The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-04-14
BUILDING 4 CHURCH.
How the pillar of au Arkansas Colored
Congregation Managed 1t.

From the st. Louis Globe-Democrat.
Four months ago the deacons and
elders of the Emmanuel Emancipatel
Baptist church of Zion, Poinsett
ty. Arkansas. had been planning their
new edifce. II was all the religious
portion of the colored population talked
about. Every young buck who made
a winning with the bones felt OBJ
liged to contribute fob luck" The
sombre-visaged chief elder asked no
questions. The brown-faced bellies
made their offerings, toe. Everything
of negotiable value was cheerfully TAX
en- up-pennies, due bills. county scrip,
commissary 'punch-outs," shoats,
sauerkraut and cast-of clothing. The
elders were supposed to know how to
reduce all the gifts to the cash basis
by barter n exchange. Labor
enough was pledged to build a mile of
levee. the han of impressing 1t when
needed being taken strictly on faith.
Across the color line ash or its imme-
date equivalent was alone expected,
that is. money or building material. A
curious lot of personally accumulted
m the hurc site. Variety, rather
than quantity, characterized these do
nations. Ten railroad ties, a stick of
''cull' cypress piling; three or four
yards of rough plank walk. fished out
of the Mississippi back water, a dozen
different pieces of iron pipe, all diff
ferent sizes and lengths, from q burned
cotton gin; a few hundred brickbats
that had supported the gin boiler: one
small wagon load OF rotten limestone,
from an old railroad culvert; a bundle
of ragged and rusty cotton ties-thus
the schedule ran. The deacons and
elders watched the growth of the pile
with honest pride. The accumulation
of fairly available building lumber pro-
ceeded more slowly. but IL was charac-
terized by great variety. too. There
were two oak and W CUR sills: a little
oak n more yellow pine and cypress
flooring material; three doors n sew
en- windows, already glazed. all of diff
ferent sizes, and all second hand: a
and cypress shingles, in equal quanti-
ties for about half the roof. and CORFU
gated iron from an old mill shed for
the rest. And so IL went.
The nearest saw mill firm was levied
on heavily for donations, and ave lib
orally from its yard at the negroes own
valuation But still more really mer-
charitable material a needed-"culI'
lumber being taken with innocent free
dom and without question. For the
additional stuff" cash or its equivalent
mill labor orders--must be paid. One
saturday afternoon the deacons N
elders laid of To make h final and
largest payment for raw material. They
filed solemnly into the mill mans Office
and took off their hats.
white folks. we has come to buy de
lumbar foh ouah house of worship
All right, elder. how much do you
want? The mill ISN'T running this af-
ternoon. because SO many of the men
had TO help to dig the church founda-
tion. but we can start in Monday early
and cut 'er right through" and visions
OF a weeks profitable run fitted
through the mill mans mind. He
added; Have YOU the bill Of dimen-
sions made out?"
No sab: but we is got the money"
this very proudly. I'VE thought o
would fgeer up de pieces fob u.s."
We'll. l amt a carpenter. but maybe
can NIX you. How much do you wish
to pay?"
Then began an exploration OF patched
ana ragged apparel on the part OF the
whole delegation. The mill man u
ne was going TO get a hundred at least
from each delegate. His eyes began
10 oulge-mild avarice Illuminated his
entire visage. Up came the first brown
ana horny fist II clutched three quar-
ters and eight nickels. Back IL went,