The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1921-05-17
PRESDENT G. w. c. SPENDS
WEEKEND AT WEST END

III. ". NJ. ramsey IN bapllSt courier.
have been desirous for a long time
to spend a weekend in a village of
one Of our manufacturing centers.
The wish was gratihed last week by
an invitation to be with Pastor j. E.
Meng at West End, Newberry. BY
going down on, Saturday and remain
ing until Monday, opportunity was Of
fered to study the life of the church
and community.
The Newberry mill was organized
thirty-eight years ago, and has the
proud distinction of being, as am in
formed, the first in the South to use
steam for manufacturing purposes.
The West End Newberry Baptist
church was organized thirty-eight
years ago, and is probably one of the
oldest mill churches in the state.
1t would be difficult to find place
where Sunday could be more pleasant
ly and proftably spent than with the
West End Newberry church. The
Sunday school is a we'll organized and
enthusiastic body, the church intelli-
gent, harmonious and spiritu>l, and
the members we'll trained for their
work. About ten of the members
make acceptable and edifying pray
ers in public, while the attention of
the entire congregation is sympathet-
ic iand reverent in worship.
From the casual study made here
with this church, it seems to me that
there may be found solution to
many of our much discussed mill
church problems. Through the pass
ing years We have heard much of the
segregation of the mill church from
the rest of the community and of the
impossibility of having the members
of the older town families and mill
church families to worship heartily
together. No unfavorable condition
seems to exist here in West End
Newberry for the best fraternal rela-
tions: The heads of the departments
and the officials of the mill below the
president are active members, bat
these officials do not seem to be any
more prominent in the work than the
rank and file of the membership. The
president of the mill, Mr.. 2. F.
Wright, though not a member here,
is often a worshiper with this church,
and likewise moves freely and in q
most eengenial way among the people
in thar social and church gatherings.
The church hopse,.svery commodious
and tasteful, was constructed Jointly
W tie ceupany and the church, but
SheaIy nanaged by the latter, while
Ehe Rarsoriage, a convenient and at
traetive Ihungalow;~was built by the
aaA ;aad is, used free of cost by the
,paHasss family.
81 little inquiry revealed the signi-
sfeanszfa fact, which is frequently lost
sight OF, that at last there is no es-
sEntsM reason existing in cur mana-
faetdHng communities for class dis
tsnctiens. The truth is that all of US
are one people, and in this case prae-
tically all of these citizens, both Off
rialss:ahd operatives, are from New
berry county. The Fife Of the people
here is normal and wholesome. The
pastor is friend and cemrade of all
and is regarded by the officials as the
Key man to the village interest and
activities. There seems to be no la
Dor troubles of any kind. If danger
pus radical should appear on the scene
he would be quietly eliminated by
scont1on consent.
: The spirit of education among the
people is as healthy as that of relig-
ion. The public school in West End
Newberry takes the children through
the fourth grade only, and the pupils
are transferred to the grammar and
high school CT East s.Newberry for
finishing their work. This arrange
raent is not only economical, but Sc
cures better education than could be
gotten by trying to maintain the
higher grades in the mill district. The
plan seeans to work in a most salts
factory way to all concerned and car
RES with IT a suggestion that may be
valuable to other communities. They
care for higher education also. For
raerly we have had students from this
church at the Greenville Woman's
college and we are now matriculating
one of their brightest girls f"" next
session.
/ think it is a safe venture to say