Mexico weekly ledger., 1915-09-30
METHODIST MINISTER.
DtREs SOLDIERS HERE
M Rev. Mr. caPleR AetAndizi Mn
ister. Refuzsd - Talks 0ath q
Anssisnee = UnisA

soufhsn MssAodist ehurA whirh vas
Bad n ibis city during ths eisil var,
Asa 8 most inssresang ineidsns marx
4 IS . q tbs most unusual ever he'd
il ths history of Ire boey.
Both the Presbyterian and Methe-
DIT churches were IN the hands Of
Union soldiers, consequently the
Meshoaisss were =:-.l>1 --
,heir c~oufersncs meeting N tie Chris
tan church watch VAS offered for
sheir use. The Reverend caples was
presiding, but the federals had already
th~ruatensd him seriously that, he was
10 take the cath Of allegiance to the
Union or not preach. Regardless Of
this. Mr.. Caples asked the soldiers to
attend church that night The time
came for services and the soldiers had
literally packed the hsuse. A bit Of
bnse curiosity was in the all. Would
Ne dare preach there before the sol
Idiers? Mr.. caples arose, and opened
a prayer. 1t vas evident that he was
going to preach. 1t was he prayer
that saved him and this is the way Of
ii. As the prayer. limiting at the
threat that had been made him,
and hurting back his intention to cor
Time preaching progressed, the SOL
diers were astonished. Then, the
prayer became so real and his disre.
gard for self so vivid. that the entire
audienee-trOopers and all-were soon
crying. Needless TO say, Mr.. Caples
returned to Glasgow Just as he came.
There are seven churches in Mexico,
and the story Of every single n Of
them is too alive to he called a mere
History" The Methodist church
was the first of the seven organizsi,
and the Presbyterian second.
In 1882, a few citizens of Me sico
met at the home of Mr.. John c. Ma.
tin who lived over a mile from the
town proper. They proceeded to "
ganize the NJ. E. Church Of Mexic1,
Missouri 1t was summer-July--and
the members started the custom Of
meeting for service at the homes Of
the members. These charter members
Of Mexico's first church were: John
&c. Martin and wife, John Allen and
wife, Allen Nelson, Elizabeth Martin,
Henry Keeton and wife, Robert Nc
Intyre and wife. There are some
others besides the Rev. Robert
Younger who led the organization
movement, but the names are non
known.
But TO return. The church followet,
the circular meeting plan for several
years before a church building could
be built. The struggles AMI drives 10
get TO meeting" in those Gays would
probably have tried some Of tha
younger generation greatly. The
court house was brought into use FOR
services at intervals also.
Finally, the members bought a tiny
log cabin standing on the west side Of
the square. That was at a time when
Mexico was, in the words Of one Of the
old church members, "a little prairie
town with two stores" This little
building vas sold soon after it was
purchased, to become a residence
The Methodists once more were meet
ing in the court house.
The second Methodist church build
ing was at last ready in 1850. 1t was
a brick building and very fine for that
day--it stood where the city hall is
now.
Fellowship, really-truly church
brotherhood. interest, and real earn.
e~stness were all extremely marked in
the life Of the church at this time q
the old brick house. Enoch Marvin
later on a Bishop, the Reverend
caples Of Glasgow and other such
men were visitors at the small church
often, and added much to il.
In this period along about 1860 the
church had settled itself, not for q
long winters nap, but for a prosperous
growing period with all the advan.
tcges spoken Of above. But this was
not to be. Mrs. w. X. Potts keeps
a record Of some Of the church han.
penings in a huge, aged Bible. Ii
this is found a sentence something like
this; TN 1860 the war cloud began
to close in on our horizon And truly,
from that time on the story OF the
Methodist church moves very roughly
for a long period. The Federal sol.
diers took possession of the building
IN 1851. These were probably Mar
ODDS men. There was besides, John
sons company after the centralia
Massacre, and Caldwell's troops later
on came and almost ruined the hard
won church building. The walls and
roof were left by this last company
standing over a ruined Interior. The
work Of two or three patient men re-
paired the damage enough for the con-
gregation to gather for services the
next opportunity.
The church soon adjusted itself after
me trying period, and another build
ing where the present house stands
vas built. The women of the church
struggled along with suppers and all
those things that anxious church wo-
men do struggle with until they had
paved for a parsonage. The SUNDAY
school, which had been a part of the
church for many years, grew fiom
the time when its first superintendent.
Mr.. Alfred csuthOrn, launched it. 4
protraeted meeting wal held after the
war Oy ar. Bouriand and a large num-