Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1857-04-04
M | s & L L L A N Y.
PAUL DENTON
IL TEXAS CAMP-M EFTING
by CHARLES suMMERFIELD.

VI T. ".
by CHARLES suMMERFIELD.
During the last week of September, 1896,
the first successful camp-meeiing was held in
Eastern Texas. ! employ the epithet "suc-
cessiul." because several previous failures had
apparently rendered all efforts of like kid
perfectly hopeless. Indeed, the meridian, a,
tha, period. was most unconeenial 10 religious
and moral enterprise. The country bordering
on the Sabine had been occupied, rather than
settled, by class of adventurers almost as wild
as the savages whom they had scarcely expell-
ed, and the beasts of prey which still disputed
sssiir idt99aip 9l lpeSa lorssls P.rQIsssloRa
debtors, outlaws from every land, forgers OF
false coin. thieves, robbers and murderers, in
terspersed among a race of uneducated hunters
and herdsmen, made up the strange social mis-
cellany; without courts or prisons, or church
es, or schools, or even the shadow of civil au-
thorty or subordination-a sort Of unprincipled
pandemonlum, where fierce passion sat enthron-
ed, waving its bloody sceplre, the naked bowie
knife Let no one accuse me of cxaggeralion
for the sake of dramatic effect am speaking
now of Shelby couniy-that home of the Lynch
ers-the terrible locale where, ten years later,
forty persons were poisoned TO death at a mar
riage supper
1t will be obvious that, in such communi-
tv, very few would be disposed to patronize
campmeetngs and accordingly. dozen diff
feren. trials, at various times had never collect
ed hundred hearers, on any single occasion.
But even these were not allowed TO worship in
| INao tho 10, IL. ln,
Of aimed desperadoes, headed by the notorious
Watt Foeman, chief Judge and executioner Of
the Shelby Lynchers, broke into the altar and
scattered the mourners, or ascended The pulpit
and treated the preachers TO a gratuiious robe
Of tar and feathers Hence, all prudent evan.
gelists soon learned TO shun the left bank of the
Sabine, as if it had been infested by cohor
of demons; and two whole years elapsed with
out any new attempt 10 erect the cross in 81
perilous field.
At length, however, an advertisement ap
peared, promising another effort in behalf o
the gospel. The notice was unique, perfec
backwoods curiosity, both as to its tenor ant
mode of publication Let me give it, rerbatio
et Heraiim:
BARBECUE cAMp-MEETING.
"There will he Camp-meeting, to com
mence the last Monday of this month"; at th
Double Spring Grove, near Peter Brinson's, il
the county of Shelby.
'The exercises will open with splendi
barbecue Preparations are being made TO sui
all tastes there will be good barbecue, bette
liquor, and the best of Gospel
PAUL DENTON,
"Sept. l, 1896. Missionary M. E. c."
This singular document was nailed TO tn
door of every public house and grocery; it wa
attached TO the largest trees at the intersection
of all CROSSROADS and principal trails and eve
the wandering hunters themselves found it i
remote dells of the noun tain, miles away fror
the smoke OF human habitaton.
AT first many regarded the matter as a hoa
played off by some wicked wag, in rdicule G
popular credulity But this hypothesis wa
negatved by the statements of Peter Brinsou
proprietor of the "Double Spring Grove" VIII
informed all inqnirers, "ihat he had been en-
, ployed and paid, by a stranger calling himsel
? Methodist missionary, TO provide an ampl
! barbecue, at the period and place advertised.
"But the liquor-the better liquor-are yo
TO furnish the liquor tool" was the invariabl
question of each visitor
: "The missionary said he would attend to thi
himself" replied Brinson.
! "He must be precious original" was III
I general rejoinder. A proposition which mos
of them afterwards had an opportunity to yer
y fy experimentally.
need hardly add that an intense excilemeI
resulted. The rumor took wings; flew on tn
:. wind turned to storm-a storm of exaggera
e tion--every echo increased its sound, ill notI
:. ing else could be heard but "lhe Barbecu
&C Camp-meeting !" it became The focus ofthough
The staple of dreams. And thus the unknow