The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1899-08-09
''old slsdge," the Preacher.
How He Beat Religion Into "Devil
Bill Jones'"

Bill Jones"
Statesviile Christian H=rald.
Uncle Tom Barker was much Of a
man. He had been wild and reck-
less, and feared not God nor regard
ed man. But one day at a camp
meeting, while the presiding elder
was shaking up sinners, and scorch-
ing them over the burning pit, Uncle
Tom get alarmed, and before the
meeting was over he professed relig,
ion, and became jealous, outspoken
convert, and declared his intention
CT going forth into the world and
preaching the gospel. He was terri
bly, in earnest; for he said he had
lost power of time, and must make
it up. Uncle Tom was a rough
talker, but he was good one, and
knew a right smart of ''Scripter,"
and a good many old-fashioned
hymns by heart. The conference
thought he was a pretty good fellow
to send out into the border country
among the settlers; so in due time
Uncle Tom straddied his old flea
bitten gray, and was circuit riding
in North Mississippi. In course OF
time, Uncle Tom acquired notoriety,
and from his stormy language,
stormy gestures and muscular elo-
quencs they called him "Oid Sledge
Hammer,' and after a while ''Old
Sledge' for short. Away down in
one corner of the territory there was
blacksmith shop, wagon shop ard
whiskey shop at Bill Jones's cross
roads and Bill kept them all; and
was known far and wide as Devil
Bill Jones'" so as to distinguish him
from Squire Bill-the magistrate.
Devil Bill had sworn that no preacher
should ever toot horn or sing a
'shime"in that settlement, and if one
of them hypocrites ever dared to
stop at the crossroads he would make
him dance a horppipe, sing a hime
and whip him besides. And Bill
Jones meant what he said, for he had
a mortal hate for the man of God.
It was reasonably supposed that Bill
would do what he said, for his trade
at the anvil had made him strong,
and everybody knew that he had as
much brute courage as was >neces-
sary. And 80 Uncle Tom Was ad-
yised to take "roundance" and never
tackle the crossroads. He accepted
this for while, and lsft the people
to the bad irfaence of Devil Bill.
But it seemed to him he was not
doing the Lords will; and whenever
he would think of the women and
children living in darkness and
growing up in in6delity, he would
groan. One sight he prayed over it
with great earnestness, and vowed to
do the Lords will, if He would give
him light; and it seemed to him as
he rose from his knees that there was
no longer any doubt, he must 60.
Uncle Tom never dallied about any
thing when his mind was made up.
He went right at if, like killing
snakes! And 50 next morning, as a
s:nabor" passed on to Bills shop,
Uncle Tom said: "My friend, will
you please take a message to Bill
Jones for me? Tell him, if the Lord
is willin' I will be at the cross roads
to preach next Saturday at II o'clock,
and will stay with him that night
AMI preach Sunday also, and I am
shore the Lord is willin.' Tell him
to norate it in the settlement and
ask the women and children to come"
Bill got the message, he was annoy
ed, astonished. and his indignation
knew no bounds! He raved and
cursed at "onsul," as he called it,
and swore he would hunt him down
and whip him, for he knowed he
would not dare to come to the cross
roads. But the "nabo" whispered it
around that Old Sleage was comm;
for he was never known to make an
appointment and then break it.
There was an old horse thief there
who used to run with Marrell's gang,
who said he used to know Tom
Baker when he was a sinner, ana
had seen him fight, and that he was
much of man. So it spread like
wild fire that Old Sledge was comm,
and that Devil Bill was "gwine" to
whip him, make him dance, sing g
shine" and treat to q gallon OF
peach brandy besides. They said
that "the devil would break loose
E Saturday, and that Old Sledge or
the devil would have to go under.
,atIfors