Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-06-18

Q MOUNTAIN FOLK.
of these churches are served by alb
sentee preachers who are with their
people only few hours monthly
and deliver a sermon hastily pre-
pared during the business hours OF
the week while making a living for
thelr families. Some of these church
es pay their pastors no salary, others
pay fifty cents to a dollar a month,
while the average church-not in
Guiding those in the towns-will pay
their pastor about thirty dollars a
year. Yet the preacher devotes a
considerable part of his time. includ-
ing most of the fall months, to preach
ing the gospel. No class of men are
making greater sacrifice than the
oackwoods preachers who give them
selves to the ministry without re-
muneratton. Possibly fifty per cent
OF these churches have no Sunday
school, prayer meeting or other relig-
ious society.
Wherever they have Sunday
schools they are a strong factor in
the religious life of the people;
though they are very imperfectly or
1ganized. The officers and teachers
are unframed. Still they are doing a
great work without which the cause
of religion would suffer greatly.
Some parts of this mountain ter
ritory are absolutely destitute of the
means of grace. Many villages and
communities are without a church of
any denomination; no Sunday school,
prayer meeting or other religious in
huences of any kind. Another great
misfortune suffered by this section is
the fact that our most promising
young men who are called into the
ministry are forced to go elsewhere
for an education, and when they are
equipped for their life work they al
most invariably accept a call to some
other field. Many of them today are
occupying important pu1pits in city
churches. The result is that the
cause of religion among the noun
| tains suffers for the want of men who
are able to bring things to pass This
mountain country has been furnish
ing pastors and businessmen for the
larger towns and cities, and receiving
little in return. If the churches really
understood the situation they would
put more men and money into this
field
These mountaineers are very sus-
ceptible to gospel influences, and very
emotional in their worship. A SER
mon, to be enjoyed by them, must ap-
peal to the emotional nature. The
preacher who does not cry as he talks,
occasionally at least, and the church
member that does not shout during
the revival meeting have little or no
religion, in their estimation.
The revival season is the fall OF
the year, and the parents look for
ward to this time in the hope that
their children will git religion and
jine the church. The announcement
is made weeks before, and when the
time arrives for the 'protracted meet
ing to begin the people assemble in
great throngs. For many days they
have been preparing for the occasion
! Cooking, dressmaking. hat buying and
fixing have been the order for a
week or more. Many of the smaller
boys and girls, it is true, come bare
footed, but those old enough to want
a sweetheart are at their best. The
people go into the church shaking
hands and passing compliments until
the preacher is in his place and a song
announced. They have no organ, as
a rule, and some of them would con-
slider 1t very sinful to play an organ
in church. The congregation proceeds
to sing-frequently they sing the
notes first, and then the words. After
the song service the Scriptures are
read, prayer offered and the sermon
delivered. You might not call it g
Sermon though it lasts long enough
for two or three sermons-about one
hour being the rule with most of the
preachers. Yet, at the conclusion ot
that exhortation the preacher makes
a proposition, and the people have 6
hearty handshake. followed by 6
| great revival
i MANY of the men who have made
the WORLDS history have come from
the mountains. And among the hills
of Tennessee there are many boy.
and girls whom God has endowed with
the strongest minds and noblest traits
of character. What a pity that these
forces should lie dormant! Why no
give them the spiritual touch ant
make them blessing to the worlt
and glory to God?
! Their Needs.
THE mountaineer's greatest need II
an incentive to better ways of living
attractive and attainable ideals, with
an impulse towards them. From theii
| ancestors they inherited noble aspira.
tions which, though long represset
by their environment, have not beer
| extinguished.
"The need is urgent. The transi
! ton period, ever a dangerous one II
being entered now by the noun
taineer. The buying of timber ant
coal lands in blocks of thousands Of
i acres, the extensive oil and gas leases
the coming of great saw mills and o.
railroads, and the miles of mines be
ing opened, have all brought to the
mountaineer a new world with un
usual opportunities for making none.
and for spending 1t in sensual pleas
ures.
His awakening has come; his lont
dormant energies aroused; stir hin
u for the fray. His hospitable heart. hi
: daring spirit and abundant vitalit!
all incline him to race with the multi
tude to do evil; and just now, If ever
: he needs Christian hand to be laiC
on his shoulder to check and stead!
him"
Il BY this time the missionary is bacl
In his beloved mountains where h
plans to spend the remainder of hi
days in the work to which he ha
u given his life. His salary is paid b!
la Harrisburger, but that fact is no
generally known.
BOXERS ARE BODY-WORsHTPPER
Bombardier Wells. heavyweight