The Portland daily press., 1892-09-17

tive society and old methods of life
and travel prevailed, and now that
church edifces abound, while primeval
forests are rare, the camp meeting is
fast passing away. The announcement
that the largest camp meeting known
for many years was recently held at In
dian Springs, Ga, was soon followed by
statements that Rev. DIR. w. Godby, Of
Kentucky, read from the Gospels in the
original Greek, and that other learned
men preached after their method. The
flavor of Peter Cartwright and James
Axel was not in it.
The year 1901 is taken by consent as
that of the first great camp meeting. 1t
was the famous one of Cane Ridge, KY,
where 10000 people assembled and a
dozen preachers were holding forth
from as many stands at one time. I'm
learned and ardent, narrow and intense,
believing to the extreme in the very let
ter of the Scripture and untroubled by
doubts or CONSTITUTION" or. ''higher
criticism" they stood in the aisles of
Gods first temples and painted the de-
lights of heaven and the horrors of hell
in rude language to ruder congrega-
tions About 1900 persons were con-
verted at that meeting, and there Peter
Cartwright, a wild boy of sixteen, first
''fen under conviction"
According to his account, he resisted
the Spirit for awhile, and danced, drank
and gambled harder than ever. But he
Welded at last, was converted, sold his
favorite race horse, burned his cards,
forswore whisky and dancing forever
and entered the ministry in 1903. For
over fifty years he was presiding elder
and attended more camp meetings, con-
Quoted more revivals and probably
preached more sermons in the woods
and in log cabins than any other man of
the century. He saw his branch OF the
Methodist church grow from 1854
members to over 1,750,000.
Born in Virginia in 1885, he died in
Sangamon county, Ills, in 1879, but as
early as twenty years before his death
he mourned that the old spirit was gone
from the camp meetings. 1t is just as
well, no doubt. The lonely life of the
pioneers predisposed them to gloomy
reverie. They were impressed with the
fierce Calvinism of nature. They saw
the wild beasts in the woods devoid Of
mercy or pity and believed in total de-
pravity. They dreaded the serpent lurk-
ing in the grass and believed in per-
sonal devil. Itnever entered their heads
to ask, Was the manuscript authentic?
Is the text properly translated? The
question each one asked himself while
listening to Cartwright was this, Gam
doomed to howl through all eternity
in sulphurous flames in the company of
devils and snakes%
No wonder they pleaded for mercy
while under conviction of sin. No won
der they shouted for joy when the wit
ness of peace was given till they could
be heard a mile, Or fell in ecstatic con-
vulsions and lay as rigid as an iron bar
for hours together. Of course there
were many unbelievers, and the infidel-
ity of that time was of a coarse and
scofing kind. Those who embraced re-
ligion became frantically devout; those
who resisted the Spirit plunged all the
deeper into desperate wickedness. Ii
young man was above average in talent
and of bold and ardent temperament
it was a serious question whether he
would turn one way and become a
preacher or the other way and become
gam bier or even horse thief,