The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1876-09-20
=" sAwBONEs" REDIvyUs.
A Sketch of the Pulpit efforts
Fifty Years ago.
m .ba Eaitor of the Horristown Gazette:


To the Editor of the Morristown Gazette:
Who is nv admirable friend and
schoolmate, who calls himself g White
head ?" He has identified me as the in
dividual who wrote for the old Spirit Of
The Times from a Southern swamp.
You remember when the officer car
ried challenge to Harry Lorrequer !?
Harry said there was a mistake-he had
never before heard of the challenging
party: but when the officer told him that
the challenger described him as the man
who threw all Dublin into commissions
by playing Hamlet att private theatrlcais,
Harry said that was suf1cient-"I am
your man 20
Poor Bill Porter We will not see his
like again 1 knew him personally, and
when he died they sent me a lock of his
hair, which have now.
Your excellent correspondent, Bas-
cum, proposes that the preachers preach
a crusade against the ladies' pull-back
style of dress. Fifty years ago, the7e
was a man who made these hills and
valleys howl. He was a powerful man
physically, and he could have preached
ii pull-back off of any woman in ten min
utes. You read of him in a book called
History of Methodism in Tennessee. 7"
He could make it rain by praying for 1t,
or he could stop the rain in the same
way. The book tells us he was on
a certain occasion holding revival in
the woods. A great rain storm approach
ing, he prayed that the storm would be
kept off until he could put through the
few remaining sinners. 1t rained hard
all around that crowd, but not drop
fell on them. Iheard much Of his preach
ing, and have had prejudice against
the devil ever since. He did not fear
the devil an iota, and have heard him
bully-rag and abuse the old fellow at
terrible rate. Store-clothes, ribbons and
finery were very scarce fifty years ago.
Women made the cloth and clothes for
themselves. Each one had fashion OF
her own-and such fashioni The Lord
would not have known some of them
without stripping them. On one occa-
sion, young lady attended his preach
iur with ribbon on her bonnet. He
first told his hearers all about Heaven,
and what desirable place it was. He
then described Hell. Toldof the facili-
ties for scorching sinners--sulphur, coal,
pitch and turpentine. The furnaces lined
with fire brick, drawing beautifully
Then the husbands were separated from
their wives, the mother from her child
rem, and pitched into eternal burning.
By this time, old women were in con-
vulsions, kicking over benches, some of
them SPRAYING on the floor, drumming
with their heels. Children frightened
and crying. The men yelling for mercy,
and begging the Lord to come quickly
and at once. The niggers in the corner
doing their part to, keep up the noise.
An old brother On the outskirts dragging
M an unrepentant cuss to the mourn
er's bench. Preacher storming through
the crowd, defying the devil and his an
gels. About this time he noticed the
young lady with the ribbon in her bon
net, and pointing his finger at her, he
bawEed out That gal win find no rib |
bons in hell y The. lady left the church, !
and when she returned the ribbon was
gone. s II asis SAWBoEEs.