Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1859-10-13
WHEE
THE INTELLIGENCER.
a Amusing Lecture BY pioneer prenc:her

FcteF cartwright, the great Pioneer Preacher
whose name is as familiar as household words
was in Philadelphia, the other day, and delivered
what we canBhardIy call lecture, ut Concert
Hall. A full report of what he said is given in
tue 6"Iteten, and we have been much amused
at ITS perusal He is now seyenty-fve wears
old, and is described as man ofathetic frame
somewhat stopping, with large round featured
lace and head surmounted by mass of
grizzly hair. His n-browned face and hard.
ened body, it's said, retaining vast vigor and
vitality at the age of-seventy-five, formed a
striking contrast to the pale, study worn fea-
lures and apparently cneryated frames of come
OF the city clergy, who sat around him in pro-
fusion on the platform. He commenced by
saying to his fashionable audience:
When / Joined the Methodist Church. 80
years ago last June, there were but two thous.
and and few hundred members OF that Church
IN all the Western world and there we're at that
time but about seven or nine travelling preach.
ers. Lhe Western Conference was founded,
think, In 1893 or 1900. Bishop Asbury had
repeatedly passed through the country and
Sallea together the ministers, travelling and local.
tor advice and counsel, but previously 10 that
no regular Conference had been holden.
In this state ofthings grew up. was what
modern young Americans cal "fast YOUTH
delighted in hunting, in gambling. in horse
racing, in playing the fiddle, and dancing. The
very day before was solemnly convicted, / had
beaten in race aud won 5000, (Which was
equal to about $4,000 in these days, for I tell
you, dollars were very scarce in that country.)
aud tor the first time in my life got drunk on
tue back OF It, Laughter. and for the last time,
TOO, thank Cod for it! | was so elated at the
IDEA, (tOr II looked like a tremendous big pile
this $500; had never seen as much money in
| my le,) that hardly knew whether was in
my skin or out oft, so | took little too much,
aud 1t took me of. [Laughterl But OIL what
were fny pangs ofrepentance, when on my re
turn nome, met my mother-tnat mother that
Sleu tears over me, that had prayed Ov5 me-
that had nurscd me religion. Her heart bled
at my losty, and II was dagger to ny heart
"a wound from which never recovered until
found pardon through the atoning merits of the
Son OF God. As soon as became convicted, /
| begged my mother to take my fiddle aud cards
aud burn'hem, and She did t-decently, too
and shouted over it. aud l shouted too.-
lLaughter.l lwas glad then, aud have been
ever since.
The old pioneer then told about how the pco,
pie said lie was going mad when lie turned his
thoughts to religion, and how the young people
visited him by the dozen and tried to make hin,
cheerful in his dcmented condition; now he
preached his first sermon in the woods, how
they seriously proposed TO shave his head and
put blister plaster on it, and how he soon sat
isfed them that he could get along without any
thing of The sort
About this time great and glorious revival
broke loose all over the Western World 1t
was called cmphatically "the great Cumberland
revival" because it was principally confined to
the settlements on the Cumberland river In
that revival the Prcsbyterians and Mcthodists
largely participated, and scores, and hundreds,
and thousands were converted TO Cod Out of
this revival grew up what is now called the
Cumberland Presbyterian Church.
There was gentleman who sometimes nt-
tended these mectings-a man OF very brilliant
talents He was smart in argument, and he op
posed religion in every possible way In the
intervals and intermiSSiOus it was the custom
with the young men and women to retire to the
woods to hold prayer meetings. AT one Of
these prayer meetings, this gentleman present.
ed himself, and insisted that We we're all deuded
that it was fanntlcism-wd fire in the ex-
trcme. said to him, "Do you believe there is
God" Certainly" he replied. s'Do you
believe in the Lords prayer?" asked ]. Seer
tainsy do." "Wel, now, sir" said I, 'Get us
test this thing. II you believe in God and in
the Lords prayer, just get down here and pray
to God Almighty to stop this work, if it is a
work of the Devil, and on tic other hand we
will pray 20 Goo, Almighty to confuse you and
the Devil; and the God that answers prayer
shall be the true God. Come" said /, down
on your .boncs!" He hesitated. "Dowa
with you, said ], cor else we will believe you
perfect scotter. IL you are honest and sincere
in YOUR opinions, get down now and pray right
off With great reluctance he knelt and clear
ing his throat, said, Lord God Almighty" and
coughed. daughter "Lord God Almisht,!"
again, and clenred his throat. called out to
the boys, pray, boys, as il Heaven and He'll
were coming in contact pray!" He repeated
his Lord God Almighty" tho third time, and
the boys cut loose IN their prayers, and he
snenked up and took to his ''creettur.' Laugh
ter. That was the last we had of him
ln these days we had c,any difficulties to con-
tend with. We had no Turkey carpets to walk
ONO floating islands and syllabubS TO refresh
as [La"ghterl4
Al one of his appointments in the wilderness,
be went forty miles before he could find a man
with courage enough to entertain Methodist
preacher. Atlast he found an iron .nerved man
who agreed to keep him aud let him preach in
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