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14 THE
j Contributed
OUR BRIGHTSIDE LETTER.
On the Kanawha.
After the charming entertainment at
?lkins, during the meeting of the Virginia
Synod, and the opening of the eyes to
the marvelous development of this mountain
Virginia, we were unwilling to hurry
away. And here we are on the banks
of the Great Kanawha. A broad window
looks out on the wide and yellow current,
the busy railroad on the rocky ledge beyond,
with the long trains and long
streamers of white steam and the brown,
leafless forest on the mountain side.
If the river is not so great, as is the
Ohio into which it flows, and the Father
of Water's beyond, it is becoming great
in its history and romance, as the pioneer
past recedes, and it is already great in
its vast natural wealth and the skill and
energy which are literally unearthing it.
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A 11TC1 10 ai n aj o a. iiuc oigiii, wiiu I IS
glistening waters, its irresistible power,
its silent piajesty, its ceaseless flow, and
the mountain rocks beyond are so lofty
and fixed, scarred and blasted by ages of
seasons and storms.
Along this valley, Andrew Lewis and
his Virginia riflemen went to Point Pleasant,
and secured the defeat of Cornstalk,
and the final deliverance of all Virginia
from savage Indians.
Up this valley, came back from captivity
in Ohio, in Indian camps, Mrs. Mary
Ingles, of Radford, where a monument
was lately erected to the brave and suffering
woman. And here came* Mary
Moore, back to Abb's Valley, to be the
mother of sons, strong and good, and to
rest at last in the cemetery of New Providence
Church. Here was the hunting
lodge of Daniel Boone, the Kentucky pio
neer, ana aoove ai maiden was ine Dome
of Mrs. Ruffner, a humane and Christian
woman, who taught her little negro boy,
and sent him out, Booker Washington, to
be a benefactor of his race.
Not many miles away, at Clarksburg,
is the birthplace of Stonewall Jackson,
and not many States have produced a
man, so great in war, so good in war
and peace. And the young soldier,
Rowan, who in Cuba, "carried the message
to Garcia," is of the good and vigorous
West Virginia stock, from the
county of Monroe. There will be much
to tell of the old pioneer stock of these
mountain valleys, when the story is told.
Productive industry began long years
ago in the Kanawha Valley, when salt
came up in the water from deep wells,
and wealth accumulated. Then was the
rafting of logs, with peril and long absences
on the Mississippi, and in New
Orleans. Then the uncovering of boundless
measures of coal, black diamonds,
to enrich the people. Then came the
spouting oil, and now the gas from the
great cavernous reservoir below.
The State of West Virginia is rich be
yond estimate. The vialleys are penetrated
by iron rails, and lumber camps,
PRESBYTERIAN OF THE SOU'
and coal tippler, and gas wells. Population
increases, industry has its wncas
and many grow rich. And with all this
prosperity are better things than coal or
gold. There are school houses, and good
ones, everywhere, and churches at every
village.
Charleston and Huntington are cities to
surprise the visitor, and are looking to
greater things in coming years.
West Virginia has two matters in litigation,
which are now, it is hoped, coming
to a long desired issue. One is the
old boundary line question, long contested
with Maryland. Is the Fairfax
stone, at the southwestern corner of
Maryland, in the right place? Or should
it have been placed in the colonial days
at the head spring of the south branch
of the Potomac? And there is the settlement
of the old debt question between
Old Virginia and her runaway mountain
daughter. Really, West Virginia does not
seem to care much, being well able to
pay the claims of the venerable mother.
In another letter we must leave these
eaithly matters, and write of churches
and preachers and people, who are not
altogether earthly. J. P. S.
DR. FRANCIS L. PATTON'S VISIT TO
AUSTIN SEMINARY.
It may not be uninteresting to the
Southern Presbyterian Church as a
whole, and will certainly not be to the
constituency of Austin Seminary In the
Southwest, to know something of the
visit and lectures of the Rev. President
Francis L. Patton, D.D., LL.D., of Princeton,
to this institution. Dr. Patton ar
rived in Austin on Saturday, November
6, and his lectures began on Sunday
afternoon at 3 o'clock. Through the
courtesy of the authorities of the University
of Texas, the lectures were held
in the splendid auditorium of that institution,
where large crowds heard Dr.
Patton each evening of the week and
twice on each Sabbath of his visit. The
lectures were divided into two courses,
the first consisting of five lectures on
the general subject, "Fundamental Christianity,"
and the second course consisting
of four lectures on the general subject,
"Authority in Religion". It is safe
to say that no such lectures have been
heard in this city in the past seven years
of the writer's experience here, and it is
doubtful if better could be heard anywhere.
Just take a (lance at the topics
treated in the two courses. In the first
course, "The Theiutic View of the
World", where the audience could lust
about hang on to the doctor's garments
as he soared; "The New Christianity",
in which the ultimate failure of both the
Hegelian and Ritzschlian principles was
clearly shown; "The Doctrine of Sin",
which left no doubt of the speaker's conception
of what is wrong with humanity;
"The Person of Christ" and "The Philosophy
of Salvation". The second course
on "Authority in Religjon" dealt in a
logical and comprehensive manner with
the four topics, "Authority of the Bible,"
"The Authority of the Church", "The
rH. December i, 1909.
Authority of Christ" and "The Authority
of Reason".
I shall not attempt to describe these
lectures, because that would be impossible
in the limits which I may be allowed,
one might be tempted to think that
lectures on these seemingly obstruse subjects
would be so dull as to be like
"twiPP tnlH tfllno vnvlnnr ^"'1 ~ *
?w.vi w.>v?f TCA1115 v-uc uuii cat s ul
a drowsy man", but they were as far
as possible from that. Dr. Patton held
up these subjects, differentiated them
from kindred subjects, stated and answered
objections, and then argued positively,
with a wealth of luminous illustration,
and a vein of exquisite humor
running through the whole, and sometimes
the sharpest sarcasm, which held
his audiences in rapt attention from beginning
to end. If I might speak in a
pragmatic way, they worked. The people
came to hear from night to night for
a week, and Texas people, at least, do
not go to hear what they can not enjoy
and appreciate. In addition to the regular
course, Dr. Patton also spoke twice
to the students of the Seminary alone,
first on preaching and later on "Theological
Enclyclopedia" which were two
of the best of his lectures.
The Seminary and the entire community
have been greatly benefitted by these
courses of lectures. It would be a splendid
thing if they could be heard over the
whole South. They are timely, and one
who hears them will feel that there is
still a great deal to be said in defense of
the "old paths." Robert E. Vinson.
AN APPEAL TO THE WOMEN OF
THE SOUTHERN PRESBYTERIAN
CHURCH.
The following stirring appeal of Mrs.
J. Calvin Stewart, of Virginia, authorized
by the Woman's Synodical Union of
Virginia, will doubtless find a cordial response
in the sympathetic hearts of the
noble women of our Church. It is an
effort to unify their Home Mission activities
for the coming year on some ome
worthy enterprise, and nothing would
mean more for our work than the equipment
of a great Missionary Institution of
higher grade for our Indians and others
in Oklahoma.
Already some societies are sending in
their gifts, others are pledging themselves
for one or two shares and will
furnish the funds later, while the institution
is in process of erection, which is
perfectly satisfactory. We sincerely
trust and urge that there may be a general
and generous response, and that we
may soon throw open the doors of this
institution to numerous students, and
th^t it may be a monument worthy of the
devoted women of our great Church.
Let every woman read this appeal and
co-operate by sending her" gifts to the
treasurer of the fund, or through the
channel of her society, and may God
richly bless the efTort.
3. L. Morris, Secretary.
The Appeal.
The women of the Southern Presbyterian
Church have recently had a wonder