The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1921-09-20
STORIES OF OUR SOUTHLAND
Old Time Ministers-Uncle Jimmy
Dannelly

In old ante-bellum days, and es-
pecially in the rural sections, preach
ers were of an entirely different order
from the ministers of the gospel in
these advanced and modern times.
They were clerical shoulder-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 fretful
porcupine. You could almost smell
the brimstone 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 Lowndesvidle, South Car
olina, near old Smyrna church. He
ofioiated in the early fifties. He was
a stout-built man and / should say
weighed around 1S0 pounds. His
home was within sight. of Smyrna
church and close to the old camp
ground Of that name. This church
has been moved to Lowndesville and
the railway from Anderson passes
within few feet of the large grave
yard belonging to the church and in
which many of the remarkable men
of that section are buried.
'Uncle Jimmy" DanneNy hated
three things above all else: Foppery
and gaudy apparel; inattention to SER
vices during his long-winded sermons;
and immortality. Some of his denun-
Citations from the pulpit against the
latter sin were so strong and express
sive as not to be printed at all.
'Uncle Jimmy's" fame as a preach
G spread all over the state and he
was once invited to preach sermon
in fashionable church of Charleston,
S. C. He had piercing, high-pitched
voice. After mounting the pulpit
and taking his text, the old gentle
man glancing over the building and
then throwing his eyes to the CALLER
les, set apart for 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-arrayed congregation
that they were very refined people and
/ must be careful what said, lest /
offend their sensitive ears. From the
number of mulattoes / see sitting IN
the gallery, / should judge that the
people of Charleston are indeed re-
fined. Yes, the same sort of refine
ment that brought about the destruc--
tion of Sodom and Gomorrah." He
then delivered a powerful sermon on
the subject, and told his hearers if
they did not repent their city deserv-
ed the same fate as brought on the de-
struction of the Dead Sea towns.
And he could not bear anything like
a display of pride or hypocricy. There
was a member of his church, a
wealthy man, whom / shall call Ben
jamin Blank. This man built real
. nice home, the best in the neighbor-
hood, Of which he was very proud.
Once 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
approached Uncle Jimmy, who was
surrounded by number of his flock,
and remarked: Brother Dannelfy,
Edo not think you did the right thing
today in preaching that sermon about
my new home. 1t was my own mon
ey l put in it and every dollar was
honestly made"
Looking at Brother Blank the old
man calmly replied, Benjamin, you
are mistaken about my having the
shanty you built in my mind when l
selected my subject today. referred
to a house the Alstons erected near
Charleston. Why they would not use
the hut you built and are so proud OF,
for a garden house. If you had not
been so mean and closefisted and
stingy you would have built decent
house for your family long ago, but
my little shot from the pulpit today
did not come within two hundred
miles Of YOU"
s. MI sIJT.olo I;,, y,o1,' frSf came