The farmer and mechanic., 1907-03-19

church aS i supply. during which
time / had first clas- appoint n"nt~.
.s found ON each and every charg"
first class people: SOME "f whom ar"
dead though most Of them are stil! ln
the flesh
From 1867 to 1s9o gave my time
- tn. temperance work. publishing a
paper aud organizing Temperance 50
eleti-S
In ISSS. the temperance movement
received i check thar resulted finally
III almost "a total abanstonurn OF
those moral suaSiou methods which
had been So successfully employed. -
tile friends ~ temperance
When = gentleman declared himself
candidate for governor. ~ pro
hIbitionist. ard took the position on
the stump. that moral suaSjan had
served its day. the effect was discour-
aging to those who had been orgeiniz-
ing and building up lodges and com
ellis ana it became i'm possible - carry
forward the work as before
In consequence Of that change oi
conditions, | allowed myself 10 be used,
as occasion required. to assist tn"
preachers, in their Work-uniIt flnally
| became ! regular iiinerant: serving
"a before stated, sixteen years a. a
supply IN which time | did work on
the Clayton circuit. served the Chapel
Hill church half year. the Youngs-
vile circuit six years, the oxford sta
ton eight months, the brooklyn Mis-
sion four years. Woodsdale circuit one
year and Kenly circuit four years.
As il IS not at all likely that any
ecclesiastical body will hold a memo
rial service To commemorate what l
did. as supply, during those sixteen
years, is the only excuse / have Tor
telling the story myself To let the fu-
tare historian know how | spent the
time after / gave up active temperance
work
II Is not my province to tell the
readers how faithful or successful /
was as 4 pastor: how | liked the pco-
pie or how the people liked me-for
/ could not do 50 without appearing
10 be more or less partial 10 myself,
and Of rendering myself liable 10 the
suspicion that | am more or less talnt-
ed with egotism. But as \ NATTER OF
fact, | remained on two charges eight
years and on one six, which is circum-
Stantial evidence that the people and
tho preacher pulled along agreably
enough
Ny recollections are pleasant of all
the charges / served and if any one
has other than kndliest feelings for
me- ! have not had n hint Of il.
/ have not accumulated any great
amount Of wealth by doing supply
work: on the contrary the buckle and
tongue did not always meet easily, but
paid for meat and bread when leaving
the charges nor did [ ever go through
the country foraging, putting up the
plea Of poverty and hard times at
home.
Perhaps the reader don't know what
a supply is, in MethOdism. For infor-
nation. | will say, supply is a local
preacher who may be used when
conference finds itself lacking man
to fill some charge. The local preacher
is not q member of any annual con-
ference consequently he is not obliged
one belonging to an annual Confer
ence may not refuse to go to an APP
pointment without subjecting himself
to discipline. Now and then one kicks;
but such cases are rare. A kicker gen
orally loses caste: unless. as is some
times the case, the health of the
preacher, or Of his family is such that
It would be hazardous for them to go
to a charge.
Local preachers are known in Meth
OdlSt economy as ''Wedge-WOod' ma
terial that is exceedingly useful, al
times to wedge in, and make secure
some part Of the machinery that needs
Tightening up, without which It might
slip q band or jump a cog and thereby
be seriously injured.
With this explanation. | repeat that
[ have served sixteen years as a supply.
and realizing that | was wedge, /
tHl6t 70 so iii the pace ana liz illtii tiiC
machinery as that there might be no
creaking or Earring much less n
smash-up.
The most difficult proposition |
ever had was the Woodsdale circuit.
When at Fayetteville, December 1901,
DIR Gibbs informed me that he had
no need of a supply on the Raleigh
district, | concluded I'd have to retire;
but being informed that Dr. Moore
wanted a man for WoOdsdale circuit,
l put myself in his hands He told me
it was new circuit-only two
churches, and they paid only forty
five dollars. but that the Conference
had made an appropriation of two
hundred dollars. which meant a salary
of two hundred and f0rty-five dol
lars. The circuit he further Informed
me- lay north of Roxboro on the Nir-
ginia line, and from what he had heard
about it. the country was fine mis-
siGnary territory and would afford Il
man an opportunity to do all the
preaching he wanted to do. I said all
|right-send me to Woodsdale. So when
the appointments We're read out.
'Woodsdale circuit. supplied by L. II.
Whitaker" sounded quite as big as
ItoNboro or Mt. Tirzah
Woodsdale circuit, 20 my mind was
charming valley. running east and
west along the Hyco, just south of
the Nir"inia line, which only needed
little Methodist preaching to make
it the garden spot Of the State OF
course | had no idea-Gt being
represented to me as missionary
territory, that would find any
churches, and but few. if any. profess
ing Christians. within the bounds of
that enchanting yet benighted terri
tory. | had no idea but what I conld
SOW and reap and make reputation
nat my posterity, to the latest genera
ton. could we'll brag on
The plan OF the circuit embraced
the following proposed preaching
places High View. Holloway's
School House. Woodsdale. Longs
chapel, Providence and Winstead
School House. As l read over those
| names | could but congratulate my
sell on 50 fine a prospect as the new
circuit seemingly afforded l had the
grippe right after Conference and il
was February before / could go ont
no one can imagine how restless | be-
came was SO anxious to see the town
OF Woodsdale. to stand on the sum
ilI, o1 HIgh View; To Shake hands
with the EOllOWaVS