South Carolina Conference

Rev. J. W. Kelly, our South Carolina Conference cosmopolite, sends us an olla podrida of fact and opinion as to matters and things in his own field, and “in the region that lieth round about.” The conventional “Hear him!” is scarcely in place here. Of course we will hear him, and gladly:

Late in June I was much interested in the examination and closing exercises of the fine school of J. G. Etheridge, between Concord and Nazareth. Brother E. is a master, and succeeds as a teacher. After the usual exercises with the classes, and the speeches and dialogues by the scholars, we had a fine dinner and an hour’s rest, and then the writer and Jesse Clifton, and Brother W. J. Needy, (a candidate), were ready with speeches, and our large audience remained to the last, and there seemed to be much enjoyment, and I think there was social and intellectual profit. We must take interest in our home, neighborhood schools and academies.

On the 4th of July we had, at Baily’s Spring school-house, a mixed meeting—Sunday-school, educational, temperance, political. A large crowd, a good dinner, frequent showers of rain, and many speeches; thus, Clifton led off with a patriotic talk—text, Fourth of July—then the writer, on temperance; then E. King Hardin, on education; and Uncle Mark Boyd came in with a good talk, and the temperance and Sunday-school folk gave us good songs. After these talks came the candidates, among them Speaker Shepherd, of Edgefield, and a dozen others. Thus we divide time, and have the grave and gay, the lively and severe, and illustrate the truth of the couplet that “A little nonsense, now and then, is relished by the wisest men.” At Providence Church, near Batesburg, in this Circuit, our Brother, Artemas Watson, managed a large meeting on the last Tuesday in July, Sunday-school, educational and political. President Jones, of Columbia Female College, was with us. Our Batesburg teacher, E. K. Hardin, led off—text, “Our Children”—W. J. Needy, a Sunday-school superintendent and a candidate followed, on schools; then President Jones did his best, and succeeded well, and distributed catalogues, and our college in Columbia will be better known in these parts hereafter. The choir, led by our Baptist friend, Brother Plunkett, gave us the best of vocal music. A good dinner again, and frequent showers, and then the candidates, in the grove hard by, had their time with the sovereigns. All went off well, and A. B. Watson, superintendent of Sunday-school and steward, presided here and at the meeting on the 4th, and showed himself a born leader among the people, a model presiding officer. He loves to work and knows how, and is appreciated.

On yesterday, August 31, we had another joint meeting, at Leesville, three miles east of Batesburg. This time our Lutheran friends came to the front, in behalf of their College at Newberry. President Holland, Professor Haltiwanger, and others, were on hand. Willie Folk, Esq., a Wofford boy, presided, and of course did it well. The speeches were modest, sensible, and good to edification; the crowd was very large, the dinner good, the candidates eager and numerous, and after dinner they spoke till sundown, I learned, as I did not remain at evening to hear them, though I wished them all well, and will vote for a few of them, as I am now a Lexington man. Thus we mix Sunday-schools, education, temperance and patriotism! Can we do better?

An excellent layman writes us this good letter:

In old Edgefield, Methodism is making rapid strides. A little more than a year ago, seeing that a church had become a necessity in our infant town, a small society was formed, and a few weeks later followed the organization of a Sunday School. Week after week the exercises were conducted in the Academy Hall, where meetings of every nature were then held, until, by the generosity and zeal of its members, a most beautiful church edifice stands to-day a living monument to the liberality and perseverance of the true and tried little band. On the 11th August the dedication sermon was preached by Dr. J. T. Wightman, to a large and most attentive congregation. Now the membership, though at first comparatively small, has been swelled to upwards of thirty, while the Sunday School continues to flourish, composed of a corps of earnest officers and an interesting collection of young people and children. The prospects for the future are bright, and the outlook encouraging. We would not claim any of the honor for the success of this great work in our midst, but to God would we give all the glory.

Rev. J. W. Whitman, writes us a pleasant note about his charge. “Spring St., is the youngest child of our denomination in this City; but has never been spoiled by petting. I am glad to say that we are not discouraged in view of the prospects. The financial status is better than for several years past up to this time, and the stewards seem to be hopeful as to the final result. Spiritually we are on medium ground. We have more than a dozen, old an[...]