The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-12-16
THE GREATEST EVER
HELD IN THE STATE
So Speaks Dr.. Huffman of the
Baptist Convention.
AND ITS WORK WILL LIVE
The Pledges at This Convention Have Broken
all Rec,ds---Dr. Jones breaches 10
Veterans---0her Interesting
Events of the Last Day.

y
| Durham, n. c., Dee. 15.-Before leav-
| ing for his home this morning, DR.. j. d.
Hufham, that veteran Baptist and true
| Christian gentleman, of Henderson, who
has perhaps attended as many Baptist
| State conventions as any man in the
| State was asked by your correspondent
what he thought of the convention-to
sum up the effects of the great assembly
! in just few words. 1T was by far the
| largest religious gathering ever held in
! the State" he said in reply. Il am told by
] the committee on entertainment that
| they furnished homes for nearly seven
| hundred people. l say best because more
| work was done. The effects will be great
| to the denomination. Not only did we
meet all of the pledges of last year, which
were the largest up TO that time, but
| the pledges at this convention break all
| records. You can say that it was the
! greatest Baptist convention ever held in
| the State" he said in conclusion.
Yesterday the last sessions of the con-
vention and Woman's Missionary Society
were held and today the great crowd of
ministerial and lay delegates and visitors
said goodbye and left for their homes.
All of the trains were crowded during
the day. While there was tinge of sad
ness in the voices of all as they said
goodbye, still it was happy crowd The
unanimous verdict was that the greatest
convention in the history of the Baptist
denomination in this State had just come
to a close.
The final session of the convention was
held last night. The First Baptist church
was packed to it's utmost capacity. DIR.
r. ]. Willingham of Richmond, preach
ed a fine sermon. After the sermon DR..
Marsh assumed the gavel to hold the
last exercises of the convention. He
spoke approximately of Durham's hos
pitable entertainment and said that tho
convention in more senses than one mad
been the greatest in the history of the
denomination. Appropriate remarks were
also made by Rev. w r. GWaltney, DR..
Thomas Hume, DR.. j. William Jones, DR..
w. c. Tyree Rev. ]. S. Hardaway, Rev.
s. j. Porter, Rev j. ]. Lansdell. Just
before the close the vast throng arose
and sang Stand up for Jesus" and large
numbers pressed forward to shake hands
with Rev w. Cary Newton, the young
for China, where he will take up the work
of a missionary. He made a short talk
in which he said that he never knew
how we'll he was loved until this con-
vention. At 1918 o'clock DR.. Marsh
called on DR.. Willingham to offer the
closing prayer This was done and the
convention closed
Yesterday afternoon the third and last
CO
ciety was held in Trinity Methodist
church. 1t was attended by many ladies,
''Woman's work in Central China" was
discussed by Miss Bette Price Yates,
Memorial Missionary to Changhai, China,
who is now on a visit to her home at
Asheville She was followed in addresses
by DIR. E. ]. Willingham and Rev.
w Cary Newton. Then there were fare
well thoughts by a number of ladies
present.
Practically all of the pulpits in the
city were filled by the visiting Baptist
ministers yesterday and last night col
ored churches as we'll as those of the
white people. In addition several went
to Raleigh, Chapel Hill, Graham and
Burlington to preach.
Among some of those to preach during
the day were DIR. F. c. Mcconnell secre-
tary of the Southern Baptist Home Mis-
sion Board, of Atlanta, who preached in
the First Baptist church yesterday morn
ing. DR.. r. J. Willingham, of the For
eign Mission Board, Richmond, preached
at Main Street church in the morning
and the First Baptist at night. Rev. A.
e. Brown, of Asheville, assistant cor
| responding secretary of the State Board
of missions, preached at Main Street
Methodist church last evening. Yester-
day morning DR.. ]. William Jones, Of
Richmond, the veteran chaplain and Con-
federate soldier preached a special SER
mon to the old veterans at Trinity Meth
odist church. The veterans attended in
body He preached on StoneWall Jack
son. the Christian soldier. At night this
pulpit was filled by Rev G. j. Thomp-
son, the new pastor of the First Baptist
church. it being his first sermon here
since accepting the call to become pas
tor of the church here.
DR.. E. E. Polk, editor of the Baptist
Reflector of Nashville and member of the
Sunday school Board of the Southern
Baptist convention, filled the pulpit of
the First Presbyterian church at the
morning hour. He spoke on the exalted
name of Christ. During his sermon he
referred to the greatness of Caesars
talents; the grandeur of Gladstone's
character; and said that Alexander was
the greatest conqueror Napoleon the
greatest general for defense, Lee the great
est for defense, but above all stands the
! name of Jesus, the only perfect and sub
lime character. At night this pulpit
was filled by Rev. Samuel j. Porter. At
the Second Baptist church two ex-pas-
tors preached-Rev. George j. Dowell in
the morning and Rev. j. N. Booth at
night.
Among those to leave today were DR.
r. H Marsh, Oxford; DR.. ]. William
Jones and Dr. r. j. Willingham, Rich
mond; DR.. F. C. Mcconnell, Atlanta:
DR.. f. f. Polk, Nashville; Rev. w G..
Newton, who will soon sail for China;
DR. ]. D. Hufham, Henderson.
YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TAX