Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1910-12-27
AcARn.

In 1898 I was called to the pastorate of
the Mount Zion Baptist Church, at Rap
idan Station, Culpepcr county, Va. At
that time there was no church and the
members had nowhere to meet for wor-
ship. They we're scattered about few in
number The house had been destroyed
by a freshet under the administration or
pastorate of the Rev. S. Nj. Johnson.
How long it had been destroyed ] do
not know. | am sure, however, 1t was
over two years.
1 knew nothing about the locality,
and those who seemed to have some
knowledge of the fact, said TO me that
it was an unusual thing for such a thing as
a freshet to occur They had not seen
one before, there, and | was perfectly
safe in building in that place again.
/. however. made strong foundation,
as / supposed, which, would never be
carried away again. should n freshet
come. The cost of the house that |
built was two thousand five hundred
dollars (S2,500,) and it was used for a
church for seven years, and in 1903, five
years ago, during the great freshet OF
that year, IL was totally destroyed, with
all the furniture. Soon after secured I
new site and started to build again. l
got I'D the frame and visited my former
friends, who had assisted me with the
former church, and / met with very
little encouragement or assistance. They
blamed me greatly for building on the
same site, where my predecessor had
built, although | knew nothing about
the conditions that existed at the time L
built my church. / went TO business
man at Fairfax Court House, Va, and
gave him mortgage on my iarm for
a l,ll ~ QiAlt onI
finished my new church. Now, the church
IS completed, but this 81 800 against my
farm has never been cancelled as yet.
Last spring in the Democratic and
Chronicle, Of Rochester, y. Y, was pub
lfshed an article of n slanderous libel,
stating, with other untrue things. that i
was raising money to build church,
but was using this money to buy farm,
which had not the slightest truth in IL,
and hope TO call the party or parties TO
account soon.
/ fail to understand what the person OF
persons expected TO accomplish by the
aforesaid publication. No man who has
known me for forty years would take
me for an idiot, or bordering on insan-
ity. The whole statement in that paper,
from the beginning to end, is nothing
but s.bosh." The matter may be viewed
ness or prejudice.
My work in the way or church-build-
ing and passionate has been done right
here In these four counties: Alexandra
county, Fairfaxcounty. Prince William
county and Culpeper county. ! do not
have to go to Rochester TO look up men
who are going up and down tho street
looking for a, skunk" by which t.
make living.
The first time / was called upon to dc
church work and act as an associate pas
tor, was the IBeulah Baptist Church o
Alexandria. Va. / was called there in
1869. The church had purchased lot
during the civil war, of what was sup
posed To have been conliscated property
! The property was bought by man by
the name of Mr.. Chittenden. of Scranton
Pa. That purchase was loss. as he wa:
not responsible. The trustees built on
| this lot n $1,000 meeting house. They
borrowed at the same time, 81 200 from
| twelve gentlemen in the city of Boston
Mass, whose names are as follows:
Hon. j. Warren Merrill, Hon. John NJ
| s. Williams, Mr.. Moses w. Pond, Mr.
Jesse A. Lock, Hon. r. o. Fuller anC
others, also Mr.. Whittlesy, of Alexan
dria, Va. When / was called as asso
ciate pastor, this money had accumula
ted to 81 800 The church alsoowed 81 o,
making total offs 200. All ofthis money
was raised and paid to the parties nance
by myself, and brought home the note
to the trustees.
Soon after this, the former owners o
the lot, who had gone south during the
war, returned, and in 1871, they brought
a suit of ejectment against the church
to recover $500, or 5000, for the lot again
tc iona hxr Mr. 1 ~ Rnoly ham
and others. This / was again called
upon TO raise, and did so. Thus, you see
| have cleared that church twice Of il
Indebtedness.
Soon after this had been accomplished
was called by the trustees OF the
National Theological Seminary, o
Washington. ID. c., under DR.. Il, Turner
as a travelling agent, to raise money TO
them. This did until that school was
merged into the Wayland Seminary
or Howard University, of which / an
not positive. l then gave up the agency
for them.
My next church work was done in con
nection with Rev. l.. ii. Bailey, Of Deco
guam, Prince William county, Va
There | built neat and nice church
raising the money from my friend
north, at least the grerter part of it.
|
with him, was at Brentsville. Prince
William county, Va. There | built
nice church, also, and paid for 1t. My
next church work in connection will
| him was at Burkes station, Fairta'
county, Va, | raised the greater part o
| that money for that church. But las
but not least, twelve years ago, as hay'
previously stated, | was called to tn,
| pastorate of the Baptist Church at Rapi
dan, Culpeper county, Va. This churcl
| | have built In II years pastorate, ant
the second time, as have aforestated
| mortgaged my farm fer 81 800 TO com
| plete the work there, and this 81, 300 /
still unpaid.
| Further, since / have been the paste
OF that church, l have not asked for on
cent of salary, and have not collected
one cent from them in any way of salar.
or anything else. make my living b.
| being an agent for a business house O
the west, which had given me supper
/ for quite a number of years, and | an
still an agent.
| i may also state here that / was tn
pastor of Mount Zoah Baptist Church
| jacksonville, Fairfax county, Va, for ]
years. AT the time was called there
there were only few of the older mel
Of that community or church who Owne'
their own homes. Now / can point Il
not less than ten able young men whit
| have bought, or are buying, themselYe
| homes, ut the present time.
| During my passionate with them,
urged upon them, both IN the pulpit
and out of it, the necessity of maxim,
| ,t,an,oalvac ttaaruf man I'm tho onDnpn