Carthage courier. (Carthage, Tenn.) 1913-current, 1921-03-10
Fifty Years in the Ministry

No. VII.
There are embarrassing and and
amusing incident salong the history
of any profession. My experience is
no exception to the rule. When /
first began exhorting / was persuaded
to make an appointment at Rural
Academy. Hon. John w. Overall and
/ were pretty good chums at parties
ard frolics when we were boys. His
father lived then at Brush Greek.
Somehow he had not learned that l
had gone into the exhorting business.
One Sunday night we attended a ser
vice at old Sulphur Springs on the
pike between Brush Creek and New
Middleton near where Uncle Tommy
Kitchens lived. Josiah Smith of New
Middleton, father of B. F. G. Smith,
preached Overall and / sat together
in the rear of the building. Before
pronouncing the benediction father
Smith said: II am requested to an
nounce that Bro. John T. Oakley Will
preach at Rural Academy next Sunday
night" Overall hunched me in the
side and said: "Who in the douce and
thunderation is John T. Oakley 2"
When / told him it was I he went up
in the air like Mr.. Mutt and out he
went John ran for Governor a few
years ago and / did want him elected,
because he told me if he were, should
pray his Inauguration prayer for the
break he made in old Sulphur Springs
meeting house when we were boys.
/ didn't get to pray that prayer, how
ever.
The night came at the academy and
it was lighted with taller candlesticks
stuck in wooden holders around the
wall. / had scarcely begun my ex-
hortation till Darthulah Everett, sit
ting against the wall, raised a shout
and frightened US out of our wits. My
old bachelor uncle Curge, a lad then,
hollered: why don't somebody get it
out" He thought candle had fall
en- down her back. We were so sud-
denly upset by the shout of a good
Christian girl our services were sud
denly ended. Shouting is all right
but it came when none of as were
looking for it. / was at Defeated
Greek in a meeting several years ago
and one day Bro. Watson was making
the closing announcements and Uncle
Jackie Brooks turned loose a sudden
shout that brought me to my feet
Somebody has said he can be heard
two miles. That must have been one
of his three-mile shouts. Old Bro.
Saules of Auburn had a nephew who
claimed his Uncle Saules was the best
man in the world for you could hear
him pray two miles.
Back yondersI was deeply in love
with golden haired girl at Com
merce. Joe Hudson, now known as
sitting and whistling Joe" of Car
thage, also lived at Commerce and
was my competitor. / was glad when
his father moved from Commerce to
ElD1UOOd The father Of fbo erirI xryoe
pastor of Salem Baptist church at
Eimwood. One Friday afternoon the
father passed Rural Academy on his
way 70 Elmwood to begin his protract-
ed meeting. To my astonishment and
fright he had his daughter with him
and going right on to Hudson's home
with her. | got busy and employed me
a substitute to teach the next week on
the grounds that was to assist Ed.
l. d. Smith hold his meeting at Salem
on Snow Creek Accordingly, 1 show
ed up the next day and remained in
the meeting for several days, all the
time keeping my eyes on Hudson One
day we had baptiZing and Hudson's
sister was baptized and my girl was
with her. Ed Smith told me to go
ahead to the church from the baptiz-
ing and go to preaching. The preach
er and others came but Hudson's sis
ter and my girl and Joe failed to show
up 1t struck me they all three had
stopped up at Bro. Hudson's and just
what it meant | couldn't tell but l put
on all the vim | had and called mourn
ers and as they came from all parts
of the house / met them for / was
hunting the door and my horse on the
outside, which soon in a gallop landed