The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-06-13
Rev. Samuel Dunwody

Rev. Samuel DjlnWody.
"REMINISCENCES BY AN EX-AB-
EEVIaLIAN OF FORTY
YEARS.
"A number of inquiries through i'ci-
vatc channels have reached me thus:
"Fathcr Dunwody, have you forgotten
him :? and if not, why haven't you
told Of him" | reply. that | have
not forgotten him but | knew very
little of him personally, and he never
knew me 1t all. | saw him about five
times; hea~I ',inl preach four times
vas introduced 70 him three times
and the last time but II that SAW
him, was when he cllnc to me to in
uuire of he where he could find nc,
and how he world know me when he
had found ne. He was a man of many
ucculiaritics and as you inuuirors and
SUCCESSORS seem to think what | know
ana heard of him will interest others,
| have 10 objection to Stating it.
Father Dunwody, of the Methodist
Episcopal South Carolina Conference,
was Snid to have been born in ireland;
but if so, he had but little, if any, Of
the bro%ur, or, perhaps, it was drown
ed in his coarse, gong-like base, or
s%uucakimg tenor, voice. flc came TO
CokeSbury, it WAS said, when supcran-
nuateh, % spend the remnant Of his
DAYS, and cam scarcely be identified as
an Abbrville man. lie WAS stout and
clumsy, with Il large head and Il flow
of hair like Il lion eyes OF medium
size Il large, saddIc->hapcd nose, wide
mouth and not thin lips. He wore al
ways the sllad-heIly coat, a:.d pants
tight rs heskin from the knee down,
with Il row of buttons anint the ankles,
stout shoes. which, altogether, gave
him 4 top-like appearance. On bcGin-
ming with Il paragraph his voice was
like the roll OF Il base drum, and he
kept on ut full speed, giving but not
taking breath, until his.Voice became
so low that you had to strain cars to
catch it; paying ON Difference to cX-
CARNATIONS and intcrrogations, but run
ming rough-sEoI over commas, semi
colons, colons and periods, as if not at
I'LL in his way. I'm his later services he
seemed often to lose the thread OF his
discourse, but caught it again, and did,
ling the hiatus, or while taking in
breath, he would intcrjcct 'lIcrcand
! lhuu-aud hence we view-tie coli
science within checks thecarHal mind.'
| Nobody could see the connection. bat
it seemed t o answer him in bringing
tongue and buckle together again. 10
Grover breath he often cXpcctorated,
or feiylicd to, glanced ut his feet and
gave u shu!liing and stamping rs II
nEashing Il snake or i spider. lie was
il ma OF thought, research and mental
! vignr, and his sermons, often publish
ed at the request of others, for diSlri-
button, read well but his delivery was
harsh and unpleasant, relieved only
hy his earnest and solemn manner.
lie WAS c%nincntiy catholic in his views
! and feelings, attached bit little mtIor-
lance to names and crrcds, and was IN
! anxious Listener TO all who preached
! Christ and Him cruciticd. lie never
used offensive personalities against
any except the Devil, whom he de-
nuuncrd as ~ Thief, Il lar, and a
sneak" and exposed his tricks with a
masters skill. Though! ~silpcrann,Iat-
ed, he kept up appointments III waste
and vacant places, and never failed to
attend when able; and he never forgot
the time, place, and what he intended
to SAY, like lie did himself and other
persons, places and things. lie would
often, wien preaching most vigorous
", snuff the candle with his fingers
! without Knowing j., and burn his fin
gers without Knowing it, and blow
them without knowing 1t, yet not lose
the connection. On one occasion, 1t IS
! said, he got caught, Us thus explained :
He was preaching 4 day sermon in Il
country chapel whore auglr holes; III
! the toD plank Of the stand had been
substituted for caiidleSticks, and ruiz
ming his right f~orc-lingcr into oneof
them, it refused to return, and Which
he did not notice until the service was
closed, when it had become so swollen
that the service OF Il brother WAS need
cd and found, to procure an < and
release it by splitting the board.
NOTE.-AnUther account is that he
Succeeded in ]cXtricating himself At
another time he sent an appointment
to II meeting-h"usc or place of.worshlp
| above Due West, and having ncref
seen the latter, but had Il good account
of it with its learned and numerous
! clergy, he concluded that he would, on
his way, spend the night with one OF
I them. Arriving ut the town about
sunset, on inquiry of Il negro, the res
iurncr of one Of the reverend profess
sors WAS pointed ont to him, where he
rode VI, and bawlcd, "lirlIo" at the
top Of his voice, which brought the
party called for to the Goor, when the
following colloVuy occurred:
Dm.-''Wunt to stay all night with
you"
rr4f.-In long.metre)-"I, don't,
take, in, lraveic!s.'
Lun.-"Am Il pilgrim here below
minister OF tl'c Lord Jesus Christ
heard you are onc-g"inS to preach
above here tD-mOrrOw-lhOuSht ia
spend the night with YOU"
Prof.-''O, if, that's, the,'case, light,
and, come, in.'
Father ID. didas bid ,andspcDta pleas
amt time in prayer and rioI,s converse,
and went on his way the next morn
ing, delighted with his newly-lound
brother, but could not aitcrward de-
scribe him, tell his name, moron which
side OF the street he lived. On an0th-
er occasion, it was said, he had an APP
Monument about three miles from his
RESIDENCE and taking his bride anuSad-
die to catch his horse, forgot to do so,
and did not discover the omission uli-
til he reached the appointed place,
! when the crowd met him, anxious ~
; know if he was hurt, and whether his
horse was alive or dead. At another
time, as report said, he was filling an
unnoiutmrnt to colOred congregation,
,t..! had forgotten his spectacIcS. On
nrr,iuy for the service with the hymn
book in his hand, he discovered his
omission and remembered where he
LETT them, and explained by saying,
I"Nly eyes are dim | cannot see, lrit
49,, ,i Lon,r ~ which WAS caught