In 1852, Shaker convert Daniel Boler returned to Kentucky after living for many years in New Lebanon, New York. He spent several days touring South Union village in the company of elder John Rankin, Jr., who recalled events from the Great Revival a century earlier, including a classic “jerker tale.” Click here for another account of Michael Dodd, the “proud young” jerker who menaced the early western Shakers with his hickory stick. Contextual notes appear in square brackets.
Thursday A.M. took a short backwoods tour in company with Elder John Rankin and Brother Urban Johns as pilots, with 2 teams and wagons, with the object of seeing the noted old log Meeting house about 2 miles north right in the middle of the woods where the revival first started in the west, and where aged John Rankin used to preach. Elder John related some interesting circumstances which took place with himself and others in time of the revival. Showed us the same old road he used to travel going to meeting. He said he was so opperated upon by the jirks when he was a youth that it seemed at times, (especially when he felt apposed,) as tho’ it would almost kill him; and all the way he could get released (from them) was to turn in and dance for an hour or more and then he would be released.
Said that sometimes he would be taken while on the way to School and would have to stop and dance it out right in the road before he could be released and sometimes he would be taken in School and would have to go out and have his dance.
He also told of a circumstance that took place at his Father’s house. A proud young man with some other company came to make sport and ridicule and while his Father was preaching the young man would spring into the house with a large hickory club in his hand and scream as loud as he could and then dodge back again and at last went round to the back part of the house where he could look in at the window and went to dancing to mimick the believers, and one of the Sisters looked sternly and solemnly at him when all of a sudden he was taken with the jirks and was jirked around the house and thro’ the brush and bushes and would at times be thrown, (as if by a strong man,) completely heels over head, flat on his back, and the staff which he held in his hand would be thrown 20 or 30 feet from him. He then would try to get his staff again and would have to crawl on his hands and knees to get it. Then it would be thrown out of his hand again and finally he was compelled to turn in and dance for an hour or more in order to get rid of the jirks. After he got released he [spoke] to his company and said, “come boys let us be going”; took out his whiskey bottle and treated the company and rode off affecting to care nothing about it, but after riding some few hundred rods he was taken again with the jirks and thrown from his horse in amongst some blackjack bushes, and his clothes torn mostly off of him, and had to take another spell at dancing. In the afternoon we visited the east or Gathering family. Found quite an [interested] little family. Not many Brethren but a goodly number of Sisters. Sung several songs to them; gave and received much love, and strove to encourage all to be faithful.
Source
Daniel Boler, Journal, July 22, 1852, V:B-153, MS 38944, Shaker Manuscripts, 1723–1952, Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio.
