--- title: Times and Seasons description: Issues of 1842 to 1843. authors: - Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints editors: - Ebenezer Robinson - Don Carlos Smith - Smith, Joseph, Jr. - Taylor, John collections: - periodicals tags: - newspaper - times-and-seasons - nauvoo - nineteenth-century periodical: Times and Seasons volume: 4 number: 21 published: 1843-09-15 publisher: E. Robinson and D. C. Smith; later John Taylor publisher_place: Commerce and Nauvoo, Illinois language: en type: article reference: "“Singular Effect of the Comet.-,” *Times and Seasons* 4, no. 21 (September 15, 1843): 326–327." printed_title: SINGULAR EFFECT OF THE COMET.- source: url: https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_times-and-seasons_1843-09-15_4_21 transcription: Text from the Centerplace.org transcription (https://www.centerplace.org/history/ts/v4n21.htm), with its page breaks; this Internet Archive scan is the reference copy (its OCR was used only as a witness for OCR repair) identifier: per_utah-and-the-mormons_times-and-seasons_1843-09-15_4_21 start_page: 326 end_page: 327 curator_note: A Mormon newspaper published by the church in Nauvoo; included for historical study. Inclusion does not imply endorsement. rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1843 (Nauvoo, Illinois); published before 1931, so public domain in the United States source: https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_times-and-seasons_1843-09-15_4_21 publication_year: 1843 --- # Singular Effect of the Comet.- GERMAN TRAVELER IN ASIA.-The Augsburg Gazette of July 31, contains the following letter from Tiffis, of June 4th: The Comet, which has been so often spoken of in the journals, was seen at Erivan on the 24th of February. Thus it was discovered in a provincial town in Russia sooner than in the southern countries of Europe, while in the capitol of our colossal empire the astronomers have not seen it, thought they were provided with an excellent refractor. The appearance of this celestial body has had a singular influence on the separatists in the German colonies of Georgia. These colonists, who quitted twenty-seven years since, their country, Wurtemburg, to go to Jerusalem, believing that the end of the world was approaching, allowed themselves to be prevailed upon by reasonable representations to remain in Georgia-joined to other German emigrants, who did not share their religious enthusiasm, they peopled the new settlements of Alexandereorf, New Tiffis, Marienfeld, Elizbethal, Katherinmenfeld and Helenendorf.-They lived in these villages, and gave themselves up peaceably to their labors.-Their wealth increased every day, and they seemed to have forgotten entirely their pilgrimage to Jerusalem, though they still remained separate from the Church. For the last year or two, their ancient religious desires was revived. Young and old men all felt themselves seized with a pious ardor to see the Holy Sepulchre [Sepulcher]. The prophecies of a distinguished family of Katherinenfield supported their zeal and enthusiasm, and finally, when the comet appeared, they regarded it as a guide sent from heaven, and sold all their estates and refunded to the Crown the advances they received from it. The rich paid for the poor, the residue of their property was given to any individuals who presented themselves, and thus form three to four hundred persons, among whom were old men, women and children, set out without money, and on foot, to Jerusalem, in the firm persuasion that God would help them through all the dangers which threatened them, in such a long journey in the minds of barbarous countries. Well disposed people sought to divert them from this disastrous resolution. In their religious enthusiasm the separatists disdained all advice. The governor general of the TransCaucasin [Transcaucasian] provinces, M. de Meidhart, a man of generous mind, who joins to a vigorous justice the most distinguished affability, used efforts to make the colonists understand the folly of this rash expedition. Having found them immovable in their resolution, he endeavored to facilitate their passage across Kurcistan by his interest with the Paciras of Bajazid and Elzeroum. As the religious fanaticism of these colonists reacted on other colonists, and as the number of proselytes continued to increase, their departure was considered an advantage to the settlements, as families to the peasants who arrived from Germany wanted good land to cultivate. The places left vacant by the pilgrims were soon filled up by the new arrivals. Boston Advertiser.