End of an Era

[Page 142]

     The American Christian Review has announced suspension of publication after 110 years in the field of religious journalism. It was started in 1856 by Benjamin Franklin, and later purchased by Daniel Sommer who changed its name to Octographic Review. Another change produced the title Apostolic Review, but finally, having made full circle it returned to the original name. Katherine Way Sommer acted as editor for many years, but before her death in 1924 made D. Austen Sommer editor. When he declined she placed it in the hands of C. W. Sommer (another son) and Bessie K. Sommer (a daughter). In recent years the masthead has contained only the latter name, although much of the work has been done by Allen R. Sommer, only surviving son of Daniel Sommer.

     If it should appear strange that, in these days when so many papers start and die, we should give so much space to the discontinuance of one, we offer pure sentiment as our justification. In the rough mining area where I was born, Daniel Sommer was the first representative of the restoration movement whom I remember seeing. At the time I was a barefoot boy, less than six years old. When the little congregation of 18 or 20 souls, most of them relatives, purchased an old saloon building, moved it to a new site, put a belfry on it and converted it into a meetinghouse, D. Austen Sommer was called for the first meeting.

     In our rude mining shack "the Review" took an honored place beside our only other literature the Holy Bible and the Sears Roebuck catalog. In those days the pages were newspaper size and contained an exchange column for boys and girls edited by Emily Baker. I wrote to it and there first saw my name in print. When I obeyed the gospel, although I did not then realize it, my thinking was regulated by the faction of which the paper was the recognized mouthpiece. Its editor wielded a tremendous influence. If he endorsed a man, that one had an inside track to any congregation in "the brotherhood." If one was debarred from reporting through the paper it was equivalent to excommunication.

     I do not blame Brother Sommer or the paper for my own Pharisaical or factional attitude. I do thank God for the amazing grace which delivered me from it. I am unable to think of very much worthwhile which our faction contributed to the solution of problems, despite our honesty of motive. But now that the paper has expired and become a part of brotherhood legend we say "requiescat in pace."