Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-07-17
FRIDAY, JULY II, 1908.
REcoLLEcrIoNs OF SMYRNA.
Correspondent Tells of Things That
Occurred In the Long Ago.

Occurred In the Long Ago.
Editor Yorkville Enquirer.
Just sixty years ago, middle aSeo
luan, al years old) with little bare
foot boy. six years old, riding behlno
him, rode up and hitched his mule
where the graveyard now is at Smyr-
ma. Only a few graves were there then
and some of them were enclosed In
pole-pen made of black jack pine ano
chestnut. A few tombstones stood
about here and there In the bushes on
the grounds The present stone wall
was built around the graveyard be-
tween the years 1S49 and 1853. Some
of these stones were hauled a consid-
erable distance-many of them from
Mr.. Thomas NJ. Whiteside's place, from
what was known as the Pike field"-
(many of them known then, as we'll as
now, by the name "nigger heads.O
The church building was a plair
weather boarded one, not ceiled. The
pulpit was a fashionable one for that
day, being octagonally shaped, with a
door in the side. In front Of it was
what was called the clerks stand
made with two upright planks with one
across the top. This was for the lead
ers Of the music to stand behind
While everything was plain and sim
pie in it's structure it was reasonably
comfortable at that day.
Rev. Robert Armstrong Ross was the
pastor and Franklin Oates and William
Crawford the singing clerks. The
worshippers generally carried their
Psalm books (Rouse's version) and not
a few of them took their Bibles. We
will here say, parenthetically, that at
that day and time it seemed that those
old time people went to church to wor-
ship Almighty God in the right spirit,
and not mere sham and big time" as
is the case now with many, we fear.
DR.. Ross mad only been In the min
istry four or five years. He was lit
tie, weakly looking man, but he had
the voice Of a lion and it was not an
uncommon thing for him to preach an
hour and a half-never less than one
hour. From spring till fall presbytery,
two sermons a day was the custom.
The interval being taken up in cate
chising the children Of the church
members and others too, who might
wish to take part.
This catechising was conducted by
the minister or one Of the elders, and
the child who didn't know the cate
chism adapted to its age, reflected on
its home training. Besides this, many
Of the children memorized the Psalms
CRouse's Version). This took the place
of our modern Sabbath school, only 1t
was much more thorough in its work
Of teaching than many Of them are
now. DR.. (then Rev. Ross was ma
tive Of Cabarrus county, North Caro-
lima. When he was first called to the
pastorate Of Smyrna in 1S43, he board
ed with Mr.. Josiah Henry, two or three
miles above Hickory Grove on the
Queens or Rutherford road. One Sab
bath morning on his way to SMYRNA
to preach, as he passed the Briar
patch" muster ground, he found quite
a large crowd of people-men, women
and children there assembled. He
didn't know what to make of such
gathering, and made some inquiry
about it. He was told they had met
for a game of Skinny" which was
about as popular at that day as base
ball is now.
The crowd was made up principally
from Blue Water" 1.-The Nation" and
the "Coaling Ground" generally as
rough a set as could be mixed up. he
took occasion, however, to demonstrate
with them to desist as it was THE
Lords Day--The Holy Sabbath"-and
that such was sin in His sight, and
asked them to go to church with him.
They had (as was customary some IL
uuor in the crowd and some OF the men
were pretty full of It, He made his plea
for the Sabbath and the church
He had a more respectful and atten-
tive hearing than could have been eX-
pected Of such a crowd and at such
time. However, the game Of shiny
was called off and several of them
went to church with him. This broke
up the plav and put an end to 1t. This
was in 1914.
In 1856 a new church building was
erected-much larger than the old one
It was 60x40 feet with a gallery for the
slaves. In April Of 1857, presbytery
met there and four young preachers:
Robert Latham, - Grier. ]. c. Bovd
and Monroe Oates preached their trial
sermons. I'd.
In 1871 or ~. this building was
burned and the one which has lust
given wav to the present new building
was erected. making the four sacred
buildings on the grounds within the
recollections Of your correspondent.
J. L. s.
WIkinsville. july Is. 1908.