The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-03-15
CHURCH BUILDING IN ARKANSAW
How the Emmanuel Emancipa'ed hap
tist Church Of n ON Managed IT,

How the Immanucl EnaDcipated Bap-
tist Church OF n on Managed II.
For months the deacors ana elders Of
the "Immanusl Emarcipated baptist
| Church Of Zion, Poinsett county, Arkan'
saw, had bsen planning their new edi-
flee. Ii was all the religious portion 81
the col9red porflatioD talked about.
Begging went on right and lett. Ever.
young buck who made winning wit
the bones" felt obliged TO contribute fcr
| luck" The sombre-visaged chief elder
asked no questions. The brown'facea
telles made their offerings, too. Every
| thing Of negotiable value was cheer fuly
| taken, pennies doe bills, county SCRIP,
| oomniissary "punch-outs. shotts. saner-
kraut. and cast. off clothing. lie elders
were supposed To know how TO reduce all
| tie gifts to tie cash brsis ty barter end
| exchange. Labor enough was plsdesd 10
huild mile of levee, the ckarco OF I'M
| pressing IL when needed being taken
strictly on faith. Across the color line
| cash or Its .immediats equiVaient was
alone expected, that is, money or build
ing material. A curious lot Of personally
| accumulated on the church site. Va
riety, rather than quantity, characterized
these donations. Ten railroad ties,
stick Of "cull" cypress piling, three or
| four yards Of rough plank walk ishod out
Of the Mississippi Da:kwatsr, dozen
pieces of iron pipes. all different sizs and
| lengths. from burned cotton gin; few
k..s had All n
gin boiler one small wagon-load OF rot
| ten limestone from an old railroad cul-
vert. bundle of ragged and rasty oot-
ton ties-thus the sot edule ran. The dea'
cons and elders watched the growth OF
the pile with honest pride. The accnmu-
lation Of fairly available building lumber
proceeded more slowly. but II was charnc-
terized by great variety too. There were
two oak and two gum sills, little oak
aud more yellow pine and cypress floor
ing material, thres doors AMI s,v.n win
dows, already Qlazsd, all Of different
sizes, and ali .cond hand ;oak and cyprs SIS
shingles Ia equal quantities for about
half the Roof, and corrugated iron from
an old millshsd for the rest. And SO it
went.
The nearest saw mill firm was levied on
heavily fer donations, and gave literally
from Its yard at the negro's own valua-
ton. But still more really merchantatle
material was needsd-"oull' lumber
being take with innocent freedom and
without question. For tas additional
"stuif" cash or it, equiyalent-mili Ia Dor
ordsrs-must te paid. One Saturday q ter
noon tie deacons and elders all laid of to
make the final and largest payment for
raw material. They filed solemnly into
tho mill mans Office and took off their
hats.
white folks. we has come u buy de
lumbah foh ouah houss Of worship"
"All right, elder, how much do you
wautS The inill isn't running this after.
noon be cause so m any If the men had to
help dig the church foun dation, but We
can start on Monday early and cut 'er
right through, aud visions Of weeks
prohtabls run fitted through the mill
mans mind. He added: Have you the
Lii of dimensions made out9'
mo, sab: bnt We is got the money"
this very proudly. 1--WE thought you
won Id uager up de pieces foh US.
well, l aint q cnpente,r but maybe
/ can Hx you. How much do you wish
to payS"
Thsn began an exploration Of patched
and ragged apparel on the part of the
whole delegation. The mill man thought
he was going to get hundred at LEAST
from each delegate. His eyes began to
bnIsu-mild avarioe Illuminated his en-
tire visacs. Up came the first brown and
horny first. Ii olutched thres quarters
ana eight nickels. Back it went and
IL IL time dug dsep. The net result was
another nickel and IL coppers. The mill
man looked less avaricious now. The re-
mainder Of the delegation had mean
whill been conducting searches on their
own account. In about half an hour the
mobilized fund lay before the sawyer.
Count bit bcss," and his every move
was closely scanned until the task was
finished.s Very soou the sawyer looked
up contempt in every line of his face
"And you want to get lumber enough
for the church with tbisF'
"Well, white folks, we kinder oh
sIected it would fin de nails, too. You
keeps 'em In yoh cnmmisiary stoh."
The mill man was from the North and
he swore. That pile contained one single
paper dollar. six silver dollars. two labor
orders for 30 cents each, and the remain
der In halves, quarters, eimes. nickels and
pcnnies-Si4.4o nll told. Neither of its
late custodisns would have turned 1t over
to his fellow committeeman for any rea-
sop.-St. Louis Globe Democrat.