p. 16 | Signs of the Times, Vol. 37, No. 35. (9/6/1910)

Earlier text: A Visit to Nanking, the Ancient Capital of China

Devastating Forest Fires

Tremendous forest fires are sweeping over the mountain regions of Oregon, Idaho, Washington, Nevada, California, and Montana. Men who have fought the flames to save cities have gone down in death. Refugees by thousands are fleeing from the great stretches of flame into the large cities. Half of the town of Wallace, Idaho, of six thousand population, is destroyed at this writing, and the whole may be unless the wind should prove unfavorable to the fire. One hundred and eighty men are reported missing from St. Joe County, Idaho. Whole flocks of sheep and herds of cattle have been wiped out. The safety of several passenger-trains is feared for. Taft and Haugan, Montana, are reported destroyed, and Neihart and Saltese are said to be doomed. Deborgia and St. Regis are threatened. Newport, Washington, is nearly surrounded. Fires are under control in the Walla Walla district, but that is all that can be said. Loyalton, California, is threatened by forest fires. The worst of all is, it is said that these fires are of incendiary origin. What motives can possibly possess persons to set fires in that way it is hard to understand. It would seem as tho such persons were under absolute control of the spirit of the bottomless pit.

LATER: The fire continues in the Coeur d'Alene section in Northern Idaho, in unabated fierceness; fifty square miles of white pine forest, said to be the choicest in the United States, is in flames, loss to Federal Government estimated at $10,000,000. One hundred dead are reported to August 24, and the death of 200 more of 300 missing is feared. Federal troops are fighting fire in Northern California. Private property loss is estimated all the way from $20,000,000 to $50,000,000. Nearly 2,000 ranchers are burned out. Lake Tahoe region in California is reported in flames. But from Montana, thank God, comes the news of heavy rains. The loss, terrible as it is, may not be as great as reported. It is difficult to be calm and conservative in sight of, between, and among fires racing along from forty to seventy miles an hour.

A Veteran of the Balaklava Charge

Another hero of the "noble six hundred" of the Balaklava charge which Tennyson has made immortal died in San Francisco August 21. His name was William Russell Parnell. He was one of the six hundred that obeyed the mistaken command to charge. He rendered great service in the American army as well as in the English, enlisting in 1860 in the Civil War, and bore the title of colonel when the war closed. After passing through all the dangers of his years of warfare, his death came by injuries from being pushed from a car.

True religious liberty is the liberty of the other man to think for himself; and if any man possesses it he will labor for just that freedom for the other man, be that man his bitterest opponent.

Contained in This Issue

By Editor

General	PAGE
Man's Sin and Saviour.—IX. The Year's Service	3
Self Knowledge	4
Entering the Strait Gate	5
Out of Babylon to Zion.—XXII. The Vision of the Chariots	6
XVI.—Higher Criticism. The Bible as the Word of God	7

The Story

| Shiloh: the Man of Sorrows.—Chapter XXVII. A King Who Was a Slave | 12 |

Question Corner

| Questions Nos. 3233 to 3239 | 2 | | Our Bible Band | 2 |

The Outlook

| The Borromeo Encyclical | 10 | | Notes | 11 |

Missions

| A Visit to Nanking, the Ancient Capital of China | 13 |

Poetry

| The Promised Land | 5 | | Sacred Rest | 8 | | Abide with Me | 12 |

The Borromeo Papal Encyclical

By Editor

Our article on the Borromeo papal encyclical (See pages 10 and 11) is long, and papal encyclicals are usually about as entertaining, whatever their importance, as legal documents. But the extended quotations will show how and where the Papacy stands as to what she deems heresy. Its effect upon Protestants in Germany, and their attitude, will be discussed next week by our Swiss correspondent.

Equal Rights.

By Editor

We do not believe in the theories of Christian Science. To our mind it is neither Christian nor scientific. It is an utterly unscientific philosophy which has made its way by healing some of the maladies which flesh is heir to, but which Christian Science denies as realities. We believe its devotees to be extremely illogical, ludicrously inconsistent. It finds its vitality in a substratum of truth wofully perverted. The majority of people in this country probably look upon the cult in about the same way. Yet notwithstanding this Christian Scientists have entire right, so far as man is concerned, to believe as they do, to teach as they do, to practise for the healing of humanity's ills as they do. If man or woman wishes to place his case in their hands, he has the right, and legal authority has no right to prohibit it or prosecute the practitioner. It has no right to prohibit men or women from employing Christian Science practitioners if they so prefer. Cases they practise on die; so do others treated by the physicians of the regular schools. If people choose that way, they alone are responsible, and the government has no right to consider itself a great big mother to prevent them or chastise them.

The Delicious Ice-Cream Cone.

Health Commissioner Evans of Chicago is reported as saying: "Beware of ice-cream. The ice-cream cone is dangerous, but its contents are a hundred times more dangerous."

After stating that glue and boracic acid are used in its manufacture, he continued: "If one person dies from the effects of eating an ice-cream cone, fifty die from the ice-cream. As a usual rule, more than a billion bacteria exist in every teaspoonful of the ordinary ice-cream. For the most part these bacteria are harmless. Sometimes these bacteria are of the harmful variety, and it is then that people die of ptomain poisoning." A word to the wise is sufficient.

Liberty for July 1910

By Editor

"Liberty" for July (third quarter, 1910) is filled with good matter which ought to be read by all candidates and voters. The question of liberty and its dangers in a dozen different forms in this country is lucidly and informingly discussed, as well as important events in the Old World, which involve the same principles. The magazine has thirty-one live articles and twenty illustrations. It ought to have a wide circulation. Price 10 cents. Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C.

A Lesson from the Dogs

The humans ought to get a lesson from the dogs. It is said that the Crocker canine pets have died to the value of $21,500 during the last eight months, and famous veterinary physicians and surgeons have been called to look into the cause of the matter. This elect committee declares that this enormous death-rate, the largest ever recorded in exclusive dogdom, is owing to the fact that "the dogs have been overfed, over-entertained, and too much indoors." Will the humans learn the lesson?

The Life Boat for August

By Editor

The "Life Boat" for August has an excellent article entitled, "Bringing the Heart of Darkest Chicago Near to the Hearts of Our Readers," by Caroline Louise Clough. Besides this are the articles, "Hot Weather Hygiene," "War on the Cigaret," etc. Price 10 cents. Fifty cents a year.

Pearl Hunting in the Mississippi River

Water is so low in Northern Mississippi River that the bed of the river, abounding in clam-shells, forms great attractions to pearl hunters, and some very fine pearls have been found.

A New Series

By Editor

WE had hoped to begin our series of articles on the Revelation in this issue or the next, but new plans will put them off till November 1. They will surely begin, the Lord willing. With November 1 will begin a special six-month series of our paper, one of the best we have ever had. We are sorry to disappoint even for a time those who expected the articles to begin sooner, but we believe that the studies will be all the better for it when they do begin.

Fuller announcement of this series will be furnished later.

Florence Nightingale Dies at Ninety

Florence Nightingale, "the Angel of the Crimea," more world-renowned than tho she had worn a crown, especially in the care of the sick on battle-fields, died August 13 at her London home, and was buried August 20 in the little village of Hampshire. Her funeral was very simple. Notwithstanding her great services to the army, there were only a few grenadier guards present, who acted as bearers. In the memorial services in St. Paul's, King George, Queen Mary, Queen Mother Alexandra, the war office and admiralty, and the greater part of the British public bodies and colonies were represented. The United States ambassador Whitelaw Reid and Mrs. Reid were present. Among flowers sent for the ceremony were a number of wreaths contributed by American nursing associations. Mr. Stead remarks that while the Crimean War did not meet its expectations among the powers that waged it, it deserves to be remembered in history because it discovered Florence Nightingale. She was ninety years old at her last birthday, May 12.

Photographic Views From Brother Stafford

By Editor

We wish we had space to present properly all the fine photographic views sent us by Brother F. E. Stafford. See page 13. They are all of interest, and many of them were taken under almost insuperable difficulties of officious officials and pouring rain. In behalf of our readers we thank him.

Webster’s Latest Great Dictionary

By Editor

We call the attention of our readers to an advertisement of the latest great dictionary, on page 15. It has many special features which are thought by scholars to be of great advantage. Those desiring to purchase a dictionary would do well to correspond with the publishers of Webster's.

Higher Criticism and the Bible

By Editor

"Higher Criticism and the Bible" concludes Mr. Rowell's articles on Higher Criticism for the present. They have been strong and fearless, and many have wished to preserve them. They will probably be re-edited by the author and placed in book form.

THE ARK OF THE TESTIMONY The holy ark, the description of which is found in Ex. 25:10-22, contained the tables of stone upon which was divinely engraved the Decalogue. This Holy Law and mercy-seat constituted the very center of God's worship. See article page 3.