The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-12-10

F.. 81 taAA - &st1
iEburv and was sent 20 one Of the
hszt II the charges in the conference,
he Tar River circuit which ceHt@rFfi
III Lou!sburg and contained some o.
he most cultured people 81 that unae,
His two years here was a time OF trial
and Of triumph. Some years before
his brorher Wesley. q youth Of char
acter and ability. had died OF con-
his thrA sisters, one after another.
fell victims to the same dread as
ease. 3at he Taltered not
DR.. Resd's advance in the church
was almost phenominal From the
Tar River circuit ne went in success
sion To Wilmington. Raleigh and
Greensboro. three of the most impor-
.ant stations i'm the conference. In
each II these he won fame
and favor for himself and many souls
for his Lord. The remaining years
of his life were spent IN sthe presiding
eldership, and few if any have seized
more effectively the vast posslbliltes
of service which that exalted of1ce
offers. In ali matters OF issue IN the
conference he had strong, clear views
and did not hesitate to express them.
Though there were giants in those
days, he early became a leader. the
years of his membership in the con-
ference were the most ominous OF our
history. Great questions involving the
life of the church and the state de-
manded solution. During his minis
try, the Raleigh Advocate was born;
Trinity College passed into the hands
OF the conferences; Greensboro Female
College reached its zenith; fell before
the destroyer and was rebuilt; the
terrible War Bet veen the States gath
cred, burst in devastating fury and
died into q sulle-. calm; Reconstruc-
ton wrought its horrors; the Smith
Deems feud well nigh rent the church.
and, under pressure from without and
WITHIN the nn1itV of the Methodist
Episcopal church, South, suffered
greater alteration tina at any other
time in its history. In all these Num-
Fletcher Reid bore ravel his part
as God gave him to see the right
He was four times elected to the
General Conference, the last three
times leading the delegation. 1t is sad
that one time he received all the votes
save one, at another time all save
three ard at another time all save
five. Thu General Conference Of 1862
was not held on account of the Wal.
and he vas obliged to leave the Cen
eral Conference of 1855 in its open
ing DAYS on account of sickness, thu
being absent from the greatest session
of the law-making body of the church
ever held. In 1858 and 1870 h~e/doubt-
less was active and influential, serving
there With the fidelity and discretion
which marked his work elsewhere, but
as the General Conference work is 50
largely cne in committees it is I'M
possible at the day to Judge his ser.
vice. In the internal affairs of the
cOnferarce his influence can be more
accurately traced. He was eve, \
friend Of the Raleigh Advocate and a
valuable contributor to its columns
Trinity College owes much to him IN
1856 he advocated the acceptance OF
the school as a conference college. not
shrinking from crossing swords with
his own father who wished to remain
loyal to Randolph-Macon College. lie
was for many years an active trustee,
and in 1883. When the destiny of tn"
college was again in the balance, his
eloquent voice was heard in her VIM
dication. The names of B. Craven and
n. H. D. Wilson were signed with
his to The report which after a bit
ter fight was adopted. He was chair
man of the Board of Trustees OF
Greensboro Fenaie College in the day
of her dire distress, and with Rev.
William B~arringer was chiefly instru-
mental in restoring the burnt build
ing. At that time my father was a
banker in the city of Greensboro.
While at no time ceasing to pre1ci,
and with the exception of a ear or
two in active charge of work. he had
through the ~exigencies of Ill health.
and the pressure of the war been
forced into business life. To him DIR
Reid and Brother Barringer turned in
the time % the colleges great need.
He had given freely and had loaned
all that seemed wise. but there came
a time when the very life of the move
ment seemed at stake. The walls were
up but unprotected, and winter was
Fastening. Money sufficient foc Tie
work coIld not be had from any
source. Barringer and Reid, his r.vo
comrades, colleagues in the work IF
God, entered his office. The necessity
Of the college was considered ana al
most with tears in their eyes they be
sought him to make a further advance
of a large sum of money. He Clearly
realized the risk. and hesitated, Irt
they assured him that they would
stand behind the loan with all their
influence and hat the church would
pay the debt. At last, knowing we'll
the danger, for friendships sake, for
the chucch's sake and for Gods sake
he took the step which wrecked his
fortune and added untold burdens to
his life. Before the college had opened
Brother Barringer, falling from the
walls of the college, was killed and q
few weekslater DR.. Reid also died. Can
you wonder, dear friends, that my
heart is s~urcharged with emotion Ivy
q theme which calls ne to trace such
sad scenes. My own fatfo". dcar-r
to me han life. trusting to his friends.
to his church and to his God. puts
his fortune and almost his life in
jeopardy, and, behold, his friends fall
from his side. his church proves un-
faithful to his trust. and even his God
seems TO cOnSp1fe 10 rum MIN. But
why should [ %grieve? He held his
friends in tenderest remembrance till
the day of his death; he loved his
church with even greater devotion and
never failed to find excuses for her
unfaithfulress, and he never doubted
hat disappointment, loss, poverty and
burdens were o loving Will work
ing him good. For my father was
zone who never turned his back. but
marched breast Onward
Never doubted clouds would break.
Never dreamed, though right were
Worsted. wrong would triumph,
Held we fall to rise. are baffled to
fight better.
Sleep to wake"
Beside DR.. Reid's activity within
the church. he was IN ardent member
of the Masonic fraternity, and one of
the masterpieces of his oratory was
his address at the centennial of the
fraternity in North Carolina. held in
Raleigh. January IA, 1871. This ora
ton with a number of his ermons and
other speeches were published after
his death under the editorship of his
sons, James w. Reid, Esq, and Rev.
F. l.. Reid. The Biographical Sketch