The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1884-09-05
The Old Circuit Ricsrs.D

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''circuit riders" They are almost ex-
tinct now, but at that time they wers
mighty men who went about in the
name of the Lord and John Wesley,
and smote the children of Belial hip
and thigh, with many 9 goodly stroke.
Their memory has been handed down
mostly of tall, gaunt men, with stray
Cling locks, nasal voices and meagre
purses, allowed defects neither in educa-
ton nor surroundings to interfere with
the energetic prosecutions of their chos-
en- work. Regardless of fatigue and hum
ger they ~iourneyed through "blazed'
paths in the forests and by dead
reckoning over t~reeless prairies, preach
ing and praying. They stopped not
for storm or torrent, or the roughs or the
heather, but went on enduring to the
end. The grass by the wayside fed
their shabby ponies and gave a place of
rest to their weary limbs. A Bible was
often their sole property, and the sue
culent corn dodger formed their staff of
life. They we're the newspapers and
physicians, both of body and soul, in
that rude time.
When the iron horse commenced as
sisting empire on its westward way, and
affording men better opportunities for
lodging their creditors, the circuit-ri.
der's fame began to fade. Fleeing to-
ward the setting sun did no goodwill
the railroad their glory departed for
ever. People ceased to care for circuit
preaching. 1t was not the riders fault.
He had not changed. His audiences
had, however. In the old days the
pioneers we're of a different stamp from
now-brave, hardy men, who went on
in the van of civilization, seeming
ly for the pleasure of going, for,
having toiled and suffered to i'm
prove a country, they moved on
to the struggle over.
These were the material for the circuit
riders ministrations; men who took
their religion as they did their whiskey
straight.
True, there are missionaries to-day
who go out on the worlds edge, backed
by a comfortable home mission fund, to
preach to waiting audiences Of Eastern
people who have been lured West by
enterprising railway companies and Ike
advance guard of real-estate agents.
The towns grow up so quickly as to be
able soon to support permanent pastors.
Permanency would have been unendur-
able to the circuit rider. So perhepsit
is Just as well that he is dead. When
the rider was in his glory, meetings
were held anywhere, houses, barns or
the open air doing duty as churches,
though these were built as . as pos
sible. The great extent of country COW
cred by the average made his visits Oft
times like those of angels, and his COM
ing was a great event among the
people, who would assemble at an
early hour. The waiting time was
passed pleasantly in various ways; the
women gossipping and knitting, while
the men snapped yarns and horses,
while some one watched for the parson.
When the latter hove in sight. the watt
ing, watchful brother struck up some
such hymn as "Alas! and did my Savior
bleed and gossip and business ceased
for the moment. Then came the SER
mona marval Of matter and delivery.
strongly impregnated with birthstone,
and withal a little molasses; a true
hickory sermon" plain and practical,
in which the little failings of the audit
ors were plainly noted and the conse-
quence marked. After this there wasa
little friendly social discourse, perhaps
q brief stay, and then on to the next
little flock.
The riders were outocratic in their
wSys, and held in fear neither man nor
Satan. They worked for aImont moth
ing and boarded themselves, hence they
had rights which their people were
bound to respect, and exercised them
addition TO the mania of local
hoodlums for disturbing meetings, the
riders had to contend with boys whose
parents we're of the Dunkard faith, who
were hostile to the Methodists, and, If
anything, encouraged the youths in
disorder. Many fierce contests, both of
words and blows, between the rivals are
on record, wherein the riders usually
triumphed. A famous man to disturb
was Elder Finlay, a preacher of much
note in his day, who once wrote q book
in prose on the descent Of the Indians
from the ten tribes Of Israel. He was
quick of wit as well as strong OF voice
and limb, and at times could make
things very interesting. Once, while
holding services in o picturesque locality
known as Hog Greek, his discourse
was interrupted by some. juvenile
roughs. Said he with much en-
phasis, IT want those Hog Greek
shoats to shut upl" The shoats were
abashed and kept silence for q moment
and then the racket recommended.
Then, without more ado, the elder
shook out his long white hair, and step
ping into the aisle pointed out the
shrinking culprits, and addressed the
local guardian OF the peace next: Con