The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1873-06-20
M. / IS 6 elan Gus
For Tile -AEgis Dc Mtelligencer.
WHIPPED INTO RELIGION,

WHIPPED INTO RELIGION.
In the year 1918, about the time that the
State of Illinois was admitted into the
Union, young Methodist preacher, whom
| shall call Rev. John Smith, Qor suppress
his real nance went from the East to the
new State to preach the gospel. His cir
cult was q wild one. The people generally
lived in log cabins and although some of
them were religiously inclined, yet the
most of his hearers were q reckless, ungodly
set On one side of his circuit there was Il
small town of about 500 inhabitants. This
town contained q distillery, half a dozen
grog shops, two stores and school-house
but no church. The town went by the
name of grogtown, but that was not its real
name. The citizens of this wicked little
community were, the most of them, a wild
reckless set They despised any thing like
religion, and had several times maltreated
ministers of the gospel who attempted to
preach to them in the log school house,
which stood in beautiful grove of gigan-
tic forest trees, about quarter Of mile
| from the town. Sunday was q wild day
here; gambling, drinking whiskey, horse
racing and cock fighting formed their sab
bath pastimes.
Among others who lived here was man
named Jim Sykes, and lie went by the
name of Big jim. This fellow was over
six feet in height, and weighed $50 pounds.
He was powerful man, we'll made for
strength and activity. His brawney, mus
cular arms, maul-like fists and great
| strength, made him dangerous customer,
as far rs brute force was concerned. Jim
was severe on preachers, and had already
driven several clergymcn from town, who
had attempted to preach the gospel to the
| wicked inhabitants; and he swore he would
whip any preacher who attempted to preach
in Grogtown.
| jim was q wicked, drunken dissolute fel
low, and every body in the town was afraid
of him. He of course had his parasites.
! About dozen rascals of the same ilk were
| his boon companions, and were called Jim
| Sykes band. When our young preacher
went to his station he was u stranger hav.
ing moved West from Eastern Virginia, his
native State. Mr.. Smith was about %
years of age. He was u very handsome
man, of well made frame, weighing about
| 100 lbs, and was active and strong He
| had mild disposition, was not eXcitable,
| but always calm, and had complete con-
| troll of his passions. He was an able preach
er his sermons were chaste, eloquent, low
ing and always to the point. In his inter
course with others he was social, urbane,
polite and refined, and his preaching was
| we'll calculated to make an impression on
| the heart of the sinner. He was severe on
| Sabbath breaking, gambling and drinking,
and of course was not held very high by the
votaries of the jolly God.
NNban bn want tn thp pirpuit no VOC told
that he could not preach in Grogtown, and
that it would be madness to attempt it, as
his predecessors had all failed, and had
been badly treated some Of them having
| been badly hurt by Big jim, who was the
| day they had no police force in this wild
locality to interfere.
Our preacher listened to their expostula-
| tons with respect, and told his advisers
that he would go to Grogtown and, God
willing he would preach there. He accor-
dinghy visited the town. He went to one
of the boozing kens, and ordered his horse
fed and called for dinner. The bar room
was filed with loafers. Some were playing
cards and others dominoes, he saluted the
company in his pleasant, social manner, and
took a seat until dinner was announced.
After he had dined he enquired of Boni-
face for the Trustees of the school house.
The landlord gave him the proper dircc-
tions, and he forthwith went to see them
and obtained their consent to hold meet
ing in the School house the next Sabbath
at o'clock; but the Board candidly told
him that although they had no objection
to his preaching, yet they thought the step
q dangerous one, as Big Jim Sykes would
whip him as soon as service was over, as he
had already served Others in the same way
Mr.. Smith smiled and thanked them fol
their kind advice, but he told them to
Please inform the citizens of the town that
he would preach in their school house next
Sunday, if his Great Master permitted
He further told them that film Sykes at,
tempted to interfere with him he would
find it piece offolly. He now went back
to the tavern, paid his bill and ordered
his horse. The bar room was now full o.
idlers, gamblers and loafers, but the gallant
Big Jim was not present. Before going
MIR. Smith pleasantly informed the land
lord and all those present that his name
was John Smith, a Methodist Preacher, ant
that he expected to preach in their schoo
house the next sabbath, and he invited al
those present to come to the meeting
Had thunder bolt fell in their midst they
could not have been more astonished.-
With one accord they all left the card tables
and stood around the audacious preacher
but Big Jim was away, and mono of then
while under the magnetic influence of thu
eagle glance of our hero, dared to expostu
late. They were dreadful mad, but lik
Alfred in "Mysteries OF Paris" when he wa
going to do something terrible, they al