The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1901-03-01
A LETTER FROM THE PANHANDLE.
TT. J. DUNoAN.l

EDITOR HERALD:
Here l am 5000 feet above the
level of the sea, and GO miles from
New Mexico. The ulghness, fiat
hess, and bleakness OF this Pla - is
most fascinating Amarillo, with
1900 people, spreads her townified
self all about here, and has been
Spreading herself amazingly OF late.
Among other new buildings there
has gone up of late gem of a
Chapel, erected by the people called
Methodist. 10 dedicate this beauti-
ful structure to God, | came here.
Yesterday was dedication day. The
weather crisp and Dracing. The
crowd immense. The bretheren
were $500 short; 5000 were raised in
eleven minutes. Plucky little band
Many of them are from the Eastern
States. The nervous verses of the
18th Psalm:
"lf forget thee, o Jerusalem, let my right
hand forget her cunning;
II do not remember thee, let my tongue
cleave to the roof of my mouth"
carried them back TO the homes
where their childhood days were
spent. To the Chapel on the hill
side, or in the grove where lay near
by their dead, and where their
hearts turn hopefully at every mem
ton OF resurrection morn. When on
the day before the dedication, and
on the mention of 5000 deficiency,
and the fact that they had all
strained point 10 do what had been
done, Maury county boy (O tx
claimed: i've got "a buuch of cat
tie out on my ranch, aud there isn't
thing on 'em. Go to the bank and
put $500 on EN- But we didn't let
'eqI" do it.
| go to spend tomorrow night with
another Maury county couple from
the Cecil neignb Orhood. Mr.. Warren
and wife. She was BrattOn. Bro.
Grimes is at Claud, near by, on the
FIT Worth & Denver r. II. He may
vet be with us, as We are protracting
One hundred and sixty-three
miles down this road is Vernon,
where my young hopeful is on the
fourth year of his Passionate. spent
Friday night with him and his lovely
family. There it dawned on me
that children's children are called
"grand" cNildren because they are
the grandest children in the world
to grand parents. Then to think
that three little girls are playing
with baby brother named Tom
caps the climax.
| The PAN Handle has been visited
by deep snow, and the people feel
that it insures a good wheat crop
AS the seasons continue to improve
and the drOughts disappear, the peo-
pie in some localities venture more
and more on cotton. They were
greatly encouraged by the last year {
corp
This is my second trip to this wild
weird country to otticiate at the
dedication Of new churches, and ii
is really refreshing to witness the
growth, liborality and loyalty OF
Methodism here. Let me- state q
few facts and see how they look over
there in dear old Tennessee: This
little band numbers $50. There is
not a man among them worth $40,
600. There are only three worth al
much IS 5000. The remaining
membership absolutely poor. And
yet they paid their preacher $l,00(
last year, and raised $500 on theil
new church, and will pay him {
salary of $1,000 this year. A carpan'
ter working at So per day gives SO
to the new church, while the ables
man in it gives not cent. Let ne
man think that he or his money Ii
necessary to Gods church, even II
some weaklings would make it ap
pear that he is.
I have just closed (last Sunday 8
week ago. delightful meeting a
home. We protracted two weeks.
had no help in the pulpit but lay
man gifted in eXhOrtatiOn, and on
service conducted by a copastor
There were AZ conversions at the al
tar of prayer, and great good wa
done away from it, which eternity
will make known. Tn many of thes'
meetings I am reminded oft-time
or the good old days of long ago. anC
the loved ones who held up m.
hands.
Amarillo, Texas, February 1901.