The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-08-18
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A Description OF thsir annual Needing
Now I'm Session i 4. Gutiford County

Correspondence of The Messenger.)
Greensboro, y. c., August IA.
Yesterday 1 attended the ceremonies
of the Quakers' annual meeting at
High Point. About 200 persons were
present-the largest crowd, probably,
that a ever assembled at an annual
meeting of the Friends in the south.
Distinguished delegates from Ohio, In
diana, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Kansas and
other states attended the assembly and
preached short m
The representatives of the Friends in
England were not able TO come, as had
been expected. The impressive sermon
that l heard was delivered in the
afternoon by Mrs. Newlin, whose
text was: Il am the vine. Ye are tie
branches, and any branch that beareth
not fruit He purgeth it,"
1t was found that the number of
Quakers in the United States is 100, 900.
and it is estimated hat the number for
the world is, approximately 200, 600.
There are $500 Quakers in North Caro-
lima, the majority of whom live in this
section Of the state
There were a great many more Quak-
erS in this state in the early part OF
this century, but they migrated to the
middle west after the failure Of the
Emanumition Society in 1880.
The Friends first started in the Cho-
wal section in 1860, and theirs is the
pioneer North Carolina church.
For man. years this annual meeting
was held in the Chowan section. There
are accounts of general meetings"
and the early establishment of a quar-
terly meeting held at the house of Hen
ry White, in Albemarle, n monthly
meetings were held in the surrounding
neighborhood as early as 1880.
In the year 1856 the Western quarter
ly meeting requested that the yearly
meeting be held alternately in the east
and west" which, being weightily
considered by the yearly meeting, was
complied WITH" and the yearly meet
ing was first held in Guilford county in
1887.
Since 1888 the yearly meeting has
been held in High Point, and the meet
ing of the Friends in Tennessee has
always belonged to, and constituted a
part Of, the North Carolina yearly
meeting.
From the business meetings of the
QuakerS one gains some rather interest
ing information. For instance, their
historical report, redu saturday,, shows
that the umb of additions to the
church this year is 232, and hat there
, are 12O s~ubStractOrS. The number or
members who use, deal in, or raise, to-
bacco is 1878, and one delegate said
that the North Carolina Quakers spent
more than $40, 900 annually for tobacco
alone.
Yesterday the church at High Point
and the beautiful grove surrounding it
| were filled with Friends-with Quak-
J ers-who have become fin de steele with
an advanced age. Few of them wear
the quaint, typical garments of previ-
Gus days; they are less demure and
more like other people, than formerly.
One notes, too, from observation and
hearsay that their ritual is not SO rigid
as in times past. Silent meetings-thG
original concomitant Of Quakerdom-
are infrequent. Music is allowed; yes,
| appreciated, and here and there a So
loist among the Friends arises to church
| reputation.
Business meetings are usually held a
joint assembly Of the sexes, instead OF
in separated rooms of the churches, as
| was once their strict custom.
Perfect freedom of speech and a part
i in general discussion is tacitly enjoined
This meeting at High Point is con-
sidered the largest ever held in the
| south. It Will come to an end Tuesday
next.