Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1903-05-13
wALHAl.nA. soUrH oARonnrA. MAY Isl. 1908.
Aa INIEREsTIHa REMIaIscENcE.
Presiding Elder Child Writes Of Old Times
and Old Friends. W ~

In the'last issue of The Missioner, the
monthly periodical issued by tho Metho-
dists of the Greenville District. Rev. r.
A. Child, the Presiding Elder, has the
following article, which will be of inter
est and will be appreciated by his friends
and the public:
"Since the last issue of The Missioner
we have completed our first round on the
Greenyille DISTRICT. We found the dis
trict in good shape, and preachers and
people hopeful of the fest year in their
history. Everywhere v !, met with the
warmest welcome, and friends of former
days gave US hearty hand-shake and a
cheery God bless YOU
cat Pickens, our old homo, whore for
more than sixteen years we practice6
law, a very largo congregation came out
to hear us preach, and gave the very
closest attention while we attempted to
word. AS we stood up before that splen-
did audience and looked down upon the
upturned faces of the people, our heart
swelled with gratitude to God for His
goodness in permitting us to return and
preach to the people among whom, in
the long ago, we scattered the wild oats
of our youth. At the same time a feel
ing of sadness possessed tus, for we
missed many familiar races of the 'auld
over the river. While their spirits had
returned unto God who gave them, their
bodies were peacefully resting in the
village cemetery hard by, there to remain
until the resurrection morning, when the
sleeping dust shall again start into life,
at the voice of Him who is the resurrcc-
tion and the life, and who has said, If !
live ye shall live also.'
"AbOut two miles out of Pickens is
an incident that occurred on quarterly
conference occasion more than twenty
years ago. DR.. Samuel B. Jones was the
Presiding Elder, and DIR. s. p. III. Elwell
the pastor. 1t was cold, dark, rainy
day, and not more than dozen of the
faithful were present, and these were
clustered Immediately around the pulpit.
dissipated men of the world from Pick
ems drove into the church yard, and en-.
church. DR.. Jones eyed them closely
for moment or two, and then announced
his text: Turn ye, turn ye, for why will
ye die, 0 house of Israel p And such q
sermonl Though preached at only two
men DIR. Jones preached as though he
were preaching to thousand. At the
conclusion of the sermon the door of
the church was opened, and one of the
men Uf Pickens went forward and gave
his hand to DR.. Elwell, the pastor, as a
candidate for church membership. The
other was amazed and thought his COM
panion drunk. Years passed; the first
of these two young men was stricken
down with a fatal illness, and beside his
dying bed stood the friend and oompan-
ion of Bethlehem, rejoicing with him as
he shouted the praises of his Saviour.
For many years now this man has been
in heaven Dr. Jones and DIR, E|well are
also there. The fourth man still lives
and now fills the place then SO ably filed
by DR.. Jones. His friend and companion
on that cold, dark, rainy Sunday at Beth
lehem was Col. j. @. Thompson, of the
Pickens Sentinel, and at one time pub.
Usher of The Keowee Courier at Wal
halla. Peace to his ashes"