Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1896-11-05
IRONTON. MO. THURSDAY. \
a Father In Israel.

Rev. j. c. Bergman of Caledonia,
Mo-, is one of the best known men in
this section of the State. He is now
we'll up in the eighties and has been
an active member of the NJ E. Church
since his teens, and has been preach
ing for sixty year. His experiences
| have been varied, and he talks enter
tainingly of the days long agone.
The first circuit l ever had," said
Mr.. Bergman. .'was in the White
River district of Arkansas. That part
of the country was then very sparsely
settled and there were no churches.
Meetings was held at the homes of
different farmers and on each Sunday
large crowds would assemble from
miles around. l remember to have
gone to house to preach one Satur
day and after my morning sermon the
male population held a township cleo
ton and all of them got pretty drunk
before the ballots were closed. Even
the women drank considerable.
thought it not advisable to attempt TO
preach that night, but they insisted on
me doing so and l finally consented.
never had more quiet or attentive
audience in my career than that night. ."
Have you ever had an experience
that has especially impressed itself up
on your memory, Mr.. Berryman?"
He was thoughtful for a few mo-
ments, and then be said:
"Well, yes; l will tell you of an ex-
perience that l have told to very few.
While in this unsettled district of Ar
kansas l had a great many hardships
with which to contsud, and my life was
one of adventure. had often, in or
der TO keep my appointments, to swim
the swollen streams and wade the bay
GUS at all seasons of the year. During
one of these trips l contracted a severe
cold which came near proving fatal.
gray headed man, and there l was con-
fued for two months. Two thousand
miles from home and kindred. alone in
a strange land, my feelings may we'll
be imagined. l grew daily worse un-
til at the end of week / had given
up hope of ever again seeing my dis
tant home and loved ones. The peo-
pie of that rugged region will ever
have cherished spot in my heart AMI
memory for the many kind acts be-
slowed upon me in my trouble.
81 was lying on the bed one day,
and had just finished repeating what
messages wished conveyed to my dis
tant friends to my gray haired host.
and then turned my face toward the
wall and began to pray, feeling that
the end was nigh. All at once on the
wall at my bedside there appeared the
likeness of a beautiful man, shining
in brilliant relief against the hewn
logs of the room. As l gazed, the Wis
ion spoke, in a voice sweet and mild,
telling me that 1 would not die but
would have long siege of sickness.
With parting smile the shadow fad
ed, and l turned and spoke to my
friend of what had seen and heard.
| almost Immediately became uncon-
scious and remained so for three weeks. |
When I finally began to recover my
recovery was very rapid.
From the time regained my healh |
l was endowed with marvellous flow
of language and a remarkable memory. |
/ was blessed with more conversions |
and did more good than ever before"
''Whose likeness was if you saw, or
who did you imagine it to be?"
my son, that vision was the son of
God, Jesus Christ" x.