Christian Messenger (Bonham, Tex.), Vol. 3, No. 25, Ed. 1 Wednesday, June 27, 1877 Page: 7 of 8
This newspaper is part of the collection entitled: Fannin County Area Newspaper Collection and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the Bonham Public Library.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
jv
Christian Messenger.
7
V •
k ♦
subdivided considerably. The
women are fnel-gatherers, dri-
ers. and bearers, as in India.
The buffalo abounds, as in
China and India, while this is
the home of the camel, where
hQ is found in immense num-
bers. We rode over a young
one in the street, and such nois-
es as he made I never heard be-
fore. Of all ungainly things,
the young of the buffalo and
the camel deserve the palm,
while for genuine awkward-
ness they can excel anything
in the world. A camel is used
for everything. He is yoked
singly to turn a water-wheel, or
with an ox or a buffalo to pull
a plow. We saw a camel camp,
where hundreds were tethered
near the tents. His motion in
walking is like a wave of the
sea.
One other thing I will men-
tion in Cairo, before we begin
to go out and about* the city.
I secured a ticket of admission
to the University Mosque.
This is the great school of Mo-
hammedanism, where they
come from all parts of the
world to prepare for the
priesthood. Here, too, is the
home of fanaticism. The num-
ber of pupils, as reported to
me by the head mullah, is 13,-
000. There were far less than
that there the day I was pres-
ent, but many may not lodge
or remain in the building. It
is really a series of buildings,
or rather of courts and mosques,
where, lying on rugs in the
open sun, or squatted in circles
about the teacher, or swaying
the body to and fro in memor-
izing the Koran, all ages were
represented among the stu-
dents, from the boy of seven to
the man of sixty. Mohamme-
danism has more vitality than
all the false religions of the
world, and will prove the last
and bitterest enemy of Chris-
tianity.
mm- > tm —
In tli© Field.
Hutchins, Tex., June 20, ’77.
Dear Fro. Burnett:
On Monday the 11th inst., I
set out for Hill county. Stopped
at Bro. Farrer’s, five miles south
of Waxahachie, in Ellis coun-
ty, and got dinner. Bro. Farrer
is in feeble health; he has spent
a great deal of his time in the
school-room for the past two
years. I fear a sedentary life
does not suit him. He is now
taking some, refreshment from
school, and I hope that he/ may
recover his health and become
stout again, for his influence is
needed for the cause of Christ
in his neighborhood. I took up
my journey after dinner, and
traveled on that evening to Bro.
Jenning’s, and stayed all night
with him. Bro. Jennings lives
in Ellis county, south of Cham-
bers’ creek, on what is known
there as Houston branch. There
is a small band of brethren
there; they are what we call
moderate livers; not rich in this
world’s goods. These brethren
are surrounded with, and have
to contend with, a strong secta-
rian influence that is very bitter
towards them. I am satisfied
brethren that our Bro. Dillard
gave such an unfavorable re-
port of, in which he did them
great injustice, and I do think
that justice demands from him
an apology. Bro. Dillard was
a stranger in the country; the
'brethren did not know him,
neither did he know them, nor
was he acquainted with their
condition or surroundings. The
circumstances were all unfavor-
able for such a reception, as
perhaps, Bro. Dillard was ex-
pecting from them. And for
him, a stranger in the country,
not identified with the brethren
of Texas at all, to allow him-
self in consequence of a little
disappointment, to publish
brethren to the world as want-
ing in spiritual life, because he
supposed that he was not quite
the man that they wanted there,
and subject them to the scorn
and 'criticism of their sectarian
opposers, was, to say the least
of it, doing wrong. These breth-
ren were very much mortified
over this affair, in fact they
were hurt with the Messenger
for publishing the report. In
this they were wrong, for the
Messenger was the medium
through which they should
have set themselves right. And
besides, they ought not to hold
the Messenger responsible for
what their own preachers do.
There are many of us who are
well acquainted with Bro. Dil-
lard from character. He is a
worthy young brother, and a
good preacher; one whose stand-
ing as such would very natural-
ly give him easy access to the
pages of any of our religious
journals. The truth of the
whole thing is this : The breth-
ren at Houston branch have
strong opposition to contend
with. They are cautious in re-
gard to strange preachers. It
so happened that they were not
familiar with the standing of
Bro. Dillard as a preacher.
Bro. Dillard mistook them.
Not being acquainted with
their condition and surround-
ings, unwittingly, I am satis-
fied, placed them in a very un-
favorable attitude before the
world. It is due those brethren
that they should be set right.
It is due Bro. Dillard that he
should be undeceived in regard
to them; and I feel confident
his soul,-make the necessary
amends.
. Mr. Pelt lives at Houston
branch, and from what they tell
me, he needs a right good Horn-
ing. I have agreed to hold a
meeting at Houston branch,
commencing Friday night be-
fore the fourth Lord’s day in
August, next. Brethren, pray
for me that I may not get a
Pelting over there.
Tuesday morning Bro. Jen-
nings laid aside his pill bags,
and went with me over to Mil-
ford. I learned there that we
have no brethren in or about
that place. I wish the brethren
would assist me and so enable
me to go and jireach the gospel
got off my horse and went in. use talking. A young lady
There was a lad, I suppose
about fourteen years old, sit-
ting in the entry. I asked him
if I could get a drink of water.
Said he, “There is plenty of
water in the bucket there.” I
drank what water I wanted,
and took a seat in a chair. Af-
ter sitting a moment, I asked
the lad if his father or mother
was about. He said they were
all gone, but his sister. I had
not seen his sister—did not
know where she was. But after
resting a little, I asked the
young man if there were any
Christian people in that neigh-
borhood. He said that there
were “none that he knew of.”
A voice from the inside of the
•house spoke out and said,
“Tommy, what made you say
that ?” I suppose that the
young lady thought that her,
brother was misrepresenting
the people of that neigborhood;
but I was after my dinner. I
went on about a half mile, call-
ed at another house. They
told me that I could get dinner
there. While the dinner was
preparing I made some enquiry
into the religious condition of
things about there. The man
of the house told me that they
had been in the country
but about two years, that none
of his family were members of
any church. The lady asked
me what church I belonged to.
I told her that I only claimed
to be a Christian. With this
the subject dropped, until I got
ready to start. When I asked
for my bill, the lady spoke up
and said, “You are the first
man that we have seen in the
state, that claimed to be noth-
ing but a Christianand said
she, “I think that we can afford
to let you pass free.” I thank-
ed her and went on. But
I could not help thinking about
that Baptist man over on the
Brazos : when I called for my
bill after having stayed all
I was not a preacher; I told
him that I was. He was about
to let me off, but when I told
him that I was a Christian
preacher, he charged me a dol-
lar.
I got to Hillsboro about
three o’clock in the evening. I
soon found that we had no
that he will, in. the goodness of brethren in that place. Court
was in session, and I found
several brethren in from the
country, who insisted that I
should stop and preach that
night. I told them that I was
not acquainted with any one
about the place, and that I had
no place to stay at. Bro. Wor-
nel told me that he was deputy
sheriff, and that he would find
a place to put me. So I gave
myself up to the sheriff. After
court adjourned, Bro. Wornel
took me out to his brother-in-
law's, who lived near town.
After supper we came back in
town and went to the place
where I was to preach, which
was the lower room of the Ma-
sonic hall. Had a fine turn
of my blessed Saviour to desti- j out of people. The Methodist
tute places. I would like to j preacher in charge came out
spend all my time in that way. i and gave us a hearing. We
that these brethren have for the I But after remaining a little; had good behavior and good
last three years made as much, while in Milford, I started on attention. But when Bro.
sacrifice of their means to sus- for Hillsboro; got within
tain the cause of Christ in their ‘ about four miles of the place,
who had found out that my
horse was gone came and told
me, that she was sitting at a
window and that just before
the meeting closed a horse
passed by, near the window
where she was sitting, go-
ing in the direction that I
had come into town in the
evening. A young friend
volunteered his services and
rode out some distance on
the road that I had come, and
returned with my horse. Well,
now you all may say and think
just what you please, but I
know that I experienced a great
change of feeling just then,
and I felt happy to the full
value of a good saddle horse.
In the morning, after breakfast,
my brother, the sheriff, told me
that he would release me. He
took me up in town and gave
me directions on to old Bro.
Arnot’s, who lives about three
and a half miles north of Hills-
boro. Bro. Arnot is a na-
tive of Canada, but has lived
in the south, and in Texas, a
long time. Bro. A. has a fine
farm where he lives; he is well
situated to live in this world.
He is one of those whole souled
sort of brethren—what a sea-
man would call a broad-side.
I got to Bro. Arnot’s some time
before dinner. After dinner he
told me that I must stop a few
days with him, and preach for
them. He has a school house
on his place that is used for
meeting purposes. We preach-
ed there from Thursday night
to Sunday night—five discour-
ses. Had no additions, yet it
was evident that we made some
impression, for one Baptist man
got a little excited over our
preach on Sunday. He mistook
an affirmation for a quotation
of Scripture, and denied there
being any such Scripture.
When I told him that I had
made an affirmation, and not a
quotation, he said that I had
night with him, he asked me if got the wrong coon by the tail
that time. I told him that that
was his fault; that he never
told me which coon he was.
Bro. Arnot went with me- over
to Woodbury and Osceola, and
rendered me considerable as-
sistance in getting up a list of
subscribers for the Messenger.
The Messenger is quite a pop-
ular“paper with the brethren
over in Hill county. We have
some good brethren there. In
fact we have no poor kin in the
county. Bro. Tennison lives
near Osceola, and preaches at
that place. I heard Bro. Dris-
kill preach one discourse at the
Arnot school house.
Old Bro. Arnot says that he
wants it distinctly understood
that lie has no money to give
preachers, and that he has no
use for begging preachers ; he
says that when he gets a
preacher to labor for him, and
he does good work, he is wil-
ling to pay him well for it, but
that lie has no money to give
anv of them. There is no bet-
ter land in the state than in
Hill county, and crops are
very fine there.
Truly, E.E.
Wornel and I went out to get
on our horses, my horse was
neighborhood as any brethren; and niy stomach began to in- gone. There I was now, afoot
of their ability ‘within niy cline me to look out Sot some and in Hillsboro at that,
knowledge. These * are the dinner. I called at a house, my horse stolen of course. No
At the Sea.
Galveston, Tex., June 20th.
Bro. Burnett :
Since I left home, I have not
been able to write much. And
though I have worked hard, my
meeting is not doing much. It
is much like the other meetings
here, with the exception of Maj.
Penn’s, and I can not be sure
liis was any honor to the cause
of Christianity, on the whole.
No doubt it did real good; but
it did real harm also, and
when the balance is struck we
may find the result against him.
We meet at 10 a. m., for Bi-
ble readings, inquiries, and in-
vestigations, and hold till 4.2.
Then we preach at 8 p. m. On-
ly two additions so far. Sev-
eral are listening interestedly.
The church here has determin-
ed to send for and distribute
tracts.
1. On evidences of Christian-
ity. It is thought half the peo-
ple here do not believe the
Bible.
2. On first principles. It is
certain that but few know what
to do to be Christians.
3. Christian union. All sects
are bristling on the house-tops
here.
4. On general Christian du-
ty—the organization of the
church, proper observance of
the Lord’s day, family duties,
etc., and especially the unlike-
ness of the church to the world,
her separation from it, etc.
The little tract issued here,
giving the locality of the
church, (Sylvester Hall, corner
Nineteenth & Winnie streets,)
I may send you. It gives an
excellent programme for the
few disciples here, and will do
much good if carried out, as I
trust it will be faithfully.
I am annoyed by the loss of
my letters to the Baptists, Nos.
7 and 8. I can not reproduce
them, and really have not time*
to complete the series as I de-
sired. But I will commence
again when I can.
Affectionately,
C. K.
-—-m • m-
Union Bluff, Hill Co., Tex.,
June 18, 1877.
Bro. Burnett:
As no one has written you
from this part, I thought I wo’d
let you know what we are do-
ing for the cause of Christ.
There are some fifteen or twenty
of the brotherhood in this com-
munity. For some time we
have had no preaching; occa-
sionally a brother would stop
on his way and give us a talk
at a private house. Since
Christmas we have built a
school-house 20x24, about the
center of the neighborhood on
a little creek, which place we
call Union Bluff. On the third
Lord’s day in May, Bro. T. F.
Driskill commenced to preach
for us, to continue to preach for
us on the 3d Lord’s day, and
Saturday night before, in each
month during the year. On
last Lord’s day, after hearing
Bro. D. deliver an able dis-
course on the church as a build-
one presented himself
A/* wu uvivuuti vi
the truth, and well liked by all.
On the 3d Lord’s day, Tuesday
night before, in July, Bro. D.
will commence a protracted
meeting at Union Bluff. Hop*
that any preaching brother that
can conveniently do so, will
come over and help us. We
have a good neighborhood, and
they give us a large and atten-
tive hearing. I would like to
write you more, but presume
this is enough for the present.
I will eav that an^' brother
coming tliis way will find a
home. Yours, in Christ,
D. C. Worneu
-.?
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
Burnett, Thomas R. Christian Messenger (Bonham, Tex.), Vol. 3, No. 25, Ed. 1 Wednesday, June 27, 1877, newspaper, June 27, 1877; Bonham, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth974302/m1/7/?rotate=270: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Bonham Public Library.