Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1885-08-06
Pleasant and Truthful Things About
EdgefleId Well Said by the Rev.
s. l.. Morris.

:. L.. MOTIFS.
Our honored friend, the Rev. S. l..
Morris, came 10 Edgefeld from Wal
haila. From late letter of his to
the Walhalla Courier, we clip the fol-
lowing:
1t is hardly necessary to say have
learned to love ELgefeld. Who ever
lived in Edge6eld without becoming
ardently attached to its people? What
portion Of the State can boast of
greater advantages? It's lands are as
fertile, it's farmers are as prosperous,
its people as cultured, its sons are as
law abiding Notwithstanding reports
to the contrary it patronizes hih her
education by sending as many pupils
abroad as perhaps any County in the
It's patriotism a: ssnqnes!
toned. At least any one who doubted
the latter would MOI find it to his ad.
vantage to investigate this matter.
My removal to Edge6eld had for
its oIjectS, not the finding Of better
place than Walhalla, but simply to
contribute to the religious element of
Elgefeld. The branch of the church
which have the honor to represent
had never planted its banner on Edge
field soil till few years previous to
my arrival and the one weak and
struggling church appealed so power.
fully to ecclesiastical assistance and
to my sympathy, that past ties were
sundered, and soon found myself
the sole Presbyterian preacher in
E lgefeld County. 1t is not very
pleasant in some respects to find ones
self suddenly translated from a posi-
tion, where his ecclesiastical following
is very. large and powerful, to one
where his following is the weakest in
the County. But the Presbyterian
Church is now no longer the weakest
here, having already advanced from
the sixth place numerically to the
fourth place among the denominatl ons
in the County. Upon my arrival
three years ago our membership here
was about So; now it ia 70. Thus,
Notwithstanding an unusually large
decrease by deaths and removals, yet
it has exactly doubled Itself in three
years. During that period it has
been my privilege to receive into the
church As additional members, II CT
them in the last two weeks, and 81 in
the last twelve months. Three years
ago there WAS but one church build
Ing ard ditzunpainted, valued at, $500,
and mtuated in the town of Trenton.
Our first effort was to paint and fur.
nish the Trenton Chu! ch. increasing
its value to $1,000. At the expira-
ton Of my frat years paatorate we
hal built the Johnston Church at a
cost of 81, 500; at the close Of the
second year we had built the High
view Church at a cost of nearly
81 500; and now at the close of my
third year We have built the Edge
field Church at cost up to present
of about So. 500; and whilst we use
it in worship, it will still require
about $500 10 finish and furnish it.
So that in three years our church
property has increased from $500 to
nearly $1,000. Not boastingly ont
with profound gratitude for Divine
favor, I would raise the inquiry
whether any other denomination in
the State has doubled its member
ship, multiplied its chu'ch buildings
fourfold and increased its church
property ten fold in a single County
within three years !?
l have built house and located in
Trenton, containing about l50 In
habitants, 2e miles by rail from Au'
gusta, ard through which 6 trains at
this season and S in the winter ! ass
daily. I am surrounded by as good
neighbors and have as kind friends al
at any period in my past life.