The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1893-08-15
HE WAS HUNGRY.
why the Parson Roasted His Flock for Not
Paving His Salary.

New Canaan, Ct, August 9.-The Rev.
+. A. Smith. of Silver Mine, Ct, has
caused a sensation i'll the town.
From his pulpit he informed the congre-
cation that he and the members OF his
family were starving. simply because ms
salary was not forthcoming.
After preaching q good sermon ana CIV
ing out the regular church notices, the Key.
Mr.. Smith startled his hearers by saying:
Il come to YOU this morning with an emp
~ stomach. | have not had Il mouthful
to cat today, because | could not get II.
There is not even II crust IN the cupDoard'
For over IL week and my family have
lived entirely upon blackbcrries and bread.
The reason my family is not here tins
mornins. is because they have no shoes to
wear. | do not ask charity, but only that
Won pay me the salary that you agreed to,
that / may not starye.'
Thi,, startling announcement, of course,
created 4 sensation i'll the little conSre&a-
lion at once Deacon William Lane, the
only male member present. at once arose
an ,ook the minister to task for bringing
s.ss .ada upon the church by ,hus publicly
us}iuhuins his pt.Eetc sdfais" from fne
pulpit when he ought 10 have come 70
him privately as the trustee al" Ne would
have helped him.
Mrs. Robert Click, who is one of the
stewards of the church, sprane to her feet
also, and said she did not see how man
could ride around all the time with fine
horse of his own and be in starving CON
dition.
The parson replied that not one penny
of his salary went towards the keeping or
bis horse. as that was Self-Supporthg
but he failed to tell in what way.
The Rev Mr.. Smith has wife and
daughter to support upon st" sal
airy, and declares he cannot get even this
small sum.
reporter. said: I'VE have hard work to
support Il preacher here, but Mr.. Smith
said he could stay here another year for
$500 and house rent. | don't see how he
can be in starving condition when he
has over hundred chickens. which he
has to feed and care for besides his horse
At Il special meeting the other night we
him a vacation until next October, when
his year run out and he agreed to take
it, and we collected the money, but the
next night he refused to take his salary i'll
advance or take a vacation, but said he
should stay here until October.
From the secretary of the church, Mrs
Joseph Guthrie, it was learned that up to
August LIST the church owed the minister
lust S2.44 after deducting S23,23 for a
grocery bill and So for repairs to the
parsons carriage. which the church be-
came responsible for.
| ne SctItldlA Hdlutu tic t-ft ~ INT
preacher on Wednesday and he accept
cd it,
Il have been here two years next Dc
tober," 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 pull
pit was only the bare truth, and if 1t hurts
any one | can't help it. Had | accepted
their invitation for vacation and leave
the church. | would make myself liable
to church discipline, and says no preacher
shall drop his church without permission
of the president. / have preached here for
five months, and only received SO in cash,
and TWO long months without receiving Il
penny. so, of course, ] had to get into
debt | won't say they are trying to
starye 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 h"
insists upon feeding them with the bread
of life he will have to live upon bread and
blachberrieS. so far as they are con