Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-09-14
EARLY LEADERS OF METHoDIsM

IEARLY LEADERS OF METHoDIsM
Hard Working Pioneer Circuit Riding
Preachers.
The Methodists of Charlestown, Ind,
are preparing to celebrate the one hum
dredth anniversary Of the dedication OF
the first Methodist church in Indiana
The building, small log structure, is
still carefully preserved, though some
what dilapidated, on its original site
lat Charlestown.
In general appearance 1t resembles
other log cabins, and as far as any at
tempt at church architecture is con-
lcerned Il might as well have served for
a jail as for a church. 1t dates back
to period long before the advent In
Indiana of stone walls, frescoed cell
ings, stained glass windows and lofty
spires. 1t was a most insignificant
structure in appearance, but its erec-
ton was an event of historic import
ance, as being the beginning of great
things.
i The celebration Of its centennial will
be an interesting occasion in Metho-
dist circles, says the Indianapolis
News. Its construction was the result
Of some early visits to Indiana terrific
Try and missionary work done by Peter
| Cartwright OF Kentucky, a noted bor7
der preacher Of that day. He is be-
llieved to have delivered the first Pro-
testant sermon ever preached In In
diana.
Cartwright was travelling what was
known as the Salt River circuit, In
Kentucky. and in 1904 he crossed the
river and preached and organized q
Methodist society near Charlestown.
There were a few Methodists then, but
they had no organization and were
outnumbered by the Baptists and
Cumberland Presbyterians. AS q re-
suit of Cartwrights missionary work
the Methodists got together and built
the log church at Charlestown. When
he visited the place in 1904 he held
service in the log cabin OF one Of the
settlers.
In his autobiography Cartwright
gives a characteristic account of how
he battled with the Baptists, Cumber-
Hand Presbyterians and Shakers in the
| Clark county settlement, beating them
In joint debates and converting many
Of them to Methodism. After telling
Of an open air address lasting three
hours. he says, when closed my ar
| gument I opened the doors Of the
church and invited all that would re-
lnounce Shakerism to come and give
me their hand. Forty-seven came
forward and then and there openly re-
nounced the dreadful delusion. The
next day I followed those that fed, and
the day after went from cabin to
cabin taking the names of those that
returned to the solid foundation OF
truth, and my number rose to eighty
seven. then organized them into a
regular society and the next fall had q
preacher sent them"
The Methodist circuit rider was a
heroic character in the early history OF
Indiana. r. w. Thompson thus de-
scribed the pioneer itinerant Methodist
preacher as he had known numbers Of
them at an early period: "All his
worldly possessions consisted of the
horse he rode and the few clothes he
wore and carried in his saddlebags.
Thus equipped he went forth to do his
work, stimulated by his manly energy
and the exuberance Of his hopes. He
had no other than the homely fare
which was always cheerfully given at
the log cabin of the early settler. He
was often compelled to camp out and
to sleep on the ground with his head
| pillowed on his saddle. He swan riv-
ers and encountered storms of the ut
most fierceness.
HE studied theology on horseback
and drew from the wildness Of ma
ture around him such figures Of meta
phor and illustration as often gave ir-
resistible power to his eloquence and
the most compelling force to his logic.
There was no scholastic adornment In
his style-none of the polish Of the
| courtier about his manner. He was
not decked for the drawing Of fashion,
but he carried with him the manner
ism of truth and sincerity. which Is
Drawn alone from natures laboratory,
and what he said went directly home
to the hearts Of his hearers because 1t
came spontaneously and directly from
his own"
| One of the pioneer preachers, recall
ing the lack of roads and bridges, said
that practically the only means Of
travel was on horseback or on foot.
1.-The horseback and saddlebags," he
said, were the surest reliance for
travel, but even to this mode there
were many hindrances in swollen
streams and want of bridges. In such
cases the perplexed preacher had eth
er to turn back or swim the stream,
md generally he did the latter. Dis
mounting he would take off his trou-
sers, tie them about his neck, lift his
saddlebags from their usual seat and
put them on the highest point Of his
horses withers, then remount and
kneel down on the saddle bags and give
free rein to the horse. which scarcely
ever failed to bring him safely to the
opposite shore"
| A distinction was made In the COM
pensation Of preachers who were mar
red and those who were not. The
married man got next to nothing and
The sin lie man about half as much.
There were no stated salaries, but the
CT mpensation came in the shape OF
Voluntary contributions called quar-
terage" The married preacher might
have a home, but he saw very little Of
It, The young preacher had no settled
home or boarding place. His head
quarters were in the saddle. He car
rled his wardrobe and library In his
saddle bags. He was at home under
every hospitable roof beneath which he
took shelter, and his study room was
the best room" of the better houses,
or the one room of the log cabin which
served as dining room, kitchen, parlor,
| sitting room and bed room.