The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1886-11-24

place to mediate and ponder. There
are a lot of common benches for the
young folks who don't want to pom
der and another lot of high benches
at the end for the sanctified. These
benches are just high enough to let
the legs hang down without touching
the floor. That position is supposed
to be peculiarly favorable to medita-
ton. | think | shall try it. They
cross their hands devoutly and fix
their eyes upon space, and do not
move until their meditation pro
vokes them to say something or to
slide off the bench and pray. II
they are moved to say something, it
is a very little something-a line or
a verse from the scripture such as
Blessed are the dead who die in
the Lord" or "Honor thy father
and mother" When they slide
down to pray the prayer is silent
and short, and they slide up again
and resume position. When they
have worshipped enough some leader
gives a sign and as the saints face
each other on the high benches they
all with one accord slide off and the
service is owe The last handshake
is the signal of relief to the young
folks, and they get out as quickly as
school boys at recess. We'll, they
like that because their fathers did
and so it is all right. But l couldn't
help Illuminating on the different
kinds of worship. One thing is
certain-they will proselyte
the darkies to any alarming ex-
tent.
Concord is a nice railroad
town. 1t is a mile from the
depot and nearly a mile high
up. 1t has a good trade and
handles about twelve thousand bales
of cotton. There is a large cotton
mill here, and during all these labor
troubles, it has moved quietly along
and declared it's usual semi-annual
dividends. One Of Powderly's men
came there last spring to organize
and he was politely invited to leave
town, and he left. Those Concord
folk are still rebellious notwithstand-
ing the name and they cannot be
driven by priest nor politician. The
"ring' nominated a man for the
legislature whom the boys did not
like, and 50 out of b~urlesque they
put up the biggest, dirtiest, hoggish-
est old rip they could find and with
the aid of the negroes actually elect
ed him and | never saw a set of peo-
pie SO mortified. They carried the
joke too far and were in a state Of
supreme repentance. Some advised
that a writ of lunatico de inquirendo
be sued out, but others are trying to
get the old fellow to resign. He,
too, thought it was a good joke OF
the boys, but the result swelled him
up and he boasted of his victory to
me. Il got 'em, by golly, | got 'em
dog my cats if | didn't. I'm gwine
to Rolly, dinged if | amt, and I'm
to pass a law that these here
stuck up school teachers shiIl teach
twelve hours a day, fur fifty cents
if | don't, and | am gwine to
have all the whiskey analysed .jes
like they do juanna. They shall sell
better whiskey fur ten cents a
dog'd if they shan't," and the
tobacco juice ran down from the
corners of his mouth. Such are pol
itics, concord or no concord. ! do
hope they will find some way to get
out of the scrape.
Davidson college is one of the
pretticst places that | have visited.
it is quite an old time institution
and they propose to celebrate it's
semi-centennial next June. 1t has
out more Presbyterian
preachers than any college in the
south. 1t does not claim to be sec
and in fact is not, but as it is
sustained in a measure by Presby-
terrain synods it is classed as a Pres
byterian institution. 1t has an en-
that makes it compare
independent, and any young
man who desires to enter the Chris
ian ministry gets his education free.
The grounds around the college are
Foot ball is a favorite game
mere too, that is late in the after
noon, but about bed time on Friday
the boys get on a musical,
military tare and serenade the town.
They have a base drum and a cor
net and fill in with a RATHER and 90
around in double column.
They show their appreciation of the