The globe-independent. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1943-19??, 1951-09-13
Horse and Buggy
Days
BY OLD TIMER

C6IuS happenings III w doAiiA1StOi
County during the Horse and Buggy
Days, l want to digress from that
established formula in this weeks
column.
Probably no one knows more about
the Horse and Buggy Days than
those ministers of the Gospel who
used the horse and buggy-and some
times just a horse - in travelling
around to spread the Word.
The late DIR. w. M. Weekley, of the
United Brethren Church, who later
became a bishop of the church and
presided at many conferences, in
Guiding Hagerstown, wrote an ex-
tremely interesting book entitled,
Twenty Years on Horseback" that
dealt with his experiences when he
was a preacher in the mountains of
West Virginia that, no doubt, were
the same as many others who en-
dured hardships and dangers which,
when read today, sound like fairy
tales.
In this narrative we are only con-
cerned about the life of an itinerant
preacher, who travelled over noun
tain passes and forded swollen creeks
and rivers at great risk of his life.
But Bishop Weekdays experiences
often had their humorous side too, as
related in his book
Bishop Weekley writes: ''The his
torian will never tell all about these
pioneer preachers. Their labors,
sacrifices and sufferings will never
be portrayed by any human tongue,
no matter how eloquent, or fruitful
it may be. Footsore and weary, dust
covered and battlescarred, they,
reached the end of their pilgrimage
and heavens well doner'
In its physical aspects the country
over which these preachers rode on
horseback, and walked, was ex-
ceedingly rough and difficult to
travel, but Bishop Weekley said that
the people, mostly rural in their GUS
toms and mode of living and many
of them poor, were Warm-hearted,
genial and hospitable. When a
preacher went to fill an appoint
ment among these mountain people
he was not troubled with the thought
that perhaps nobody would offer him
lodging, or willingly share with him
the bounties of the table. At times
the house of Bishop Weekdays par
ents was so crowded that his mother
was compelled to make beds on the
floor.
He preached his first sermon, or
rather, as he puts it, made his first
personal appearance, in little log
church on Flint Run. This is the
way the bishop describes his ex-
perience on this occasion:
"A local preacher was holding a
meeting and at the close of the morn
ing service, announced that I would
preach at night What a day that
was to me. How tried to think and
pray. When I reached the church
I found it full, with many standing
in the aisle about the door. | felt
SO unprepared-s utterly helpless
that I Immediately retired to a
secret place where besought the
Lord for help. Returning, | started
in with the preliminaries, but was
badly scared. No man can describe
his feelings under such circum-
. stances. I spent a good part of the
first Is minutes hopping my face. l
seemed to be in a sweat box. l still
remember the text: And | will bring
YOU into the land concerning the
which l did swear to give to Abra-
ham, to Isaac and to Jacob; and |
will give it you for an inheritance.
| am the Lord" 1t was immense;
but most young preachers begin
LI1dL Way. L w 11OI 1C(oAA oAAJ "AAAAAS
l said, and am glad I cannot. How
ever, there was one redeeming fea-
ture about it and that was its brevity
In 20 minutes I had told all that
knew, and perhaps more. 1 have
not tried that text since, and dc
not think ever shall. 1t is too pro-
found to even think of as the basis Of
a discourse to common people"
Bishop Weekley tells in his book
Of an experience of DR.. ]. l.. Hans
ley. While preaching one Sabbath
in midsummer from the text, "the
seed of the woman shall bruise the
serpent's head" a snake about two
feet long was observed crawling II
crevice of the wall near the pulpit
The preacher dispatched it with {
hickory cane.
The young preacher, Weekley, wa:
anpointed to circ1it 75 miles dis