The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1949-10-14

Olive; Mr. and Mrs. Bonnie Bon
ham, Jennings. La; Mr.. and Mrs.
Allen Bonham and children, and
Mr.. and Mrs. Amile Bonham,
Newman, Ga.
This spot has particular senti-
ment for Mrs. Bonham, for her
family's home was located just
beyond the camp grounds and
she grew up and was married
right in the shadow of the tents"
THE well on our place is still
there and the spring where we
used to get water still flows and
is a good source of water" she
said.
Mrs. Bonham's father, Louis
Ravens, ran the public tent for
many years and she and her
daughter, Mrs. Stagg, still have
some of the benches held to-
eether with pegs which he him
self made for the tent, despite a
crippled hand.
The president of the association
is a member of the big Ramsay
family. He is I. w. Ramsay. who
gets his mail on a Perkinston
route. The father of the Ramsays
began coming to camp meeting
right around the beginning and
they have been coming since.
There are J. B. and I. w. Ramsay
of near Vancleave, A. K. of Hat
tiesburg. Lamar of McComb, Mrs.
S. j. Holder of Stapleton. Ala,
and Mrs. Clara Jeffrey of Jack
son. They are all planning to come
at least for the weekend.
Were planning for IS Satur-
day night" Mrs. Jim Ramsay said
cheerfully. They are first cousins
and live in Vancleave A short
time ago they built an adjoining
and smaller tent.
ut just got pretty crowded"
she said, land besides we need
some place to put the overflow"
james Byrd Ramsay believes
the biggest change is the installa-
ton of electricity but the Jim
Ramsays have gone one better
and cook on butane gas-a three
burner fed from a tank in the
lean-to kitchen.
The family of another charter
camper. the Rev. John FURRY.
makes no negligible list. Sons and
daughters on the grounds are
Mrs. W. D. Murray, Hattiesburg:
Sam of New Orleans, J. S. of Ram
say Springs, Luther and Mrs. Leo
Byrd of ~Pascagoula. Alvin. Mrs.
Welt Ravens and Mrs. Raymond
MallettD of Vancleave. And they
occupy a tent on the site of the
original tent which, along with
the rest, was blown down in the
storm or burned in the fire, no
one remembers Just which.
The late Uncle jim Roberts
is another old timer remembered
by most every camper. He OPP
-
Grated the public tent for years
after Mr.. Ravens gave it up.
Among the Roberts clan present
this year are Mr.. and Mrs. @. C..
Roberts, Miss Maude Roberts.
Uncle Jim's" widow. his second
wife. and two daughters and Mr..
and Mrs. Horace Roberts.
Cap Fletcher is among the
"oldsters' and members of his
family tenting are his sons. Car
son and Will Fletcher. and his
daughter, Mrs. Louis Faulks. and
their families.
We stopped for a special hand
5 ha with Uncle Quincy"
Roberts. too.
Greatly missed at New Pros
oeet these years are Mr.. and Mrs.
Z. 5. Rouse who had the distinc-
ton of feeding more people on
Sunday than anyone else but who
never had a tent. They used TO
come every Sunday, until his
death and her failing health, stag
sering under great baskets of
good things to eat which they
spread on the hillside.
Looked like at least a third of .
all those under the tabernacle
roof Sunday morning flocked 10
Aunt Brose's" tables at dinner
time" said one. And she had a
standing arrangement.to feed the
preacher every Sunday"
Camp meeting is no longer a
local thing. From all parts Of the
country come messages OF visi-
tors 70 attend services and greet
old friends. And during the war
when the collection plate was
passed and the list of donations !
read there we're contributions
from service men at every point
Of the globe-New Prospect sons
and grandsons who felt just as
lonesome on the day camp meet
ing opened as on Christmas Dav!
Note: We hope all tenters at