The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1902-11-25
BISHOP COKE SMITH
IS LIKE A VETERAN
Splendid impression at His
First Conference.
Fall Of Wisdom and souad Sense il Pleased all
~ Prosperous Conference Year
Close.---The Circuit Rdefs are
Elegantly Entertained.
lEdltorLal Corresnona - !

NA<AAACA = 4AE46A4@- A.f
Monroe. y. c. Nov. I'll verify be-
licye the nigh. stiff hats. called beavers
n North Carolina, are going oat q fash
ion. Al the Methods, Conference here
this week I saw fewer Than n a dozen
years. Whether it is because The pcopl,
paid up the preachers what They owed
this year. and didn't feel il necessary 10
make them presents OF uuhocomiug hats.
or whether it is good seed | have been
sowing. | cannot tell, bur It is 4 good
shange. Ten years ago, in a letter from
a Methodist Conference, l told tn story
Of how a beaver hat was IN obstruction
n the way OF preacher doing good. il
was this way: 4 woman was in deep ,roa-
ole and the preacher came TO Sc hc..
lie had a shiny beaver hat. She lived III
an humble cottage and kept no servant.
When he came III She Was so afraid mat
MS slick tile would get dust on il thtt
she couldn't hear 4 word he SAID. ana
while they were at prayers She got Up
from her knees and busted it. !. beaver +
doesn't look right on a meek and lowly
preacher anyhow, it looks too "hx.. ana
while some of the very best stick TO
them for one cause or another, They are
growing fewer and fewer every year. The
same thing is true OF gold -hcadcd canes.
[ am sure John Wesley would regard il
as a good change to see both going INTO
InnocuouS desuetude.
Apropos. a preachers dress. il is noted
that the members of the conference now
in session here do not look like They
FRO wCaripr tbCir host Tbpy loot IsL,
= body of well-dresscd gentlemen. with
out the look OF brand new cIcthcs This
is also another evidence that the poo
RE are paying the preachers better 50
that they don't need to be saving their
best suits for conference, as in ye@ulden
time. L remember" said on old cir
cult rider, the time when a salary Of
500 was considered large, and if had one
real good suit to keep for conference !
felt all right. Now l can have a real
good suit to wear every day in the
week"
The preachers are setting a good exam
ple Of good taste in dress. The old-fash-
toned Methodists put too much emphasis
Gu simplicity and plainness, but ~lattcrly
the tendency has been in the other direc-
ton. Now the pendulum has swung back
to the idea of better taste and greater
simplicity.
The first impression upon entering
conference is The number Of young and
finc looking men who make VI it's mem
bership. 1t is a body Of progressive,
looking-forWard, militant preachers. full
Of faith and full of courage. There arc
not 4 few old men still in the active
ministry, some Of them who set an exam
pie Of abundant labors to the younger
.,,oo ST J.,ro o-;4,1l Jh1441. H. IL a..
past year than at any period of my life
said the veteran Rev. j.. ]. Rem. pre-
siding elder Of the Mount Airy district,
and I have been much of my times in
the mountains. Last winter | travelled
hundreds of miles in the snow and ice
and it did me good. That is a glorious
country in Surry. Ashe. Allegheny and
! Watauga and the mountain region. In the
East the tendency has been for the en-
tcrprising young men to so to the towns.
Here they stay in tho country and no
| where in the world will you find better
people and a liner climate. The truth is
that Dr.. Rem has renewed his youth in
the attitudes and no wonder he is en-
thusiastic about the country.
There s 10 body of men where Tho
comradeship is sweeter than among tho
circuit-riders The old man recalls his
| you'll when he sees the young men com
ing into conference, and the ydurg man
secs his own last days when he looks upon
the superannuated preachers. Time deals
gently with tho older men, but they are
admonished that they have not tho
| strength of other days. Among the Older
men here, who receive the warm greeting
Of all. are Revs. John r. Brooks. Frank
II. Wood. and Paul j. Carawav. For
! nearly half a century they have beer
n the harness and have held the most
important positions in the gift Of tho
| conference. The first two have beer
| forced, at least for awhile, to retire
| from active work. Mr.. Caraway, tho old
| cst Of the trio. continues in tho pas
| "toratn. but not in tho moro b~urdeusom,
Offices which he filed a fow years ago
Go where YOU will and you will not fnC
a trinity Of men who in their day an,
| generation have lone more for NortI
Carolina.a They arc North Carolinians t.
the bone. hoy love their State and thci,
church. and their lives and characters anr
usefulness are an inspiration to tn
Younger men. There are others amont
the older men hero As worthy. | mon
tion these three as types Of q class an
because ] have known thcm for man.
! years and been helped by their minis
tratiOns.
Preserve tho front pcws for tho oldn
men" said Bishop Coke Smith ycstor
day morning. Their hearing is not s.
good as it once was and VIC want t
give them the seats where they can hea
the hest" That expresses the spirit man
i~Fcstcl toward tho older mon. il Is beau
tiful to 500 the Young mon. ready 4
carry the heaviest loads. deforrjns I
those whose strength is we'll nigh spent
Talk about your heroes. The circuit
riders % America. braving hardships an
perils. went with tho pioneer and Hhef
the carly settler pitched his tent thor
the militant circuit-ridor stopped I
preach tho gospel. With no earthly hon
ors and no reward this side tho grave
tho itincrant preacher laid the founda
tjons OF a healthy Christian ciyilizatio
in this Republic.
Int - tho Gr-t coDFrYarr- Cvcr ulir