The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-09-21

dismounted. General Grant. with true
democratic principles. shook hands
with Wyatt Ryan and went into the
hotel.
Several days afterward my darby
coachman seemed in a rather reflective
mood and said to me:
Marse Sterlin', wants to go back
70 de plantation in Alabama my
fathers plantation on the Chattahoo-
chile river. which / own.
Il said TO him: Wyatt. l am pay
ing you good wages, three times as
much as you will get on the planta-
ton. Don't you think YOU had better
keep a good job? Don't l treat you
right?
" oh, yes, Marse Sterlin', you treats
me as right as right kin be. and gives
me good wages. but I is dissatisfied 10
i've up here in Kentucky and wants
TO go back down on de plantation
i al once procured transportation
and shipped Wyatt, according to his
request, hack 10 Alabama. About two
weeks afterward I received a letter
signed by half dozen colored dea-
cons, officials of Zion church, a darky
church about half a mile from the
plantation, In which they stated, among
piyin' for de ministry and had stated
TO them that he had driv General
Grant and shook hands with him. and
they wanted TO know if it was true.
l promptly wrote them that it was a
fact, that he had driven General Grant
about fifteen miles in Louisville, and
that l had seen the general shake
hands with him. On the receipt of
this letter they Immediately ordained
Wyatt minister of Zion church, an
ecclesiastical position which he has oc-
cupied with distinction ever since. Last
summer, just before coming 10 Colo
RADIO, l was on the plantation and Wy
ait said 20 me on Saturday afternoon:
Marse Sterlin'. l would like for you
to come out to Zion church tomorrow
and hear me preach
II told him It would give me pleasure
and asked him what was TO be his text.
He said:
I'm gwinA to preach on "Crea-
II said to him: That's a big subject,
Wyatt; do you think you have mas
tered it sufficiently TO make il the sub
ject of a Sermon
oh, yes said he, I've done studied
1t from Genesis to Revelations
q suggested TO him that thought il
would be well for him not TO offer any
apologies 10 the congregation. either
touching his ability TO handle the sub
Ject or his want of preparation; that
an audience seldom had sympathy
with a speaker who commenced with
whining apologies, but that if / were
he would dash right at the subject
as though il were a matter which l
fully understood and was thorough
master of. I suggested TO him to begin
somewhat after this fashion:
When the granite foundations of
the universe were laid. the Great Ar
chitect Divine threw from the hollow
of his mighty hand this terrestrial
globe into the fields Of limitless space.
where it has been revolving in its orbit
ever since
Wyatt said: 'Marse Sterlin', that
sounds good. Please say it ag'tn so
kin git it
81 made him repeat IL once or twice
until he had it by heart. Next morn
ing about II o'clock, the thermometer
standing at 106 in the shade, / entered
Zion church, containing about 400
darkies, with Brer Ryan in the pulpit
lie said TO one or two of his deacons
as l entered:
"'GiVe our distinguished guest a
seat by de window. and give him a
/ couple OF palmetto fans, and don't
none Of your breddern and sisters set
too close to him.
HE then began by stating TO the
audience:
e 'Bredderen-you see l don't use de
word sisteren, because We all know
dat de bredderen embrace de sisteren-