The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1875-05-07
EsEOGRAPaaY Dr REV. LOHN
~ ANgkHN.
The FOrnAaIiOA Of EsOur
Churches.
CHAPTER XVI.

oSNeu mites utstaut from lStpley /
was a settlement OF irreligious peo-
PIE, infested with infidelity and in
temperance. There were three wo-
men, members OF a Presbyterian
church, widow, her maiden sister,
aud the wife of Judge Anderson.
During summer season Mr.. Ran
Kin, after preaching at Ripley ION
Sabbath, rode TO Huntington and
preached in the afternoon to the |
people seated in tie woods. He
spent part of one afternoon In
telling them how they must behave |
at Presbyterian preaching. The at
tendance was generally very good.
After preaching to them stately . |
short time, he determined to get up |
a house of worship. He applied to |
Judge Anderson for an acre OF
ground on which To build church. |
The Judge gave the acre, and sub
scribed twenty-five dollars. There
was large meeting in the neigh
borhood for some secular purpose,
at which there WAS plenty of whis-
key. Mr.. Rankin attended the
meeting with his subscription for
building Presbyterian church. OBJ
JectioDs were made In favor Of q |
Republican church. Mr.. Rankin
replied "that a Republican church
would create disturbance in the
neighborhood, and that this was to
be Presbyterian church" He ap-
piled TO a wealthy farmer, who
objected because IL was not to be
Republican house. Mr.. Rankin re-
piled that ait was to be Presbyte-
rian church, and you may do as you
please about it. thought / would
let the people do something for
themselves II they would, but In
tend that this house shall go up.
will appeal to all the churches
around for aid" He put down tor
ty dollars. He took up among ih-,n
a subscription of three hundred dol
lars. Mr.. Rankin got fifty dollars
from the Presbyterian church of
Maysville, and fifty from the church
OF Ripley, fifteen of which he him
self subscribed, thus making four
hundred dollars in all. A building
committee was elected, men of the
world, one of whom was descended
from Presbyterian parents, and en-
tered into the work of getting up
the church with much ca rnestness,
and employed man to put up and
enclose brick church, forty feet by
fifty, for the four hundred dollars ,
and ii was done for that sum.
Before the church went up, con-
version took place and fourteen per-
sons became church members. Mr..
Rankin procured for them ministra-
tions of the gospel. a church was
organized, and increased to sixty
members. The church building was
completed and furnished with pull
pit and pews. Judge Anderson,
who gave the acre of ground on
which to build the church, became a
professor and an elder. Two of the
sons of the man who gave the forty
dollars became elders.
Mr.. Rankin selected two other
places for weekday preaching, one
at Clark's mill, twelve miles from
Ripley, and the other at Felicity,
seventeen miles distant. In pro-
cess of time he moved the people in
the neighborhood of Clark's mill 10
build church at that place; one OF
stone, forty rect by fifty, was put
up, and church was organised and
prospered well.
At Felicity the attendance wal
good. A conversion took place and
many were added to the church.
Among them was q Mr.. Owens
wfo gave seven hundred dollars tC
building q church, and q COED brick
church, forty feet by fly, was pu
up and finished in good style. THU
two churches were organized and
two good houses of worship were
put up and finished. The church q
Clark's mill was named Ebe Meier
The two churches were five mile
apart. Mr.. Rankin's brother, Rev
Alexander T. Rankin, served then
some years as pastor and with 81
much success that the church OF Fe
liciiy took the whole of his time
and the church ofEbenezer employ
ell Il minister all his time.
Some years after having founded
those two churches, Mr.. Rankin be
gan to preach at Feesburg, filter
miIes distant from Ripley, on week
days. At that place he formed
church, took up = subscription AM
got them up q good brick church
by such continued efforts Mr.. Ran
kin founded six Presbyterial
churches and prompted them TO pu
up elk good houses of worship. A
this he did while taking care of hi
own church at Ripley, which, du
ring that time, prospered wei
These efforts of Nr. Rankin prov
that by faithful preaching or IN
truth, through which the Hol
Spirit operates upon the hearts c
men, churches may be propagate
in the most hopeless places.
Snlerited Crime.
Ninety years ago q poor girl j