We Began to Count Noses - Silkworth.net
We Began to Count Noses - Silkworth.net
We Began to Count Noses - Silkworth.net
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Bill’s words <strong>to</strong> Hank: “And he said God." Hank’s response: “And I laughed.”<br />
“Contempt prior <strong>to</strong> investigation” plagues most alcoholics presented with this<br />
simple religious idea. 24 Hank was <strong>to</strong>rmented by what this man, who had been<br />
raised up from the scrap heap, had <strong>to</strong>ld him. Hank states that Bill had said “four<br />
of them were well.” This statement confirms our work <strong>to</strong> this point and<br />
establishes that Hank would become the fifth soul <strong>to</strong> walk The Golden Road of<br />
Devotion.<br />
“Told him it sounded like self hypnotism <strong>to</strong> me and he said what of it . . . didn't<br />
care if it was yogi-ism, self-hypnotism, or anything else . . . four of them were<br />
well. 25<br />
Hank’s s<strong>to</strong>ry from the Original Manuscript draft of the book Alcoholics<br />
Anonymous is a powerful s<strong>to</strong>ry of the agnostic’s struggle <strong>to</strong> surrender.<br />
Brrr, this floor is cold on my knees . . . why are the tears running like a river<br />
down my cheeks . . . God, have mercy on my soul!” 26<br />
Hank found himself, on his knees, resigning his position as “number one”,<br />
as did most of the First One Hundred* who had “recovered from a seemingly<br />
hopeless state of mind and body,” surrendering <strong>to</strong> a New Manager. 27<br />
So now there are five well documented cases of sobriety and we approach<br />
our second “his<strong>to</strong>rical” conflict. In Alcoholics Anonymous Comes Of Age, written in<br />
the mid-fifties and published by Alcoholics Anonymous Publishing, Inc. 1957,<br />
we find documented on page 310 the number of recoveries for the pioneering<br />
years of our fellowship. Dr. Tiebout states that by the end of 1935 there were five<br />
recovered. <strong>We</strong> assume that Bill Wilson was his source for that information. <strong>We</strong><br />
will continue our journey on The Road and trust that more will be revealed!<br />
Referring back <strong>to</strong> the Original Manuscript of the book Alcoholics<br />
Anonymous in Chapter Eleven “A VISION FOR YOU” on page 73, Bill continued the<br />
s<strong>to</strong>ry in Akron.<br />
“A year and six months later these three succeeded with seven more”<br />
“These three” refer <strong>to</strong> Bob Smith, Bill Dotson and Ernie Galbraith who Bill<br />
left in Akron following The Golden Road of Devotion. According <strong>to</strong> Bill, over the<br />
course of the next eighteen months The Akron Samaritans would add seven more<br />
<strong>to</strong> their ranks. 28 Walter Bray from Akron, whose s<strong>to</strong>ry, THE BACK-SLIDER,<br />
appeared in the personal s<strong>to</strong>ries section of the Original Manuscript draft of the<br />
book Alcoholics Anonymous, was next. He had attempted suicide and found<br />
himself in Akron City Hospital. There he met the Prince of Twelfth Steppers. 29<br />
* The s<strong>to</strong>ries of surrender for the early pioneers are well documented and should not require specific citation. Bill knelt<br />
at the altar at Calvary on December 7, 1934. Bob and the Akron Oxford Groupers prayed <strong>to</strong>gether on their knees for<br />
his release in April of 1935. For more information see the A.A. Conference Approved books, DR. BOB and the<br />
Good Oldtimers; Pass It On; and Alcoholics Anonymous Comes Of Age for numerous documented instances of the<br />
early surrenders.