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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (March 16, 1961)
MKUFOHU MAIL TrllBUNE. MEDFORD. ORE THUHSDA'. . MAhCH Jo, ltfb Father Divine Still Draws Horde of Devoted Followers Philadelphia-iUPIl-A tall 14 year-old girl came into the room with a bowl of red and white roses and placed it in front of the iitUe man who sat like a small bronze Buddha at the head of the taoie. He smiled. The 10D women iJnH?Men me" seated a"d standing around the long ban quet table smiled with him. He smiled," a woman mur mured. "Wonderful!" exclaim ed several softly. "God Al mighty!" This was the man who signs his name "Rev M J Divine, MS.D., D.D. (better known as Father Divine)," the Negro evangelist who made headlines in New York's Harlem in the deDressinn 1930's and, by worldly stand ards, snould now be some where between 84 and 95 years old. He has recently been reported dead, or far gone in senility. But he has rung a heavy dinner bell with vigor, greet ed a guest in a soft but clear voice and eaten his chop suey and baked apple without evi dent tremor. He now sat with five shaving mirrors in a semi-circle before him and a mirrored buffet behind, with Mother Divine, his 35-year-old "Holy spotless virgin bride" at his right hand and a blue-eyed, red haired secre tary, Miss Dorothy Darling, on his left. Birth of Freedom His followers began to sing: "We have a new birth of freedom . . . only God can give . . . Abraham Lincoln spoke about it; Father Divine brought it about . . . now we have a new birth of freedom, under God." They clapped in rhythm and stamped their feet, re peating the verse, over and over, in hypnotic crescendo. A woman broke from the standing crowd in a writhing primitive dance, crying out her love for God. A young white woman with a pale, pinched face looked briefly over her shoulder at the com motion and continued singing quietly, her hands primly folded. A tambourine joined the din. After 10 minutes the singing ended. The man had sat without and holy shrine. It is known sary business. In the group'! expression. Then the girl, Trudi Pin nock, wearing the pink satin dancing dress in which she had just been graduated from Junior High school, stood up in her place and began to speak to him: "I want to thank you for finishing nine years of school. If it wasn't for you I wouldn't have finished. Thank you for blessing me further on to fin ish high school, too. I just want to say, Father dear, that I love you with all my heart." Father Divinie spoke for the first time. "So glad!" he raid. Parly at Home Trudi gulped down a sob and went on: "The children in school asked me was I staying for the party. I said unh-unh. ... I was going to have my party at home." Trudi could hardly have wanted for partners at a ninth grade dance. But her party was the 2 p.m. Holy Communion banquet al the Circle Mission church of Philadelphia. She is one of Father Di vine's "Rosebuds," pledged to make "every deed and action express virginity." She wears, on occasion, a scarlet jacket emblazoned with a large white letter V. Father wore a rosebud in the buttonhole of his blue gray business suit, above a small brass star, one of sev eral emblems lining his lapels. And everyone called him "God." The sect has retreated from the public eye, perhaps de liberately, since the years be fore World War II when the "Angels" turned out 8,000 strong for a razzle-dazzle Easter parade in New York's Harlem, enchanted employers with their scrupulous honesty and heavenly names-Sweet Peace, Sunshine Flowers, Je rusalem Phnisc ( a more re cent convert, Miss Peaceful Intcgration)-and gave collo quial currency to their stand ard greetings: "Peace," "peace brother," "peace, it's wonder :'ul!" 15 Million Followers One estimated during this period numbered the follow ers at 15 million. In the early 1940s. Father Divine left New York rather than pay a S4.47B judgment won by a defected angel who claimed she had contributed that sum to the Communal Heaven and wanted to take it with her. He set up residence in Philadelphia. In 1946, he married a 21-year-old b lo n d e Canadian, Edna Rose Ritchings. a "Rose bud" who, his followers have said, acquired the spirit of the first mother Divine when she asked Father to relieve her of immortality. In 1953 the group pur chased a steel magnate's man sion on Philadelphia's main line as headquarters, home. as "Woodmont In 1953, Father emerged from seeming retirement to order his followers to stop using the New Jersey turn pike, because of what he con- . siaerea an unjust speeding 1 fine. Last year he was reported admitted to a Philadelphia hospital in a diabetic coma, and released a week later, re covered. Philadelphia civic leaders, questioned about the group to day, reply almost in chorus: "Haven't heard anything about them for years." Very Premature But the suggestion of de mise appears very prema ture. The sect keeps no member. ship rolls. Its members will not specify even the number of chairs around the banquet table for the years of their age. "It may sound really silly to you," said Miss St. Mary Bloom, "but we don't count our blessings." Real estate records and the group's own publications in dicate that as of today, the Divine churches, which arc incorporated, and groups of Divine followers own and op erate 23 churches, schools and residences in Philadelphia, ranging from a 400-room hotel to converted private homes. In addition, there are 14 similar establishments in Now Yark City and surrounding counties, 10 in Newark, N.J., smaller churches in Chicago and Los Angeles and estab lishments of varying size in Switzerland, Germany, Aus tria, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, The Canal Zone and the Republic of Panama. On hand for Trudi's party -she herself came from Pan ama with her mother some years ago-were women on pil grimage visit from Australia and Switzerland. A 21-year-old German boy, Siegfried Kranich Goeppingcn, said he had come as an immigrant to live with the group. Hallelujah Revivalism Theologically, the cult ap pears to have borrowed bits and pieces of Hallelujah re vivalism, Christian Science healing, Mormon sharing and Roman Catholic celibate mar riage to the church. Peculiar to it also are a fervid Amer ican patriotism, apparently expected even of foreign fol lowers, and a conscious work ing demonstration of racial integration. Followers refuse to use what they call "segregated words" such as white ' and negro. Negroes only slightly outnumbered whites as par ticipants al the recent 2 p.m. banquet this writer attended. The faith is not handed down from father to son. One tenet of the International modest code (CAPS I, M, C) who which all followers must adhere reads: "No undue mix ing of sexes." This means no relationship except on neces- establishments, men and wo men are housed on separate floors and occupy separate sit ting rooms. They sit at the same table, but in groups by sex. Miss Darling notes realis tically that there are still plenty of people being born to keep the faith going, and anyway "Father doesn't ad vocate death." Other tenets of the code are: "No smoking, no drink ing, no obscenity, no vulgar ity, no profanity, no receiving of gifts, presents, tips or bribes." Mostly Women About 90 per cent of the followers appear to be wo men, who call their god "Darling.' "Dearest," and "Sweet.' 'We believe as the nuns do across the street,' said Miss Darling, 'that we're married to the church." The followers admit no mortal history for Father Di vine, and carry a chip on their shoulders toward report ers who insist on recording such facts as are known. Early records indicate he was born George Baker near Savannah, Ga., and about the turn of the century was work ing in Baltimore as a handy man when he came under the spell of another evangelist and joined him as a helper. In 1919, in the name of Major J. Devine and wife, Penninah, he purchased the home at Sayville, N.Y., and began gathering followers. The name became Divine some years later. Then as now, the Holy Com munion banquet was the sects only rite. Members sat down to lavish meals-fried chicken, pork chops, salads, vegetables and desserts of all descriptions-blessed by Father as the platters started down the ta ble with a crack from his heavily ringed hands or the plopping of a serving spoon into the dish. Hordes of Pilgrims As the depression hit Har lem in the early 1930s, word of this and Father's success in getting jobs for his follow ers, brought hordes of pil grims to Sayville. The neigh bors rebelled at the heavy traffic and Divine was sen tenced to jail for maintaining a public nuisance. If the cult had needed a boost, this pro vided it. Supreme Court Jus tice Lewis J. Smith, apparent ly in the best of health when he sentenced Divine on June 5, 1932, died four days later. "Our Lord done struck down the judge!" cried the devoted followers. Released on appeal a few months later, Divine moved into the city's teeming Negro slum in lavish style. Followers contributed their savings and earnings to the movement, as they still do, set up cooperative businesses of all kinds, as they still do, and weathered both the de pression and its particular Harlem bitterness. EVANGELIST - Falhcr Divine Ilio N.irn !.,. lid made headlines in New York's Harlem in the depression ihju s, is now living in Fhiladc nhia where l i s recent nhnto was made. His age is estimated at between 84 and i)5 vears. (UPI Tclcphoto) BLM's 1962 Timber Sale Plans To Be Reviewed A preview of the 1962 lim ber sale plan will be present ed al a public meeting sched uled Tuesday, March 21, at 1:30 p.m., according to Ross A. Youngblood, district man ager of the bureau of land management. An annual event, such pub lic meetings give interested persons the opportunity to offer comments concerning proposed timber harvests, ac cording to Youngblood. The BLM, which is an agency of the U.S. Depart ment of the Interior, admin isters approximately 905,000 acres of land which constitute the Medford district. These lands include remnants of the original public domain and Oregon and California rail road grant lands which were revested by the federal gov ernment. Proposed Improvements Following suggestions dur ing the public meeting, pro posed improvements in the tentative sale plan will be considered by the Medford district advisory board which is composed of representa tives of the public. Compila tion of the final plan will be the responsibility of the Med ford district subject to ap proval by the Oregon state supervisor, according to Youngblood. The tentative sale plan for fiscal year 1962 contains 65 tracts containing approxi mately 225 million board feet of timber. It is the bu reau's policy to harvest tim ber on a sustained yield basis, Youngblood said. Damaged or overmature timber is given top harvesting priority, but the sale plan will include timber to be removed in com mercial thinnings. Representatives of both the district and state offices of the bureau will be present to discuss any suggestions of in terest to the persons attend ing the public meeting. Youngblood stated that the meeting is open to all those who wish to attend. The meet ing will be held at the BLM timber sale hall on Armory dr. Steel Room To House 22-Inch Cyclotron Davis. Calif. - IliPIl - A 20 ton steel room has been plac ed on the Davis campus of the University of California to house a 22-inch cyclotron which is scheduled for opera tion next fall. The room was built in Sac ramento of 1 Vi-inch steel. It is 12 by 12 by 8 feet in size and will act as a magnetic shield to keep the cyclotron's magnetic radiation from inter fering with the beta ray spec trometer already in use in the physics department. American Speller Has New Popularity Peppcrell. Mass. - il'PH - A Massachusetts woman artist has given a 178-year-old best seller a new lease on life. Noah W e b s t e r's quaint "American Speller'' was first published in 1783. Eventual ly more than 100 million copies were sold - a record equaled only by the Bible. Several years ago, Mrs. Barbara Coonoy Porter, an artist, came across a copy of the old speller. She got the idea of reprinting it, with il lustrations, and her modern ' ized speller now is sharing I some of the popularity of the I original. IN TRAINING Army Pvt. James Matcrie, son of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Materic, 213 Girarri dr., is undergoing basic infantry training at Ft. Old, Calif. He is a graduate of Oregon State 356,104,702 Tons of State Ore Shipped St. Paul. Minn.-iUI'l) - From to 15 rows of automobiles, the time of the first shipment: bumper lo bumper, circling of Minnesota - owned ore in the world at the equator. 1893, until June 3(1, 1960, a . total of 356,104,702 tons of, Jacksonville, Fla. -(TO- The ore has been shipped from ; Florida Scll00, Bo.,rd Assocj. state-owned properties. aljon ac,optcd resolution Of this amount, 24.792.597 j Wednesday favoring daily tons were crude taconite. Con- j prayers and other religious verting this tonnage of iron! observances in state public ore to steel and the steel into schools. The resolution said automobiles, the amount of the association would "oppose iron ore that has been pro-! any move to deny the youth duced from slate-owned mines! of Florida the spiritual hcrit in Minnesota would amount age which is rightfully theirs. Has Fast Drying of Red Alder Wood Studied Increased p r 6 d u c tion of kiln-dried red alder lumber and reduction in cost of dry ing may result from a study being made at the Oregon Forest Research center, Cor vallis, according to C. J. Koz lik, in charge of studies on wood seasoning. Preliminary results have indicated that drying time for red alder may be greatly reduced without loss in quality of wood. Red alder has been the ma jor species of the expanding hardwood industry in Oregon during recent years. Length of drying time- and loss of quality of wood dried improp erly have been serious prob lems to the lumber industry, stated Kozlik. Past work at the Research center indicated that red al der could tolerate kiln condi tions more severe than those usually followed. Test charges of red alder were dried at temperatures up to 200 de grees F. after an initial treat ment to raise the temperature of the wood, Kozlik explained. A drying period following this initial treatment lowered the moisture content of red alder lumber to seven per cent, with degrade equal to or less than lhat obtained by present commercial methods of dry ing. Air velocity within kilns also has been studied. Red alder lumber of vary ing sizes is being dried as a final phase of this study. Research in seasoning of wood by scientists al the Re search center is financed by a lax on timber harvested in Oregon. UP IN AIR OVER ROOFS Nara, Japan-iUPlI- Priests in this ancient city have com plained they have difficulty in keeping the root's of their two temples on. Sightseers are con tinually stripping off the tiles for ashtrays, they reported. L j 1 1 W(U Zr KM &KVj TTv3 I f J ft m W at a ' A '.11 m 1M X 1 EASTER, SHOE VALUES FOR CHILDREN Patronize This PARK & SHOP MEMBER DON'T FORGET TO USE PARK & SHOP WHEN YOU STOP AT ... . Scott V. Davis Property Owner l" !llll'MJA,lllIW!I!TO.ljaf'1llrlRfl!Jr I M 1 .NS. Vl I. ii Cfe J roV ' u B'1'f"' lp"t'. ,0 ' jTii v( V yCW 1 IOW EASY TERMS P A, JI SyaybonT0mp.'nVblack ff' J iiv -' eBirJ 3-eyelet tie moc I " " N1V potonl leather or white mJ, tlmStitL to,in ox'or1 wi,n blaclt 9rzrCs limine"" . ""TWIM'IMJI 'f-V "T?"8 imoolh leather. Children's JLUjm If t it quontone team. In black or jljjg I ti Ha Mapi ' lh"'i,' v'f dar,t blj0WI,a,c,J l,0,h" Emiw3 SS S1Ii"iiil ! okoLv Anne heel pump In non- ifvVV "?lV'Vi5v . Siiei S"i lo 3. Iltil BESTr A II cracking patent leather. lJSSI if ulr' J Sjijl High-riding vamp treatment yvSf lADre nlAMOND lllllV V ill fl l patent or white or panel ylWl-jO LARGE DIAIVtUrw m. 11 1!-" k Lfl II 1 lealhen. Children'! fWj SOLITAIRE 5 99 Wl'" "llfS Ky J 10 to 4, B, C and 0 j ! 122 I. Miin Street Phone SP 3-5348 j Store Houn: 9.30 A.M. to 5:30 P.M. Mondavi Till 9 P.M. 565 E. JACKSON - SP 2-733 IN THE MEDFORD SHOPPING CENTER 1 1 1 f
