The Atlanta constitution., 1900-04-09
PlUnk6ff' 'ShBtf6r
written for The Constitution.)

the fact that this little city was the
home of Uncle Billy" Mosely.
''Who was this MANI" will be the nat
ural question of many, and there are Due
few living who can answer, and perhaps
not a single line in print or writing re-
mains to tell. but if you call this great
and good man to their minds, they VIII
answer. and tell you. TOO, of things tnat
would now appear wonderful.
Uncle Billy" Mosely was a Hardsheh
Baptist elder, and preached the first Bap-
tist sermon ever delivered in the town
of Griffin. standing under the shade OF
some trees near a cluster of springs
which were covered up by the building
of the railroad that splits the center or
old New Orleans street. at that time the
only street of the town.
While this good man has long since
passed away and left nothing. perhaps
not a tombstone. to preserve his name.
/ can tell you that the seed he scattered
have lived and grown and will continue
to grow and flourish till time shall be
no more The world and the devil. prog
ress and fashion. science and culture,
everything has combined to crush out
the work of him and such as he, but to-
day the wisdom of the world is looking
back to primitive methods and primitive
doctrines to save us or we viii not be
saved. All over Georgia there nestleS
good old churches that were built or
started by Uncle Billy" Mosely, and
through all the changes they alone have
remained steady. simple and sticklers for
the Bible
l have heard Talmage at his best. and
Beecher and Sam Jones and BrouShton
and many another of the great evange-
lists but none of these will compare for
good with this old Hardshell, who took
his Bible under his arm and walked from
church to church preaching in the simple
style as set by the eAample OF the ser
mon on the mount After so many de-
partures the heart and the wisdom or
man cries out to get back into these old
lines. The great evangelists have built
nothing Talmage, perhaps the greatest
of them all. undertook to establish
great tabernacle in the city of New York
The Lord scattered his work in smoke for
three successive times. The great con-
cregations that used to gather to near
his burning words and mastery eloquence
are scattered, too, and Ii is doubtful IL
he ever did anything in all his work
more than to stir up curiosity and build
honors and fame to the name of Tai
mage. Beecher enchanted by the tone
of his voice and the majesty of his pres
ence but he left no good to the world
Even now his great Brooklyn church nad
rather have sensation than religion From
a Christian standpoint Beecher was a
failure. He did much more harm than
good-ten thousand times more-as VIII
all men who mistake sensation for re-
ligion
Uncle Billy Mosely. as l remember
him. would stand a unique figure in any
crowd of men-like ToombS, he would be
marked rhe picture of William Penn, as
handed down to us through the books
has much of the appearance OF "Oncle
Billy though l think he was a much
stronger man physically than Penn he
was the brOadeSt man across the shoulu-
ers that | have ever seen. He was not
so high, but was broad and the finest
specimen of manhood l ever knew. He
wore his hair long and it waved in silken
lightness down his back. He was smart.
even 10 brilliancy but I doubt II ne could
read save in the Bible. With the BlDIe
for his guide his words fell like benedlc-
tions and his presence was the inspiration
of love and veneration- / loved OLD IN
Gle Billy Mosely and his name will ever
remain with me a sweet and cherished
memory.
But there are many sweet memories thaI
cluster around this delightful little city or
Griffin OF course, there would be Wheh
we could recall the time when the place
was first laid off into town lots ana Wneh
the man from whom the place takes It's
name stood upon stump with pat
in mis- hand and sold the lots where stands
the town. There We're blooms In thoSe
davs. lust as there is now. Being that
there is so much prejudice growing
against the dog. | will take time TO re-
mark that the first bank OF Griffin was
a little ten by twelve rock house, ana
this was protected at night by a great
bull dog procured for the purpose. Nhat
would the burglars of this day and tlIne
care Tor a dog?
Soon after the establishment of Griffin
a company was founded and a plank road
built to near Flat Shoals. on Flint river
l presume that this plank road cost more
then than railroad would cost now, and
| only mention it to impress the import
auce of good roads to the country IhiS
plank road was about eighteen miles in
length. running west from Griffin. and TO
this dav the section has kept ahead OF
everything in Georgia The truth is that
/ believe the country lying west of Griffin
is the best country, the best people and
the prettiest girls in all the world
Near the town there used to be great
baptizing place at what was called the
Falls" and were it not for returning
again TO Uncle Billy Mosely l could tell
the assembled Baptists of what used 70
be thought of the Importance of water n
receiving members / Will remark that
Uncle Billy got them under until Uncle
Solomon BloodwOrth was satisfied that
they were Wet if he had to engage in a
rough and tumble wrestle to do it. Uncle
Billv's strength enabled him to make
great success of baptisings. and but one
time can recall of his having any trou-
BILE at all This was in the case OF p
big nergo blacksmith-for Uncle Billy cld
not scorn To baptiSe negroes. This negro
was a giant himself and every time foT
several times he would throw up hand
or foot so that il would not get under.
Uncle Solomon BloOdworth was a close
watcher for such as this and time after
time he had TO be put under again Al
last Uncle Billy got tired of such fool
ishness and they clinched for the final
wrestle The negro was a giant, but he
was no match for the great old Hard
she'll He lifted the negro with what was
called the ''old higst," sOused him 10 the
bottom and and sit upon him till Uncle
Solomon pronounced it sufficient, when
the negro arose and scrambled 10 shore,
remarking as soon as he could speak
Some mans going 10 loose a Niger
at this fooliShness-"
Near these old falls was a rock known
as the sliding rock" / mention II as
curiosity of those days, for presume that
il has long since been blasted to ruin for
the use of progress This rock was nearly
a hundred yards wide and sloped down an
incline some two or three hundred yards.
There was no use for the modern tobog-
gans when they had this rock. boun-
tiful supply of water spead over the rock
ending i'm a deep pool at the bottom. The