1899 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



323 



does no harm, and our nation owes him a vote 

 of thanks for so much. I am glad he has suc- 

 ceeded in building that great tabernacle, and 

 in getting that great following. 



After the above was written the following 

 came to hand in a private letter : 



Dowie's literature has been mailed to me, filled with 

 blasphemy, and condemning all Christians, and all 

 creeds but Dowie's. Two wealthy neighbors of mine 

 went to Chicago and placed themselves under Dowie. 

 He soon ascertained their wealth, and requested that 

 they give the greater part of it to the "cause" 

 (Dowie). This caused the scales to fall from their 

 eyes, and the mask from Dowie. 



The above seems to give us a glimpse as to 

 where the great sums of money needed to 

 build Zion Tabernacle came from. Of course, 

 there are different ways of looking at this 

 matter. If those who have been helped by 

 his teachings feel disposed, out of the grati- 

 tude of their hearts, to give him aid, surely 

 no one should object; if, however, he is delud- 

 ing and deceiving, and leading pec pie away 

 from established churches, then he should 

 most certainly be shown up and exposed. 



On page 595, Aug. 1, 1898, I made some 

 extracts from a paper published in Little Rock, 

 Ark. Another issue of a recent date is at 

 hand from which I make the following 

 extracts : 



Don't forget that the Spirit has fixed my terms for 

 treatments at from one to ten dollars per month for 

 each patient. These treatments are spoken in the si- 

 lence every day for all manner of sickness of body 

 and mind. I treat for success in business, love, and 

 every thing you desire for health, happiness, and 

 prosperity. 



I Am Christian Science; therefore, when Mrs. Eddy 

 talks about Christian Science she is talking about Me. 

 Before Mary Baker Eddy was, I Am. See ? 



Now, friends, one would hardly think it 

 possible people would send money in response 

 to such assertions, especially from a man who 

 admits that he gets drunk when he feels like 

 it, and thanks God for whisky, right out in his 

 journal. • Now please read the extracts below, 

 from a kind letter I have just received : 



Mr. Root: — I have been thinking, ever since I read 

 your opinion of Mr. T. J. Shelton which appeared in 

 Gleanings last summer, that I would write you a 

 few lines giving you my opinion of him. I know you 

 were sincere in what you said about him, and felt it to 

 be your duty to warn people against him; but I know, 

 and have personal evidence, that he can cure some 

 diseases, if not all. I procured T. J. Shelton's address, 

 and wrote him just what I wished to be treated for; 

 and the very day he received my letter my trouble 

 ceased. I have been, until within the past three years, 

 a missionary Baptist ; but since I have been earnestly 

 studying Mental Science the Baptist doctrine looks 

 unreasonable to me, as does all orthodox doctrine 

 — not that I think there aren't good people in all 

 churches — far from that. We know from reading 

 your Home Talks, that you are trying to live a true 

 Christian life. I hope this will be read with as kindly 

 feelings as it is written. For fear you may feel insult- 

 ed, and ridicule me, I sign myself A Friend. 



Roseville, 111., Mar. 31. 



P. S. — I will send you a little book called " Finding 

 the Christ in Ourselves " I hope you will enjoy read- 

 ing it. 



Now, then, the puzzle is, how can one who 

 writes a letter like the above, and who seems 

 to be downright honest and sincere, believe 

 for a moment that this Shelton, with his in- 

 temperance and unblushing audacity, can 

 heal diseases? Nay, further ; he heals people 

 hundreds of miles away, and the healing is 

 done (without medicine or any thing else) as 



soon as he reads the letter describing the 

 malady. When Jesus healed the nobleman's 

 son by simply speaking the word, the people 

 of that day were greatly astonished ; but now 

 we are told a wicktd man succeeds in getting 

 money for doing something more marvelous, 

 and people believe in him. Before consider- 

 ing this matter further let us take still another 

 case. 



Mr. Root: — I mail you a circular, issued by Dr. Car- 

 son, of Kansas City; and inclosed with this letter you 

 will find a piece of tissue paper that I shall mention 

 further on. I wish to inquire if you know any thing 

 about Dr. Carson. Why I inquire is, a lady friend of 

 mine has just taken what he calls a month's home 

 treatment by him. and has received no benefit fr< m it. 

 She has been a great sufferer from paralysis for the 

 last three years, She is discouraged, having tried so 

 many things that have not helped her. She said she 

 had tried Elect ropoise, and was about to try Oxydonor 

 when she heard of Dr. Carson, and concluded to try 

 him first. She could not well make the journey, so 

 she wrote him her condition. He sent what he called 

 a month's home treatment It consisted of "J8 pieces 

 of paper like the one inclosed. The instructions were 

 to keep them wrapped in cloth, away from light, until 

 used, and they must not be handled or touched except 

 by the patient. One piece was to be placed between 

 the shoulders each night on retiring, and to be remov- 

 ed in the morning, and burned. I told her she had 

 been doctoring with a lot of humbugs, and to prove it 

 I got out Gleanings, that she might read your expo- 

 sures of Electropoise and Oxydonor. You can imagine 

 how she felt when she found where her hard-earned 

 money had gone. She gave me one of the pieces of 

 vitalized tissue paper to send you. It has not been 

 used; so if it ever contained any healing properties it 

 must retain them yet. I can not help feeling that he 

 belongs to the humbug class. If not, may the Lord 

 prosper him in his wonderful work. 



Helix, Cal , Mar. 14. J. B. Ratcliffe. 



You will notice in the above kind letter the 

 writer seems to think it may be possible, judg- 

 ing from the concluding sentence, that this 

 man has, after all, some means or power at his 

 command, of giving some sort of virtue to a 

 simple piece of tissue paper, so that it can be 

 sent by mail, together with its medical prop- 

 erties, to the patient. The writer sent me a 

 periodical, or a sort of health journal, pub- 

 lished solely to puff this doctor's sanitarium. 

 There was a picture of the doctor himself, and 

 his palatial residence, where he cures people. 

 He certainly looks as if he had been well fed ; 

 and the pictures of his study, reception-rooms, 

 etc., indicate that the zero weather does not 

 trouble him very much. He is getting rich, 

 or is already rich, and who furnishes the 

 money ? Why, they are poor people, such as 

 our friend describes. The lady sent for the 

 Electropoise first ; but when she was obliged 

 to admit that it was of no use, and was on the 

 eve of sending for Oxydonor, thinking it 

 might be better, somebody advised her to send 

 for the " vitalized " tissue paper. We do not 

 know how much money the doctor had to 

 have for these pieces of paper. The miracles 

 described in the Bible are tame beside the 

 claims of quack doctors of the present day ; 

 and the tales of the Arabian Nights are no- 

 where. Some of the doctors make a great 

 parade, as you may notice in almost any paper 

 you may pick up, of the fact that their medi- 

 cines are sent absolutely free of charge. Some 

 of them say loudly, "Do not send us any 

 money; we do not want it." Ah! but they 

 get it sooner or later, as you may easily find 

 out by biting at their bait. 



