The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-12-14
Especial TO The MESSENGER. ,

NopNN4aI " 4 -ltSSCuSCI-
Rocky Mount, n. c., December II
The man who had not seen Rock,
Mount in ten years, yes, even ivt
years, might have had mis- doubts abour
her ability TO take into her homes more
than 300 visitors for a week, ard no
be crowded, but she has done il an,
could have done more. The Nortl
Carolina conference OF the Methods
church, south, comes as near filing III
any town as any religious body that
migrates, and when a town can take
carr Of it she can be put down in the
right hand column.
Many of lis were surprised and graft
fed to find 81 progressive and hustlins
a place as this has proven to be. Witt
lights. water, sewers, fire department
graded schools, she has a foundation or
which to build and is building the equa
OF anything in eastern North Carolina
On all sides there are going up business
houses that would do credit to a city
and her homes are as pretty as lis
possible to have them, and, best Of all
they stood wide open to the conference
and dealt out that old hospitality Q.
which one hears so much in fornle.
/ days.
The session of the Western confer
ence AT Mt. Airy in November Was
fortunate in having such a champicI
Of high table living as Mr.. A. H
Merritt, whom SO many OF this body
know and revere. but Rocky Mount
did not need any body more than she
has to make n conference at home and
want to stay longer.
The new First Methodist church
which was finished early in the year at
a cost of $21 900, is as near ideal rs it
is possible to have such and every
thing in and about it is new, bright,
clean, and u~p-tO-date. The freSco work
inside by that artist, Mr.. Mich. sent
out by the Reuben Rink Painting and
Decorating Co. is Il job that is. 10 be
| modern, simply a dream. One can al
most e the dew On the Marecha, Mel
roses on the ceiling of the ladies parlor.
Rev. ". S. Rome, the pastor, Rev. r.
e Hunt, pastor OF North and South
B. John. with the able assistance Ct
committees made ideal hosts. The rcll
call Thursday showed perhaps more
nearly every member present than any
session in years, all the more credit tI
Rocky Mount.
To NE there is something wide open
and attractive about a town whose
railroads split it wide open in the
center as it does here, with vide
street On either side, and the princpa
business houses and hotels facing the
wide avenue. One gets a good view in
passing and every body can see every
body else from his own working place.
The many passing trains Of the At
lantic Coast Line make something
doing much Of the time.
The conference as a whole, is glad
it anne here, the people were delighted
with their visitors generally, and they
parted with only love and good feeling
one for the other.
The next session Of the conference
goes to New Bern and the gathering
there next year will also be marked
WILL dS happy I'LL 1o ooup( do tLi>-N
Of the progressive and enterprising,
sunny town of Rocky Mount.
THE SUMMING UP.
The reports of committees were
noted from day TO day. and preachers
reported individually, but the stati I'll
cal secretaries, nine in number, when
the last day came showed the follow
ing:
Travelling preachers, 200. Local
preachers, 100 Members, 73.10S. (Gain
1920, metz.
Infants baptised, s72. Adults bao-
tised, 2,1S2.
Epworth Leagues, 81. (Gain I'D
Members of Leagues. 1883.
Sunday schools, 657. Teachers. 5,313.
Sunday school scholars, 51.094.
Raised for superanuated preachers.
widows and orphans, 5 ,582.46. For for
eign missions, s16,137.47. Domestic
missions, 81, 1902. For church ex-
tension, $5,461.31. American Bible So
ciety, sS54.O5.
For presiding elders, s15,716.11. Tor
pastors. 1922, 252.46. For bishops. 81
209.13.
Church organizations, TIT. Houses OF
worship, 696 IL.
Value of churches, 81, 241. 1925 Debts
on churches, s54, 109.50.
Pastoral charges, 173. Parsonages,
153. Value OF parsonages. 1919, 10.
Debts on ~parsonages, s17,231.
Number of districts. 8. District par
sonages. s. Value. $4,000; DEBTS
s1,73S.
Insurance carried. s4as.275; pre-
miams paid, $2,32l.70: losses. nothing,
One church damaged by storm, SD.