Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1873-04-24
Brother Newton.

brOtneE NEWTON.
When Newman Hall was in Phila-
deiphia in 1870 he lectured the short
time he spent there constantly, some
times on Sundays preaching four or five
times. Your correspondent, with Il
party, started to hear him at an. eve
ming service. He was announced at
six at church tar up town, and for
eight O'Clock at ST. Thomas's. Though
we none of us knew the church by
name, its location and the hour was 50
convenient, we decided upon hearing
him there. Arriving an hour before
the time, in the hope of thus securing
seats, we found st. Thomas's to be a
colored peoples church, and the SER
vices already fully under wav-having
their own services already fully under
way having their Own services before
hand, we discovered upon getting in.
We were received at the door by
ushers in dreSs-cOats and white ties and
gloves, and taken to seats in the gal
ierie5, the rest of the church being ~
ready packed, aisles and al, win d
mixture Of white and black folks.
a moment after we were seated, as a
prayer was ended, brother Newton
was announced-and it is TO record
some of MS pungent utterances this is
being written. Among other things,
he said:
ave are going to beg tonight, while
we've got a lot of you of both colors
here, for some kinds of mixtures is
good and wholesome. We're a-begging
IN the int'resi5 of the church. What
int'reSts, do you say? Why, the int'r-
ests of keeping of it good and warm
and lights; goodier than that, comfort
able for all of ye to come into and
worship the Almighty. We want TO
raise the money for the fire and the
lights. What, do you say we oughtn't,
because the Bible says 5alvation's free9
So it is, 90 it is! Who's agoing to say
it amt? &alvati0n's free, thank the
Lordu" (Then there was a responsive
shout all over the church, Thank the
Lord!" Eyes, yesl'' "Amenvi) "So's
water free, thank the Lord-so's water
free; but We have to pay for the pipes
and the buckets what We get itin, don't
We? YAH now don't ye? Never cir
cumSSanced that, supDoseT'
Constantly through his remarks there
would be surge like wave, theeffect
of which was very singular, beginning
W III ilIC tCdaCAo LA-O PdlP4l, ethha
spreading as quick as thought over the
churchEssAmen,', ,, ',s'Thank the Lord, !"
Eyes, yes, bress His name"
When he said something comical, az
he constantly did-little unrepeatable
things-there would a low gurgie of
laughter go through the audience,
when, quick as flash, he would turn
upon thsm sternly: ..-
"Laughin', are ye? Better weep, the
lot of fye-a-langhin' in the house Of the
Lord, sins and all sins and alIv'
He gave an account Of having the
week before attended convention in
New Haven.
'And 1 went regular, and the fuss
they made over me was great. 1t was
Brudder Newton there, and Brudder
Newton every where; and / began TO
believe was great man, you may bet.
But when that convention was broke,
[ met them members in the street, and
they cut me dead. 90 l concluded it
was brudder in the meeting and niger
on the street .''Iae. H-r &
Some one behind him pulled his coat,
and whispered something: then he
announced: q - v -
The brudders tell me / must stop
my talk, cause they mean TO tune up
in the 'chor.' All right. can sing
though; and if ye pay me twenty-five
cents yard for the good cause of a
lightin' and a Rarmin' this. burdened
church, Fll l'lnessureS Sye as many yards
as We choose. But now while ye listen
to the 'chor' perform, ye viii come
for'ard to the altar and deposit yer
money. And as the people in the gal
leries can't get down because of the
crowd on the stairs, the bredren viii
pass the. baskets re pnd to the reserved
'corpses' up there. And you amen
sisters down yer, you've been a-shoat-I
ing; let's see if you know as weilabout
giving"
Then the "Black Swan" who was in
the "chor," sang divineiy, and Mr..
Hall, having arrived, ''sPGke his little
piece" Editors Drawer, in Harper's
Magazine for May.