The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-12-31

ence. Inc WHOle STATE HOWcNtI, was
not embraced in this Conference. Parts
belonged to Conferences North South
and East of North Carolina. At this
time there were about $4,000 white mem
hers The present preachers We're thiniy
and irregularly scattered over the state
The church buildings were few and of Il
mean order. The value of education had
not begun TO receive proper appreciation.
Yet the Church, even then, was making
great strides in the direction of highest
usefulness and development.
In 1870 that part of the State which
belonged to the South Carolina Confer
encc was transferred to the North Caro-
lima Conference.
In 1890, that portion Of the State Of
North Carolina which formerly belonged
to the Iolston Conference, and that pOr-
ton between the Roanoke and Chowan
Rivers, which had been n part Of the
Virginia Conference. We're united with
the North Carolina Conference territory,
and the whole divided into two Confer
enccs by a line running from the north
eastern corner Of Rockingham county.
nearly due South TO the South Carolina
line. The western division was called the
Western North Carolina Conference, and
the Eastern, embracing about twO-thirds
of the State, was called the North Caro-
lima Conference.
THE PRESENT.
North Carolina Methodism today is
| conterminous with State lines IN a little
over one hundred years. the circuit had
become district the district Confer
cnce, two Conferences. When the Con-
ference in 1889 met for the last time
| before it's division, there were 92,29l
members, 90 Sunday schools. JS.G92
| Sunday school scholars. In 1889, S21,-
! 1913 were contributed for missions. There
were IJid for all purposes $2S2, lO1 "a.
| There were Oh pastoral charges. The
value of the school property was only
| $4,000.
| Combining the reports Of the Western
! North Carolina Conference for 1899 with
! those of the North Carolina Conference
! for 1898 (as yet we have been unable
to obtain reports for 1890. we gather the
| following statistics: Total number Of
members, 1899; total number Of
preachers. local and itinerant, 60; total
number Of Sunday schools 1850; total
number Of Sunday school scholars So
$50: number of houses Of worship, 10
435; value Of houses of worship. S1,694,-
|
/ total paid preachers. $1SS,504.9 90; aver
age salary of preachers, $511.20; total
raised for all purposes, $407,997; value
of school property, $423, 1873; endowment,
1921, $50; number, of pupils, 1,225.
1t can be readily seen that in the great
work of saving souls, the Church III
North Carolina has not been inactive.
From G3S members in 1916 TO 131,99S III
the beginning of 1900 is a good record.
| From 81 POI members in 1889 to the
present number is as gOOd-an increase
Of IS, 70S in a decade. In the last decade
there has been an increase of 116 pas
| toral charges In 1889, SOL 1873 Were
contributed for missions. In 1899, S34,-
! IA were contributed for missions.
The history of the educational develop
ment Of the Church during the present
decade reads like a romance. Ten years
| ago our Church schools in the State
| were few and poor. Trinity College, in
Randolph county, was struggling with
meagre equipment and Il load of debt.
The property was valued at only $780,
600 There were III students and nine
professors. Davenport Female College
had become practically imperative and
lost to the Church. Greensboro Female
1
der great difficulties. The District
schools were in feeble condition. Trinity
College has experienced a development
almost unparalleled in the history of ed
ucational institutions. Under progressive
leadership. and through the aid of Wash
ington Duke b. n. Duke, j. S. Carr
and others. the institution has been
brought into large place" where it
now stands, the most splendidly equipped
college in the South. The following,
from the report of the Board Of Ealuca-
ton at the late w \. c. Conference, is
not oyerdrawn. 1t is with great pride
that we notice the signs of increasing
power and usefulness of this institution.
With a plant valued at $3.50 1873, with
an endowment of 1921 $50, with a leader
brave and true, aided by corps of
twenty-four professors and tutors of eX-
ceptional ability and devotion to their
work Trinity College has come to be not
only the hope, but the pride OF North
carolina AIethodSm. We commend this
institution, not on the ground of church
LOYALTY alone but on the higher ground
that the purest and best type of culture
i may here be obtained at a cost entirely
reasonable and within reach of any young
man or woman" Many interesting and
gratifying things could be said of Green's
boro Female College, Weaveryille Col
lege Davenport College, Asheyille Col
lege for young Women, Trinity High
School, Brevard Epworth School, Trinity
Park High School Trinity Academy,
Lttleton Female College, Louisburg Fe-
male College and others. The female
colleges all over the State are enjoying
the largest patronage in their history.
Not single death, as far as we know,
has occurred at any Of these institutions
during the year.
We can say without any spirit Of boast
ing that the Methodist Church is strong
ly intrenched in North Carolina. Go
where you will from Ottalay to Ocra-
coke, you will find the Methodist "cir-
cult rider" with his Bible, and the Meth
odist steward with his church memo
randum book. From the coasts to the
cfags. the incense is ever arising from
Methodist affairs. In every department
of legitimate activity throughout the
State. Methodist money, Methodist
/ brains and Methodist piety are repre-