The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-12-09

/ 10 DR.. Hufham for the entertainment and
instruction afforded
Rev Thomas Hume made some very
lifting suggestions as to the adyisabilitv
of preserving the results of Dr. Hufham's
great work, calling attention to the last
ing value of such a history as the one
just presented TO the convention. He also
proposed that some provision be made for
the work of the North Carolina Baptist
| Historical Society in collecting and pre-
| serving records and papers of the church.
| MIR T. NJ. Pittman spoke of the expert
| ence of North Carolina Baptists with his
tory written by individuals showing how
difficult it is to publish and preserve it
| in this way. "Only as you have a society
and put the work into the hands OF men
who can collect and print the records.
can these stores be put into the hands
| of the people," He also referred to the
fact that the publishing of papers on his
! torical subjects contributed by different
writer's had to be abandoned because only
| 500 subscribers had been secured out of
| the thousands of BaDtists in the State.
| There is at present a debt of about 1925
On these publications due to the printers,
and about so sets of the journal are now
on hand to be disposed of. AS it is now
papers and records of inestimable value
are being lost and destroyed. For $500 a
year these records could be printed and
distributed. One hundred and fifty con-
tributors each giving 81 year for five
years would give us the publication for
FIVE years.
| Mr. ~ B. Broughton thought some
definite action should be taken by the
convention on the debt of S125 Otherwise
| it would fall upon Mr. Pittman, which did
not seem fair.
Rev T. E. Skinner. at this juncture.
said he thought he could tell why the
| publication failed to attract more read
ers. 1.-The majority of our people are not
reading people. If you had put little
more spice in your papers they would
nave taken better But they were moth
ing but pure history. and while that's
roast beef and mutton to some of us, it is
too dry for the majority. What these
papers need is a little grease to make
them go down. ! once wrote a paper Of
this kind with some grease in it, and l
received lots of INQUIRIES asking what
number of the Journal that paper was
printed in. AS a matter of fact. it was
not printed in the Journal at all
DR.. Skinner then went on to propose
that as Dr. Hufham was getting old for
active pastoral work. and was so re-
markably well fitted for history making,
he be paid regular salary to carry on
this work. He joyously remarked that
probably tobacco was the most expensive
item in DR. Hufhams living expenses.
Under an arrangement of this kind he
could do a work that would be invaluable
to future generations. Dr.. SINNERS
speech was delightful compound Of
sparkling humor and thoughtful sugges
ton,
Several suggestions followed upon Or.
SINNERS remarks. and finally a motion
of Rev. ]. j. Adams was carried, that the
Book store be authorized and directed TO
purchase the remaining publications in
| the hands of Mr. Pittman at 500. Rev.
Thos Hume moved that DR.. Skinner and
Mr. Pittman be appointed a committee
| to raise fund to be devoted to histori-
cal Investigation. This was carried, and
President Marsh took It to mean that
Dr. Hufham would be employed to carry
on the work.
superintendent o. Schools f. p. Moses.
spoke a few words in encouragement Of
the publication of the historical papers
He said he never saw but one COPY of
| the journal Mr. Pittman referred to, and
| that was one of the most thrilling and in
teresting books he had ever read, and he
had read MANY novels, too. We ought
to be proud of such publication, and
of such q man as Mr. Pittman. When
General Julian S. Carr offered prize on
one occasion for the best history of some
period of ten years in North Carolina
history, it was Mr.. Pittman who won it.
1t is said we are not a reading people,
and when we started the idea of Liter
airy and Historical Society, we were dis
couraged on that account, but we went
ahead and got 167 members right at the
start, and there is no telling how many
more are coming in and will come in.
President Taylor. of Wake Forest Col
lege, suggested the following as a SUD-
stitute for section of the recommends
ton of the special committee on raising
the goth century fund of 500, 900:
That this committee be advised to as
certain what amount will be needed from
each association to secure the 100000
and to confer with the Executive commit
tee of each association and seek their Co
operation in obtaining from every church
within their bounds a full proportion of
such sum.
1t was, accordingly, moved to recon
slider, and DR.. Taylor's substitute was
adopted. 1t was then after o'clock,
and the convention adjourned