The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1894-12-06
a BUSH MEETING.
How tho Mountalneers Go to Churc3 ~
West Virginia.

How tho MountaIneers Go to Church 10
West Virginia.
There are church buildings in the vii
lagos, but the villages are few and lar
apart, and in this particular place ting
custom was for some preacher to sprin 2
as it were out of nowhere and to an
nounce bush meeting by means or q
written placard nailed II Il tree by the
sprinq. 1t was to be held 40 3 o'clocl:
in q certain patch OF woods, Sc com:
monty and frequently the scene OF
such meetings that the rude benches
made of planlzs nailcl to tree stumps
were always there, all kept in good
order, apparently by q devout noun
taipeep who lived IN tite nearest CABIN.
The meeting lasted less than an hour
but the people made it the affair of
day, They came from as far as the
news of the meeting had heen carried
hy the squestrians and wagoners who
had refined up at sight of the placard
and halted ''to see what's a-goin' on. ="
Some. therefore, had been obliged to
set out soon after breakfast-and that
would not make a long journey where
six miles of road may loop over the top
of tremendous mountain. up which
the horses crawl, and the more humane
men lead instead Of riding the IN. Be
fore noon the wagons began to come
in: Bars were let down at various
points near the camp ground, and the
teens were tcthered to the trees in
half dozen scattered parts OF the
Moods The wagons were such as one
sees all over the land, made in Racinc,
SYis., or South Bend. Ind, OR Cortland,
n. Y, Out of them came men and wo-
mon, girls and boys, and even babies.
by noon nearly NIL tho worshipers
were on hand-strolling from hitching-
place to hitching- place to sec who had
come, and to gossip with friends and
acquaintances. It is wonderful how far
and wide men ere known to one an
other in these mountains
The interchange of visits was fol-
lowed by return Of each party to its
Wagon for picnic dinner upon what
EYER EYER had been brought along-cold corn
pope principally. When all the wor-
Slippers gathered at the bush:meeting
1t was seen not to be yory different
from q northern camp meeting. such
as one sees In New Jersey particularly.
The men wore soft felt hats and lon &
boards, and seemed never to have
combed their hair. The women had
on broad-brimmed black straw hats,
such as I was told mountain woman
is able to keep and use for Sunday
best" for quarter of century. The
boys looked boldly at the girls and the
GIRLS looked slyly at the boys out OF
the tails OF their eyes. The sudden
rafting of a wagon Among the trees,
followed by loud whoa there" oc-
casionally sounded above the prayer
and song. Some of The men who came
without women STOOL s;yay from the
worshipers, smoking aud talking as
countrymen converse, in broken GEN.
fences wide apart, with the fractures
filed up by vigorous tohaceo-chewing
phe preacher was a woman-a "Mrs.
lawson, Of Kentucky, the celebrated
evangelist" She brought a young man
with her to 'open with prayer" and
to pass around his hat, and after his
prayer she delivered an address, which,
if 1t were right to pass judgment upon
1t, I should declare to be the most
noisy and the least thoughtful sermon
or talk that j ever heard Thsre was
singing before and after her address,
and it was noticeable that though the
young man had to sing nearly the
whole first verse entirely alone, the
EEoEte Rtterwasds sang TIE remaining
verses, though there was not book or
printed copy Of the hymn in the forest.
I'm the eastern part Of the state,
aeaEeE .9 Virginia, I found that the
eircqit-riders still ministers to the re-
ligious welfare Of the mountain folks.
There are neat little white and green
church buildings in the valleys, but
they are opened only onee month.
About as often as that, and in some
cases regularly, the cirauit-rider sends
word OF his coming to the elders or
deacons, or puts tho notice in the
country paper Il one is published near
the Westinghouse. and on the given
day he appears on horseback. with a
few extra belongings and his Bible
and song book rolled up behind him on
his saddle. Wherever he breaches he
has 9 large meeting, and he boards
iround" with the religious families in
Che old ti4e henored way.-Juliap
Ralph, in Harnap,s Mspazi1a !, =;