The Penn's Grove record., 1914-09-25
Camp Meeting Times Again Recalled

Sow more wheat this month.
Camp Meeting Times Again Recalled
DEAR BROTHER SUMMERILL
/ have read with interest the Rem
miscences, mostly on the spiritual side
of the Penns Grove Camp Meetings, pub
lished in your newspaper, and thought
that l would "reminiscences a little my
self. My recollections do not 60 back as
far as brother w. d. Torton's and his does
not go back far enough.
The first camp meeting of which lever
heard were held in the woods of my
grandfather, Rev. John Holton, near
Penns Grove, on the farm now owned by
Harvey w, Justice. 1 have seen these
meetings mentioned in the Christian Ad-
vote and the late Benz. S. Russell, in a
letter some years ago to the Salem Sun
beam, the clipping of which l have said
that his first romance began in Father
Holton's Camp Meeting woods. As the
woods were cut off soon after bis death
in March, 1S49, it follows hat they were
held before that time.
Later, camp meeting were held in
James Newell's woods near the old brick
mill. OF these, l have some recollection.
A vivid reminder is that l wore my first
long-tailed coat to one. Another, is that
sometime during the afternoon service
some of us boys would go swimming in
the nearby mill pond and find an 'abun-
dant vegetable deposit on our backs
when we were ready to dress.
But modern camp meetings with their
wooden houses, electric lights and other
home ~conveniences give no idea of the pic
turesqueness of the old time camp
grounds. They were held in the big
woods of mostly oak and chestnut. The
under growth was cleared away. A
preachers stand was erected with a very
slantiDg roof 10 act as a sounding board
In front OF that was al Enclosure carpeted
with straw and seats at the sides for the
Fathers and Mothers in Israel. This was
dubbed by the irrevereIt, as the sheen
pen. In front of all this was the auditor
ium consisting of boards laid on low
t%restles, u~ncushioned, excepting for an
occasional falling leaf, and from which
splinters might easily be acquired.
Fortunate, was the man or woman who
found a tree convenient for a lean back.
Surrounding the auditorium was the circle
a promenade dear to the young folks.
Around this came the circle OF tents: some
times three or four circle. Over all was
the canopy of living green thru which
the ligh filtered with a far grander effect
any stained glass windows. Such
were these temples in the wilderness
where u grandfathers worshipped.
And then the evenings,l Lighting was
done by bonfres on platforms raised
eight or ten feet high, and placed at
proper intervals. The light was ample |
and the effect wierd and beautiful; not
surpassed by anything in our New York
Cathedral Of st. John the Divine on
Cathedral Height.
Shall we say anything OF the road
Well, from Penns Grove to the camp
ground two and a half miles distant, they
were a bed of dust, three to four inches |
deep.
An impressive and effective scene was
the marching around Jerusalem at the
close OF the meeting. 1t was led by the |
ministers and new converts and all who
cared to join in the procession. All sang
the delightful camp meeting hymns.
After making the circuit tile preachers !
lined up by the stand and all the people
shook hands as they passed.
The sanitary conditions may be recalled. |
The drinking of water was from tile
wells on the ground, unboiled, and Nthe
disposal of sewage wa not what is now
called sanitary. l have no doubt t lit
Penns Grove camp meeting pave the
very vestibule of Paradise to some thru
the fundamentally of typhoid and
malarlal fevers and other such diseases.
But 10 ole rises to remind about tn
colored camp meetings which used to be
held in Ann Kaighn's woods. Believe
me, they were some class, attended al
most as largely by the whites as by the
blacks; so much that it might be said the
blacks looked like buckle berries in a
bowl of milk. These meetings were
attended by the elite of the colored op-
ulation Of Chester, Wilmington, Salem,
Bushtown and Marshallton. The SER
mons were, no doubt, fervent and elo
quents. The people certainly
made the aisles of the old woods
ring
With their hymns of lofty cheer"
1t was said that the young folks at
tended camp meetings for a good time.-
That may have been so. Nc doubt they
had it. Good seed was sown that fell
into good ground, and eventually.
brought forth fruits into righteousness.
DAVID G. HoLToN,
Brooklyn, N. Y.