The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1893-08-15

How the Flock WA Roasted for Not
Paying His Salary.

raging MS Saiafy.
Rev. f. A. Smith, OF Silver Mine,
Conn, has caused a great sensation in
that town. From his pulpit he inform
ed the congregation that he and the
members OF his family were starving,
simply because his salary was not
forthcoming.
After preaching q good sermon and
giving the regular church notices, the
Rev. Mr.. Smith startled his hearers by
saying: 81 come to you this morning
had a mouthfuf to eat to-day, because
1 could not get it. There is not even a
crust in the cupboard. For over a
week / and my family have lived en-
tirely upon blackberries and bread.
The reason my family is not here this
morning Is because they have no shoes
to wear. do not ask for charity, but
you agreed that / may not starve."
This startling announcement, of
course created a sensation in the little
congregation at once. Deacon Will
liam Lane, the only male member
present, at once arose and took the
minister to task for bringing a scandal
upon the church by thus publicly an
nouncing his private affairs from the
pulpit when he ought to have come to
him privately as the trustee, and he
would have helped him.
Mrs. Robert Click, who Is one of the
stewards of the church, r to her
feet also, and said she did not see how
q man could ride around all the time
with q fine horse Of his own and be in
u starving condition.
The parson replied that not one pen
my of his salary went towards the keep
ing OF his horse, as that was self-sup-
porting, but he failed to tell in what
way.
daughter to support upon q 5000 salary,
and declares he cannot get even this
smallnsum.
Deacon Lane, when called upon by q
reporter, said "We have hard work
to support q preacher here, but MI.
Smith said he would stay here another
year for $500 and house rent. l don't
SEQ how he can be in q starving condi-
ton when he has over O hundred
chickens, which he has to feed and
care for besides his horse. At q special
meeting the other night we offered to
pay him his salary and give him q va
cation until next October, when his
year run out, and he agreed to take it,
and we collected the money, bat the
next night he refused to take his sal
airy In advance or take q vacation, but
said he should stay here until Octo-
ber."
From the secretary of the church,
Mrs. Joseph Guthrie, it was learned
that up to August LIST the church owed
the minister just $2.44, after deducting
$685. for q grocery bill and $25 for re-
pairs to the parsons carriage, which
the church became responsible for.
The secretary handed the $2.44 to
| fhn ,nnnho,, ~, ,I. - L..
copied it.
81 have been here two years next
OCTOBER" said the Rev. Mr.. Smith,
and have labored hard to build up
the church and instruct the people in
the way of Righteousness. What
said in the pulpit was only the bare
truth, and if it hurts any one I can't
help it. Had 1 accepted their invitation
for a vacation and leave the church, !
would make myself liable to church
discipline, says no which preacher
shall drop his church without permits
sion of the president. l have preach
ed here for five months, and only receiv-
ed $15 in cash, and two long months
without receiving a penny, so, OF
course, l had to get into debt. I won't
say they are trying to starve me out,
but it looks that way"
There are many persons in the
church who do not want Parson Smith
to preach to them, and are not slow
about stating their opinion to him, and
say that if he insists upon feeding
them with the bread of life, he will
have to live upon bread md blackber-
ries, so far as thew are concerned.