"The Other Four Hours"

A Third Publication by Garrett Albertson
Describes How a Person Can Improve
Their Life by Reading Four Hours a Day

My great grandfather had barely a seventh grade education, but through work and study managed to pass the rigorous ordination into the Presbyterian Church. How did he do this? Well, he was largely self-taught, and attributes the greatest factor in his learning to reading for four hours a day.

One of the chapters in his book I am republishing under the name Frontier Stories, talks about how he experienced an awakening from one sentence he read as a twenty year old. That one sentence transformed his life from one of a time waster to a "time miser" as he puts it. One sentence sets his life on a course he had never considered, and had previously been unqualified for.

Reading this chapter entitled, "An Awakening" reminds me of how relevant my great grandfather's wisdom is even to today's generations. He writes, "It is one thing to lay hold of a truth; quite another to have truth lay hold of you. When this great truth burned into my heart, what a difference it made in my life! After this I lived by the clock. Each day had twenty-four hours; four of them I must secure for reading purposes. At first I read indiscriminately, then to a purpose."

My great grandfather goes on to recount how, not allowing his station or the obstacles in life to hinder him, in an era where secondary education was not expected or easily available, he pursued education and never stopped reading in order to create a life that had meaning and impact. And that is exactly what happened. Going on to achieve a great many accomplishments within the Presbyterian church, including starting more than 250 Sunday School's across the nation, my great grandfather holds the honor of being one of the founding fathers of the very first presbyterian church in Enid Oklahoma.

Be sure to read this entire chapter in Frontier Stories to find out what that sentence was that transformed his life!

"Saved by My Glasses," from Frontier Stories

I really can't wait to share some of the stories from my great grandfather's autobiographical account of the 40 or so years he spent as a Sunday School Missionary in the Wild West and preacher at the beginning of the 20th century! His book was originally titled Kingdom Stories, but I have since begun republishing it to be released under the name, Frontier Stories.

One chapter in the book is titled "Saved by my Glasses." In it, a thrilled but shaken Garrett Albertson tells of how an emotional lady recounted to him how she had, moments before welcoming him into her home, stood at her door was ready to fire her gun at him! She had initially mistaken my great grandfather for someone else. She then suddenly noticed his glasses that flashed in the sun, and realized he was not the person she thought he was!

How thrilled I was a few months ago when my "Uncle Mackey" told me he had a pair of glasses (shown) in my great grandfather's things he had retrieved after his funeral in 1952. Of course, I can't be sure THOSE were the glasses; but I decided to publish the photo next to the aforementioned chapter inquiring whether these MIGHT just be the very glasses that saved my great grandfather's life. I'll never know for sure.

Blessings,

Andy

Predictions found in 'A Visit to Mars'

Original Book Cover
of A Visit to Mars

We haven't talk much about the amazing predictions found in my great grandfather's 1902 book A Visit to Mars. One futuristic idea stands out in my mind - in addition to foretelling physical inventions like outdoor lighting "turning night into day," retractable roofs so telescopes could be placed, seat belts, and others - one that caught my attention recently was the novel concept of elevating women! Yes, before women were allowed to vote, before women's lib - the "regenerated" people on Mars greatly respected women and made sure modern inventions like the dishwasher and washing machine were invented to ease their burden. Let me just share some from the text to give you the idea:

"There was no house drudgery of any sort here for the women; no oppression by the opposite sex because of superior strength; no wearing out and breaking down long years before nature intended it;....In all respects they were man's equal and enjoyed the high place at his side for which they were designed." He further writes, "Their work, too, was simplified and reduced to a minimum and to modes of agreeable and healthful exercise."

NOW TO A DESCRIPTION OF WASHING DISHES! THE EARTHLY VISITOR'S NAME WAS VAN GARLSETT.

"Van Garlsett presently found himself in a neat room that was not only a kitchen but was the place where the electrical heat and light originated. ... The dishes that were to be washed were placed in an orderly manner in one end of a long sink which led to a cupboard built in the wall. In a moment, by some process, water rose and covered and foamed about them so they could not be seen; then the water disappeared and the steam arising told him that they were being dried by heat. A moment later, by some other hidden process, they were quickly propelled to the other end of the sink and into the cupboard, the door of which opened to receive them and they were resting in their places until needed again. It was all done far quicker than it takes to write it, and Van Garlsett felt that he must see it again to get clear apprehension of it."

NOW VAN GARLSETT WATCHED THE WASHING OF CLOTHES

"Then they opened a stationary washing machine and put one of the piles of clothing into it. A lever was touched which closed the machine; there was a slight sputter within and a moment or two later the lot was done. Then the Martians spread the clothing on a broad belt which immediately began to revolve. The clothing went out of sight into a heated passage where it was so rapidly fanned by hot air as to be dried in two or three minutes. This process was repeated for each pile of clothing. ...then they ironed the clothes. They simply spread the clothing upon a belt that carried it between several sets of heated rollers; when or how any starch was applied Van Garlsett could not tell. But when the clothes issued from the last set of rollers, they were by far the finest laundered clothing he had ever seen. The smiling faces of the women to whom the labor was a pleasure and the very short time in which it was all done, perhaps twenty-five minutes, contrasted strangely with all the washdays he had seen."

SO MUCH MORE IN THIS CHAPTER, TOO.

If you want to get additional snippets of insights and fun facts more than once a week here, LIKE my page on Facebook at: facebook.com/AVisittoMars.

Blessings,

Andy

Introduction to this blog

My name is Andy Shaffer and this blog is all about my great grandfather, the late Rev. Garrett V. Albertson. He was a remarkable man in so many ways and left me a heritage I wish to now share. He died when I was four years old, so I don’t remember our only encounter as told to me by my parents, but just in recent months I have discovered so much more about him that I want the world to get to know him and his heart.

My great grandfather was a Sunday school missionary to our wild, western frontier – to places like Oklahoma and Kansas – back when they were just territories full of lonely trails, Indians, wild beasts, bandits. He risked life and limb for a noble cause. He wasn’t a writer by trade, but he wrote charmingly about his “life and labors” in a 1935 book called Kingdom Stories. In it he confides numerous personal accounts and experiences, many suspenseful, others humorous that not only tell of his part in spreading God’s gospel to needy rugged pioneers, but he also contributes a unique eyewitness history account of America’s western frontier.

Only a few copies of Kingdom Stories were published and few remain today, and most of those belong to aging family members. I obtained my copy from a rare book dealer on Amazon and was so delighted to see my great grandfather’s fountain pen signature and inscription on the inside front cover.

Family members told me of one other book he wrote – much earlier – around the turn of the century called A Visit to Mars – an adventurous tale of an earth traveler arriving on the red planet. And, remember, this is between 1900 and 1902 when it was written and published. Amazingly, like Jules Verne, my great Grandfather describes advanced life on Mars with so many futuristic and visionary aspects that it boggled my mind! I started composing a list of them which included airships, helicopters, solar panels, night vision goggles, huge telescopes to see other planets including earth, women’s equality (would you believe in 1902!) and yes, even the internet. Perhaps you will help me find more predictions as I share excerpts in this blog and unveil this very remarkable story. However, the real theme and purpose of the book is not about the advanced state of Mars and all of its grandeur, but rather how a society can become of such high order by simply putting God first, and evangelizing its people, thereby unleashing God’s Spirit and favor upon their civilization.

This science fiction book is even more difficult to locate today than Kingdom Stories. Both have been out of print for decades. In fact our research shows that the Peoria Public Library has the only public copy of the revised and republished edition of A Visit to Mars which is dated 1902.

Family members have told me it was Garrett’s desire to “better publish” both of these writings. In fact I found one old paper where he states one of the books “is again in form and ready to submit properly for republication as soon as conditions will allow.” But, neither book was republished from those few original copies. It just never happened and what a shame. Since I have copies of both books in original form it is now my goal to republish them both, complete with illustrations and explanations. Perhaps this blog will test if that is a wise decision and that others would benefit by reading them.

Lastly, a family member recently gave me many of my great grandfather's original papers and effects that were stored for over sixty years. I found numerous sermons published in a Florida newspaper around 1939. Could I share with you some of those great thoughts from a man who truly walked with God? Many of his messages speak to a very different era as well as to spiritual topics that have become foreign or overlooked in our current, fast paced, American culture. And yet, these are topics that are deeply relevant and helpful to the collective soul of humankind.

It is with all this in mind that I dedicate this blog to sharing the heart of my great grandfather including his many messages delivered, whether in sermon or book form. I hope and pray that each visitor to this blog will find what I and some close friends already have found: a sense of hope and vision through a wonderful plan called, Salvation.