The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-11-13
Chronicles Of The CanebraRe
 cHAPTER
BY JOHN wrrHERspooN DUBosE
CHAPT FER KY.


 ST. JOHN -IN-THE-PRAIRIES.
 Rev. Caleb Ives. as we have seen, or7 ganized in 1884 the Episcopal church parishes of Demopolis and St. Andrew, the latter at Prairievilie Square. At the same time he organized at point about half way between Prairleville Square and Greensboro, the parish of St. John's- -Prairies. No pretense of town was near. A community of cotton planters, nearly all attached to the Epis. copal church, made application for par ish organization. Henry Clinton Robert son. whose land lay on the east bank Of tho Warrior, extending inland, donated the ground for a church. The original building was of hewn logs, the roof clap boards held in place by the logs. It was not long before the warped boards |of the roof let the rain and sunshine through A special meeting of the ves- try called to order repairs A retired naval officer a. member, listening to the deliberations, which he considered quite wordy for, the occasion, exclaimed with impatience. 'Gentlemen, let us caulk herr' She, however, held her own for about 20 years. Then the two daughters of the deceased first rector. Rev. John
 
 saving together and with this fund built neat gothic state church on the spot to stand as monument to their de- ceased father So we find here, where a great plantation touched the public road another example of church build ing in memory of an individual, within the limits of the Canebrake.
 Tn the last decade of the plantation life Rev. Anastasius Menaos, Greek of high culture. who had been a tutor in various families of the Canebrake, en- tered the ministry and became rector Of this parish. Services were held in the forenoon of each Sunday by him for the whites and for the slaves in the after noon. The attendance of the blacks was voluntary and small. I remember as the officiating priest dismounted from his saddle about dusk, returning from one of the afternoon services. he exclaimed as If in soliloouy, "a barren field, barren held" referring to his black congrega- tion.
 Even before the war changes of resi- dence among the parlshoners had re- duced the originally united consrega- ton at St. Johns. In 1865 the parish was formally abondoned. The church was ultimately removed westward rev miles to the vicinity of the Warriot river
 JOSEPH BLoDGETr sTICKNEY. | This was a cotton planter from Ne" England. In the early period he ar rived and promptly purchased one ol more allotments of the Bonapartists or the northern boundary of the grant te the Tombecke association. To this oay perhaps, a grapevine planted near nis cabin by the F'renchman flourisnes III tn' Sticlsnev backward.
 | MT. stickney was born of the best New England stock at Haverhill, SIX mlies from Boston, December IS, 17So slxty five years after that date son of thi' settler visited the Havehill nelgnpor. hood. His inquiries for traditions ane relics of his family brought to nm al | old man who proved to have been hostler for his grandfather.
 In early manhood Joseph Blooget' SticlSney came as far south as the towr of Washington, North Carolina. In hi' 34th year he married maiden or 10 daughter of General Grist, senator II the legislature of that state. The orlo' brought to him an inheritance Of slaves News reached him of the magnihcen' forest. the French grant. A year or two after his marriage he set out te cross the wilderness in search Of this already famous land. He hung pin' tin cup. to his saddle, put in the saddle | bags flint and steel for kindling hre put in a supply of ground coffee; pul pocket compass in his pocket, strapped