The Falls City tribune., 1909-09-10
Something More and The Last of The
ole~eamp Ground.

There are two circumstances con
nectod with one of tho several camp
meetings held on the Archer camp
grounds, of which | made particular
mention in my last contribution to
these desultory %recollections of mat
ters and persons in the early days,
that | deem of sufficient importance
10 be related before | dismiss the
subject. | am aware that they can
be of little interest to this generation 4,
but 1t may not be so with the few who
attended those meetings and yet lin
ger among the living, not unlike the
three or four old trees that yet
stand on the ground, and in their
day helped to shadow the people who
woshipped there a half century ago.
II is not impossible hat what !
write may bring to their yemen
brance, persons and incidents in
connection with those assemblages of
the religious people in those rude
times, that have, by the lapse of
years, become mistily obscure in
their minds. If | shall succeed in
doing nothing more. it will be- enough
to repay me for my labor. however
uninteresting and Improbable 1t may
be in all other respects.
Ii was at the camp meeting held
there in the summer of 1861, that
first met Rev. Henry T. Davis, of
whom | have already made mention
ina former paper of this series.
The country had grown in population
during the proceeding three years,
in the ratio of not less than three to
one. and the congregations then In
attendance We're very much larger
than they had ever been before. This
was missionary ground and the
Methodlsts were the first to occupy
1t, tina. Is. rs a church organization.
There were of course, members of
other religious denominations among
the first settlers, but their numbers
were not great. and no effort was
made for a long time to. organize
distinct societies for public worship
according to their several rituals.
Three of four Methodists anywhere
make a church, and If they have no
house especially devoted TO eongre-
gational worship, they improyise
their dwellings for the purpose in
winter, and the groves, in summer.
This has been the practice of that
denomination since John Wesley
planted il in America in the first
half of the eighteenth century.
The church had become tolerably
we'll organized In Nebraska, and was
divided into two conference dis
tricts, II north and the other soutl
of the Platte River. The one soutf
was, and Is yet, known as the Ne
braska City district-though thu
country has since been subdivide,
into several such districts-and Mr.
Davis was its presiding elder. Ill
had never been in this part of thu
country before, and was a compare
tive stranger to everybody, excep
perhaps, a few of the local preach
ers. From what | since learned o
his history, | should judge his ag
at that time, was something les
than thirty, but he was very earnest
above the ordinary in matter of il
telligence, and fairly We'll educated
From that day, till the day of hi
death, six or sever years ago,
knew him well and intimately, an
l say it now in all sincerity, that {
all the men that | have met an
come to know, in or out of tn
church. he was among the very hes
1t may be. and | am inclined I
think, was, owing to the strong an
lasting impression he made ON m
mind at hat first meeting, that il
%flueneed my estimate and regard +.
him while he lived, and has mac
his memory a thing for kind
rememDrance forever
The kind of ermo we had ge
orally, as l have remarked befor
were rather primitive, rustic perhal
would be a better word, though
must say l liked them on accou
of their simplicity, and want of ed
cational polish, for they in eve,
case, were redolent of sincere d
v%otion, and breathed the spirit
true Christian piety. We were
have something out of the usual c
der at that meeting, but nobody b
the young presiding elder knew VIII
it would be. Those meetings usual
commenced on Saturday night al
continued all through the followir
week. ending on the night of Su
DIV of tho Sppond Waak The wont