The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1897-07-01

fOTCeIul Wrltef-f1lS Contribution
to the Baptist and General History
of the State.
(Thomas NJ. Pittman in Wilmington Mes
senger)
DR.. J. d. Huiham, the writer of tn,
paper on "Ihe Bap,ists in North Car
olIna,' IS pastor Of the Baptist church
at Henderson, and the most interest
ing ilgure in any association or con
ventlon Of his denomination in tn,
State. He was born in Duplin coun
ty in May 1884, baptized by Rev. DR.
W. I. Brooks in 1855, graduated a
Wake Forest college in 1886 and or
dalned to the ministry in 1857. Afte
pastorate Of four years at Bea
Swamp, Duplln county, he became il
1861, the owner and editor Of thu
BIbifaI Ret0rAer. In every relation
he has borne a conspicuous part in tn,
history of his denomination and Of tht
State for nearly forty years. There
have been various efforts to annallzt
his character and strength, and poin
out his strong quality To one he il
"bOrn editor" Others, witnessing
his mastery of assemblies, in raising
large collections for his Masters work
have thought agency his forte Man,
noble and great, side by side with the
poor and humble, have paid high trib
ute to the gentleness and power of his
preaching, the tenderness of which nc
audience has yet been found TO with
stand; but the grief-stricken have
found him, first of all, sympathetic
warm hearted, Christlike man. Wher
all has been said, we find him a we'll
rounded Christian gentleman. Hi:
chief peculiarly is the inability to re-
main seated during the session of any
deliberative body, and in Baptist con.
ventlOns he is accorded the privilege
withheld from all others, remaining
constantly on his feet, moving about
the room, Converslng with whom he
q
noying to nervous strangers. During
the late session of the Baptist State
Convention at Morganton, visiting
clergyman, who was not acquainted
with the doctor, was greatly disturbed
by his restlessness, and gave it as his
opinion that the man cracking" about
the floor was troubled with a "bad
conscience. The doctor was the
preacher of that evenings service. At
the close of the sermon the complain.
ing brother pressed his way through
the crowd, his eyes still filled with
tears drawn by the tenderness of the
preachers story, and taking DR.. H
by the hand said: "You just crack
over this house all you want to. - Hi:
brethren feel pretty much the same
way about it. He holds first place ir
| their Affections
DR.. Huffman easily ranks among the
most scholarly men of the State. He
possesses an unusual memory and &
mind stored with large fund Of well
digested information. He is clear
thinker and speaker, in fact, the sim
plicity of his speech and argumen
making clear and obvious profound
thoughts and conclusions, divested oi
the outward display of learning, some
times decelves the superficial, who
forget the old saw, "S,ill waters rur
deep"
Nearly twenty years ago DR.. I. H
Pritchard wrote for the Baptist Enty
fIoteaIa: "Dr. Huffman is rip'
scholar, refined and cultivated in hi:
tastes, born editor and the prince o
agents. He never seems SO happy a:
when managing an association or tax
ing up a collection" In the same
paper he characterized him as cone O
the most noted of the living minister
of North Carolina Most Of the
noted men OF his denomination, in tha
day, rest in Gods Acre, and sine
then DIR. II. has done much Of hi
greatest pastoral work.
He sold the Recorder to Mr.. ]. II
Mills in 1867, and after a three-years
pastorate of Sawyer's Creek church, il
Camden county, and four years ser
vice as corresponding secretary Of th'
Baptist State Convention, at a salar,
of SI,5oo of which he accepted onl
$1,000 he again became editor Of tn
Recor.ler in 1874, and in Decembe1
of the same year organized what IS nov
the Baptist tabernacle, Of Raleigh, ant
upon the broad foundations laid b.
him has grown church which Is al
most a marvel in its growth and eth
cheney. Later he became pastor c
the church at Scotland Neck, and her
and in the surrounding country h
found ample field for his great ablll
ties. 1t was the territory OF the OIL
kehukee Association, which becam
anti missionary in 1927, causing tn
withdrawal of number Of churche
and the formation Of the Tar Rive
Association, which had since main
: tanned a feeble organization. Il
, Missionary Baptist cause had langulsh
: ed there for nearly or quite fifty year:
Without commission, appointment
salary, DR.. Hufham became a sort
l associational pastor in addition to h
e regular work. Under his influence an
leadership, and very largely by h
! own labors and sacrifices, it becau
an immensely prosperous body, an
Y is to-day one Of the great Baptist ass
Citations of the world. 1t was tor
:, long time called in Baptist clrcl
;. "Hufham's Kingdom" After pa
,orate of thirteen years, he resigned
Scotland Neck TO undertake an impo
tant and pressing work at Tarbor
: Having accomplished that, he we
To Shelhy and thence to HendeISO