Thomas B. Riter, who was Conley's partner, and the "Riter" in the "Riter & Conley" partnership was definitely a Mason. It is in his Bio and in the area Masonic listing.
Thomas's brother, James M., who founded the "business operations" was not a Mason as far as I can tell. His "firm" ceased to exist on his death. Thus, James is NOT the "Riter" in the partnership of the "Riter & Conley".
There is no indication that Conley was a Mason, so I mentioned the point simply to cover as many bases as possible.
There is also no indication that Thomas Riter ever had any dealings with Russell, although there is a small hint of a possibility. In the Divorce trial transcript, it mentions a letter Russell wrote to Maria in which he says that he had twice been offered investment opportunities with newly formed Banks, including being offered the title of "President" of one of those. Someone could check the date of that letter to see what Banks had been formed prior to such and within a reasonable time frame. Thomas was named President of Ohio Valley Bank of Allegheny when it was formed in 1890/1. I also believe there was a second Bank formed in Allegheny around the same time.
Maybe Russell was popular among and was friends with Allegheny businessmen in the early 1890s, BUT I DOUBT IT. This statement to Maria smells of bravado, and as far as I am concerned simply is more evidence of Russell's egotism.
By the early 1890s, evidently not even Conley had much if anything to do with Russell. My guess is that Russell's name on an investment scheme would kill it rather than make people want to buy shares. What probably happened was that whomever was selling shares in the new banks was simply trying to sell Russell shares just as he would other local businessmen. He may have even "stroked" Russell's ego with something about if Russell bought alot of shares it would help sell more, etc., etc. He probably gave the same "pitch" to every person he approached.
To: Barbara Anderson -- Re: First WatchTower President
by West70 87 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
-
West70
-
AndersonsInfo
Eduardo,
I'm certainly not taking credit for being the only person to rediscover the historical place of Wm Conley in Watch Tower world. West70 had it correct when he pointed out that I was merely saying that the information was unknown to JWs, even to the organization's historical "experts," who worked in the Writing Department and, one would think, should have known about Conley.
To my way of thinking, Conley is just a small blip in the 126-year Watch Tower of Pennsylvania historical time frame, but I do believe that he should be of interest to historians, those who make it their business to compile accurate historical information about the formation and growth of religions in the United States. In fact, we who have new information should feel duty bound to provide it to historians. Found on library shelves are studies of every sort of religious organizations for the serious student to look at. Conley belongs to the early history of the Bible Students and should be added into any definitive record of this unique American religion, which, through a schism gave birth to a new movement that came to be called Jehovah's Witnesses.
Karl Adams apparently didn't think Conley was very important because he sort of slipped him in "Proclaimers" where least expected. It was better to do it that way than to spend time and effort to find out how Mr. Conley fit into the early Bible Student movement, which would mean that "Proclaimers" would have been the result of a serious attempt to corroborate what is known about the past. But doing that is just not the way the leaders at Watchtower operate. They just move forward, without seriously looking back to see if they erred, hoping no one else does either, and continue to print whatever dribble about the past that the flock likes to hear which, of course, has to fit with the rest of their written revisionist history.
If anybody should know about Mr. Conley, one would think it should be one of the keepers of the Bible Students' history, such as Mr. Parkinson, or maybe Rolando R who frequently posts on JWD. It could be that this Conley business was known to one or both of them before it appeared in "Proclaimers." I just never thought to ask! Perhaps RR might like to tell us what he knows about Mr. Conley.
West 70:
I have information that Russell was accepted by the business community as an upstanding fellow businessman. In the 90s, he very well could have been offered banking investment opportunities. I think I have some very difficult to find material from the divorce transcript that you might not have, and it's there that the judge makes some interesting remarks about the character of the Russells. I also have some other proof of my observations. However, I'm not going to discuss it here.
Barbara -
AndersonsInfo
Ole Soul:
Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society was first formed in 1881 and then legally incorporated in the state of Pennsylvania on Dec. 15, 1884. In 1896 its name was changed to Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society. Since 1955 it has been known as Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania.
Barbara -
DannyHaszard
WOW! As they say in investigative journalism always do a regression analysis.Just where did it all come from?
My old time JW grandfather told many 'bed time' stories about this stuff.
Apostates 'R smart people and now we have databases a click of the mouse we are in.
-
West70
Hi Mrs. Anderson:
Thanks for your comments. I do note your indication that you do not want to comment further with regard to some info about Russell's 1890s business dealings.
However, please allow me to clarify my own remarks regarding such. You are correct that my own research has always been hampered by lack of access to necessary materials. You indicate that you have more than one line of evidence that makes you think that Russell was more accepted in the 1890s Pittsbugh business community than what I myself suspect. Given my longtime error on Rose Ball's age, I am in poor position to give much of a counter-argument.
However, we may not disagree as much as it appears. My previous comments were intended to relate my belief that Russell was not looked on with any great degree of respect by the Pittsburgh area "major financeers"; not that Russell did not have his own small circle of "small timers". I am vaguely familiar with the 1890s "Investment Company" (can't recall its name right now) which Russell and some of his sychophants used to invest in real estate, etc.
However, the aforementioned alleged "bank investment opportunity" of which he bragged to Maria supposedly had a large capitalization of $3,000,000. For Russell to allege that he had been requested to lend his name to the sell of stock as the potential Bank President just seems unreal. Any new Bank that large would involve investers who could cough up Russell's net worth as a single investment. This was the circle in which Thomas Riter operated. I'm not sure Conley could play ball with these boys, much less Russell.
Then again, I may be wrong. This is one of the sub-topics of "Russell History" that I have not yet pursued with any diligence. I have always wondered about what Joseph was doing in Florida and elsewhere after the clothing business was sold; as well as how "J.L. Russell" made as much money as it did in an already competitive market of the 1860s and 70s? I wonder whether Joseph capitalized in any way off the Civil War? Where did the 5000 acres in KY come from?
A few years back, I stumbled across the name of a low level ACC evangelist who I had not heard of before. I googled his name to see what I could find, and I learned that in addition to traveling as an ACC evangelist, he also dabbled in land speculation. At that time (I have not been able to relocate it using the key terms I will use hereafter), I found a webpage which contained a letter he had wrote to someone in an attempt to try to get them to purchase a tract of land in a part of the country which was experiencing a major coal deposit discovery. My impression was that the potential customer was also an ACC. I don't recall his exact verbiage (or I could likely relocate the webpage), but in trying to convince the potential customer to buy this particular tract he related that it was located adjacent to either "the Russell tract" or "the Russell's tract". No first or other name(s) were mentioned. It was as if the potential customer (who I beleive was also ACC) would automatically recognize the reference. Could "Russell" or "Russell's" refer to someone or something other than Joe or Chuck. Absolutely! But, maybe not. Who knows? There were lots of investment opportunities in general during this time period. -
chasson
Thanks for your information concerning the Riter's brother, West.
Bye
Charles -
sf
~bttt~
-
West70
Mrs. Anderson:
I just spotted that the Riters, Conleys, and Russells were all listed in the Pitt area "Blue Book" for 1895, so maybe that is your basis for your remarks above re Russell being an accepted part of the 1890s business community.
However, I will still stick with my comments above regarding the "two banks deals". -
West70
Partial Correction:
The April 1881 ZWT states that the Sunday afternoon meetings were held at Curry Institute Hall, while the Wednesday night meetings were held at "No. 80 Cedar Avenue".
Thus, it does not appear that any regular meetings were being held at the Conley's residence by this point in time; although the Memorial was held there on the 14th.
I will continue to assume that SOME meetings WERE held at the Conley's pre-1881.
Anyone have a clue about the Cedar Ave location? It seems to have been a storefront area, but possibly mixed commercial and residential???
Would ZWT Tract Society have once had a separate location from Russell's ZWT magazine operation? After all, they were initially somewhat separate operations.
-
West70
The following excerpt is taken from the "Overland Monthly" article entitled: "Life of Pastor Russell" by E. D. Stewart.
"Charles T. Russell was the second son of Joseph L. and Ann Eliza Russell, and was born in Pittsburgh, Pa. His father was a well-to-do merchant, and the son, when not engaged in study, spent much of his time helping his father in the store. By so doing, he rendered himself liable to the awful charge that certain ministers in various parts of the country have brought against him, that in his early life he was "a seller of shirts." In this work, however, he developed the qualities of industry, perseverance and earnestness of purpose, qualities that have been such prominent characteristics of his mature years. As the father was a very successful business man, it was only natural for the son also to begin business as a merchant. In this work the young man manifested such business acumen that, in a few years, he was the owner of five clothing stores. In all this work he was so thoroughly honest and his goods so thoroughly reliable that his success was marvelous, so marvelous that some who then knew him believe that if he had continued in the mercantile business he might have rivaled in the accumulation of wealth some of the richest money kings of his day. But his great desire was not to be rich, but to be useful. We need not tell you this, you may know it for yourself when you consider the following facts:
At one time in his life, while he was yet a young man, the valuation of his real and personal property is said to have reached over $200,000. Of this $40,000 were spent in the publication and circulation of his first book, "Food for Thinking Christians." At various times he contributed large amounts to the Society of which he was president. In fact at the time of his death he had but $200 left of his own private fortune. Notwithstanding this fact, there have been men so ignorant of the facts in the case, or had so little regard for truth and veracity as to say: "Russell has just started this religious movement as a money-making scheme." The utter foolishness of such a statement could not be fully manifest to persons unacquainted with the manner in which the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society is operated. The very idea of a company of men getting rich preaching the gospel without money and without price, while their friends at the various appointments advertised the meetings "Seats free; no collection." The truth of the matter is that those ministers who have done this talking about "money making scheme" concerning Pastor Russell have simply been "measuring his corn in their own half-bushel." A man whose own life is actuated by low motives cannot appreciate a higher motive in another man. In all of Pastor Russell's work, and in all the work of the Society including missionary work, translation of the books into all the important modern languages, exhibition of the Photo Drama of Creation, etc., not one penny was ever solicited and no collection was ever taken. That, of course, does not mean that money has not been liberally contributed, but every contribution is and must be absolutely voluntary and unsolicited."
--------------------------------------
I am not sure that E. D. Stewart was a "Bible Student", but if he was not he would have still have had to get his info from one of the Brooklyn heavyweights.
The important part of the excerpt is the assertion that Charles Taze Russell was the financer of the $40,000.00 spent on printing and distributing "Food For Thinking Christians" (which was technically a "tract", NOT a book) which occurred in 1881.
Technically, FOOD was distributed by ZWTTS, not by Russell. 1881 was ZWTTS's first year, and it received just over $35,000. in donations in 1881, and practically all was spent in 1881.
Interestingly, the financial report for 1882 indicates ONLY $3374. in donations in 1882, with nearly $6000. spent; leaving a deficit of nearly $2600.
Donations were evidently so poor in 1883 that Russell chose to not even release a report that year. In January 1885's ZWT he finally published a report for 1883 and 1884, which showed donations for both years of ONLY $2500. Expenditures for 1883-4 were ONLY $2400.
IF RUSSELL WAS SO RICH, WHY DID HE DONATE ONLY $500 OF ZWTTS's $5000. INITIAL CAPITAL, AND WHY DID HE NOT DONATE MORE TO ZWTTS IN 1883 AND 1884???