The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-12-10


made during the last fifteen years, it
Is bound to rival some of the larger
and more populous cities of the State
at a very early date. Its tobacco bus
mess is immense. while, as a cotton
market it already rivals some of the
hest markets and outstrips many 9TH
ers. Its buildings, both as to its
stores and residences, are fully up to
the best styles of architecture. and
there is the appearance of thrift and
comfort On every hand. And ] must
believe that with other things, the
town is growing in church pride The
Methodists have one of the very finest
church buildings in the State. the
Christians have an up-to-date house
of worship, the Presbyterians also
have a good building, though not so
large as the Methodists or the Chris
tians while the Missionary Baptists
are making extensive additions to their
house of worship. | did not see the
other churches. but presume they are
IN keeping with those l saw. The
Christian College. on the outskirts of
the city. is beautifully located. and
is. Ct judged on riding past it,.
very commodious building. The graded
school building is a credit to the town
in every respect. and the school taught
i'm it. is blessing, the value of which
cannot be estimated. [ had the pleas
ure of meeting Prof. King and MANY
of his teachers, and of making talk
to three or four hundred of as good
looking children as ever sat before
anv speaker. on Monday morning, jus
before conference adjourned. The
children may forget the speaker. ana
the speech made, but, the speaker
can never forget the bright faces that
beamed upon him while those hun
dreds of children sat before him.
OF course [ did not become ac-
quainted with many of the Wilson
people, for the reason that l was only
one of several hundreds of visitors.
and they did not know me from
others. In fact, l doubt if they knew
1 was there. If had been as thought
full as some others, l would have
called on the editor of the Times and
given him the. opportunity of saying,
in a paragraph, conSpicuously placed
in the column Of personals. that.
among other distinguished parsonage;
attending, the conference, the city was
honored with the presence of the au-
thor of that most popular book
"Whitakers Reminiscences"-
has been so highly praised by some
of the most distinguished men of the
State" A fine notice that would have
been.
such a notice as that might have
stirred the city; but, l didn't repor;
myself to the editor. therefore he did
not have the opportunity of writing it.
But, l guess it was best that l kept
quiet and that no ovation was made.
for I had such a good home and was
surrounded by such an ageeable COM
pany of fellow visitors, / should have
regretted .the loss of time that might
have been consumed in receptions.
sold all of the books [ carried to the
Fr,Y.n M In
best of homes. filled with the mos
agreeable people, l did not go to
seek pleasure elsewhere That &C
counts for the fact that 1 did not try
to make myself conspicuous I didn't
even let the Bishop know that l was
there. though l guess he found it out.
for, in reading out the appointments
1 heard him call my name, in connec-
ton with Kenly circuit.
My host at conference was B. f.
Briggs, Esq, who, with his charming
wife, made eight Or ten guests just as
comfortable as good fires, good rooms
good beds and good eatableS could dc
IT. Added to which, their thought
fulness and courteous concern for the
comfort of each guest. were so appar-
ent one could but feel that it was q
genuine pleasure to them to make
every moment of our time while un-
Brother Briggs, like myself, is get
ting along in years. but not old. He
in age but to keep in good spirits ana
in age, but keep in good spirits anc
enjoy the life he is living, just as
he did that which is past and gone,
In other words he is cheerful anG
tries to make others so. He has
good home. in the suburbs: a thirty
acre farm, on which he finds sufficient
employment to keep him from hav-
ing the blues, a thing which is made
possible because of the fact that a
hundred Plymouth Rock hens cackle
daily in unison with the yelpingS and
gobblings of a drove of turkies. keep
ting him constantly cheered with the
assurance that another egg has beer
laid and another chicken is soon to
be Matched and raised to Increase
the brood l know; when saw his
poultry. that | would nave d sooo
time; and | did, but it was turkey ali
the time, which I like better if
am a Methodist preacher. than l d"
chicken.
If every preacher and delegate had
as good a home as l had / think the
conference Will be apt to go Dack
there very soon. l shall ever cherlsh
the recollections of the recent VISIT
TO Wilson and the good home l had
1t is a burden to any community
TO entertain a conference that carries
three or four hundred people into
town. The old North Carolina Con-
ference became so large that it looked
like an outrage upon the people who
were expected to entertain it for n
week: and SO. it divided. making two
smaller conferences But they have
grown and soon will be so unwieldly
that a third conference will be neces-
sary. If that is not done the delega-
ton will have to be decreased, in some
way. If that cannot be done, then.
like the General Conference, the dele
gates will likely be required to seek
boarding houses. their expenses to he
paid by the churches or the people
wnom they represent. Conditions arc
very different from what they USED
TO be- and they are becoming worse
The servant question enters largely
into the matter. and. until that can be
regulated it will continue to be almost
impossible for housekeepers to be as
hospita BILE, as they were in other days
Many, who would be glad to enter
tam, will be afraid to undertake It.,
lest right in the midst of the confe"
xr,po,, fboi,. houses are filed with