The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1874-05-20
NOTES OF TRAVEL.

NOTES OF TRAVEL !,
n LOUISVILLE, KY, [
Il May II, 1874. ! =
Editor Abbevile Press and Banner.
We are safely in the Falls City, and
although we have but little time to
spare from duties, sightseeing, visits,
dc. yet we must 20 back and bring gyouu up
from Nashville, and show around little.
The distance from Nashville to this
place is 1856 miles, which was run In
nine hours. The road passes over 9
variety of country-some broken anu
rocky. and some gently undulating,
covered with rich grass and promising
grain.
We passed on the way Cave City,. a
small station nine miles from the ceie-
brated Mammoth Cave. Before reach
ing this place, we passed another station
called Sinking Creek. Here, while the
cars stopped but moment, looked out out
on the West and saw a creek about the
Isize of Long Cane running towards the
railroad, and within twenty feet of 1t,
hIlu upOH lOOAiHS OuG vi eh0 OeaSA oANS
I could see nothing of 1t. I am not
very inquisitive, but being anxious to
know what had become Of the creek i
asked fellow passenger sitting by me,
and who fortunately was familiar with
with the country. He informed me that
it sunk right there, and that 1t never
rose again, that any one had ever been
liable to find out; hence called sinking
Creek" station. Then wantedto know
q little more about the topography OF
the country, the big Cave, etc. 1 learned
from him that in this neighborhood
there were several caves that he had
been into-one Of them more Interesting,
but nothing like so large as the Nam
moth Cave. In one part of 1t was q CUR
Cling stream of water below, which he
could hear, but nobody had ever gone
down to it to see how deep it is. - . -
The Conference of the NJ. +. Church,
South, is holding it's sessions In the
"Library Hall,n q very large and well
seated hall. Thisis thet'Public Library
| of Kentucky,"which ariumber OF our
people helped o'pay for by Suying tick
cts to;a "Grand Gift Concert" which they
neverexpected to attend, but all expected
to draw the $3.50, 900 prize. They are to
have another and the last, butif our
people in South Carolina could hear the
concern talked of as ] have here in Lou
isville, they wouldn't inuest. Far better
give their five or ten dollars to the
missionary cause, or the sufferers by the
Overflow in Louisiana, or some other
benevolent object. -;
But let us 60 back to the Conference
"a much more interesting subject. This
body is com posed Of about 27G delegates,
clerical and lay, from the different An
nual Conferences, and meets quadEen-
nially. 1t is representative, and the
best talent of the church is here assem-
! hled. There are eight Bishops, and
DDS too numerous to mention. Would
that that hOrored title was not common.
Among the lay members are Ex-Gov-
ernors, Judges, lawyers, generals, etc.,
and may be be permitted to say that It
| is a fine body Of representative men, In
whose hands the interests of Southern
Methodism are safe. The commission
ers from the Northern Nj. +. Church
Drs. Hunt and Fowler, and General
Clinton B. Fisk-bearing the fraternal
greetings of that church, are here.
They were cordially received by the
Conference, as was to be expected OF
polite and generous Southern natures,
and their addresses breathed the true
spirit of Wesleyan Methodism through
out.
Some of your readers will rem ember
that, in 1S4S, four years after the separa-
ton of the church into two bodies, the
Southern branch sent DIR. Lovick Pierce
on the same mission to the Northern
/ 4 L,,k ,cf
the Southern Church, and refused to
receive him.. and OH retiring he told
them with calm dignity, and politeness
of the Southern gentleman, that the
next overtures. must come from them.
Sure enough they are here now tender
ing their fraternal greetings, and by the
wonderful Providence of God, the ven
erable DR.. Loyick Pierce, the Nestor OF
Southern Methodism, in bis ninetieth
year, was on the stage, and in very feel
ing terms DR.. Hunt of the Commission
ers of the Northern church, presented
to him as Q precious relic, an autograph
letter written by. Bishop Asburg, and
dated in Charleston, s. c., in January
1885, saying "there is one man, and only
one, nbw III the defective work" of the
ministry, whose life opens the long
years Of thiseventful period" and hand
ing the letter to DIR. Pierce, lie eontin-
ued, II feel, sir, more glad than I can
tell, to transfer to you this precious
fragment of our common history. May
it prove also q seal of precious bonds
which shall hold our beloved Methodism
in epdearing brotherhood" The speak
er alluded to another remarkable and in
teresting coincidence. He said that
Jesse Lee Virginian, was the apostle
of Methodlsm in New England-that
he stood, not long ago, under the old
elm tree in Boston common, where he
stood and preached his first sermon in
that city-that his heart thrilled with
strange and glad sensations when he
took the arm Of Brother Lee and was,
by him, brought here to be introduced
to this body, (Dr. L. NJ Lee of Virgin
ia was the Chairman Of the Committee
of introduction: andmia descendant OF
Jesse Lee,) because when Jesse Lee
opened his message of tree salvation
amid the chilly atmosphere of New
England Calvinism. the first man who
under his ministry yielded his heart to
Christ was one of his oa0'1 kindred. Five
names were soon on a Methodist class
book, and two of them were bound to
him by the ties of blood and now he
thought of them as looking down to-
gether upon their kindred, Joined arm
in arm in Christian brotherhood.
They are not asking an organic union
of the two branches of the Methodist
Church, as is very commonly supposed,
but merely extending fraternal greet.
ings and hoping to bring about fraternal
relations. As the petitioners are en-
deavoring to do this (see the speech of
Lamar, Of Mississippi,) why may not
bodies of Christian men? A committee
of nine was appointed to respond, and
they have had it in hand several days,
and without any intimation of what
their answer will be. The question is
invested with grave difficulties,
and full fraternal relations are
- ,,or,, ,,rohohlo oynont uDnn tho