New York Times — Russell's "Miracle Wheat" (September 23, 1911)

Download: PDF — New York Times — Russell's "Miracle Wheat" (September 23, 1911)

'MIRACLE WHEAT FOR $60 A BUSHEL

Pastor Russell Has a Sale of It in His Tabernacle and Business Is Good.

BROTHER BOHNET RAISED IT

And a Marvelous Growth of It is Expected to Fulfill Biblical Prophecles.

While Duluth, Minneapolis, and Chicago people were agitated yesterday over a sudden jump in wheat to something over a dollar a bushel as the result of the failure of the Canadians to indorse reciprocity, over in the Tabernaacle in Hicks Street, Brooklyn, the staple was selling at the unprecedented high price of $60 a bushel, and neither the buyers nor the sellers were a bit excited over the price. The wheat being sold at such a figure in Brooklyn, however, is not of the ordinary kind. It is "miracle wheat," and wonderful qualities are credited to it. Until recently this valuable grain was sold only to followers of Pastor C, T. Russell, the head of the Tabernacle, but now it can be bought by any one. Pastor Russell seems to believe that the general use of this grain will greatly benefit the entire farming population of the country in time by a vastly increased production of wheat.

Pastor Russell believes in the literal fulfillment of the prophecles of the Bible that in time the earth will yield her fullest harvest, and he thinks that his "Miracle Wheat" will tend to establish his belief. The wheat which is now being sold at the Tabernacle, 18 Hicks Street, was given by Brother J. A. Bohnet. It was said that the society itself was not selling the wheat. It was being sold by Brother Dockey for Brother Bohnet, who is to give the proceeds to the society. Brother Dockey said yesterday that neither Pastor Russell nor the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society guaranteed the "Miracle Wheat," and that neither had anything to do actually with promoting the sale of it. He called upon a man present who, he said, was the "general counsel" for the society to back up this statement.

"Brother Bohnet," said the "general counsel," "offered to donate his 'miracle wheat,' and his offer was accepted. He is merely allowed to place the wheat on sale here in the Tabernacle. Brother Dockey sells it. Neither brother has a voting share in the society. Brother Bohnet has kindly agreed to turn over all the money received for the wheat into the treasury of the society: We do not say

The New York Times

Published: September 23,1911

that the wheat is worth $60 a bushel. It is simply that Brother Bohnet is willing to sell it at that price. Those who buy at the price quoted do so with the understanding that they are voluntarily giving aid to the society."

The "Miracle Wheat" is being sold also in small lots at $1 a lot. Brother Dockey said that between thirty and thirty-five bushels had been sold.

thirty-five bushels had been sold. "I believe," said Pastor Russell last evening, "that the growing of this wheat goes a long way toward proving the first principle of my church that the prophecles of the Bible shall be fulfilled. The apparently remarkable growth of the wheat is not remarkable to me. I believe that any grain may be grown similarly when properly developed by mankind. I have seen rye just as highly developed as this wheat. Not long ago I read of a man out West who developed a stalk of corn that bore twenty ears. I wrote him to obtain, if possible, some of the grains to plant, but he replied that he had thrown them all in with the rest of the corn."