judgment indeed must be laid to the line, and righteousness to the plummet, and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies (is doing it) and waters of truth shall overflow the hiding places of error and sin.

  Well, the world is breathing easier – with now hope and courage, and further deeply significant developments, at the arms conference, etc., will soon claim our attention. It is a time of prayer that those in authority may have wisdom and divine guidance, and that the evil forces may be restrained. A titanic confliect is on surely. But see Zeph, 2:1-3: “Before the decree brings forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the Lord come upon you, seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness, it may be yer shall be hid in he day of the Lord’s anger.”

MRS. M.F. RUSSELL

E 516 Fourteenth avenue north, St. Petersburg, Fla.

Maria’s views were now quite distant from the Bible Student movement. She was optimistic about the future, believing that the financial downturn in the world in the early 1930s was really going to work out the will of God.

Although, as noted above, she was living on her own after Emma’s death, Maria did try to get some company. This was shown in the advertisement below from the Tampa Bay Times for 13 May 1932. She described herself as a “refined, elderly widow.”

But in the 1935 Florida State census she is still living alone.

As her health failed with advancing years, it appears that Emma’s daughter, Mabel Packard, and her family took responsibility for her. Her obituary notice in the paper spoke of her niece, Mrs Richard Packard “of this city.” When Maria died in 1938, her last will and testament dated 4 April 1936 showed Mabel Packard inheriting the house in full. There were also a number of monetary gifts to various nieces and nephews ranging from $100 to $700. Maria had also loaned Mabel $1400 and that debt was now cancelled.

This all indicates that Maria was economically secure at the end of her life. As for the house – it last came on the market in the early 2020s and was then valued at over one millon dollars.

The Ackley sisters, Maria and Emma, both had concerns about money during their lives, but ultimately they were quite comfortable financially.

Swanee River

 Most articles on this history blog have a very direct connection with Watch Tower history and pre-history. But others have a more tenuous link. This is one of the latter.

Stephen Foster (1826-1864) is sometimes called “the father of American popular music.” He wrote over 200 songs, some of which are still performed today. Many suggest the music of the southern states, and were performed by minstrel groups, although apparently Foster only ever visited the south once in his life. Camptown Races, My Old Kentucky Home, Beautiful Dreamer, and Swanee (Suwannee) River (Old Folks at Home) are among his titles. The latter became the state song of Florida in 1935.

When he died in 1864 he was buried in the Allegheny cemetery, as were a good number of his family. Most readers here will know that CTR’s parents, siblings and other relatives were also buried in a family plot in this cemetery.

The Tampa Bay Times carried an interview with Mabel Packard in its issue of 24 January 1960.

Mabel Packard was the daughter of Joseph Lytle Russell, CTR’s father, through his second wife, Emma Ackley. So she was CTR’s half-sister. She was born in 1881 and when about 15, Stephen Foster’s brother, Morriston Foster (1823-1904) was a next door neighbor. From him she got the information that one of Stephen’s most famous songs that starts “Way down upon the Swanee River” was originally called something else – “the Pee Dee River.”  “Swanee” sounded a lot better and the name stuck.

The house where Mabel was living at the time of the interview was the address for her mother Emma Russell, and also her aunt Maria Frances Russell from 1922 until their deaths. Emma died in 1929 and Maria died in 1938, but according to the newspaper cutting Mabel did not move into the area until 1941. That might be an error. The obituary for Maria in 1938 mentioned a surviving niece, Mrs Richard Packard of "this city." Mabel died aged 80 towards the end of 1961, and is buried in the same family plot as Emma and Maria. From the Tampa Bay Times for 21 November 1961:

Whatever Happened to Lizzie Allen?

 In the May 1880 issue of Zion’s Watch Tower, the list of contributors had a new name, L A Allen. This was Lizzie (Elizabeth) A Allen, and her history is reviewed in Separate Identity volume one, pp. 203-207.

She and her father, Ira, who died in 1881, had been supporters of Nelson Barbour, but when the division occurred she supported CTR. Eventually, she left Zion’s Watch Tower to support John H Paton’s Universalist group and write for his paper The World’s Hope. In 1890 she was the pastor of his Church of the Larger Hope in Buchanan. In the 1890s she wrote for a Universalist paper Manford’s New Monthly Magazine. This dwindled in the latter half of the 1890s and may have coincided with her marriage (see below), or it just may be that she switched to writing for other publications that are yet to be discovered.

The last sighting of her had been in 1907 in the report of her mother’s funeral. We will pick up the story from there.

When Emily Allen died there was a report in the Rochester Democratic and Chronicle for 20 February 1907 which mentioned her surviving family. Lizzie was mentioned as now living in Chicago. Crucially for research, the report also mentioned that one of Lizzie’s sisters was now a Mrs Jessie Henby who resided not far from Chicago.

It appears that Lizzie was to die by drowning the following year in June 1908.

Below is the death certificate for an Elizabeth A Allen, aged 49, who died from drowning on 24 June 1908.

There are quite a number of people named Lizzie Allen in the records to make life difficult, but her parents are listed here as Ira and Emily, which makes this the right person. Lizzie has been married but is using her maiden name, and in fact, we do not know for sure who her husband was. She has one living child.  Her occupation is housekeeper, and that was her temporary employment when visiting Muskegon, Michigan. According to the certificate she died from accidental drowning in Black Lake while bathing, and there was no inquest.

Armed with the certificate it was possible to trace newspaper accounts of what happened. There are two newspaper accounts. In the first she is a woman of mystery – because she was there temporarily on a kind of extended vacation, but no-one really knew who she was. From The Muskegon Chronicle for 25 June 1908:

The accident was described thus: “The woman had stepped into a pit in the sandy beach of the lake where the water was about 10 feet deep and apparently did not know the first thing about swimming or the science of keeping afloat.”

Lizzie presented the paper with several mysteries:

So she had been married about ten years before (around the time her known writings dried up) but the marriage had only lasted about three months, and left her with a young son named Roger who was nine years old. She had continued using her maiden name, and the newspapers do not give her married name. She was known to be an expert in stenography and typing – that was part of the mystery – why was she doing domestic work? She had brought her typewriter with her which suggests active writing. Amongst her possessions were some letters from a mysterious “H.” That mystery remains unsolved.

In the second cutting, after they had been in touch with her family, they now knew a little more. From The Muskegon Chronicle for 27 June 1908:

She is now described as a writer and editor. She was a member of a Chicago social settlement. The settlement movement was an important reform institution in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century providing services and trying to remedy poverty in crowded immigrant neighborhoods of industrial cities. The best known settlement in the United States at the time was Hull House in Chicago. According to one reference work unrelated middle-class men and women often lived co-operatively as “settlers” with the aim of sharing knowledge and culture and implementing “social Christianity.”

The full report shows that her family who had now been contacted included a Mrs A E Henby, which tallies with Lizzie’s named sister at her mother’s funeral the previous year. Jessie Allen (1871-1952) had married Arthur Elias Henby (1874-1936) who became a homeopathic doctor.

The accident was viewed as straightforward – while paddling in the lake she fell into a hidden hole and drowned – while her young son, Roger, was nearby. He called for help, but it was too late.  Since Lizzie had a history of guilt and self-loathing that pushed her towards Universalism (see Separate Identity Volume 1, pp. 206-207) the possibility of suicide while mentally disturbed comes to mind. However, the locals without that background judged this to be a simple tragic accident and no inquest was required. Her body was taken by her sister back to Chicago and there was cremated.

It was a sad end, and there may be more of her activities from the late 1890s to still discover.

Switzerland

 In French-speaking Switzerland, in 1914-1915, postcards were distributed or mailed to potentially interested parties. One side featured a landscape picture, while the other side was an invitation to attend a "religious conference", at a given time and location.

Some examples of these materials are below:

Images supplied by Franco.

The Newspaper Syndicate

 Guest post by Bernhard

In the early history of the Bible Students Association (I.B.S.A.) we often encounter the term “Newspaper Syndicate” in its writings. But what exactly was this “Newspaper Syndicate?” When was it founded? Who worked in it, and what results did it achieve?

Essentially, the term "Newspaper Syndicate" is another name for a press association, such as the American Press Association of New York.The purpose of such an association is to sell content such as articles, columns, photos, etc. to various newspapers and magazines, or to ensure that desired content is published and paid for.

Publishing religious sermons in newspapers, for example, was naturally very effective. Firstly, because it allowed for an incredibly large readership worldwide, and secondly, it saved the high printing costs and the time required by many people to disseminate all the content, even though various sermons and advertisements were not free and consumed considerable sums of money.

Charles Taze Russell was aware of the influence of newspapers. He stated in 1912: “Few indeed are those that realize the opportunities and the power of the Press in this the twentieth century. So great is this power that the generally accepted opinion of a nation upon a subject may be completely reversed within a month. This was not so fifty or one hundred years ago. Under former conditions it would have taken a century to crystallize public opinion on such a matter as the recent Dr. Cook and Commodore Peary North Pole controversy. This case was, through the Press, placed on trial before the “Tribunal of Public Opinion,” and consequently was readily settled, furnishing an excellent example of how the people of the whole world take knowledge and settle matters in this our day. ... Thus is manifested an unprecedented opportunity for the Press. Will it be grasped? Yes! The Newspapers at present constitute the only channel through which the solution of this mighty problem can be speedily disseminated among people. The Daily and the Weekly Press of the present day are the sole source of information for millions of families, and these families assuredly will, through the Press, learn a harmonious, complete and satisfactory explanation of heretofore incomprehensible doctrinal questions.“

The Bible Students “Newspaper Syndicate” was founded by Charles T. Russell in New York in 1908 to contact national and international newspapers to regularly provide them with his sermons and weekly Bible studies, as well as to advertise various lectures and events related to the International Bible Students Association. However, long before the syndicate was founded, Russell's sermons were published weekly in newspapers.

The December 1, 1904, issue of the Watch Tower announced that sermons by C. T. Russell were appearing in three newspapers. The next issue of the Watch Tower, under the heading “Newspaper Gospelling,” reported: “Millions of sermons have thus been scattered far and near; and some at least have done good. If the Lord wills we shall be glad to see this ‘door’ keep open, or even open still wider.” The door of “newspaper gospelling” did open still wider. In 1908 sermons were being published in eleven newspapers.

Wherever C. T. Russell traveled, gave lectures, or attended conventions, he telegraphed a sermon (about two newspaper columns long) to the “Newspaper Syndicate” which then distributed the sermon to many daily newspapers in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Australia. Initially, the sermons appeared only in English; from 1912 onward, they were also published in German and Swedish.

In Watch Tower, April 15, 1909, this newly founded “Newspaper Syndicate” is introduced: “Another item: In the interest of the work we have contracted with a Newspaper Syndicate, giving it a general control of the sermons,- to say -which newspapers may have them and which may not, the terms, etc. This Syndicate will handle the sermons for profit, nevertheless at a low price. Be assured that Brother Russell makes no profit by the sale of the Gospel. In view of this we advise that our friends hereafter refrain from any effort to have the sermons published in any newspaper-contenting themselves with the encouragement of the papers publishing these sermons will be sent to us.“

In the article “The Newspaper Syndicate’s idea“ (Watch Tower 1912, p.36) we can read: “For the benefit of our readers we remark that Brother Russell is very anxious to co-operate with the Newspaper Syndicate which handles his weekly sermons. While he retains fullest liberty in respect to the subject matter of his discourses, he yields other points considerably to the Syndicate’s wishes. This will account for his greater care in his clothing, his more frequent use of cabs and parlor cars. The Syndicate insists that Brother Russell’s personality has much to do in placing his sermons far and near. And Brother Russell is glad to yield to the Syndicate’s business judgment, because he desires that his Gospel message shall be heard the world around.“

In 1913, it was reported that clergymen were resisting the publication of Russell's sermons in newspapers. Russell wrote: “Divine providence is still favoring the presentation of the Gospel in the public press. The efforts of the enemies of the Gospel of the kingdom to misrepresent our teachings and to prejudice editors and publishers against them have not prevailed. In this also we perceive that He that is for us is mightier than all they that be against us. The day may come when the truth will be crushed to the earth by slander and misrepresentation, but that day has not come yet. Indeed, in quite a number of instances the editors, although worldly men, have appreciated the situation, despised the unjust principle manifested by some preachers in their opposition, and have given space and prominence to our message. The latest figures given us by the Newspaper Syndicate which handles the Sermons and Bible Study Lessons in the United States and Canada show 1,424 papers publishing weekly. About 600 papers in Great Britain, South Africa and Australia publish weekly. This in round figures represents 2,000 newspapers. How many millions of readers are thus reached by these papers we know not, nor can we tell how many of those reached are reading and being influenced. We do know, however, that the whole world is waking up, and that the truths we are presenting are gaining adherents and exerting influence everywhere.“

The December 15, 1914, issue of the Watch Tower reports that the spread decreased: As our readers are aware, Pastor Russell's sermons and weekly Bible studies have for several years been very widely published in the secular newspapers. The number publishing is not so large as formerly; nevertheless, we are probably reaching more people than ever, by reason of inserting the sermons in metropolitan newspapers – in New York, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Baltimore, Washington, Los Angeles. … The difference between the two services is that in the smaller cities the sermons are published strictly as news, the newspapers paying for the stereotyped plates twenty-five cents per column weekly. It is the business with these, conducted by a newspaper syndicate, that has fallen off considerably. The number now publishing the sermons, etc., regularly, is about one thousand.

The Lecture Bureau

This “Newspaper Syndicate,” newly founded in 1908, had its lecture bureau in the Metropolitan Building, New York, in room 3040. The building was located at 1 Madison Avenue in Manhattan. From March 1916, the office of John G. Kuehn of the Mena Film Company was also located in room 6078 in the same building. Several people were members of both the newspaper syndicate and the Mena Film Company.

The department consisted of journalists, reporters, typists, and photographers.The office was headed by George Chester Driscoll. At the same time, there were three permanent staff members (Isaac Page Noll, George Minor Huntsinger, and Dr. Leslie Whitney Jones), as well as several outside assistants and photographers.

Reporter, director and travel manager

Driscoll was the person responsible for Russell's public funding, activities, and travel arrangements. For twenty years (from 1897) he was in special newspaper syndicate work. In 1908 he organized and became manager of the Pastor Russell Lecture Bureau, which syndicated Russell’s sermons through the American Press and other newspaper Associations in America and also in foreign countries, through which Russell’s sermons were published in over 4000 newspapers. He supervised the publicity of Russell’s various Foreign campaigns, and as publicist preceded the Foreign Investigations Committee as well as arranging for the advertising etc., in connection with the public meetings which Russell addressed on that tour. He was Russell’s special advertising manager in connection with the Photo Drama publicity.

In 1915 he became president and manager of the Pyramid Film Company, in 1918 he became a director of the Mena Film Company and in 1919 he became a manager of the Kinemo Kit Corporation and worked as Moving Picture Producer. In 1920 he travelled with J. F. Rutherford, A. H. Macmillan, A. R. Goux and D. W. Soper to Palestine and Egypt. Some movies were made for the Kinemo Company.

After one year’s service in America Hollister was manager of the Pastor Russell Lecture Bureau of Great Britain (in 1910), Africa and Australia. In 1912 Russell gave him the management of translating the first Volume and other messages which were subsequently disseminated in Japan, China and Korea and other countries, necessitating much travel and work in these countries. For this reason he was made Foreign Director in the Mena Film Company. He became the Watchtower Representative of Japan and the far east. Hollister arrived in Australia in late 1913 and spent several months of the following year in Australia and New Zealand.

William James Hollister and his wife went together with Robert Reuben Hollister in 1913 to China and Japan.

Huntsinger, of Independence,Kansas, was recognized asone of the best court reporters in the country. He was one of the few stenographers who could take notes while speakers spoke quickly. He died in 1915 after an illness of three years from tuberculosis.

Jones of Chicago, was originally a medical doctor. Since 1905 he produced the  “Souvenir Convention Reports.“ Jones was also involved in the Mena Film Corporation and became a director of this Company. He was also a member of the Foreign Investigation Committee on the World Tour in 1912. He had charge of several Trans-Continental Special Train Parties. He died in a road accident in 1946.

Noll worked together with Jones, Huntsinger and Driscoll in the “Newspaper Syndicate.“ Noll reported on the Russell-Troy debate in 1915. In 1919 he became a director of the Kinemo Kit Corporation and the Pyramid Film Company.

He was one of the official photographers in the time of Russell and Rutherford. He was a member of the Cleveland class, Ohio. In 1919 he was a cinematographer of the Kinemo Kit Corporation. Together with Rutherford, A. H. Macmillan, A. Goux and G. C. Driscoll he visited Palestine and Egypt in 1920.

She served also as secretary in the “Newspaper Syndicate.“ She was married to John Frank Stephenson. The “Ming Yu Bao,” The Chinese Recorder, March 1913, page 134-135, wrote: “We have received two copies of a paper called “Bible Study,” and inside one is a letter signed “Bible Study Club, V. Noble, Secretary” addressed to “Fellow-servant in a foreign field,” and reading in part as follows: - “We proffer you our little journal free on receipt of a postal card request. Even postage included, the expense will not be a serious item to us”! This is followed by the intimation that on the reverse side ofthe letter will be found a place for the addresses of missionaries, which may be entered on the subscription list, ad libitum, but only at their request.”The Continent, a Presbyterian journal noted for opposing Russell and The Watch Tower, sent someone to visit the Bible Study Club offices located in the Metropolitan Building in New York City.The magazine reported: “The office to which Mr. (sic! Mrs.)Noble invited correspondents to write is occupied by a business concern of an entirely different character, which reports that “Mr. Noble” simply receives mail at that address. This firm disclaims all connection with him. On a corner of the glass in the door is the revealing line, “Pastor Russell Lecture Bureau.” (Bruce W. Schulz, A Separate Identity, Organizational Identity Among Readers of Zion’s Watch Tower: 1870-1887).

For a period of time Russell's sermons were published weekly in more than 2,000 newspapers, with a combined circulation of 15,000,000 readers ; and in all about 4,000 different newspapers published his sermons. Some idea of the scope of his work can be understood from the words written in The Continent, a publication not friendly to him: ”His writings are said to have a greater newspaper circulation every week than those of any other living man; greater, doubtless, than the combined circulation of the writings of all the priests and preachers in North America; greater even than the work of Arthur Brisbane, Norman Hapgood, George Horace Lorimer, Dr. Frank Crane, Frederick Haskins, and a dozen other of the best known editors and syndicate writers put together.” (Harp of God, p. 239)

So Brother Russell became the greatest syndicate writer of his day. Many came to a knowledge of the truth by means of these published sermons.

After Brother Russell died, another effective method of spreading the good news began to be used. On April 16, 1922, Joseph F. Rutherford made one of his first radio broadcasts, speaking to an estimated 50,000 people.

1913 Public lecture (1)

 The leaflet

The newspaper advertisement

The Minneapolis Journal, Monday, July 21, 1913, page 5

The location

Schubert Theater, Minneapolis (1910).  Seated around 1600.

Charles E Heard (1874-1956) was later involved in the formation of the Standfast movement.

1913 Public lecture (2)

The leaflet

The newspaper advertisement

The location

E W Brenneisen (1874-1956) was later involved in the publication of ANGELS AND WOMEN.

A Joseph F Rutherford snapshot

 

Some may have seen this photograph before. It has been published in the past in glorious monochrome with permission from Tower Archives, and this is a colorized version prepared by Leroy. Again with thanks.

The rear of the original snap has a handwritten description: ‘Monday, September 11th, 1922. Brother Rutherford took first car to go on initial "service day" house to house preaching work.’

This more or less ties in with the official write-up of the 1922 Cedar Point (Ohio) Convention. From the report of the Service Director, Richard Johnson, in Watch Tower November 1, 1922, page 349:

 The report states that 203 cars were involved. A handwritten caption on the back of the photograph suggests that this was a photo of the first vehicle off the blocks, whereas the Watch Tower review suggests it was the last; but either way it featured JFR looking at the auto license plate, which reads – 144,000.

No wonder someone took a photograph.

The whole event is written up in the 1975 Yearbook (pages 132-133) which has an eyewitness report of JFR in the first car, even if he couldn’t resist posing by the last.

Grace Mundy

 Grace Mundy was buried in the Watch Tower Society’s Rosemont United Cemetery in Ross Township, Allegheny, in Section T, Lot 33, grave number A1. Note that this grave number corresponds with modern records. The original numbering as found on the sides of a pyramid monument (removed in 2021) squeezed in more grave spaces than were realistically available.

The plan below shows the whole of Section T, Lot 33, but with just the names of those buried before the pyramid was put in place.

The East face of the pyramid monument showed the names of Grace Mundy, Lorena M Russell, John Perry, H L Addington and Flora J Cole.

When the pyramid was removed in 2021 it was replaced by nine flat grave markers pictured below.

Grace is named in the top left hand corner.

Who was Grace Mundy?

The plan above shows that Grace was buried in the same row as Charles Taze Russell, but at the farthest corner of the site. According to her death certificate she died on December 4, 1914, aged 25, and the interment took place on December 8. She was the first to be buried in this special area. Sadly, she made the front page of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle when she was fatally injured.

The Brooklyn Daily Eagle for December 4, 1914 carried the heading, WOMAN IN FLAMES RUSHES INTO STREET – Miss Grace Mundy Perhaps Fatally Burned – Neighbors Beat Out Fire.

The story tells how the street was greeted by a “flaming apparition” as Grace rushed into the street, and several bystanders were burned trying to extinguish the flames. Grace’s father was away at the time, her mother was ill in bed, and she had been cleaning feathers in the kitchen in their home on the fourth floor of 539 Throop Avenue, using gasoline. She got too close to the stove and the fluid ignited and set her clothes on fire. She managed to get down three flights of stairs and out into the street but was severely burned. She was taken to St John’s Hospital, where she died.

The newspaper makes no connection with the Bible Student movement, but the death certificate confirms that this is the Grace who was the first to be buried at the Society’s plot. She may have been a colporteur, and her mother, Sarah, was a Bible Student. They had lived in Throop Avenue for three years at the time of the accident. They were not mentioned by Menta Sturgeon when he detailed who was part of the regular Bethel family in January 1913. (See trial transcript Russell vs. Brooklyn Eagle, 1913). The 1910 census has the family living in New Jersey, with the father a carpenter and Grace’s younger brother, George, a machinist in an auto factory. Grace was born in Missouri, and the census has her down as a step-daughter, with the original surname of Wilson.

Grace’s step-father, Peter Mundy, only survived her by a matter of weeks. In January 1915 he died of pneumonia and his funeral was held in the local M.E. Church. Her mother, Sarah, died in January 1917, and according to the funeral notice in The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ) for 8 January 1917 her funeral was held in the Brooklyn Tabernacle. Grace’s brother George, born in 1891, lived on until 1970.

Grace and some of her family must have been heavily involved in the work of the IBSA for her to be given the ‘privilege’ of being the first to be taken all the way from New York to the United Cemeteries in Pittsburgh. No other family members were to be buried near her.

Excerpted from GRAVE MATTERS – published in 2024 by Lulu. See: https://jeromehistory.blogspot.com/2024/12/grave-matters.html

The first Zion's Watch Tower

For a collector of Watch Tower history and memorabilia, one of the prized items would have to be an original copy of the very first issue of Zions Watch Tower magazine for July 1879. Originally only 6000 copies were printed (Proclaimers page 48), which at the time – even with links to existing readers of Adventist and Age to Come papers – was still quite ambitious.

But now we know that there was not just one published paper for that July. Like the 1611 King James Version Bible (with its two versions, a “he” and a “she” Bible) there are two known printing of the July 1879 Zion’s Watch Tower. If you are one of the very, very few with an original, which one do you have?

The article involved was on pages 4-5 of the very first magazine. It is called ‘God’s “Little While”’ and, unlike some of the other articles which give the writer’s initials, this one is uncredited. There are around five examples where changes were made in just this one article. One assumes that some copies were printed and then additional proof reading caused the typeface to be adapted before the remainder came off the production line.

We will examine the changes as version 1 and version 2, and then explain where these can still be seen today, even if you don’t have an original. Most readers today will either have scans of the original issues, a text file of the Watch Tower for 1879-1916, or the reprint volumes – or probably all three. They reflect the two different versions of the magazine for July 1879.

Change number one – version 1 above and version 2 below:

The scripture is changed to show the correct chapter and verse, not two chapters.

Changes number 2 and 3. This covers the end of one column and the start of a new column. First, version number 1:

Compare that with version number 2:

In the second version at the end of the extract there is an extra dash for punctuation. But the biggest change is at the start of the extract. Version 1 has a question “How long, Paul, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in?” Version 2 splits this into two sentences – the first is the question, but the second is the answer to the question: “How long, Paul? Until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in.”

Change number 4 has version 1 reproduced first, followed by version 2.

The words “high calling” are now in inverted commas.

And finally, example number 5. This too has version 1 first, followed by version 2:

We note that the word “may” is added to second version, and the whole phrase is now placed within inverted commas. This is because, although the paragraph ends with a reference to Romans 11 v.2-25, this is actually a paraphrase of verse 31 of that chapter. The words inside inverted commas now reflect that, although it is still slightly adjusted from the standard King James’ Version words, which read: “Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.”

So where do we find the two versions preserved today?

Most collectors will have scans of the first Zion’s Watch Tower in general circulation. This scan takes its material from version number 1.

It is also found in the text edition of Watch Tower 1879-1916 that many will have.

Apart from the reference to Acts 15-16 which an eagle-eyed transcriber noticed and changed, this was all taken from the first version.

But then in the early 1920s the Watch Tower magazine was reprinted in seven volumes. The organization had to borrow some issues from the friends to complete this because their own file was incomplete. But the reproduction of the first July 1879 was now all taken from the second version.

This indicates that both versions must have been in general circulation at some point for this to happen.

We know that version 2 with its amendments comes from a copy originally in private circulation. It is now inaccessible in a display under glass, but the key graphics were extracted some time ago.

We don’t know the story behind all the small changes and why they were made in 1879. But if you want to have the very first Watch Tower in your personal collection – now you need to have TWO.

Good hunting!

 

(With grateful thanks to Leroy who noted the changes and provided the scans for version two)