ELECTING A CHURCH TREASURER.
Dr. Walker and the late Rev. T. J. Hornsby were once invited by a country church in Burke County, Ga., to conduct an election of officers. Bro. Hornsby acted as moderator. The custom of the church, as was true of many others, had been to elect two members to see after the money. One man carried the key, and the other man kept the box. As a rule, the money was counted and the box locked in the presence of the deacons. As a further precaution, the man with the box was not allowed to carry the key. When the time came to elect the treasurer, Dr. Walker explained to the church that it would be best to elect one man as treasurer and make him responsible for both box and key. He told them that the time had passed for them to continue the old custom of electing two men. Some at first were not inclined to favor this new departure. One or two members made speeches against it and said that it would never do, but the majority of those present voted to adopt the suggestion, and accordingly one man was elected treasurer.
Rev. Hornsby, when he declared the election, thinking to add a humorous touch to the situation, said:
“Now, Brother Jenkins is your treasurer. He will have both the box and the key. He can open the box whenever he wants to, and take out what he pleases.”
Quick as a flash, an old brother, one of the opposers, rose to his feet and exclaimed: “Dar now; you hear dat! I knowed when we sont fer Brer Hornsby and Dr. Walker dat dere was gwineter be de devil to play here to-day! Dog my cat, I tol’ you so, and you wouldn’t listen at me, and now hit’s too late!”