The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1886-07-15

Ahem lhifty tcnrS Ago.
(Frcm the New York star)
The death Of old Tom Perry, the
greatest Mormon elder east Of Utah MI
the loader in what was once settlement
of $50 of the Latter Day Saints, which
occurred at Porryvillc, n. j., last week,
virtually closes the history OF Mormon
ism in Now Jersey. OF all the OLD set
tlemcnt but two people now rcmain-
one, Adclino Meyers, an old maid, now
residing in HaincsyiIle; and the other,
Martin Rccton, an old bachelor, living
away back in tho Blue Ridge Mountains,
fifteen miles from Dcclcrtown The
history of this community, as obtained
from Silns Suydnm, or "Whoa-boy Silo"
as he is moro commonly called, is an i'll
terestJng one. In fact, old Silc himself
is i'll ON interesting story. Silc is one Of
oldest settlers in the Blue Ridge Noun
very heart of the eastern Utah. Early
one morning last week Star reporter
started from Dcckcrtown to hear Silo's
story of MormoniSm. lie found the old
man suffering from rheumatism, con-
tracted during the war, and for which he
now draws pension. After the usual
remarks about The weather and the value
Of tho horsehesh which the reporter had
been driving, the latter said:
""Sny, Silc, did you ever hear Of
Mormon settlement up III this noighbor
hood?"
''Did ever hear of it? DO / rcmcm-
bcr it? Well, ] guess I do. 1 come
pritty near bein' a Mormon myself them
days. Long in the spring Of 80, I think
itjwas, when AZ old, long-haircd pilgrim
c'me marchin' into town one momin'.
]le said his name was Lane, Elder Lane,
rom Salt Lake City. He had n pack Of
he lift one at every house. ] think /
got thc ono he left here yet Just wait
tillg go in and see"
] he old man walked into the house
AM returned III n few minutes with
yo'lowcovcred book containing about
fifty pages, entitled "Ihc Christian Way;
A History of the Rise and Progress of
the Mormon Church, by Julius Lane"
"Thet Gre book" said Silc, resuming
his story, sis what did it. The wimmin
folks got hold on it an read it over an
over, an they'd get together an talk
about atween themselves. Old Lane
didn't stop thct time, but he came bncll
in about week an writ ont notices thct
ho was agoin' 20 stay an preach on Sun
day. Thet was long about the middle
Of the week, think, an he spent the
rest of the week goin' around nailin'
these notices up on trees. Well, Sunday
come, an the whole mountain turned
ont to hear what tho old man had to say
L was there long with my sister, SalIic
Ann, an ] he'd q lot of paper an n piece
OF charcoal, an I put down the Scrip
turc notes thct the old fellow read. I
kinder thought he might lie little, or
read 'em wrong or suthin', don't you
know, an when | got hum L got down
the old Bible, an hunted up every one
of the texts what he had read, an by
said 'Cm, too. [ thought l was pritty
good scriptorian myself, but some how /
didn't rccommcmbcr Of ever havin' read
them things before. There they was,
though, III black and white, an /
couldn't go back on the Bible. 1t was
the most dcvilishcst hole ever got into.
! talked with some of the noighbors
about it, and ut last we decided to held
mectin' unbcknownSt to IIanc to talk
it over and sec what to do about it. We
didn't just like the idea of goin' back on
our Methodist brethren down to Sandis-
ton, but we was agOin' to be right, broth
rem or no brethren. The night for the
mcetin' come, an about thrty-fiye Of us
gathered in my house, this samo old
house right here" pointing to the house.
81 thought we'd best open tho moctin'
with prayer for help to decide the Uucs-
tion, an 50 [ got up nm prayed the good
Lord to tell us which was right We'll,
sir, maybe you won't believe it, but
suthin' snid to me, 'Silc, you'd best leave
that galoot alone 1 heard it just as
plain as day. Ii como 50 suddint, by
gosh, that / made up my mind on the
spot TO stick to the McthOdists. 1t didn't
seem to strike the others that way,
though, for every mothers son of them
voted to have tho old sinner stay and
preach.
"Wcll, course one couldn't do nuthin'
agin thirtyfour, an SO they he'd their
way, an Lame was invited to preach. He
vas moro than willin' to, you bet, an he
kept right on Sunday after Sunday
maxim now converts all the time. by
an by, / guess twas after he he'd been
here bout six months, he got up in
hleoIlh ono Dllll(tly, iii Sllu: 'DEcInrcn
we been here some time now alaborin'
together, an the church of God has
growed up to be big one. Part of our
religion is to baptize, IN all of you must
be baptized afore you can git to heaven.
Ibenl he snid he would be astandin' on
the shore of Lake Shipcong at II clock
thet night, an he would baptize all who
ned 1med the faith. Everybody wanted
10 see how it was done, m so everybody
was there. At exactly II o'clock old
Lane stepped into the lake, an about a
hd,t minute ga alter & Ann Harrison, young girl
commenced to sing song, and then Le
douced her down into the water. He
done this three times, an then he asked
for anybody else that wanted to bo han
tized, and young Tom Haggormnnpn Tp
stepped into the water. He was foIlowed
by twenty-One moro, an then thew oII
went home. After this baptism thew
had one every week, and If there was
anybody what wasn't baptized he warn't
ii299obody. The church kept a-growin' an