Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-08-18

lFpecIdi Correspondence o. IAe Stdr.l
WAsHIsGToS GROVE. MoNTsoM...Y To-,
tuesday morning, August 18th, 1874.
To-day il 'breakins-u day" for the camp
meeting. and ere We shake the dust from of
cur feet let me give you q little sketch of the
ctminutiye burg near which the camp ground
IL located.
eAITHERsBURG.
One at least o. .ne laI."s In the vicinity was
under cultivation one hundred years ago, its
record extending back to INA. The village de-
TIves its name from Benjamin Gather, who was
one of the first prominent men settling here
abouts. His son, Jas. b. Gather, an old man,
but hale and hearty, still resides in the village,
which IL not remarkable for its size or the num-
Ter OF its inhabitants, there being only a dozen
or fifteen buildings in the place and about one
hundred residents. There are two churches,
both Methodist, one southern and one northern,
and a short distance above the village Is G lth-
Ollie church. There are two stores and two
blacksmith shops.
THE RAILROAD DEPOT
is about three fourtls OF mile from the village,
and occupies Site which has been selected as
the Junction OF the new road from Hanover
Switch with the Point of Rocks road and is
exactly half way between Washington aud
Point of Rocks, being PIX miles from each
place. This new road IS soon TO be built, anu
when finished, the camp ground will be directly
in the between the two roads, and will be
easily accessible from Baltimore as well as
Washington, as Hanover Switch, the starting
place OF the proposed road is a short distance
this side OF the Relsy house, The depot is in
char ge of Mr.. Talbot, who also manages a ine
farm about three miles east of the camp ground.
Near by, adjoining the camp, is the native
plsce OF DIR. AunCsster, of Washington, whose
wife is spending the summer here with the doc
tors rather His place is fine one, and he is
one Of the thrftiest farmers about here. The
house is situated only about two hundred rods
fTom DR.. +. Howard's mineral springs.
THE WEATHER YESTERDAY
was very pleasant, and the only disagreeable
thing about the camp was the dust, which seems
to be unavoidable when so many persons are
constantly walking to and fro. The crowd was
somewhat smaller than on Sunday. but much
larger than on any day last week. Quite a
number packed up and left to avoid the rash of
to- day, and the express company was busy get
ting all kinds of camp fxings to the depot.
THE RELIGIOUS EXERCISES
commenced early, and were almost incessant
during the day.
AT 10 O'Clock a. M, Rev. ID. Fl. Carroll
preached an able sermon from the 18th chapter
of John, 18th verse.
At O'Clock p. M, the meeting was placed in
charge of Rev. 5. Shannon, who stated that it
was designed to devote the service of that hour
to a pray ermeeting rather than preaching, and
after quite an earnest exhortation, prayer and
praise exercises were continued till 5 O'Clock.
After supper, meetings were held in all the
service tents till O'Clock when the grand exer-
cises of the night were commenced by Rev. Dr.
Downs, presiding elder OF the West Baltimore
circuit,who preached from the 9th chapter, 12,h
verse, of Zachariah. The sermon was a genuine
"revivaP' sermon, full of fire aud plain talk,
and was well calculated to finish up the long list
of good discourses delivered here during the
past two weeks. It was also one of the most
effective yet delivered, and wrought more con-
victiOns than any other one sermon, Judging
from the number that came to the mOurners'
bench. After the sermon the praying and sing
ing commenced, and was continued ali night.
The exercises were varied by experience
meetings portion OF the time.
BRILLIANT NIGHT SCENE.
While this meeting was in progress the young
people on the ground improved the occasion bV
promenading round the circle hour after hour.
There has been but very little of this during the
progress of the meeting, much less than is usual
at camp meetings, but last night the ground
between the seats and tents was constantly
filed with couples marching about. And no
one blamed or found fault, Tor the spectacle OF
a camp at night II beautiful one, and the
temptation to select partner and walk is very
great. Seventy ven brilliant lights suspended
from the trees and the glare OF i've large fires
kept uD with pine wood, literally sprinkled
with powdered rOsin, Illuminated the white
tents surrounding the square which form walls
TO its sides, rejecting ana throwing back the
light; the canopy OF leaves overhead changed
10 A silver green shade, and shimmeriug in the
light; the dark trowning patches of black dark
ness up through the leaves and beyond the
camp; the hundreds Of people fitting about in
all the variegated costumes of the closing weeks
OF sumner with the resulting strong lights and
shadows, make up scene OF magic which
fairly bewideTs one. Those who eniOved this
spectacle far eXceiled in number those bow
ing in humility At the mOurners' bench seeking
for Joy and consolation through the peace THAI
comes from forgiveness Of the sins OF a lifetime.
MIGHT AID MORNING.
The praying, singing, shouting, and prone
nadiUg did not cease during the night, and this
morning the CClOred people are keeping 10 the
music with one OF their refrains rendered in
;Eeir peculiar style. The parting meeting will
lie held at nine o'clock this morning, When the
march around ami handwriting will take place,
al d at TWO O'Clock D. the special train will
take the campers TO Washington, arriving be-
fore your paper is on the street, il no accident
lUteTvenes.
FIRE IN CAMP.
The back yards TO the tents have been formed
by Getting small pine trees and branches apright
upon the boundary line or the lots, aud inter-
laCing them to keep them in an upright posi-
ton. About O'Clock yesterday cooking party
got some OF their fire into this in1ammable
brush, and in two seconds frightful blaze was
shooting toward the heavens. The cracking OF
the burning pine startled those near by, and
CONSERVATION prevailed. Some ladies in a large
sleeping tent near by frantically seized their
clothes and started TO step "dowu and out"
Luckily the fire brigade, headed by Chief En-
eineer 81. Holland, was promptly on the spot,
and the apparatus OF the department, which
consists of water buckets, old towels, aud "A few
pair OF boots with vigorous legs inside them, at
once stamped out the tre-hend and restored
quiet.
THE LIQUOR CASE.
l omitted to mention in my account of the
liquor case yesterday that the state's attorney
for this county, Spencer F. Jones, esq. was
present and conducted the trial, the camp
meeting officers turning the whole matter over
10 the county authorities.
CLOSING SCENE.
Great activity prevails | write this, and
through the camp. The exodus will quickly
follow and leave this 265 acre lot as desolate as
country churcbyard tor twelve months to
come. T.,
THE BACH SIDES OF HoUsss.-Take the pref
fest M