The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-11-06
SOUTHERN THRIFT.
Conspicuous Example of Georgian
Who Had n Little Money.
Detroit Free Press.

Detroit Free Press
81 have heard how thrifty the Yankees
are remarked the man who goes about
from place to place, but the thriftiest
man l ever came across lived considerably
south of Mason and Dixon's line. AS far
south, in fact, as Georgia He farm
er in the poor part of the State-though
Georgians may say there are no poor parts
in their great and glorious State-and, I'M
like most of his neghbors, he had a little
money ahead Not a great deal, perhaps,
but enough to allow him some swing if
anything turned UP worth considering. One
of the sore needs OF the community was a
church building, but for years they had not
seen their way clear to the erection of
one. There were people enough in the
neighborhood to have put up house, but
there were UNCONVENTIONAL differences, and
they could not unite, and unless they did
no one denomination could raise funds suf
hcient for the purpose. Thus the case
stood for a long, long time. services being
held in the woods in summer and in the
cabins in winter.
Now. it happened that the thrifty man
was not a member of any church, so that
he could look upon the matter dispassion-
ately, and he did He made a calculation
or two, and finally concluded he would
take a business risk and build church of
his own. He got a few assurances from
the Meth6dists and Baptists, but they were
not very encouraging. He knew. however,
that the human kind is SLOW to catch on,
especially to the unseen and unknown, and
he took long chances and went ahead with
his proposition.
He found that he could put up a very
good building for the purpose for $500,
which would cover the cost of a stove TO
keep 1t warm and a cuDoa with small
bell in it. He picked out a favorable site
in a grove near the road on his farm, and
before Thanksgiving he had his house
| ready for occupancy. He opened ii on
| that day with an aIl-day service, inviting
| and bring their baskets. They weren't
much on Thanksgiving, as a rule, but this
| was new departure, and they We're there
| in force, regardless of denomination. The
Methodist and Baptist preachers delivered
! sermons in the morning, and there was
union meeting of all denominations after
| dinner. which was handed around to the
| people in their seats by the sisters. II was
| a day of thanks and rejoicing, and every
| body went home feeling good and very
| happy that there was real church-house
| in their midst.
Before the next Sunday the thrifty man
was visited by the Methodist brethren to
| know II they could use the building on that
| day. The thrifty man said they could,
| price for the day So, they to furnish heat
| and light. The terms were accepted, after
| some niggling, and the next Sunday was
| a great one for Cracker MethOdism. The
next Sunday the Baptists, determined not
| to be Outdone. had the church at the same
| hgure, and there was a big time. Then
| came the Episcopalians for a Sunday, and
| then one or two scattering and 1T was
| time again for the Methodists, who were
| just as game as ever. In the meantime to
| show that he meant we'll, the thrifty man
| offered the church free for an hour and a
| half every Sunday morning for the holding
of a union Sunday school for the children
| This was a boon and pleased the thrifty
| man nightly. And so ii kept up, with
services every Sunday by some denomina-
ton or other at a price that they could
pay and no church debt, and at the end Of
the year the owner made a calculation and
! discovered that his investment had paid 90
J per cent net. When l heard of ii last the
1 church was still paying at that rate, and
the thrifty man had got his money back
| and was a thousand dollars ahead Of the
deal"