The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1900-12-22
METHODIST "REMINISCENCES.
MIR. Il. Lake Talks interestingly of The
Grenada Conference,
which Was Held In December, 1s3s-ls
the Only Person Living who Attend
ed The Conference.

Mr.. L. Lake, OF Oxford, The Oldest
travelling salesman on the road in Mis-
sissippi. and who is perhaps the Oldest
man actively engaged in work OF his
kind In the South, spent Saturday at
the capital. He is now In his S4th year,
but is st!ll hale and hearty aud more
active than many men Of half his age.
10 addition 10 being a first-class
salesman Mr.. Lake is a devout Method
list. and he enjoys the distinction OF be-
ing the only living member OF the
Methodist conference that assembled
at Grenada in 1888. This fact was
brought out during hA conversation
With a group Of gentlemen who were
J discussing the Brookhaven conference
Saturday morning, and in an interview
on the subject requested by a Clarion
Ledger reporter, he said:
Eyes, l attended the Methodist con-
ference that assembled at Grenada in
1888, during the month Of December,
and 1t Was the first conference ever
beld In North Mississippi north Of Can
ton. II was in session for over two
weeks. The first week it was presided
over ty Rev. Mr.. Wyman. Prominent
among its members we're Drake, Lane,
Cooper and Shattuck, with many old
and then prominent members. Among
the younger ones were G. X. Marshall.
Hammett, Elias Porter, Elijah Steele,
DR.. Watkins, all OF whom became min
i~sterial giants, and many other young
men who became equally prominent
during their lifetime. That conference
embraced the States OF Louisiana and
Mississippi. Bishop Morris, of Ohio,
reached Grenada during the second
i THE conference supplied a large ter
ritory beyond the borders Of Mississip-
| pi and Louisiana, taking in a portion Of
Alabama, Arkansas, missionaries to
Florida, and a long way beyond iu the
surrounding territory. Most OF the
members reached the conference on
horseback, some of them coming five
and six hundred miles. They were all
II noble type OF men, enduring hard.
ships, receiving their appointments
cheerfully, working earnestly for God
but not one of them is living who at
tended that conference in 1888. Those
who lived the longest were Shattuck
Marshal, John G.. Jones and the las
one to die was Mr.. Strickland, wht
lived neal Summit. .d
1T is stated that much OF the terri
tory thai supplied preachers for tina
conference is now divided into seven
teen conferences. These men have al
gone to their rewards. YoGnger mel
have fallen into the ranks, none % i'm
pressment, but all volunteers.
II would like to drop into the con
ference at Brookhavenn concluded Mr.
Lake, ito talk with the younger mem
beers who are supplying the places 0
those older ones who have long sine
passed away, and encourage them t
be as faithful aud earnest workers a
those who preceded them, among whot
were some of the first pioneers G
Methodism, With the preachers of tina
day, most of the Bishops have gon
l out, and it will be a glorious meetin
: with bishops and preachers wher
there will be no more changes or al
pOintments given. No further solic
! tude need be felt. for their appoint
ments but all have reached the man
sion promised Them by the MasteI
! Death comes. preachers pass out, ne
d volunteers come 10, and the work
II God still goes IN. "-Jackson Clarion
Ledger, Dec. IS.