The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1921-09-22
ESTABLISHED 1894
STORIES OF OUR SOUTHLAND.
Larry Gantt's Weekly Letter.
Old Time Ministers-Uncle Jimmy
Dannelly

Dannelly.
In old ante-bellum days, and es-
pecially in the rural sections, preach
ers were of an entirely different or
der from the ministers Of the gospel
in these advanced and modern times.
They were clerical shoulder r-hitters,
who did not mince or choose their
words and believed in and preached
hell fire and birthstone. After one of
these fiery sermons the hairs on the
heads OF the terrorized congregations
stood out like quills upon a fretful
p0rcupine. You could almost smell
the birthstone and broiling flesh as
they depicted the horrors of torment
that was the sure heritage of unpeni-
tent sinners.
One of the most noted preachers of
the South was an old wooden-legged
Methodist named Uncle Jimmy DAN
nelly" who lived about one and half
miles from Lowndesville, Abbeville
district, South Carolina, near old
Smyrna church. He officiated in the
early fifties. He was stout-built
man and 1 should say weighed around
$50 pounds. His home was within
miles of Smyrna church and close to
the old campground of that name
This church has been moved to
Lowndesville and the railway from An
derson passes within a few feet of the
large graveyard belonging to the
, church and in which many of the re-
y elarkable men of that section are
(uried.
Uncle Jimmy Dannelly hated
three things above all else: Foppery
and gaudy apparel; inattention to ser
vices during his long-winded SER
mons, and immortality. Some of his
denunciations from the pulpit against
the latter sin were so strong and ex-
presSive as not to be printed at all
Uncle Jimmy's" fame as a preach
er spread all over the state and he
was once invited to preach a sermon
i'll fashionable church OF Charles
ton, S. G. He had a piercing, high
pitched voice. After mounting the pull
pit and taking his text, the old gen.
tleman glancing over the building and
then throwing his eyes into the gal
lery, set apartfor slaves in many city
churches before the war, began his
discourse with: 81 was told when in
vited to preach in this great city and
to this gaudily-arraryed congregation
that they were very refined people
and I must be careful what 1 said,
lest / offend their sensitive ears
From the number of mulattoes 1 see
sitting in that gallery, should judge
that the people OF Charleston are in
deed refined. Yes, the same sort of
refinement that brought about the de-
struction Of Sodom and Gomor-
rah." He then delivered a powerful
sermon on the subject and told his
hearers if they did Ut repent their
city deserved the same fate as
brought on the destruction of the
Dead Sea towns.
And he could not bear anything like
display of pride or hypocricy. There
was member of his church , a
wealthy man, whom 1 shall call Ben
jamin Blank. This man built a real
lice new home, the best in the neigh
|0orhood, of which he was very proud.
NOnce at Smyrna Uncle Jimmy"
preached strong sermon about peo-
pie in their old age, instead of devot-
ing their wealth and time to the cause
of God, were spending their substance
in riotous living and the erection of
fine palaces to live in.
After services, the householder ap-
preached Uncle Jimmy, who was sur
rounded by number of his flock and
remarked: Brother Dannelly, | do
cot think you did me the right thing
today in preaching that sermon about
my new home. 1t was my own money
/ put in it and every do lar was hon
estly made"
Looking at Brother Blank the old
man calmly replied, Benjamin, you
rfnic fo lyn oh INV hax hn
shanty you built in my mind when 1
selected my subject today. / referred
to house the Alstons erected near
Charleston. Why they would not use
the hut you built and are so proud
of for garden house. If you had not
been so mean and close-fisted and
stingy you would have bui a decent
house for your family long ago. Ben
jamin, 1 was not shooting at you, and
my little shot from the pulpit today
did not come within two hundred
miles of you"
When Uncle Jimmy" first came
to Lowndesville to preach, leading
member Of his congregation, who had
fine farm and prided himself on
Building higher fences, having fatter
horses and better clad slaves than
any of his neighbors approached the
old man and remarked, Brother Dan
nelly, I want to say that I am a very
poor man and have but little. but you
are welcome to share 1t. l want you
to take dinner with me today"
He expected "Uncle Jimmy" to con-
tradict his expression of poverty and
thus feed his vanity. The old man saw
at glance his object and replied 81
thank you Brother Jones, but there