The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1878-01-31
CHURCHES.
Their Temporal and Spiritual 1nau-
ence.

Giles Correspondence Decatur News.
! have been struck, more of late
than heretofore. with the great ben
eft of good churches to the tempo
raj, as well as spiritual, welfare of
communities, wherever established:
To illustrate: Sixty years ago, four
miles from my home, there was
spout spring in beautiful grove,
sending forth bold, clear stream
of cold water from the bluff. just
the place for still house, said a
shrewd man, who cared tent fold
more for money than the morality
of the neighbol hood, and who was
about entering the land about the
spring Tor that purpose. But a To-
cal preacher, learning of his pur-
pose, started soon after midnight
one morning to get the land Sc
cured in advance of the distiller.
He succeeded, and church was
built near the spring. Other build
ings have since been constructed
near the same spot. Now there is
the largest and best society / ever
saw there. i found 204 names on
the church roll ten weeks ago. The
eight sohs of the local preacher,
who helped to form the Church, be-
came influential members of the
Church of their father, four of them
ministers, one of them, as true
man as l know, belonging to the
North Alabama Conference, and re-
Gently, deservedly, elected delegate
to the General Conference. His
eldest son, my nearest neigh
ber, lives in four miles of the
cl urch of his father, and on the
re ad between his home and the
church there are twenty-one houses,
at every one of which there are from
one to six members of the Metho-
dist Church. Last year four of the
sons, and a number of the grand
sons and great grandsons of that
local preacher lived on this same
road. A consumptive, who lives
nearest the church and who has
been to Texas and Colorado and
lived in many communities, says
this is the best one he has ever
known. A man who has lived near
here for over fifty years, son of the
same local preacher, who only died |
two or three years since, says he
knows only about one man in the
community who is profane. have
travelled in three governments, and |
have been in tsOenty States, and
have seen no such a community for
honesty, hospitality and morality, ac-
cording to my knowledge.
Not twenty miles distant is an
other community where, for fifty
years l suppose, there has been no
close to q spot familiar to
you and me; but plenty of whisky.
Result: notorious for intemperance,
Sabbath desecrstion and bloodshed,
to say nothing of other things. Yet
the lands are fairer and more fertile
there than here, and there has been
no lack of wealth, only dearth oil
morality. | have no recollection.
during the twenty two years of my
Itinerant life, of any community |
where the churches were well ats
tended and sustained, but that the |
same was desirable place for men
of the world to reside, as well as
church members. Where churches |
are greatly neglected or ignored l
have found that even respectable
sinners preferred a different com
How true that Goodness
is profitable unto all things"
1 shall be pleased to visit my
North Alabama friends during this
year, if an opportunity offers. The
six years spent st Decatur, Moul-
ton, Huntsville, Cherokee and Bar
ton were very pleasant to me.
Friendships formed at those places.
from nine to nineteen years
lgo, are very fond and familiar yet
renewal OF association will afford
me real joy. S. NJ. CHERRY.
THE reader will readily recognize
Bee Spring as the church alluded to
above, and the late Rev. Elan Stew
enson as its founder, who died only
. few years ago, full OF honors and
good works. beloved by hosts of
riends. and now lies buried beneath
he sacred spot where so oft he
preached the Word.-ED CITIZEN. I
When used for Rheumatism, Sore