The news & observer., 1905-12-03
A Picture of Some of
the Leaders Who Though
Dead They Yet Speak.
NO PRIMROSE PATH
The Old Circuit Riders Had No Easy
Career, as, With Sadd Bags and
on Horseback, They Carried
the Gospel into Sections
That Had Little Religious
Privilege.

Wilson, N. c.. Dec. 1.-The older
Methodsts were glad to welcome here
this week Rev. Paul j. Caraway. now
of Greensboro, who has recently re-
ceived his fifty-siXth appointment
as an itinerant preacher During all
these years he has never missed an
appointment and has filled nearly
every position in the gift of the
church. AT the recent conference in
Greensboro, Bishop Wilson was delay
ed in reaching conference more than
half an hour when the people were ex-
pecting the appointments to be an
nounced, and upon motion Mr.. Cara
Way was chosen to preside in the clos
ing sermon of the conference. Upo
ta~iiig the chair ne said: II have nov
been i'll the active ministry ffty-SiA
years and this honor enables Inc tt
say that l have been circuit rider. sta
t1Un preacher, presiding eluer, preach
Ell on missions and now | can say l
have filled the episcopal chair" He
has large fund of humor and Incl
dent and it is much more interesting
to hear him talk around the fireside
of the old times than to hear him in a
set address. In his historical address
he merely touched upon some of the
old time preachers, leaving himself
no time for Illuminating anecdote or
illuStra ton.
To show one phase of the incon-
venienccs of fifty wears ago. Mr.. Cara
way said that on his first circuit in
Craven (now Pamlico) county. he
would tell his folks goodbye and be
gone three weeks, and during the
whole time of his absence there was
no way by which he could hear from
his family. They might be sick or
die, he would never be the wiser until
he pot back at the end of the three
weeks. 1t is a pity that Mr.. CarawaN
didn't have time to go into such Incl
dents, tell how circuit riders had 80
fight against bears as well as sinners
He is an optimist and declares that
the world is better than when he was
a young man, and that conditions inn
prove every yesr. His life and faith
and cheer show that the. man who
gives a life to the preaching of the
gospe: is blessed by the Master he
serves.
DR. Carraway's Address.
Mr. Caraway's address was as fo!-
laws:
The Historical Society of the North
Carolina Conference of the Metho-
dist Episcopal Church, South, and
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Some time ago / received very
kind invitation to deliver. at this time
an address before you and the follow
ing was suggested as the theme: 1.-The
North Carolina Conference Fifty Years
Ago; It's Men and Measures"
1 did not consider my unfitness for
such duty. but having a desire to
visit our old Conference, / at once ac-
cepted the invitation and stand before
you this evening with an apology, and
an explanation. l wish to apologize
in advance, for the inperfections of the
address. and | wish also to explain
the reason of these imperfections.
When / began to think of the Confer
ence of fifty-six years ago it was like
calling up the dead. and l assure you
that it assumed the nature of a huge
Memorial Service.
Then again l found the number of
those who are entitled to favorable
mention so great that it would occu-
py more time to deliver the address
than would be reasonable on an occa-
sion like this.
beg you not to accuse me of par
tiality i'm the selection of those breth-
rem of whom I speak nor of what I
shall say of them.
/ have chosen members who were
regarded as leaders of the Conference.
The list is long one and what
is said of each must be brief.
Some bright stars had been removed
by death and location and some by
transfer John Todd Brame, whose
name should not be lost to the MEM