The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-09-04
cAnr n.ETINo LETrER.

I IstsrS.
Correspondence Of ne I-.l,stt,gh Ga-eiie.
FIny-three years ago the people
called Methodisr," living in The up
! per end OF Old YirginiH, 50 appropriate
( iy uanec, and 50 familiarity known. the
.,PaD Handle" selected grove on Gas.
/ tIsnsn's Ran, near Bethany, Tor camp
meeting purposes. From that time
EdsI4I until the present, with four OF
7 i've exceptional years, the annual
Feast Of Tabernacles" has been held
ia this spot A. might be expected
7 his sacred place is full Of historical as
sociations, especially AS The main pOr-
ton of those who occupy tents at these
annual gatherings, are following the
{ footsteps OF their ancestry, fathers and
gTaudGatbsTs, who bTsi occupied the
! ground. Amongst those encamped Il
I Mr.. Samuel Jones, son of George Jones,
Z who first gave the use of the ground for
that purpose, and who, with his chill
dren aud grandchildren, has kept
bright the links OF association for over
{ MALI a century. The venerable minis
{ Ter Of well nigh four score years. Kew;
/ Joshua Monroe, vino had pastoral
J charge Of the circuit IN Which the
{ ground is located, still lives in honora-
4 i,Ie retirement and cheerful old age al
Es,yeT Pa. Cornelius Howard Gist,
ESQ, hud the distinguished honor of
erecting the first tent on this ground,
I and was one Of the most wealthy and
Influential! men theu living in This part
Z OF Tue country. The Gist family still
hold the same position in the present
day. HIS two excellent sons, DR.. Joshua
I ~. and Joseph Gist, and his son-ln-
| !aR. =. Bell, Esq, and grandson, @. II
Bell, ESD, are. here with family tents,
nIlsd with home comforts almost equal
TO their cUzy dwellings on their respec-
tive farms.
The class of persons who mostly con-
.regate at these annual gatherings are
IN many respects unlike those of any
other west Of the mountains. Fewer
I representatives OF other nationalities
are to be seen, and most of the persons,
and So largely preponderating, as TO
sink them into iusignifcauce, and ma
tiyes OF this immediate district OF coUn-
/ try. The culture OF mind and refine
ment of manners, so prominent in
these persons, does not exceed their
cumely physical proportions and hne
modern appaTeling. Rarely is there TO
be found 80 many hnc-lookiug men
and women gathered together, and so
I few com parativeiy of the lower grade
/ of physical form and mind. The char
acterisiie element of their social life, is
their generous hospitality. THIS social
I feature develops itself in its broEdesi
l form here in the tented grove. And as
I large as their hospitality is, the rich
I comfort dispensed al their bOuntiIul
tables Is cO-equal with the former.
/ To give some idea Of the location OF
| this famous ground it is only necessary
| 70 state that it is about eight miles from
! WellsbuTgh, and not quite that distance
/ from the Ohio river. The nearest point
by the Pan Handle" railroad, is full
| twelve miles. Coming by the Cleve-
| land and Pittsburgh railroad, (river
/ route), persons leave that road at La
I Grange station, opposite Wellsburg, W.
/ Va. Its location being so far from rail
road coin munication, the vast majority
/ Of the people crowd TO this feast oil
tahernacIes'' all kinds of conveyan.
ces: from the elegant equipages of the
wealthy, down TO the plain Jersey
wagon, and very many come on hoT
ses Of great beauty, in both
form aud limb. As we were borne
along the smooth surf and winding
road, with that genial ana companion.
! able DR.. Pershiug OF the Female col,
lege, Our eyes were feasted with the
beautiful adOrnment of hill ana dale
under the magic touch OF human Cul.
I tuTe. The earth seems to tesm with
iatness and plenty under the muscular
discipline of man, and The blessings oi
God by sun aud shower. Close by the
encampment towers up the massive
and elegant buildings OF Bethany Col
lege, erected under the direction oil
] Rishop Alexander Campbell, the found
/ er OF the Disciples, better known as the
Complexities, 1t lisa structure OF great
hrchi ectural beauty, and well repre-
sents some of the world-famed institu'
lions in the old world so graphically
described by travellers. AS we whirleC
along the extensive grounds, where
this editice sits so Rrandly on the eleva
ted fiat, one of our company, Rev. NJ r
Debbs, stated that in his boyhood days
perhaps two score years ago, that he
was present when DR.. Campbell, in this
course of one of his charming tireside
talks, remarked to "A member of his
family, that wonderful things would
transpire in this country during tbs
years 1860 and 1866, and If the Lord
/ pleased, he would Ike to live in those
stirring times. The fearful throes dur
ring that period are now matter o.
history; and of sad recollection &c
millions; and he was permitted to see
them and live close to the summer o
1865.
} The camp meeting is under the charge
OF Rev. w. A. Davidson, ID. D., as 4
forms part of his district. The DOcto
| is well known to hundreds and thou
sands of Gazette readers, having beer
stationed eight years in Pittsburgh, be
fore he was transferred from Liberty
street Church, in 1868, to his preEen
field OF labor. His large catholic spirit
in cooperating with other denoniina
lions, while in Pittsburgh, in various
religious movements, and interchangeable
labOrs in behalf of his own denOmina
ton, are we'll known. The RESPONSE
bility Of conducting II meeting OF thi'
kind is very onerous, and requires
much skill and good judgment. For
full week the hundreds that congregat,
at these meetings become to all intent
and purposes AN organized community
and all things are under rigid polic'
system. The Presiding Elder stand!
at the head, directing The civil Rs wei
us spiritual affairs of this temporary
community. Doctor Davidson give,
much satisfaction in the difficult rot
he is called upon to perform, in boil
departments, The camp ground is IL
the bounds of Independence Circuit
which IS under The pastoral care 9
Rev. Henry 5. White. Adjoining thiE
charge is what is known as "FraHkliT
Circuit, of which Rev. a. J. Lane has
pastoral supervision.
We reached the ground early on Sat
urday and found the meeting progress
ing finely. Although ii had com
mence,l on Thursday morning, the frs
public service did not take place unit
The evening hour, when the Rev. n. l.
Weakly, pastor of Ross Street Church
Pittsburgh. preached sermon OF
waiting on the Lord" The discourse
is represented as being well adapted tC
the occasion, and gave much satisfac-
ton: Friday mornings A. NJ Rev, J.
w. Hamilton, of Newport, Ohio, dis
coursed on the subject 0f"worldly Life
Changed TO "A Spiritual One" AT IOL
O'Clock Rev. /. A. PeRrce, of Wells.
burg, occupied the stand. His theme
was THE History, Character and Mis-.