Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1913-05-27
FROM THE SOUTHLAND.
President w. 0. Carrier of Carroll Col
ieee Visits Great Presbyterian
Meeting in the South.

TO comply with the request YOU have
heretofore made of me to give your
readers some opportunity to share the
experiences of my journey. My going
was the occasion of the meeting of
the four Presbyterian denominations
OF the United States who help stimuli
taneously their Assembly at Atlanta,
Ca, and representing a constituency
in the United States of about 10000,
900 people. 1t is the first time that
the North Presbyterian church has
met South.of Mason and Dixon line
since the Rebellion.
Some two years ago the ministerial
association of Atlanta conceived the
idea of inviting the Presbyterian
church North, and the Presbyterian
church South, and the United PreSby
terians and the Reformed Presbyter-
ianS to meet in their city, that it
might lead to closer fellowship and
what / believe the great majority are
now looking towards-a complete un-
ion of ali these branches in one great
church. This meant d gathering of
over 2500 representatives, and each
delegate was asked to wear a ribbon
indicating his denomination, the North
Presbyterians wearing blue; the
south, red; the United Presbyterians,
white, and the Reformed, purple.
Leaving Chicago on the special
train May 18th | soon found myself
among those wearing all these differ
ent coloFs and coming as delegates
from the far west and north. | took
the Big -Four and the Queen and
Crescent route, passing through
part of Illinois, across the state
of Indiana, going through the
splendid capital at indianapolis,
and across part of Ohio to Gin
cinnati. Near and by the latter city
one gets something Of an dea of the
late terrific floods, as the high water
mark on the buildings, stores, fac
tories and the depo {, covering tho2-
sands of acres, was higher than the
smokestack of our engine. Miles of
track and immense steel bridges
were swept away, causing millions of
dollars loss to the railroads.
From Cincinnati we crossed Ken
tucky through the blue grass region.
1t does not compare for agriculture
with our state of Wisconsin, but it is
place of delightful homes and pros
porous people. We then crossed the
state of Tennessee through the Cum
berland mountains. We are now in
the Southland where we meet the coll
ored problem, and through these
mountain regions the Mountain
Whites, = so called, have solved this
problem by inviting the colored man
to stay away, and they have largely
accepted the invitation.
On the south side of the state only
three or four miles from the Georgia
line we reach Chattanooga, in and
about which some Of the greatest bat
tless of the Rebellion were fought.
We see Lookout Mountain, Missionary
Ridge and Chickamauga. Here 80, 900
men were killed and wounded 14,000
Of whom lie buried in the National
cemetery within the city limits, more
than 5000 of whose graves are marked
unknown, and one can but think of
the human suffering not only of those
who died but friends who mourn their
loss and realize what tremendous
price this country paid for maintain
ing the union. 1t is five hours far
ther to Atlanta, the empire city of
the south.
The Southern people have never yet
allowed their conventions to be en-
tertained at hotels, and it was with
this understanding that the delegates
would be entertained at the homes.
Never have l known such hospitality,
such marked demonstration or greet
ings and most of the people in asking
for guests emphasized the fact that
they wanted to entertain 'real
yankees"
These great assemblies met in their
appointed place for business during
the day but always held a joint meet
ing in the great auditorium in the
evening and one of the most promi
nent men of each church spoke. A
communion service was held on Fri |
day afternoon, May 10th, in the close
communion Baptist Tabernacle, and
there were nearly 1000 people repre-
senting every phase of Presbyterian
ism joined in that communion. 1t
wos one of the most touching scenes |
| have ever beheld. Four moderators
and forty EIGHT elders of the various
churches had charge of the service,
and the two hymns, "Praise God
From Whom All Blessings Flow"
and ''Blest Be the Tie That Binds, .
the 23d Psalm, and the Lords prayer
were recited with more than usual
feeling.
Monday, the 10Th, | attended a
meeting of the old veterans in the
state capital building, where the con-
federate soldiers invited all the old
union soldiers. 1t was another occas-
ion of good fellowship, where men
greeted each other as brothers and
Wed with each other in their express
sions Of loyalty TO the old flag that
has never lost star
greatly enjoyed the conference Of
college presidents of more than thirty
of the Northern Presbyterian colleges.
and we had as our guests at the ban
quet the presidents OF the Presbyter-
ian colleges of the South. and it was
marked for its cordial fellowship, its
brilliant scholarship. and its unsur-
passed wit.