The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-07-28

! ielHoio aiscoeSsp budhSoo LIZ o-iQ-Ah
Medicine Company, Columbus, Ohio.
Sent free for short time.
Methodlsts. Tho Oldest church west of
the Alleghenlas. and situated upon the
western slope of that mountain range.
Is the old Rehoboth NJ. z. church., sit
uated within two miles of Union, now
the county seat Of Monroe county, w.
Va. about fifteen miles from this place:
At that time Monroe county was part
OF Augusta county. Va, and Its county
seat was Charlottesville. At that time
Augusta county took in the whole .Ka-
nawha valley, and ran up In Ohio as
far as the western reserve, which,, un-
der grant. belonged to Connecticut.
And, II mistake not. Augusta county
comprised at that time all the known
4 part of Kentucky. Indiana and Illinois.
| The old Rehoboth NJ. E. church was
built In 17S6, and after almost the exact
architectural, or more. exactly speaking,
|
byterlan church at'Windy Cove, only OF
rough logs, twenty-one and one-half
feet one way and thirty feet the other,
puncheon floor and seats, and large,
rough stone chimney. Bishop Asbury.
that austere, yet pious and gifted old
man. who has undoubtedly left the I'M
print OF his strong mind, strong ply
s!que and wonderful energy. as well as
his gift Of oratcry and executive abil-
/ ity, on the annals OF this country's his
tory. and upon the records Of the Meth
odlst church all over the world. rode
many days on horseback on his way
from Baltimore overland to Rehoboth.
Among these many days was that
then hullowed dry, the Fourth OF July,
In order to preach the dedicatory SER
mon on Saturday. July S. 17SS. He
, preached many other sermons at the
church to largc congregations; standing
in the door, while part Of the congrega-
ton were seated In church and more
outside on the grass. The first annual
conference held in the church was In
May, 1892. Bishop Asbury presiding.
He held another conference there in
1893. and In 1926 mother, Mt which he
preached three sermons. This was his
last sermon at Rehoboth, the first
church west OF the Alleghenies, and one
dear to his heart, probably nearer to
him than any other. church, us It was
the first monument to Methodism In an
entirely new section. and opened up the
| possibilities OF much-needed work
further west, Into that country that
was being developed with almost Alad-
d!n-like magic. In his Journey from
Maryland to Tennessee. just one hun
dred years ago-the birth OF the new
state OF Tennessec-he passed near
Rehoboth, but did not stop. He, like
many others. was fastening on to the
great work further west, not from rest
lessness. but from that old pious, plo-
neer spirit which left tImid men In the
older settlements. while the courageous
and hardy pushed forward the van Of
civilization and Christianity. Only n
century. But pause and think. ook
at Kentucky. Look at Tennessee, Sthcn
sucking in long clothes, yet withal n
hardy infant, with It's head in the Great
Smoky Mountains and Its pink toes
dabbling In the waters OF the great
Mississippi. She Is celebrating her one
hundrcdth anniversary. Only n small
cycle OF time, yet II Bishop Asbury
were to awaken TO mundane life to-
day. how astounded and dazed would
he be as he saw. the vast resources OF
thc'statc. With what feelings would he
view the improvements In machinery,
in art, in SCIENCE In agriculture and in
religion. And rrof. Demands air ship.
What would he think Of It? Aye. how
could he but think that u day now Is MS
a century of pioneer days. with all
their wonderful progress. and that n
man who now Is in his prime and dies
at three score and ten will have lived,
comparatively speaking, as long as
Mcthuselah OF old2
The oldest place Of Baptist worship
west OF the AllcShenles wns the old
meeting house built In what Is at pres .
ent North AldGrron, Grcenbrlcr county,
W. Va. 1t was a rough log house, anil
was built In LII. 1t was called the
Greenbrier Baptist church. It's first
pastor was the Roy. John Anderson,
whose descendants are stu numerous
In that section. a neat modern frame
church now occupies thu ex:tot location.
and even the name Of this church has
not been changed.
While AM on the religious history OF
the Old piogc2rS, I mist not forget that
ono whose name Is remembered and
rcvrred In Louisville. In Kentucky and
In the VlrEInias was educated and rear
ell In this section of Virginia: that Is.
In the valley OF Virginia, which lies be-
tween the Allcyhrnir5 and the Blue
| ltIdge-that most beautiful and fcrl~.
OF nil tho valleys of this great republic:
the valley that wtnGsa!d the CREATES;
horrors Of the war, md In greatest
number OF any section OF the United
States. In the great rolling val
ley, ranging from Af,y to one hundred