A TOUR OF A MONTH THROUGH THE SOUTH ATLANTIC STATES.
[We omit the mention of the Midway Church and School and the organization of the church at Cypress Slash, as an account of them is given elsewhere by Rev. Floyd Snelson.]
At Savannah, the Beach Institute and the mother church, with her four or five daughters settled in the suburbs, were found to be in a prosperous condition. Pastor Markham and Principal Koons, with their corps of lady teachers, are making a decided impression upon that city.
Thence to Orangeburgh, S. C., where Rev. W. L. Johnson is pastor, and also principal of a large school, in which his wife is assistant. Mr. Johnson had been trained up at the North, in the Dutch Reformed way, as a protégé of the Rev. Dr. E. P. Rodgers of New York. The visitor gave from his big map a lesson upon the geography of our country. As a guest of Rev. Dr. Cooke, President of the Claflin University, he had an opportunity to become acquainted and favorably impressed with that fine institution of our Methodist brethren. In Charleston, a Sabbath was given to the Plymouth Church, now happy under the new pastorate of Rev. Temple Cutler, and one day to the Avery Institute, under Prof. A. W. Farnham, who is reproducing the style of his own Alma Mater, the Oswego Normal. It was a delight to witness the orderliness and accuracy of that training. It is only common fame that this Institute stands ahead of every other in the city. It has a corps of six teachers, and scholars enough to work them hard. Our lady missionary, Miss H. E. Wells, I found getting hold of her peculiar work quite hopefully; as also Miss Douglass, at Miller’s Station, Ga. I think this arm of our service will prove equal to the anticipation of its friends.
In North Carolina, I went first to Wilmington, where is the nourishing Williston Normal School, with its consort church, and all under the management of Rev. D. D. Dodge and his wife, and Misses Warner, Fitts, Goodwin and Phelps. Besides the several young teachers under training here, there is also a class of preachers in the old time churches who are getting brushed up. Two nights had to be given to talks before the school and congregation. Thence up to Dudley, where Rev. David Peebles and his wife, lately Miss Anna M. Day, of the Washington School at Raleigh, have charge of the church and school in the large and comely structure which serves a double purpose. Besides a half dozen candidates for the teaching profession, one young man is pursuing Latin with reference to a full classical course. This church numbers seventy-five members, and makes a specialty of temperance and music. It has to meet in the community a theological coloring taken from the Hard-shell Baptists and the Quakers. In the Ku-Klux times a good many Freedmen came in here for safety.
At Beaufort I found the church and school making headway under Mr. Michael Jerkins, a graduate of the Theological Department of Howard University. At Morehead City, a town once of great expectations, now blighted, our school and the city lie dead side by side.
At Woodbridge our school is under the care of Mr. W. H. Ellis, a graduate of Williams, who was recently licensed to preach by Mr. Peebles’ church, of Dudley. Last year, in this school, under the excellent Miss Waugh, a revival was enjoyed which enlisted more than a score of the scholars as disciples of the Great Master. Mr. Ellis ministers the word on the Lord’s day, and a church fellowship must soon be gathered here. At this place, at North River near Beaufort, and at Dudley, some years ago, the A. M. A., with funds specially provided, purchased several hundred acres of land to be sold to the Freedmen. Not all of this has yet been taken up. The highest ideal of such an investment has not been realized at these points. Nevertheless, I find that the Freedmen almost everywhere are making advance in securing homes and farms.
At Goldsboro’, a fine railway centre, we found an urgent call for a church and school movement, which must soon be set forward. Chapel Hill, the location of the State University, offers a similar opening.
Heretofore the churches of this State have been unassociated. Feeling the need of such fellowship, they have now secured it. In the North Carolina Conference, which was organized at Raleigh on May 2d, holding over a Sabbath, the five churches at Wilmington, Dudley, Beaufort, Raleigh and McLeansville, with their ministers, were thus united. The pastor of the church, Rev. G. S. Smith, a graduate of Atlanta, was made the moderator of the Conference, and Rev. David Peebles secretary. It was a rich and glowing meeting. The several parts and methods of a regular Conference came together as naturally as though this were an experienced ecclesiastical body. The entertaining church was greatly comforted, and some special services were to follow, Rev. David Peebles remaining to assist. The next meeting is to be at Dudley, beginning on the first Friday of May, 1880.
By letters missive from the church at Beaufort, an Ecclesiastical Council was convened at Raleigh, during the session of the Conference, to examine and ordain Mr. Michael Jerkins. The Council being well satisfied with the examination, proceeded on Sabbath evening to the appropriate public services. Sermon and prayer of ordination by Supt. Roy; right hand of fellowship by Rev. David Peebles; charge by Rev. Geo. B. Smith. Rev. Dr. H. M. Tupper, President of Shaw University (Baptist), participated in the services.
The Washington School of Raleigh, these many years under the formative influence of Miss E. P. Hayes, now assisted by the pastor’s wife and Miss Hettie Minton, has here, as with our schools everywhere else, been the great feeder of the church. It has prepared not a few school-teachers and started some young men on the way to the ministry. The Sabbath-school held in the Washington school-house, also under the superintendence of Miss Hayes, has been complimented by one of the white pastors as the best Sunday-school in the city. Its teachers are all from among the former pupils of the school, except the pastor and his wife, who have large classes of adults. It ordinarily numbers from two to three hundred. It is gratifying indeed to hear the young people, who from these schools have come on to be teachers and preachers, publicly express their profound appreciation of these godly women who have led them along the path of education and of character. It is characteristic of these students in general that they delight to put honor upon their lady teachers. They are not too proud to own that they came up under the tutelage of women.
On the home stretch I visited, inspected and addressed the church and school at McLeansville, N. C., under the care of Rev. Alfred Connet and his daughter, and also the Brewer Normal School at Greenwood, S. C., under Principal Backenstose. Since going to his field last summer, Pastor Connet has shared with his people in a gracious revival and in the building of a parsonage. The structure serving for church and school use is comely and convenient.
This tour through the old North State has greatly increased my appreciation of its material resources, its people of both colors, its recuperative process, and its public institutions.