The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-03-16
SCENES IN THE CONFERENCE.
Sketches and Pen Pictures Of
Members.
Interesting Sights In the Conference
Room When Business is In Progress.
Good Old Methodist singing-Faots
About the Lives OF Leaders in the
Conference.

A Methodist Conference, with its
sleeves rolled up, as it were q Metho-
dist Conference hard at work is an inter
esting sight to behold, and like every
parliamentary body of any size, it
always has the galleries t1ll.
A buzz of business is fever vibrating
through the large auditorium of the
spacious church in which, the sessions OF
the Baltimore Conference are being
held except when some 81 eaker of I'M
usual magnetism has the floor. Up to-
wards the fronf7nenhers are continually
hurrying tosmhd fro; here is group
engaged H animated debate conducted
in audibR whispers; there is an oppo-
sit89n> brother smiling sarcastically at
q 5stat dement's of some member who is
Saki4g; now and then two brethren
come worked up ana are on the verge
& word duel, when the bishop says
bmething funny and restores good
& humor.
~ On the first elevation of the platform.
y just inside the railing, set the half
dozen assistant secretaries of the con-
ference, with their desks covered witt.
the bishop sits, his keen vision resting
now on this, now on that part of the
room, while he ever and anon mods his
head with a family perceptible nodlet
In appreciation of the statements of the
speakers, as, in the course of their talks,
they glance at him to ascertain what
effect their words are having. At his
right hand sits the energetic secretary,
mildly glancing through his glasses,
and frequently leaning over towards the
bishop, who meets him half way and re-
ceives his suggestion.
In the rear portion of the auditorium
are the sisters, not only the mothers in
israel, but also the daughters, most of
!. them having dash of yellow in some
foIsac IN their hats; yellow ribbon,
yellow rose, "a yellow feather, a yellow
wing, or even whole yellow hammer.
However, all the Yellows are not among
the ladies.
But the best part of Methodist con-
ference is the singing. Outside of tho
song of the "multitude of the heavenly
host" that appeared to the shepherds of
Judea, no better vocal music has ever
been heard by mortal ears than that
made by q Methodist conference.
Methodists all sing. Singing is q
hereditary trait in every Methodist
family It is one of the secrets of the
great success of this mighty and multi
tudiuous denomination. 1t is Metho-
dist means OF grace, and often of re-
claiming those who have "fallen from
grace" When in the song services of
the conference "HappY Day" or "All
started the Methodist preacher rises to
his feet,-Methodists nearly always
stand when they sing, they can muster
moro force and volume standing-draws
long breath, stands on tiptoe, and as
he slowly comes down on his heels
again he falls in with the leader and
lets loose about fortyzhorse power
voice, which, with the others of the
same volume, makes the welkin ring
and ring again. A man who never heard
a Methodist conference sing has missed
a heap of life.
DIR, cox.
Rev. DIR. S. X. Cox might be appropri-
ately called the John of the conference,
from his lovable disposition and kindly
and gentle ways. Even when his coun-
tenance is in repose a smile seems to be
an imminent danger of escaping from
his lips. He was born in 1924 in Balti-
more, and when 90 years of age he con-
nectcd himself with the Marylan Con-
ference.
DR.. Cox, D. D., was born in Baltimore
on the 10th day of July, 1924. His an
cestors were among the oldest settlers
in Maryland. His father, Rev. Luther
J. Cox, "a local minister of the Metho-
dist Chusch) was an old resident and
merchant of Baltimore. In March, 1874,
DIR. Coz connected himself with the
Maryland Conference of the Methodist
Church. In 1866, after the introduction
of lay representatives into the South
ern Methodist Church, he identified
hims elf with that branch of Methodism,
with which he is still connected. He was
successfully stationed during his early
ministry at Washington, d. c., Will
miDgton, Del, Charleston, S. c., and
Georgetown, ID. C. From Georgetown,
ID. c., he was called to the presidency
of Madison College, Pennsylvania, then
general institution of the M. p.
Church, which prospered under his ad-
ministration until the slavery agitation
led him, with most of his associates in
the faculty, (all of whom but two
were Southerners,) to remove to
Lynchburg, Virginia, where they
established college that continued in
successful operation till the war. In
1859 he removed to Alabama to take
charge of the Lowndesboro Female In
stitute, which maintained high degree
of prosperity till the close of the war,
when the devastations of the Federal
army compelled its Abandonment He
; then went to Montgomery city and
founded the Montgomery Female Col
lege, which is still in existence. After
eleven years. service in Alabama the
failure of his health compelled him to
seek q higher latitude. He located at
Christiansburg, Montgomery county,
Va, and purchased the property of
female college then in declining state.