The Tupelo journal. (Tupelo, Miss.) 1876-1924, 1909-08-27

VI q uuIAlUCA VIC ICplOuuSC IL III
full. Mr.. and Mrs, High have
been associated with the Sunday
School since its organization and
this piece of history will prove
interesting to every one. a
Mr.. Superintendent, Officers and Schol-
arS,
In complying with the request of
Brother Woodland to write history of
our Sunday School. I have not endeav-
ored to do more than state facts con-
nected with its organization and
growth. If even the facts were prop
erly.and perfectly stated, it would take
more time to read them than should be
allowed this paper. Thirty-eight years
can bring about many events, many
joys and many sorrows, and our Sunday
school has not been immune to the
touch of time that brings both sorrow
and happiness. 1t is pleasure to re-
member the joys, and sad to remember
the sorrows, and all my recollections of
these | have abstained from writing.
have mentioned no names but those
on whom the chief responsibility rested.
The First Methodist Church of Tupelo
was organized in 1867 by Bro. Plumber,
the circuit rider who rode through Tu-
pelo in the interest of the church.
When they organized they had no house
of their own, and for three years ac-
cepted the courtesies kindly extended
by our Baptist brethren and worshipped
in their church. During the year 1870
Brother Mayhem, a Methodist evange-
list. was sent down from Nashville and
he preached for us about two weeks,
and we had an old time before-the-war
revival. 1t was genuine revival and
affected the whole town, enthused the
little. band of Methodists and gave
them small increased membership.
At the close of the meeting Bro. May
hew pleaded with the Methodists to
build church of their own. which they
promised to do, and promptly did. AS
soon as the building could be occupied
the first Methodist Sunday school was
organized with twenty or twenty-five
members, mostly adults. There was
not as many as ten Methodist children
in the town at that time and it took all
the members of the church to start the
school. For long time the school was
very small, but perfect devotion on
the part of those most interested made
it stay together and grow. 1t was in
1871 when the organization was effect
ed, and Bro. w. A. McCanless, whom
many of you know as consecrated,
enthusiastic christian, and being high
ly fitted. wore the honors of being the
first superintendent, with Bro. T. L.
Duke pastor in charge. We do not
know who was made secretary, if one
was needed. Bro. McCanless was su-
perintendent from this time until 1879,
and we had as pastors Bros. T. L
Duke, j. A. PEBBLES and J. B. Stone.
There are no records to show how the
school got along during these eight
years.
With 1879 DR.. ]. M. Hoyle, man of
much modesty but forceful, came in as
superintendent, w. A. McCanless Sec
retary and R. G. Porter pastor, and we
fin1 enrolled ten officers and teachers
and fifty-two scholars, with an average
attendance of seven and thirty-three,
respectively. The collections averaged
37s cents up to September 81, and the
balance of the year S1.8S was the aver
age. We do not remember, nor is there
anything on record to show, what
brought about this increase. 1t may
have been that about this time we SUBJ
scribed for the Sunday school litera-
ture. For long time we did not have
the literature that we have now. The
children's lessons were studied from
the catechisms and the older members
studied direct from the bible.
The first of January, 1880, we still
had Bro. Porter as pastor with Bro. F.
NJ. Goar superintendent. Bro, Goar
was very dignifed but full of sunshine
and well beloved, and earnestly be-
lieved in doing well what he had to do.
w. C. Bessonette was secretary, and
made good one, always being at his
post. This years work ended with just
about the same attendance and collec-
tions, though that did not signify that
the work was not well done, for the
church was in good, harmonious condi-
ton and the membership was fully rep
resented in the Sunday school that
year as well as all the years Of its early
history.
During 1881 we had DR.. j. C. Dozier
as superintendent, with the same pas
tor and secretary. DR.. Dozier was a
polished gentleman and made a very
pleasant superintendent. The enroll
ment increased this year to 20. In
1882 we again had Pro. Goar as super
lintendent and Bro. Porter as pastor.
| The school made no increase nor did il
decrease in students, but was run with