The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-11-08

Bishop Duncan s. an old Virginia boy.
naiivo OF Mccklcnburg county, and bro
thcr OF the famous pulpit orator. the late
lr James \. Duncan. lie WAS born IN
lN'. graduated at Wonord College, spar
ianhnrg. 5. g., I'm 1875. during the presi-
donoy OF the late Bishop Wightman'
Joined tho Virginia Conference 10 lo1f.
and after successfully serving many OF
IT'S largest churches was transferred 10
tho South Carolina Conference IN 800. ana
elected Professor Of Mental ana Mot1i
Philosophy in WolfOrd College. IN 100
ne was elected 20 the General Conference
tho highest body Ga the Methodist cnur1h'
and WIS reelected in 1872 ana lN'o ~ Wy
latter conference. which was held IN tnis
city. he was elected ana consecra'y,u ~
tho hishopric. A. presiding oli'ol i ,
on Duncan has no superior In the tpisco-
mn College He IS a man Of remarkable
Nth ana acuteness. with an eye that can
look straight at the sun ana size UP l,s
spots He is "a terror 10 unsy stenauc anu
sioVcnly officials
DIR. PAUL WHITEHEAD.
For thrty-hve years ii has been under-
stood that whoever micht preside over me
conference. Ir. Paul Whitehead would ne
ifs secretary. During this time he has
served The Conference not only as us sec
rcfarv but as its ready reference ehcN-
,lonodi1. Few men living nave "a idI1c'
fund of general knowledge than TINS re-
marlSable man who liNes 50 pu'v's III o ,-
midst. and 40 man living can better re-
Gait what De has learned. As FOR virginia
Nfethodie its best history is stored away
in Dr. Whtehead's BRAIN
When The roll is called about go minis
tors and nearly 50 delegates Will answer
o. their names. The names Of three min
istcr--Adam &. Bledsoe. William Il.
Christian. ana J.. 4. Giabs-will he calico
iu a Subduod tone. and committee VIII
Doe appointed 90 arrange Tor a service 10
he held iu memory or these nopie men
who have passed away during the year.
The opening session will be devoted large
lv 90 getting the machinery I'm running or
der. and tho presentation 90 the confer
luce of DISTINGUISHED Nlsitof1. among lhe
visitors expected are Dr. +. r.. Young,
OF Toronto. Canada. Or. ii. c. Morrison,
missionary secretary Dr- James AtKlhs'
Smdar-schooi editor. Dr. }. d. Barbee'
who b. at the head Of the southern Meth
odist Publishing House; Dr +. j. bisham'
secretary of the Board Of Education; Dr.
Samuel 5 Steel. secretary Of the Epworth
r.eaal1o. Dr. r.. T.. Hoss. editor Nashville
Christian Advocate; Dr. J. q. kilgo. pres
ilort Of Trinity College Durham y. c.;
Row j. s. Hutchinson. cditor Baltimore
Christian Advocate and Rfv. r. G.. Wa
tcrhouse. president Emory ana Henry
College.
n
A GOOD deal of time viii he consumed
from day to day in the examination OF
tio work and characters of the several
masters. an annual conference being es-
sDnfiallv % muster I'M which the WORK ana
character Of every minister is subjected
90 tho closest scrutiny. Ihon there VIII
be great meetings 10 stimulate interest IN
the various enterprises of the church.
and any number of breezy debates on
matters affecting the welfare Of Virginia
Methodsm. 10 would be hard TO ma any
where "a body of any sort containing
LARGER number of able dcbatcrs. 1T lr.
whitehead always has something 10 say
80 is because he always has something
worth bearing. and usually something
which ought 10 Doe SAIL
A TRUMPET VOICE.
Or. L. NJ. Peterson, whose trumpet voice
on it's highest notes Stakes the windows
is "A conspicuous figure Ia nearly every de-
bate. Another man often seen on the
floor is Professor TIL stt. dean of the the
oiogical faculty of Vanderbilt University.
one of the best equipped scholars ln
America, and a man who would DE picked
olt In a crowd of thousand Dr. A. g.
Brown who is the oMurchs minister OF
finance. lis another talkor. 50 Is Or. A.
Coke Smith. whose pale scholarly face IN
stautlv secures attention. and whose eyes.
in which mind and heart contend for the
mastery. Wln-a-way for his arguments
Eoyal "a broad shouldered. broad Drained
man. who fears nothing under the sun,
talks delightfully."-, Among the laymen
who talk. and talk wcl, are w. J. hilhy,
of Suffolk: IL. 81. PcatrOss. Of Danyilie,
and Captain Richard Irby. Of Ashland.
READING THE APPOINTMENTS
The session usually lasts week Some
times work is cut out which would keep
the conference busy q fortnight but when
the usual time for adjournment APP
uroachcs, ovcryb Ody gets restless. and the
work is rushed through I'm short order.
When the last hu siness has been transact
cd and the minu tcs have been read. the
conference reaches grand climacteric IN
the reading of the appointments.
ono who has never witnessed the clos
inc scene has missed one OF the heroic in
cidcnts of modern times. The house is
packed TO the doors. The fate OF two
hundred and nifty Tlen and as many pas
torql charges hang ON that hour. and the
audience is breatnlces with suspense.
Hundreds arc leaning over their writing
pads with newly sharpencd panels ready
10 take down the iret word that falls
from the Bishops lips. The air quivers
with suppressed excitement The Bishop
rises. but not with the appointments. An
old hymn-a hymn hr 1thing the spirit
of conservation or OF Che old-time mar
tyrs-is announced. ard the preachers
take it up and sing 10 as they have not
read.
A SUBLIME MOMENT.
Then q holy man. usually an aged
preacher whose battles are about over.
leads fin prayer and there are tears and
somoumbcs sobs and loud amons. and
the preachers get off their knees, ready
90 go anywhere the Bishop may choose
10 send them. Then comes q word OF
cheer and Godspecd from the Bishop. ana
after q moments pause. I'm which a pin
could be heard TO drop. the fate of cacn
preacher is announced, the Doxolocy is
sung. and the crowds hasten away TO
catch the outgoing trains
solid Train.
Commencing Sunday November s. 1926
the SOU1HERN RAILWAY will operate