Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, May 26, 1908, Image 1
^ ^ " ISSUED 8EMI-WEEKL^ '
l. m. orist'S sons, Pubii?her?. } % ^jfamilg Demsgajer: Jfor promotion o)f th? gotitioat, Social. Agricultural and Commercial Jnterests of the people. {TE sinoi!* copt.n?Ic'LthVaNCK
. ESTABLISHED 1855. YORKYILLETS. C., TLTESDAY, MAY 20, 1908. " MO. 42.
> mm nyiumiu>u>uMnuiim
! ' 01
i
1
| By CLARENCE
Hiwwiwu'wwwwwifiinifwfw
CHAPTER XXIX?Continued.
The conversation between Mr. Prier
and Gilbert Senn was not the last nor
the only one they had during the voyage
home. Each talked freely?except
on one subject; Senn was not yet
ready to speak of the certainty in his
mind regarding Miss Bannottie's guilty
knowledge of the murder of Mrs. Craig
by Elsie Barron; Prier spoke sometimes
of "Mrs. Senn's companion"?
because he knew her by no other name,
+ felt no need for a definite name for
her. and had not thought of the question
as to whether Senn knew her
name as being one in which he had any
interest whatever; Senn also spoke
of "Mrs. Senn's companion"?because
Prier did, because tlie designation was
convenient, and because of one reason
which involves a curious psychological
fact. The strange truth in mental
science, to which I have referred, is
this: When one person is concealing,
from a second, some fact or suspicion
^ regarding a third one, he is often unwilling
to speak the name of that third
person, and will frequently resort to
much ingenious circumlocution rather
than pronounce It. I dare say that
most of my readers will readily recall
& incidents of that sort which have fallen
under their own observation.
For the rest of the curious train of
cricumstances which kept the name
of Miss Bannottie from Mr. Prier for
so long a time, I have only two things
to say: Strange as they were, they
were probably not unprecedented in
strangeness; and, if they were?my
duty as a truthful chronicler would
? compel me to record them just as they
occurred.
The Ocean's Own arrived at New
York in due time. Mr. Prier paid her
owners, her officers, and her crew.
He gave Patsy Gullens all he had
promised him?and more?sending that
gentleman home to Jahnway Station
pleased with himself and the rest of
the world, and so full of the remarkable
adventures which he had to relate
again and again to admiring
- ' If hp
menus mat u ??s uuuu?ui ?
would remember the reputation he had
4 once had as a tighter and a bully, and
so live and demean himself as to keep
it.
Mr. Prior and Mr. Senn returned to
Boomville. Both were weary enough?
mentally as well as physically?to be
f glad of at least the semblance of rest.
Each wished a chance to think; both
desired to plan; neither one had any
idea of their having need to hurry in
what they were about to do.
Senn had settled it in his own mind,
and fully to his own satisfaction, that
his wife was guilty. He felt that a
half-hour's conversation with her
V would prove that fact?after which,
Frier's promise binding that gentleman
to perpetual silence and inactivity, she
would be safe. Aldrlch would be safe,
and the honor of the Senn name (so
far as popular opinion had left it any)
would be safe. So he had readily given
his consent to a visit to Naples, and
a call upon Mrs. Senn in company with
Mr. Prier.
Prier was confident Mrs. Senn was
innocent. He knew the strangeness of
circumstantial evidence ?how likely
the conclusions to which it points are
to be false. More than all, he wanted
? to prove her innocent: he was going to
keep his word to Senn, no matter how
much it cost him, but his hopes still
<iipootiAn f\f ,,hanepine'
HJVlveu in uic \ui wviw.i w
some one." Mr. Prier, then, in going
t(? Naples, did not look forward to find/*
ing a woman with a guilty confession
hidden in her heart; he expected
to find an innocent woman? as pure
and innocent as he felt Elsie Senn
must be?but possessed of information
which was of vital value to him.
And he meant to make her tell what
she knew.
Prier and Senn had not been In
Roomville many days, and had not yet
completed their plans regarding the
intended trip abroad, when something
happened which entirely destroyed
what plans had been made, and rendered
it necessary to begin all over
again. This was the receipt of a cav
blegram by the Roomville News-Express.
No one knew who sent it. No
one knew why. The News-Express
had never had a cablegram before, and
the editor certainly never expected to
have one again. It was brief, and of
so little importance to the general public?to
the editor of the Roomville
News-Express, for instance?that any
of the gentlemen or ladies you have
met in these pages might reasonably
have been interested in asking by
* whom it was sent, and for what reason?unless
some one of them happened
to know. This was the message:
"Mrs. S?nn and her companion will
reside in Naples no longer."
* That was all. And?
Shall I help you a little, dear reader?
"Delays are dangerous," says the
proverb, but did you ever think of the
other side of it? Is it not true that
delay means safety, too? Safety and
freedom? Run with the hare once, instead
of riding behind the hounds, and
see! And the message caused delay
?on the part of Prier and Senn. They
* waited?waited?waited. They waited
,r,tii ;? vi-.w certain that Mrs. Senn and
her companion were as unlikely to
reside in Boomville as in Naples;
waited until after other news of which
I shall inform you after a little had
been received, discussed, and made familiar;
waited until thev felt that they
could ill afford longer delay, and so
looked each other in the face with the
cry, "Have we been duped?" "Has she
escaped us?"
"Mrs. Senn and her companion "
Surely the one who sent such a message
should have known how low down
? Mrs. Senn's misfortune had plunged
her. and how high good fortune had
^ raised her friend. We ought not to
have to write ignorance or inadvertence
of one who sends messages under
the sea. for publication in so estimable
a journal as the Boomville NewsExpress,
shall we say?Modesty? Or
Egg A No. my dear reader, these are only
BOUTELLE.
suggestions. I am, unfortunately, as
much in the dark as you are. I don't
know who sent that message to the
News-Express! I never expect to.
The next day after the publication of
the disturbing ocean message in the
newspaper the mails brought a copy of
the London Times containing a brief
mention of the rescue of Mr. Jasper
Jahnway "after the wreck of his yacht,
in which all the rest on board were
lost."
Mr. Prier and one of the persons reported
"lost" rejoiced at Jahnway's escape?undoubtedly
for somewhat different
reasons?and talked about it,
and wondered regarding it, while they
waited!
And then, one day, as though still
more to increase the anxiety with
which he was waiting for the return of
"Mrs. Senn and her companion," a letter
arrived for Mr. Prier.
"From London?" queried Senn, carelessly.
He was often at Prier's room, and
happened to be there when the letters
were brought in.
"Yes," said Prier, "and unless I am
mistaken in my judgment of his writing,
from Jahnway himself."
He tore the letter open. The picture
fell upon the table, face down.
The lines of verse Jahnway had seen
written fell upon the picture. Prier
took up the letter. He read it through.
And Senn, watching him, knew by his
face that somewhere, someway, the
eyes of the old detective saw light at
last.
Prier laid down the letter. He took
up the lines of poetry. He read them
from beginning to end.
He tossed them to one side. He took
up the picture. He read what was
written upon the back of it. He turned
it over. He gazed down upon the
beautiful face there. And Senn, watching
with breathless eagerness, caught
himself half wondering if that look of
scorn and loathing and unutterable hate
could scorch and burn?wondering
whether he should see the card shrivel,
smoke and burst into flame under
Prier's glance.
Prier looked up. He spoke.
"Gilbert Senn," he said, slowly and
solemnly, "did you ever hear the name
of Mrs. Senn's companion?"
"Certainly."
"What is it?"
"Lurline Bannottle."
Prier rose to his feet. He raised 'lis
right hand toward heaven. He had a
name, at last, for the "some one" he
had followed so long. And Senn hushed
his very breath as he spoke.
?*T hnnlr fhoa flnrl 99 ho prlpfl. "for
this day and this hour."
There was a pause. Suddenly Prier
seemed to remember Senn. He turned
toward him.
"I'll be blamed if I don't hang Lurline
Bannottle!" he said, solemnly.
CHAPTER XXX.
The Tenants of Jahnway Park.
"Why did you bring: me here. Lurline?"
Elsie Senn confronted her companion
in one of the rooms of the great house
at Jahnway Park. They had been
there a week, and in all that time Elsie
had found it impossible to have an
Interview with the woman who had
been her nearest and best friend for
so many of the best years of her young
life. Elsie had enjoyed the trip from
Naples there; there had been a sudden
determination on Miss Bannottie's
part to leave Italy. Her determination
had been followed by brisk promptness
of action, but by nothing like hurry.
They had enjoyed?or, at least, Elsie
had?a brief stop in London; Lurline
had found it necessary' to attend to
some business there, so she said, the
renting of a suitable home in America
for them, among other things, but she
had not been away from the quiet ho- ]
tel at which they stopped for very long
at a time.
Elsie had enjoyed her trip home
across the ocean. She had had no
doubt they were to return to Boomville,
and she had looked forward with pleasure
to seeing her friends there; Rev.
John Kane, for instance, and?and
Walter Aldrich. She had even dared
cherish a hope that there couia ne a
way found of paying a portion of the
enormous amount of money for which
the burning of the Boomville Bank left
her morally responsible; she had fully
intended putting the whole business in
the hands of some friend?such a man
as Walter Aldrich. for instance,?after
she could have explained her feelings
regarding the condition of affairs in a
more satisfactory manner than was
possible by the use of pen and ink
merely, and an ocean between them.
She said to herself that Mr. Aldrich
was nothing to her now, of course, and
never could he. a fact for which he
was. perhaps, not sorry by that time;
but it would seem good and best to
have such a gentleman as he attending
to her disarranged affairs instead of
the cold-blooded and methodical man
of business who had been put in control
of her interests after the disaster
at the bank. She loved Aldrich still,
so she said to herself, being so frank
and candid to the face in her mirror
that it would have been pitiful in the
extreme had there been any other than
CJod and the angels to see her. And.
equally as much as she loved Aldrich.
she hated Senn. and always would?so
she firmly told herself.
Tt had been a disappointment, therefore?a
terrible disappointment?when
she found daylight 'roving to her that
she had been lied to and defrauded.
She did not know whether they had
passed Boomvilie in the night, or stopped
short of reaching there. She only
felt the strange taste in her mouth that
gave her the startled conviction that
she had been drugged; she had a dim
recollection of lying down, in a terribly
cramped position, in a car-seat, after
Miss Hannottie had pleasantly and
cheerfully given her a drink of water:
she was not quite sure that she had
slept calmly from that time until she
awakened in her new room in the new
home to which Miss Bannottle had
brought her; she found, in her mind,
the shadow of a remembrance?so unreal
and unearthly that she was not
sure it was not a horrible dream, and
no more?of wild orders and wilder actions,
of force being used against unavailing
resistance, and of one of those
words being pityingly used with reference
to her which are enough to chill
the heart and appall the soul of any of
whom it is not false to assert sanity.
And now, they had been at Jahnway
Park a week: seven long, cheerless,
dragging days; and Elsie had lived
alone, save for the stupid old servant
who attended her?had eaten, read,!
thought, all alone.
Sometimes she had found the doors
of her apartments locked against her;
sometimes she had been free to go as
she pleased. Sometimes she had seen
the flutter of Lurline's dress, down
some long passage in the roomy old
house, or in some distant part of the
grounds. But now, for the first time
in a week, she confronted Lurline, and
there was no way for her to escape an
t?.* AM..t A... i.nlAnn OKA itoa/1 nhifolno 1
interview .->nr- U.-1CU pu J olv<*>
force.
It was a very indignant face which
Lurline Bannottie had to confront. It
was a very determined and a somewhat
dangerous looking woman who asked
the question: "Why did you bring me
here, Lurline?"
"For safety."
"Safety from what? You know there
is no truth in the absurd story I heard
two of the servants .whispering and
nodding over, something like an hour
ago."
"What story is that?"
"The story that I am insane."
"No: I know there Is no truth in
that."
"But they said you said so."
"Did they? They were correct. I
did say so."
"Why?"
"To deceive." .
"Whom? The world?"
"The world and the servants."
"You mean the story to be believed?"
"Certainly. There are to be just two
persons in all the world who shall know
the truth?you and myself."
"But I am sane; I am free."
"You are sane; you are not free."
"I am needed in Boomville.
"What for?"
"To try and devise some means of
paying off at least a part of the losses
by the burning of the bank."
"Indeed? I fancy you owe me more
than you will ever pay. Put your mind
at rest regarding your other creditors."
"But, Lurline, you know those notes
were given as a mere form: you never
expected to have them paid; I never
intended to pay them."
"I know that."
"And. the dates considered, the number
of them considered, no judge nor
jury could be made to believe I looked
forward to a time when I could pay
them."
."I know that. I knew that when you
gave them."
"Were sudden fortune to come to me
again, you could not take those notes,
given when I was without resources,
into any just court and enforce their
nuvment. I have thoueht that all out
in the lonely week I have spent here,
and I know that the allowance my
more than generous father intended for
you is the least of my moral obligations."
"Indeed? Has it taken you a week
to discover that? I have known and
recognized that fact all the time."
"You could not imprison me for debt
on such Slight evidence."
"I know it."
j "Which ends the list of possibilities
regarding them, and makes them useless?worthless."
"A very ungrateful conclusion. Elsie.
considering- all I am doing for you. and
all I am spending in your service."
"Oh. Lurline, Lurline, spend no more.
Turn me out from your door. Let me
beg?or die. Only give me freedom.
Only let me go home!"
"No. And let me correct you; those
notes are not valueless; they are worth
more to me than any claim any other
person in all the world can have
against you. Shall I tell you why?"
"Yes."
"Because I can take them into court,
swear you are insane, and have you
given into my custody and care, my
dearly beloved and unfortunate sister?
as I claim you to be."
"But the doctor "
"Bah! What does a doctor know of
the subtle forms insanity takes. One
WHO WOUIII iriuw i<? triinj lu J..V..
being of unsound mind, under the circumstances,
would almost risk his own
freedom."
"Oh, Lurline, Lur "
"Yes; I can take those notes into
court and prove you a mental wreck."
"Oh, Lurline "
"And I will, unless you do what 1
wish you to do."
"You will? Oh. my God! You cannot
love me, then, Lurline."
"No, Mrs. Senn, I do not love you."
"Did?did you ever?"
"Mrs. Senn. I will be frank with you:
I think I can afford to be. There is
one love which shuts out of the heart
of her who feels it any lesser love?or
any other love which could live only
at its expense."
"And that is "
"The unsought and unreturned love
for a man?"
"Lurline Bannottie, what do you
mean?"
"That I love Walter A Id rich!"
"You do?"
"I do. I have loved him more years
than you have been old enough to know
the meaning of love at all."
"And?and "
"And you will never go out of this
house, Mrs. Senn, until you go out in
your coffin, unless you swear to renounce
Walter Aldrich and his love for
ever."
"For ever?"
"For ever! In this world, and the
next?if there is another."
"Lurline, the world beyond this must
be a thing by itself. No human being
would date go before God's throne with
an oath recorded against her which
could be kept and performed only beyond
the grave. Hut, for this world,
you must not forget that I took my
cross upon me of my own accord. I
am the wife of Gilbert Senn, by my
own free act, and "
"And I will be frank with you again,
Mrs. Senn, for again I think I can afford
it. You called yourself Gilbert
Senn's Wife. Rut you erred. You are
ills widow."
"Is Gilbert Senn dead?"
"He Is."
"Are you sure?"
"I have not seen his dead body. I
have not had the pleasure of weeping
over his grave. But I have no doubt
of his death. He was lost at sea. He
is dead."
"When was he lost?"
"I?I?well, I knew of it before we
left Naples."
"And kept it from me?"
"Certainly. Did you think me unselfish
?"
"I thought you good and honest."
"Did you? I am charmed. You were
mistaken. It will be necessary, you
see, for you to swear."
"Will you swear first?"
"Tn what?"
"To Gilbert Senn's death."
"With pleasure. I believe fully, and
without the least doubt, that Gilbert
Senn is dead." And Miss Bannottie
added the words of a solemn appeal to
Deity to bear witness to the truth of
what she had said.
j "Then I shall take no oath," said
Elsie, firmly.
"You will not?"
"Never! I love Walter Aldrieh with
all my heart and soul; I will never
give him up?never?never?never!"
"No? Do you know you may compel
me to take another oath myself, if you
refuse."
"What one?"
"You know I have said you are Insane?"
"I do."
"Very well; the oath to make that
statement true, here in this lonely old
house, before I am done with you, Mrs.
Senn!"
Spring: grew into summer. Summer
ripened into autumn. Autumn faded
slowly winterward. It was almost a
year since Aldrieh and Senn played
chess together.
Aldrieh attended to his business. If
he felt his great loss, he did not show
it. He was not a man to show his
heart to the world. He was rich. He
grew richer.
Jasper Jahnwav traveled on the
Continent. I suppose. I am really not
quite certain. I am sure, however, that
neither Prler nor Senn had the least
idea of his whereabouts.
Elsie?poor, sweet, pure, tenderhearted
Elsie Senn?she kept her mind
?with an effort. She was not yet
walking the road to ruin with which
she had been theatened. but she wondered.
sometimes, how long it would
be before she would find herself going
?going slowly?going consciously and
knowingly?going sadly and despairingly?but
going inevitably?going
mad!
Lur But that isn't necessary.
Please excuse me this time. It is get*!
? ~ 1& ahmit hpr
UIIK UII|JI?-C?.-.C?..l l.r .. ?
Prier and Senn were waiting still.
Not very patiently. Not passively.
Not without many plans and schemes,
with more of stolid determination than
of faith in them. Not without advertising
which didn't pay, clews which
were misleading, and trails followed
until they led far away into other sins
and sorrows?sins no less wicked, I
suppose, and sorrows no less sad?than
those which, swinging through the widest
circle of human depravity, began
and ended in the room where Constance
Craig and her unborn babe suffered
death.
Prier and Senn were waiting, and?
"I wish I knew whether Jahnway
could give us any more light?" said
Prier, one day.
"So do I," said Senn: "do you suppose
it is possible he has returned home
yet?"
"I haven't the slightest idea."
"Suppose I go up to his place and
see ?"
"The very thing." said Prier; "suppose
you do."
Aldrich, Jahnway, Elsie, Prier, Senn;
let me see? Are there any of the others
we should remember in these days
of fading autumn? Oh, yes; there is
Patsy Oullens.
Patsy had thought Jahnway a pirate,
or pretended he did, and had been
genuinely afraid of him. But now,
with only an insane woman and her
keeper there, Jahnway Park was more
a ft motive to him than it had formerly
been. A pirate seemed a very genuine
and a very terrible thing: an insane
person was almost beneath his contempt?especially
if that person was
so unfortunate as not to belong to the
sex which Patsy believed monopolized
all the good qualities (as he regarded
good qualities) which there were in
the world.
And so, Patsy Gullens, undeterred by
fear, now?and he had never, perhaps,
been deterred by anything else?resolved
to go up to Jahnxvay Park, some
night, and look around.
Patsy would have objected to being
called a burglar, of course, but he had
resolved tn go inside the old mansion
i in order to satisfy his curiosity and
gratify his desire for investigation. He
had no doubt he would find the house
securely fastened. He expected to have
to break in.
Mr. Gullens would very likely have
protested, at least, if you had been so
unkind as to wound his sensitive soul
by mentioning theft or robbery in connection
with his name. But
"There's lot of valuable property up
there, I suppose, that is growing old
and worthless for want of being used.
I think it is almost a man's duty to
undo such a shameful state of things,"
was what Mr. Patsy Gullens said to
himself.
To be Continued.
Sleeping Sickness.
i Doctor Koch, the famous bacteriologist,
is one of the principal delegates
to the sleeping sickness conference
now sitting at the foreign office,
says the London Daily Mail. The object
of the conference is to arrange
for the creation of an international
central bureau which will collect facts
about the disease and assist to stamp
it out.
"The disease is due to a fly which
exists in the virgin districts of Africa,"
said Doctor Koch recently, "and
the special insect has peculiarities
about its life which make it difficult
to deal with.
"The fly is a bloodsucker, and I
found that where there are no human
beings it lives upon the crocodile. My
examinations showed that crocodile
blood was its main diet, and therefore
I suggest that with the destruction of
the crocodile you will destroy the fly
also. The crocodiles could be greatly
lessened in numbers if not entirelydestroyed,
by collecting their eggs and
some means will be taken in time
through international action to do
this."
FLINT HILL BAPTIST CHURCH
Interesting Story of a Notable Congregation.
TWENTY-ONE PASTORS IN 116 YEARS
Grand Old Grand-Mother of the
Churches Retains the Vigor and
Power of Youth, and Looks Forward
With Confidence to Additional Centuries
of Usefulness.
The following sketch of Flint Hill
Rantlst chi i'ph u-.i? nrenfirerl hv Rev.
Edward S. Reaves, the pastor, to be
read on the occasion of the occupation
of the handsome new church at Flint
Hill last Sunday. The sketch was prepared
in the apprehension that Rev.
A. L. Stough. the venerable former
pastor, would not be able to be present.
Much of the material had been
obtained from Rev. Mr. Stough. Rev.
Mr. Stough, however, was able to be
present, and at the request of our representative
Rev. Mr. Reaves gave up
his own interesting and valuable
sketch for publication in The Enquirer:
Flint Hill Baptist church, under the
original name of Sugar Creek church,
pKZ?r~ T~~~~ ... ... ~
H Art
I
FLINT HILL'S NEW CIwas
organized May 1st, 1792. The
founder of the church was John Rooker,
who was born In Northampton
county, Va., March 12th, 1755, and removed
to Warren county, N. C?
whence he came to this community in
1790. In North Carolina he had been
engaged as a teacher, and was a licentiate
preacher. Eighteen months after
his arrival the church was organized
by Rev. Abraham Marshall of
Columbus county, Ga., who, himself
was born in New England in 1748 and
[is described by Newman in his "History
of the Baptist churches i.i the
United States" as one of the most
amiable, laborious and successful minj
isters of the time." He traveled much
us un evangelist and possibly on one
of these evangelistic tours his services,
[as an ordained minister were sought
by Rev. John Rooker to organize the
little band of believers which he had
gathered, into a church. In an essay
.written by John Rooker in which he
gives an autobiographical sketch when
he was 85 years of age, he states that
the number of constituent members
was thirteen and that four others joined
the church on a declaration of their
faith on the day of its organization.
According to Benedict most of these
members came from Warren county.
i\. u., unci constituted puu ui u. wiuny,
which settled on lands belonging
to the Catawba Indians and in the
surrounding country. The names of
these first members of the oid church
are worthy of mention here. They
are: John Rooker, John Dlnkins. John
Smith, James Spears, Wm. Pettus,
Julia, (a negro servant belonging to
Mr. Harris), Margaret Dinkins. Celia
Withers, Mary Smith. Alice Spears,
Alice Withers, Mary Cooper. There
lire but twelve of these names, but it
is supposed that tlie name of Mrs.
Rooker. wife of the minister, was in
some way not recorded, which would
explain the discrepancy between the
earliest records and the statement
made by John Rooker that the number
of constituent members was thirteen.
John Rooker became the first
FLINT HILL'S OLD CH
pastor of the church and continued in
this capacity for forty-four years, or
until 186. No records of the church
were keot for the first two years, and
doubtless many interesting1 facts have
thus been lost to us. The first deacons
were John Dinkins and John
Smith. It may be of interest here to
state, that the late Dr. Thos. H. Pritchard
in a sketch of Tryon Street Baptist
church. Charlotte, published several
years before his death, says that
John Dinkins was the first Baptist in
Mecklenburg county, of whom we have
any knowledge. He further says that
it was through his influences that Rev.
John Hooker came to these parts and
that he lived in a home provided for
him by John Dinkins. A foot note on
til? first page of the original record
book of the church says, that during
these first two years, when no connected
record was kept, that regular
services were maintained and it is
lijcely that during these years others
were found to join the little band, and
take their part in its struggles and
triumphs. When the first house of
worship was built, we do not know.
I But it was most likely a log building,
and It la aald to have stood In the rear
of the old building- In 1794 the church
sent delegates to Bethel association,
which at that time covered eleven
, counties in-North and South Carolina,
and had thirty-two churches co-operat
ing. Later, in 1811, the church transferred
its membership to Moriah association
and in 1X66 joined the York
i association.
1 During its history the church has
had a good many members who were
Indians. To it probably belongs the
credit of first giving the gospel to the
Catawba nation, among whom they
maintained a mission station. In 1806
a noted Indian by the name of Mush,
together with his family, joined the
church upon a letter from Lower College
church, Va. He was of the Pamunky
tribe. The next day after becoming
a member of the church, he
was licensed to preach. He is described
as a man of talent, who developed
into a popular preacher, who
was frequently called upon to preach
on great occasions such as the annual
meetings of the associations and at
conventions. He was a man who
could have been largely useful, but unfortunately
in early life he learned to
love "fire water" or strong drink, which
ever proved to be a deadly curse to
the Indians. The church after bearing
with him many years, finally stopped
him from preaching, but retained
him as a member on condition that he
should not manufacture, sell, nor use
intoxicating drinks. After this he reformed
and in 1S37 died, still being a
member of the church. This leads us
to remark that in those early days our
Baptist fathers were strict disciplinarians.
They would receive no one excluded
from another church without
~Z "7TB
-JK
I
IURCH BUILDING ?1908.
the consent of the excluding church.
They required private offences to be
settled according to the teachings of
our Savior as given in the 18th chap-1
ter of Matthew. They made a broad
distinction between the church and the
world, and took a decided stand
against dancing, and such other worldly
amusements as many of our people
now resort to. They were extremely
careful about receiving candidates for
baptism, and each one was required to
give before the church an account of
the Lord's dealings with his soul. Such
a time was made a great occasion.
Relatives and friends were invited to
come forward to hear the religious experience
related, and many were melted
to tears through these recitals and
it was not uncommon that conversions
followed upon such testimonials of
God's dealings with individual souls,
the testimonial meeting has ever been
a fruitful source of divine blessing and
it is believed by the writer that we do
not today make as much use of this
service as we ought.
The early devotional spirit of the
church is attested by the fact that in
1795 they agreed to have prayer meetings
every Wednesday afternoon at
the home of the preacher. This item
is worthy of special note for it indicates
that the spiritual tone of the
church was rich.
In 1810 the church agreed to purchase
twenty copies of Watt's Child's
Catechism, but recorded their dissent
from the teachings of this work with
reference to baptism. This indicates
the meagre supply of literature in
those early days, and the care with
which our fathers guarded the doctrl
I they put into the hands of "heir chUI
I dren. Just when the first Sunday
I school was organized we do not know,
I but it was probably during the pastorI
ate of the Rev. Peter Nicholson, many
II years later. But whether they had a
I Sunday school or not, the purchase of
I the catechisrhs proves that they die.
I not neglect the spiritual training of
I their children.
BB jw
URCH BUILDING ? 18SS.
The church was from the first, fuli
of the missionary spirit. That a mission
to the Catawba Indians was maintained
by the church has already been
stated. In further proof of the missionary
spirit which pervaded the
church. Dr. Thos. H. Pritchard in the
historical sketch of Tryon Street
church, already referred to in tracing
the early beginnings of Baptist history
in these parts, after recording the organization
of Flint Hill church in 17!*2.
tells next, of a missionary society organized
in 1815. which had the promotion
of missionary interest as its
object. The date of the organization
of this society is noteworthy as being
just one year after that of the Missionary
Convention of the United
States, which came into being in response
to the need of an organized
agency for the support of Judson and
Rice, who on going out to India, became
themselves converts to the Baptist
faith, and thus created a demand
for missionary contributions from the
churches. They continued earnestly
in this work until a Rev. Mr. Osborne,
who was a leader in the ranks of antimissions
from Baltimore, came among
REV. EDWARD S. REAVES.
Edward S. Reaves, pastor of Flint
Hill Baptist church, was born near the
town of Mullins, In Marion county,
S. C., August 15th, 1866. He attended
the neighborhood school in his
\T>n?h find wn? nrpnnrf>ri for pnllpee at
the Mullins academy. Entered Wake
Forest college, Wake Forest, X. C., in
the fall of 1888, whence he was graduated
June, 1892, with the A. B. degree,
having made the average grade
in his studies for four years of 92J.
lit- was honored during his school days
by election to a responsible office In
his literary society, and by being made
one of the editors of "The Wake Forest
Student." a leading college magazine.
For two years after graduation
he taught the Aulander Male Academy
at Aulander, X. C. It was during this
time, July 28th, 1893, that he was ordained
by his home church to the full
work of the gospel ministry. October,
1894, he entered the Southern Baptist
Theological seminary. Louisville, Ky.,
to prepare himself for his life's work,
from which institution he was graduated
in 1897 with the degree of Master
of Theoiogy. During his seminary
course he was again honored by his
fellow students by being twice elected
to a position on the editorial staff of
"The Seminary Magazine." His first
pastorate was Yorkville and Fort Mill
churches, where he served 1897-1900,
next he became pastor at Statesvllle,
X. C., where he served 1900-1903;
thence he removed to Murfreesboro,
Tenn., where he served as pastor 19031906,
enterijig upon his present field
as pastor of Flint Hill and Fort Mill
churches January 1st. 1906. Each
move has marked an advance. He was
married August 8. 1900, to Miss Mamie
Meacham of Fort Mill, who for
fit's* irannu iancrht ha nrlmorv ffpa/loa
' " " Jtai n lau^ni mv. 1'* ?"?? J
In the Yorkville Graded school.
them and poisoned their minds against
missions. But this was only for a
short while. They soon returned to
the support of the mission movement,
and the church has been ever since a
missionary body.
The progressive and missionary spirit
of the church is further attested by
the fact that it sent out arms in several
directions, and established places
of worship, some of which grew into
Independent churches.
'One of these arms was Chalk Level,
beyond Sugar creek. Another was at
Ezell's meeting house, where Marvin
now is. A church was organized here)
called Buck Hill, which was disbanded
in 1859 or '60, after which the remaining
members were organized into the
Pleasant Valley church.
Sard is, beyond the Catawba river,
was another arm of the church, which
in 1836 was organized into a church
by sending out thirty-eight members.
Because of death and removals, this
church afterwards became extinct.
Mill Creek church, beyond the Catawba
river, was also an arm of the
church which developed into a church.
In 1833 ten members were dismissed
to form in Charlotte which was the
beginning of organized Baptist effort
in that city. Owing to discord and
deaths, this first church disbanded,
but the survivors were afterwards organized
into the Tryon Street church
of that city.
Flint Hill is also the mother of Union.
Fort Mill, Oak Grove and Pinevilie
churches. It is entitled to be
hailed today as a mother, yes, and a
grandmother of churches. Heavy
drafts have been made upon her vitality
and life to form organizations elsewhere.
And still the call of the city
draws away from her sons and daughters
to swell the working forces of the
cities and towns. It is safe to say that
there is scarcely a nearby church anywhere
which does not number among
Its Best ana most userui, ronner runt
Hill members. What this old church
has meant for the upbuilding of God's
kingdom on earth only the last day
can reveal. May it go on doing its
gracious work until the Master himself
shall come to claim his own.
On August 9th. 1811, the first worship
was held ir. the second building,
which stands where the new building
is now located. This building which
was of logs was enlarged in 1838 by
adding a frame addition.
Two years previous to this, In 1836,
James Thomas was called to the pastorate
to share the labors with Rev.
John Rooker, who was now getting too
Infirm to meet the demands of his
responsible position. During the two
years' service of Rev. James Thomas
over a hundred members were added
to the church. Father Rooker seldom
preached after this, but in 1837,
the people met at the church of wor-hi?
and no preacher being present,
they repaired to the home of the now
iged Rooker. who preached to them a
touching sermon on "Finally, brethren
farewell." In 1836. he did his last
baptizing, the associate pastor being
-ick. He was then very feeble and
had to call in the help of two deae<
ns to baptize the twelve candidates.
The sermon referred to above was
ossiblv the last one he ever preached.
He died June 21st, 1840, aged 85
years. 3 months and 13 days. The
church supported him while he lived,
and his widow after his death. From
Major W. A. Graham's "History of
South York Association," I have
learned that he also served Hebron
and Lower Rahama churches from
1800-1819. He is described in this
work by one who remembers him in
her father's home as a "lovely Christian
gentleman." That he was a faithful
workman, his labors bear abundant
proof. He has left behind a monument
more enduring than brass, for
while his grave, in the cemetery hard
by the church, is marked by a marble
slab, his name is held in loving remembiance
by hundreds of the descendants
of the fathers who through
his ministry were brought to the Savior.
Following is the inscription upon
his tomb: "In memory of Elder John
Rooker. who was born on the 12th day
of March, 1755, in the state of Virginia.
and departed this life on the
24th of June. 1840, in the 84th year of
his age. In 1782 he united himself
with the Baptist church. In 1783 he
entered the ministry and in 1792 became
pastor of Sugar Creek, (now
iviinr Hilli church, in which he re
mained until the time of his death."
In the midst of joy we now have
sorrow. Evil reports followed Mr.
Thomas. Ho was tried by a council,
convicted of immoral conduct and excluded
front the Lisleville church, Anson
county. X. C., of which he was a
member. This was a heavy blow to
the Baptists. The church was wellnigh
in despair. It declined to such
an extent that they could hardly get
enough members together to hold a
conference. But realizing that they
must hold the fort, the faithful ones
got together and called another pastor,
Rev. Wm. Xowell, In 1841, who served
them until 1842. Rev. John P. Prltchard,
father of Dr. Thos. H. Prltchard,
served the church as a suppply 1843*4
4. He had been one of the ten members
dismissed in 1833 to begin the
eventful career of Baptists in Charlotte.
Prltchard was followed by Rev.
Wm. C. Perry, who served the church
as pastor 184 4-'45.> Rev. Joseph P.
Pritchard was then'recalled and served
the church 1845-'46. Rev. W. W.
Rollins came next as pastor In 1850,
and served until 1852. He was followed
by Rev. G. W. Rollinson of North
Carolina. In 1854, who served the
church but one month, giving up the
pastorate because of the great distance
he had to travel. Rev. Milton Garrison,
a member of the church, served
as supply from May, 1854, to August,
of the same year, when he was succeeded
by Rev. Peter Nicholson, who
continued In the service of the church
until 1862. In September, 1855, subscriptions
were taken to erect a new
house of worship, which was perhaps
loccupieu ine nexi year, as ine ueauuiis
were then constituted trustees with
the order from the church to sell the
old building and to paint the new one.
In 1861 the civil war came on and
the church gave the strength of her
manhood to defend the principles for
which tlie south fought through four
weary years of struggle and hardship.
The pastor. Rev. Peter Nicholson, accepted
a chaplaincy in the army and
Rev. A. M. Croxton occupied the pulpit
for a short time. In 1864 Rev. W.
C. Owens became pastor and served
until 1866. He was succeeded in 1866
by Rev. A. L. Stough, who' remained
with the church until 1876. It was
during this pastorate, in 1867, that the
church discontinued the monthly business
meetings, holding quarterly meetings
instead. The monthly business
meetings had been kept up for seventy-four
years. The annual call was
also abolished, the church extending
an indefinite call instead. In 1870 an
additional acre, the gift of Mrs. James
fJlover, was added to the cemetery.
Rev. A. M. Croxton again supplied the
church from June, 1876, to October
of the same year, when Rev. B. G-.
Covington began his pastorate. He remained
with the church until 1882. It
was during this pastorate, in 1880, that
hn moot fa e roonhlntr rmriifo 1 In tVio
history of the church was held, by Dr.
Teasdell, one hundred being added to
the church by baptism. The church at
this time raised the pastor's salary to.
$1,000, which Is the largest salary the
church ever paid.
Rev. Milton Garrison again served
the church as supply from October,
1882 to 1883, when Rev. L. C. Hlnton
came to the pastorate, serving 18841885.
In this year the Young People's
society of the church was organized
and for a time maintained four prayer
meetings within the bounds of the
church. It was during the same year,
1885, that the church purchased a lot
and a six-room house in Pinevllle,
which became the pastor's home.
Rev. J. K. Fant came to the church
as pastor In March, 1885, and served
most acceptably until 188?, when he
was succeeded In July following by
Rev. C. T. Scalfe, who resigned In
January, 1889, greatly to the regret
of the congregation. Rev. F. O. S.
Curtis came to the church In July,
1889 and remained In Its service until
August, 1894. During his pastorate
he baptized seventy-five Into the fellowship
of the church. In 1894, after
much deliberation, it was decided to
build a house of worship five miles
west of the church, by voluntary contributions,
where services might be
held as an arm of the church. The
Chapel, as It was designated, became
Oak Grove church during the pastorate
of Rev. M. W. Gordon In 1903.
Rev. S. M, Hughes served the
church for about six months during
1894, but was forced to resign because
of feeble health. He died soon
after, loved and lamented by the people
whom he served for a short while.
In 1895 the church again sought the
services of Rev. A. L. Stough, who became
pastor of the church the second
time in 1895 and served until 1902,
when on account of the growing infirmities
of age, he retired from the
pastorate, carrying with him the love
and veneration of the people whom he
had served so faithfully for eighteen
years.
He was succeeded July 1903, by Rev.
M. W. Gordon, who served the church
with great efficiency until March.
1905. It was during this pastorate that
the movement was started, which
developed into the new building. To
Bro. Gordon, in a large measure, is
due the credit for the undertaking by
the church of so large and costly a
building. The first committee to secure
plans was appointed In November,
1903. In February, 1904, plans
were adopted which on further Investigation
were found to call for too
large an outlay of funds. In April,
1904, the plans for the present building
were adopted and in August of that
ti-no nut nn tha phllivh
ycm, liiuuci nan v.ut ui i v??v
grounds and sawed Into lumber on
the church lot. Subscriptions aggregating
about $5,000 in five annual
payments were taken. Rev. M. W. Gordon
was succeeded in the pastorate,
April, 1905, by Rev. J. D. Huggins, who
closed his pastorate with December of
the same year.
The present pastorate began January
1st, 1906, without any break in the
continuity of the church services. In
August, 1906, the first brick were
placed on the ground and on September
25th, 1907. ground was broken for
the new building. The corner stone
was laid November 7th. The building,
erected by contract in any of our
towns or cities would cost not less
than $10,000. but more probably $11,000.
For the generous and self-sacrificing
efforts put forth to secure this
beautiful, substantial and commodious
building, due credit should be given to
the membership as a whole. For.the
membership as a whole, the pastor has
nothing .but words of praise and
thanks. To the building committee
the church is indebted for faithful and
self-denying service. It is the opin|
ion of the pastor that a church was
never served by a more faithful com
mittee, while too much cannot besaia
in recognition and praise of the service
rendered by Bro. Jas. F. Boyd,
chairman of the building committee.
The church during the one hundred
and sixteen years of Its history has
had twenty-one pastors and three supplies.
The total membership, during
these years would aggregate about
two thousand. Many of them have
gone elsewhere to Join other churches
and cast in their lots with other folds.
But the great majority of them have
passed on to Join the choir invisible
and to worship before the throne in
that abiding city where they have no
need for houses built by human hands,
but where the Lord God Almighty and
the Lamb are the temple. Blessed
old church! May we who are here
now and those who shall come after
us, with the passing of the fleet-footed
years, prove ourselves worthy successors
to that great company who have
gone before us.
Short Ways to Multiply.
Rapid multiplication is always a
source of pleasure and profit to the
operator and never fails to cause astonishment
in those who do not know
how it is done. Suppose you wish to
multiply two numbers of two places
each, such as 65 and 68. The product
can be written In one line by inspection
as follows: Eight times 5
are 40. Put down 0 for the right
hand figure and carry 4. Add 5 and 8
and multiply the sum. 13 by 6. obtaining
78. and add 4. Put down 2 for
the next figure and carry 8. Multiply
the 6's and add the 8 and put down
44 for the remaining numbers. The
product is therefore 4,420. In this
case the tens are alike.
The same method may be used if
the units are alike, thus: What is
the product of 75 times 55? Five
times 5 are 25. Put down 5 and carry
2. Seven and 5 are 12. Twelve
times 5 are 60. Add 2. Put down 2
and carry 6. Seven times 5 are 35.
Add the 6 and write 41. The product
is 4.125.
The last illustration might be worked
another way since both of the
right hand figures are 5 and the sum
of the tens gives an even number. In
such a case simply write 25 for the
right hand figures, and for the remaining
figures write the product of
the tens Increased by one-half the
sum of the tens.