The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1914-04-17
Fifty-Seven Baptised in River

FItty-Seven baptlsed In River
Easter Sunday was a gala dav
for the colored brethren of the
Baptist persuasion. AS a result
of a long-draWn-out revival the
preacher had gathered ffty-seven
who had promised to forsake the
world, the flesh and the devil and
keep strictly to the straight and
narrow path. Sunday was an
pointed as the time for the whole
sale immersion and the news was
spread far and wide. The result
was that the morning trains
brought in crowds of dusky DAM
sells and beaux, gray-haired
uncles and mammies and whole
herds of picaninnies. The car
and a half reserved for their COL
or on the train from Clarks and
intervening stations were packed
like unto a sardine box. Evil
IDENTIFY personal decoration is not
regarded by the sisters as a car
dinal sin, for soon Columbia's
streets looked as if the fragments
of several rainbows had been
broadcasted along them. And
they were having one great big.
glorious picnic. The young bucks
had on smirks that wouldn't
come off, and danced attendance
in a way to cause old Lord
Chesterfield to roll over in his
grave.
AS the hour approached for the
baptising the crowd assembled
near the old Farmers Union
warehouse, in which the candi-
dated changed their Sunday buds
for baptismal robes. The bank
at this point has a gradual slope
and formed a natural amphithea-
ire for the spectators, and also
the required depth of water suit
able for a 2-foot picaninny to the
tallest buck among the candi-
dates. All arrangements had been
perfected and as soon as the can
didates were suitably arrayed
they were formed in a long line
at the waters edge. 1t must be
stated that the whole of them
looked upon the almost icy flood
that rolled by their feet without
quailing. The water was cold
mighty cold for -ducking- and
the wind had crispness CORE
spending .so the frosts of the lat
Ter paT of the week. After the
uSus services the preacher who
Way ~ to do the immersing- there
We're a dozen or fifteen other
Preachers on hand to help out IN
case of emergency stepped into
the water and waded out to The
depth required by the first Ssap
didate. At tie word 1WQJ -
sistants seized the candid&se AID
waded out with him to tie
preacher. After repeating tile
usual formula, the preacher dip
ped the candidate backward until
his head was submerged. Then
two other assistants led him
ashore, while the first two led
out another professor. Rapid
fire time was made, a watch held
showing that the candidates
were dipped about three-quarters
of a minute apart. The whole
ceremony went off without a
hitch, the officiating preacher
moving into shallower water for
the small candidates and into
deeper again for the taller ones.
AS the dimensions were COM
pleted the candidates hurried to
the warehouse to don dry clothes.
When all had changed, the bal.
ance Of the services were held.
Sunday will long be remembered
by the colored Baptists as red.
letter day in the history of thei,
organization. The outgoing trains
carried away most of the visitors
though a large number who had
ridden or driven in for the event
returned home in the same way
1t is to be hoped that the whole
community will profit by the
pledges given to lead sober ant
honest lives henceforth.