The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-04-25
THE REAL NORTH CAROLINA.

spirit OF nDcIty ana iIuepShdeiiee
made it impossible for Tories to i've
n Butte in those days naturally lea
the people to follow the lead of Ma
thaniel Macon. the great statesman
of Butte, whose spirit Of real democ-
racy and frugality and simple hvine'
yet abides among this people. here
the home is the center and here is q
community where simple Ialtn an"
neighboriiness and industry are n
predominat.ng virtues
The people Of this community make
up the membership of the biggest
POPLAR Springs is one Of tho oldest
churches in the county and when
you go to find the reason 1or VIC
thrift and substantial qualities OF the
people and the influence that made
these people here a God-fearing, pa
triotic and thrifty community, you Will
find that it. has been produced by the
acceptance of sound religious convlc-
tons and sound political principles
Men are the product OF what they pc
lieve. The evil of this day is not the
people believing false doctrines, but
there are so many OF them VINO 40
not believe anything at all. The
people of this community take their
politics and their religion seriously.
From generation to generation they
have taken their politics from the
school of Nat Macon and their religion
- fa{tN, in Cod as
expounded by men who have had no
dogmas but who have sought TO pre-
serve among them the ancient lahu-
marks. The strongest single IN
fluence in recent years that has been
helpful in this church life of the peo-
pie has been the fact that for nearly a
quarter Of a century the preacher at
this big church has been Rev. George
NJ. Duke, one Of the biggest men or
North Carolina. l speak not OF pig
ness in the sense of classical education
or of the learning of the a~ncients, but
of the bigness of the sort tina is "racy
Of the SOIL fills his place fully, that
mixes common sense n brains Win
religion in such parts as to build up
men and women into a STURDY faltn
and simple life, with the right appre-
hension Of public and private religious
duties. There is a mighI power in
the Methodist itineracy in that q
preacher always has a pulpit and
every church always has a preacher,
and that system has demonstrated It's
value by the good work 1t has done in
reaching the people, but now and
then even the Methodist who believes
in the polity of his church is convinced
that, in the case of the real strong
man, a long tenure gives to the big
man a power and influence in develop
ing the life and spirit of the whole
community that is not possible III any
short term p~astOrate, however bril-
liant. In the score of years or more
that Mr.. Duke has been pastor here
h has built the people up, not only in
religious faith, but in public duty and
in the fine traits Of neighborliness and
unity and cooperation that make this
splendid community.
You FIND here none of h great in
capabilities of life that make caste and
class; you find here none very rich
and none who do not earn their own
living. 1t IS 3 self reliant. happy. in
dustrial frugal people who have been
trained in the strength of the old time
iIdlVldualism and who are now en-
pioylng the community spirit for de-
eiopment. They are thus building
this spirit Of cooperation upon a solid
rock and the success and nrosnaritv
OF the county HiSh School here, which
closed its session today, demonstrates
that, next to religion. the education a.
all children is the dominant passon
Of the men and women Of this whole
community. They have built here =