Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1855-10-25
Tenn: THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25 1855

seemed to be pointed, elevated as
was on high to the full length Of hi
arm.
"He then made call for mourner
into the altar, and five hundred, man.
of them till that midmghtinfidels, rush
ed forward and prostrated themselve
on their knees. The meeting wa
continued for two weeks, and NOR
than one thousand converts wer'
added to the church. From tina
time his success was unparalleled, ant
the fact is chiefly due to his inimitabl'
wit and masterly eloquence that Meth
odismis now the prevailing religion
in Illinois.
'.He was distinguished by one very
unelerical neutrality-suspicious.
His battles, although always apparent
Ily in the defensive, were as numerous
as those of the celebrated Bowie
Tie only difference was this, that
Bowie fought with deadly weapons.
while the itinerant used but his enor-
nous fist, which was as effective, how
ever, in the speedy settlement of bel
igerent issues as any knife or pistol
lever forged out Of steel. Let the
reader judge from the following an
ecdote:
cat the camp-meeting held at
Alton, in the autumn Of 1888, the
worshippers were annoyed by set Of
desperadoes from st. Louis, under
the control of Mike Fink, a notorious
bully, the triumphant hero o. countless
fights, in none of which he had ever
met an equal OF even second. The
coarse drunkenruffians carried it with
a high hand, outraged the men and
insulted the women, so as to threaten
the dissolution of all pious exercises;
and yet such was the terror the name
of the leader, Fink, inspired, that no
one could be found brave enough to
face his proWess.
"At last, one day, when Cartwright
assembled the pulpit to hold forth, the
desperadoes on the outskirts of the
encampment raised a yell so deafening
as to drown utterly every other sound.
The preachers dark eye shot light
ming. He deposited his Bible, drew
off his coat, and remarked aloud:
"'Wait for a few minutes, my
brethren, while I go and make the
devil pray v
'He then proceeded with a smile
on his lips to the focus of the tu-
multi, and addressed the chief bully:
"'Mr. Fink, / have come to make
you pray
''The desperate rubbed back the
tangled festoons of bis blood-red hair,
armed his hugo brows with comical
expression, and replied:
":By golly, I'd like to see you do
it, old snorter.'
every well,' said Mr.. Cartwright;
will these gentlemen, your courteous
friends, agree not to show foul play?'
lin course they will. They're
rale grit, and won't do nothin' but the
clean thing, SO they won't rcjoined
Fink, Indignantly.
care you ready?' asked the
preacher.
: "Ready as a race hoss with a
light rider answered Fink, squaring
his ponderous person for the combat.
4""The bully spoke too soon, for
scarcely had the words left his lips
when Cartwright made prodigious
bound toward his antagonist, and ac-
companied it with a quick, shooting
punch of his herculean fist, which
fell, crashing the others chin, and
hurried him to the earth like Lead
Then, even his intoxicated comrades,
filed with involuntary admiration at
the feat, gave cheer. But Fink was
up in moment, and rushed upon bis
enemy, exclaiming:
"'That warn't done fair, so it
warn't.'
sHe aimed a ferocious stroke,
which the preacher parted with his
left hand, and grasping his throat with
the right, crushed him down as if he
had been an infant. Fink struggled,
squirmed, and writhed in the dust;
but all to no purpose, for the strong,
muscular fingers held his windpipe as
in the jaws Of an iron vice. When
he began to turn purple in the face,
and ceased to resist, Mr.. Cartwright
slackened his hold and inquired:
q ssWill you pray, now?' i
s1 doesn't know how gasped
Fink. ios 10 las
g4 .ca eli ,5aga