Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1902-04-02

VINO always came to our campmeetings
and attracted great crowds. who came
to hear him scare the sinners and scarf
~ the Christians and denounce the
fashions and follies of the day. I have
not forgotten his rebuke to gay youn q
couple who behaved unseemly during
the sermon and the old man stoppsd
and said, If that young man over there
with halr on his face and that young
woman with green bonnet on her
head and the DEVILS martingales
around her neck and his stirrups on
her ears don't stop their giggling
while am preaching Gods message to
sinners. will pint 'em out to the con
gregation.' But we had a number of
very great and notable preachers in
those days. George Pierce, the bisbop
and old Lovic Pierce, his father. and
Judge Longstreet, the eloquent presi-
uent OF Emory college, and DR. Means
ana walker Glenn and old brothe
farks used to attend our quarterly
meetings and our revivals. They were
all great and good men and the neonle
came from far and near to hear them
No more eloquent and gifted divines
have occupied the pulpits of Georgia
from that day to this.
But mission work was totally nm
KNOWS as an organized feature Of
church work. The first we ever heard of
was introduced by some northern emis7
saries who came to this region to plant
Christianity among the Indians Two
or them, whose names were Worcester
and Butler, were suspects, and arrested
by order Of Governor Gilmer and
placed in Jail in Lawrenceville, where
my father lived. 1t was believed that
these men, who were Massachusetts,
yankees, were secretly trying to influ-
ence the Indians to violate the treaty
and not to sell their lads to Georgia;
but this was never proven, and Gov
ernor Gilmer turned them out on con-
dition that they would go back to New
England. and they went. I remember
the excitement that pervaded our
townspeople during the event. John
Howard Payne. the author OF Home.
Sweet Home was another suspect. He,
too, was arrested and sent to Mlledge-
vile prisoner, but was soon released
and sent to Washington city with an
escort. Two years ago I received a let
ter from an old woman in Texas. who
said she was born near Cartersville in
1881, while her father, who was Meth
odist preacher was teaching an Indian
mission school up the Ftowah river at
a place called Laughing GAL which was
the name OF an Indian chief My old
partner. Judge Underwood, knew him
well, and said he was a good Indian He
got MS Feminine name according to In
dian custom which was to name new
born child for the first thing that the
indian doctor saw from the door OF the
wlgwam after the child WAS born. and
so. when the doctor looked out and saw
an Indian maiden laughing. the little
baby boy had 90 be named Laughing
Gal. Old man Harrison, who has been
living here for sixty-five years, is IA
miliar with the name and the home of
Laughing Gal. The Cherokee Indians
look kindly to this missionary work.
John Ross and Major Ridge, who were
nall-Dreeds, became converts, and
hoss son became a preacher, and so
did his grandson and and NV
daughtr, Mrs. Aubrey. heard him
preach at Little Rock about twenty
years ago.
CHANGE WROUGHT BY WON ANS
WORK.
But you must pardon me. did NOT
lorget that the object OF this confer
ehce was home mission work. but elo
quent men and cultured women who
nave preceded me have faithfully COW
cred that ground in every phase and
nave left for me nothing but memories
that are only kin TO it. There is. how
ever. no dividing line Both foreign
and domestic missions are founded in
CHRISTIAN charity and Christian prog
ress. There was a time when there
was no such organization as home mis-
sion conference When there was not
parsonagein the State. and the itene-
rant preachers were sheltered in any
mousse that was vacant and could he
rented Tor trifie--when their house
hoiu goods were moved from place to
Pi"oe ny single team and the good
MiIe ana little children were mixed IN
WIN the load; when two or three hun
uteu % uollars was considered a liberal
allowance for years support. Rut
woman's work has wrought wonde
rous change over these conditions and
almost every town and village has nro-
Vided comfortable home for tbe
preachers family. Tha advance on this
me mas been rapid and it has been
contagious. Ten years ago there was
not preachers permanent domicile
IN gainesville. but now cyery church
mas comfortable home attached But
IeC me say just here Il at there Is vet
room Tor Improvement A house Is nor
al al OF home. 1t takes shade trees and
movers and fruits and green grass and
vines to adorn and shade the veranda
even a few pretty pictures and a mir
ror would not come amiss. for such
things cannot be safely moved. IL
hothing better can be supplied, Won
might put painted motto over tho
mahtei. God Bless Our Temporary
rome: Our Gainesville Methodists
nave putt a nice. comfortable house
put l nave TO furnish Brother Var
onough with Presbyterian strawberries.
and he feels constrained to nav 49,,
back in Methodist tomatoes nrCr,iso
now to furnish every PARSONAGE ~,
Town with Strawberries and raspber-
Ty plants next fall IL the Mood LII.