The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1901-07-19
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS,

) The Top Side Of the Earth. s
A TRUE STORY. s
BY Rev. W. e. Barton. &
v1VaVAvaVssVssVssV
The following story Is reprinted from
the New York Independent, and Is pre-
ceded in that publication by a note from
the editor of the Independent which adds
interest to the story, and which we also
reproduce:
IA recent article in The independent by
our excellent friend, 'Dicast,'' refers to
the Rev. John Jasper, who was buried at
Richmond on the 4th Of April, as 1.-THE last
outspoken defender of the old astron-
omy." The following article shows that
the statement Is not quite correct. There
still live many thousands Of such out
spoken defenders. DR.. Barton writes that
he prepared the paper which follows at
the same time that he was writing his
story, pine Knot. AS the story pro-
crossed he found use for the incident,
and with slight notifications embodied
1t in the story. Readers Of the book
who may have supposed 1t an imaginary
event. and as such the reviews have
treated 1t, will see that it was essentially
true to fact. It is easier for reasonably
intelligent people to believe that ''the
sun do rum" which was Brother Jaspers
way of putting it, than we may at first
imagin-.l
nIKT HAT discovery have you made
w in your later years which
would modify your preaching if you
had to begin anew?"
thought this pretty good ques-
ton, and waited for my friend, the
venerable minister, to reply. He
thought moment, and then said:.
"The discovery that there is more
to be-. said than 1 once thought on
the other side of almost any cues
tion."
1t was my first term of school in
the Kentucky mountains. I had gone
out for my college vacation, and was
having very comfortable time
among the hospitable, kind-hearted
people of the Cumberland mountains,
and was earning money toward my
next years expenses. Having few
textbooks in my school, except Web
ster's "Old Blueback'' speller, 1 gave
the school oral lessons in other
branches. It was thus that the min
listers son learned from me that the
earth is round.
l am afraid 1 was not as tactful as
l ought to have been. AS I remem-
Der it, it seems to me pity that I
was unable to conciliate the father,
or to assure him that his son was not
in danger from my teaching. At last
he took the boy out of school, say
ing that while his progress was sat-
isfactory in other things, he could
not have him taught infidelity.
The event made no small stir in the
community. Some people agreed
with the minister and some with the
teacher. The man with whom L
boarded, an intelligent man and a
member of the legislature, proposed
public discussion of the question.
1t was ~ ''stir-off'' that we ar
ranged for the debate. The minister
owned cane mill, and took it from
farm to farm in the season, grinding
out the cane juice and boiling the
sap into molasses. The sap which
had boiled several hours was ready
to be dipped into kegs at night, and
a merry. throng surrounded the fire
and waited for the pan to come off.
When they: lifted it off and the mo-
lasses began'to cool a score of newly
whitfield paddles: came into requisi-
ton. All hands scraped the edges of
the pan whsrs the molasses was thick
est. licked the paddles clean and came
again.
I had had molasses enough, and
was watching the crowd around the
pan, when the minister came to me
with challenge to a public debate. |
I accepted, and we quickly arranged
the details amid hum of merry
voices and occasional laughter about |
the pan.
It was agreed that the minister
should call as his colleague another
minister from Laurel county; that I !
should find another school-teacher to
assist me; that the debate should oc-
cupy two evenings; that on each
night the four speakers should con-
sumo three-quarters of an hour apiece
IN opening. and the leaders half
hour each in closing. The plan was
the same for both evenings, except
that the two sides were to alternate
in opening and closing; the teachers
had to close; the preachers began
and ended the discussion on the sec