The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-08-01
MONUMENT is ERECTED TO
FAMOUS "BLiND PREACHER"
Stone Marks Site of Church Where
Rev. James Wnddel Preached
100 Years Ago.

Gordonsvillc. Va. July 3I.--with APP
propriate exercises and the band Of
the Fourth Virginia Regiment to fur
nish tho music. there WAS erected, on
Wednesday afternoon at 2:30 o'clock. a
monument to mark the historic church
OF the blind preacher" james Waddcl
tnow spelled WaddclD. The stone. Il
handsome ono OF granite. bears this
inscription: =,
Near this spot. while YET in
primcNal forest. stood the
church Of the blind preacher
JAMES WADDEL.
i devout man Of God and
faithful minister of the Pres r
" Born iI i7sS. died 1905.
Socrates died like philoso-
pher, but Jesus Christ like
God
From his sermon as narrat-
William Writ.
And on the base of the stone the one
ton OF the Waddcl memorial commit
tee. with REV. Hugh II. Hudson. the
chairman. master of ceremonies.
large number of descendants OF
the blind preacher from all sections
OF the state and hosts Of friends were
in attendance.
Something over 100 years ago there
lived near Gordonsville, Va, I; wonder
fully gifted, but blind, Presbyterian
preacher. His name was James W,ad-
del. While living here he preached in
Il PRESBYTERIAN church. about ne-half
mile northeast of the present town of
Gordonsville. called Belle Grove" and
which later became commonly known
as the church of the blind preacher
Near the beginning. OF the nineteenth
jurist and author. was .jourmeyimg
through the County OF Orange. AS he
travelled along one sunday. his eye
tied near a ruinous old house not far
from the roadside. lie knew at once
What What i meant meant This WAS 'meetins
the preacher of such Wilderness"
the statesman stopped and entered the
1t was the church of the blind
preacher" The old preacher himself
was in The pulpit. OF him. and Of the
S ser Mr Writ Writing in the Brit
struck by his preternatural appearance
He was tall and spare, old man. His
cap. his shriveled hands. and his voice.
We're all Shaking under the influence
of palsy: and few minutes ascer-
tanned to me that he was blind"
After giving an account of the ser
mon. Mr.. Writ says: 1t was some
time. before the tumult had subsidized
so far as to permit him to proceed.
Indeed. judging by the usual. but fall
lacious standard of my own weakness
alton OF the preacher. For could not
| conceive how he would be able to let
his audience down from the heights to
which he had wound them, without i'm
pa irinR the solcmnity and dignity OF
his subject. or perhaps shocking them
by the abruptness of the fall. But no:
sublime as the elevation had been rapid
and. enthusiastic"
You are TO imagine that YOU hear
his slow. solemn. well-accentcd cnun-
citation. and his voice of Affecting.
trembling melody; you are to remem-
Der the pitch of passion and enthusi-
portentous death-like silence which
preacher removing his white handker-
chief from his aged face even yet wet
from the. recent torrent of his tearsI.
and slowly stretching forth tho palsied
hand which holds ii: begins the SEN
tencc: Socrates died like a phloso-
pher' then pausing. raising his other
Eethcr with warmth and energy to his
breast. lifting his siehtlcss balls to
hTave his "nS rG%r"e yol his Whole soul
Christ like a Cod II he had been in
decd and truth an angel of light, the
effect could scarcely have been more
divine"
Some tifty-hvc years after the above
incident the old church was torn down
perance hall in GordonSvile, which.
after the civil War: was used for sev
II was condemned. that :. street might
be opened. and the remaining material
WAS disposed OF. The site OF this
church has remained unmarked until
now. SO, too. is Mr. Waddells original
grave 1T his old home. "Hopcwcn."
about one mile west OF tiordonsVillc,
from which his remains were taken
some sevcnty-iivc years after his death
! and reinforced at Rapidan, Va. where
stands the Waddcll Memorial Church
Several years ago W. ". Scott. in his
History Of Orange County, Virginia."
proposed that tho site &C tho old church
he marked in som" appropriate man
ncr. The suggestion was not acted
upon, as IL should have hccn until
West Hanover PreSbytery. within whose
bounds the site of the old church is To-
Gated, recently gave its hearty indorsc-
ment'to the movement. With the result
that sufficient money was subscribed 10
erect handsome monument to the
memory OF The blind preacher"