The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1889-12-19
Henderson, N. G., and the Baptis'
State C0ventfOn.

Sl.UV.
Henderson, N. G., and the baptist
State Convention.
Rev. w. II. Whitsitt, D. D., of the
Theological Seminary. Louisville, KY,
who attended the Baptist State Conyen-
ton lately held in Henderson, writes
to the New York Examiner as follows
about his visit to our town and his i'm
pressions of the place and people, &C.:
1t met this year in the town of Henderson
which is situated about fifty miles east of
Raleigh. The famous exhortation of Mr..
Greedy, $50 West. young man, go West"
has now become antiquted. In its newest
version it reads, go East, young man, go
East" The West is already so we'll sup
piled with population, and the prices that
must be paid for land are so large that the
sOundest policy is to turn eastward or
southwark in the hope of founding career.
Henderson is fair illustration Ut what is
intended by this remark. Ten years ago it
was almost aonentity: little better than
flag station on the Raleigh & Castor
Railroad. The prediction that in so brief
a space 1t would be selected as place of
meeting by the Baptist State Convention
would have been derided with unrestrained
incredulity. Plenty of people still speak
of it under the title of Henderson depot !;
they have hardly had time to rub their eyes
and become familiar with its progress
There are 5000 inhabitants, of the most en-
terprising prosperous, and pushing variety
There is abundance of gas and electricity !;
no lack of modern appliances wherever
you turn. The entertainment of the con-
vention was performed in the best style of
the art; abunda nee and cordially were
paired with degree of refined elegance
that commended them to the most exacting
taste. Pastor VanDeventer, who had made
ample and thoughtful preparations, assign
ed me home between the law and the Cos
pei, with MI. A. Z. Zollicoffer whose house,
flanked by the Court House On one hand
and the Presbyterian church on the other,
Is endowed in tasteful profusion of flow
erS.
Such marvels as Henderson suggest that
there may be some kind of mistake about
the date Of the age of miracles. And yet
there has been'no gold mine discovered in
the vicinity the region is almost exclusive
ly devoted to agricultural industry. But
the farmers have discovered the gold leaf
tobacco and its adaptableness to their soil
and climate. That is the magic wand that
has caused the city to Use up like an exhala-
ton. Factories and warehouses for the
handling of this product exist in every
quarter and the tide of improvement rushes
houses while the daily sales were in prog
ress, and was highly entertained by what
I saw and heard. The floor, which en-
braced an area of more than half an acre,
was covered over thickly with round piles
of the weed that weighed all the way from
five to two-hundred pounds. Nearly every
prominent firm in the country had buyer
On the spot, and they were all busily ell
gagged. The market appeared to be one of
the latest triumphs of the doctrine of evo-
luton, especially the language Of the auc-
tioneer was new. and quite beyond my
powers of comprehension.
The prosperity of the place is so marked
that one might fancy that it was wholly
given up to business but there are five
churches, an excellent system Of public
schools and many private schools. The
New South finds scarcely anywhere better
representative.
THE MEETING.
Not being familiar with the network of
of new railroads that has been constructed
In North Carolina L lost my way and failed
to reach the place before the body had COM
pleted its organization. Col. l.. l.. Polk,
of Raleigh, had been promoted to the Office
of president. and was clothing it with ex-
ceIient dignity and grace. He belongs to
the we'll known family OF North Carolina
Folks one Of whose members has filled the
chair OF President of the United States
As looked ut him 1t was not difficult to
detect the family likeness. not So much In
respect to his features as to his form and
manners. Rev. George W. Greene, OF Mo-
ravian Falls. who has served SO long in
that character, was again made secretary,
and n. b. Broughton. Esq, whom his
brethren always delight to honor, was given
the post of assistant secretary:
in the convention they have character
and tradition of their own. There are marks
Of dignity, and of the independence that Is
conveyed by sense of solid merit and SUI
perior attachments. The enterprise of
North Carolina Baptists. and especially of
this convention. is something noteworthy,
even at time when forward is the watch
word all along the Baptist lines. 1t is
chiefly, however, In the department of for
eign missions that they lead all the other
Southern States The death of Matthew
T. Yates in China served to give such an
impulse to the cause in North Carolina as
has not been felt by any other section.
Numbers Of the associations are undertake
ing the labor Of supplying the salary Of
missionary on the field, and brethren are
even adventurous enough to affirm that the
time Is just at hand when single churches
will render themselves responsible in that
fashion. Indeed, one OF the brethren, who
appeared to be more than commonly en-