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12 A House of Historic Interest to Baptists By Dr. R. J. Massey T is of unusual interest to note in the midst of a busy city a house whose existence began even before that of the city in which it now stands, but this is true of a little two-story un pretentious frame dwelling which stands today at the intersection of Crew and Clark Streets, Atlanta. The house itself was built long before the I first stake was driven by Chief Engineer Long, of the Western and Atlantic Railroad, at a point which established the center of the South’s great est commercial emporium, and was moved to At lanta from Penfield, Greene County, Georgia. This town was the former site of Mercer University, and the house was the property of J. M. Roberts, a prominent Baptist, and it is highly probable, that more Baptists of prominence have been within its walls than within any in the State of Georgia, or it may be in the whole South. From Mr. Roberts it was transferred to Major R. L. McWhorter, known then as he is now, as “Bob” McWhorter. Bob McWhorter was a mer chant, prosperous farmer and a veritable “Geor gia Major.” To my youthful eye, in his regimen tals at a Georgia militia muster, Bob McWhorter was the finest looking soldier I ever saw. I have been intimate, in after years, with many officers and men of the Mexican War and the late Civil War. and I have found none more soldierly in their bearing than Bob McWhorter. Before and since the war Major Mc- Whorter has been a leading politician in Georgia. Besides filling other important trusts, he represented his county in the Legislature several times, at one time very acceptably as Speaker of the House. Dur ing the war, he led the gallant “Dawson Grays” in many engagements in Virginia, and fully proved himself a fine soldier. Major McWhorter has been a leading Bap tist for nearly seventy years. “Look Not Upon the Wine When it is Red.” It was at this small house in Crew street, during the month of May, 1845, I was invited to a wine supper. At it were some fifteen or twenty young gentlemen of the different classes of Mercer University. This was at an era when the social glass was not tabooed on festive occasions, as it is the custom of church members at present. Even the clergy of the two prominent denominations, Baptist and Methodist, of the State, were in the habit of taking a little “for the stomach’s sake” whenever the occasion required. Each young man was called upon to give a toast in response to which all the others sipped wine. When about half had been called upon, and res ponded, a small pale faced young man came for ward. He very modestly arose and extending his glass of wine in full view, said: “Look not upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth its color in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. For at last it bitheth like a serpent and stingeth like an adder, etc.” Suiting his acts to his words, he said: “Dash it down, dash it down,” and upon the floor he did dash it. Then taking up a glass of clear water he said: “This is pure water, a beverage pre pared by God Himself to nourish and invigorate his creatures.” He followed it with one of the most beautiful temperance speeches it has ever been my lot to hear. Suffice it to say this ended the wine drinking for the night. We had never theless, a splendid social time. The young man who gave the temperance lecture afterwards graduated at Mercer Univtersity. A few years thereafter he took the degree of M. D. at the Georgia Medical College so as to befit him self for his future work. The public has known him for the last half century as Rev. W. H. Clark, M. D., who spent thirty years of his life as a mis sionary in Africa, appointed by the Georgia Bap tist convention. Dr. Clark has given to the world a better knowledge of the dark continent than any other man, save, possibly, H. M. .Stanly. At present his son, Rev. Harvey Clark is Bap tist missionary to Japan, who is at home on vaca tion at this time. It is customary with foreign missionaries, after having served seven continu ous years, to receive a respite for a few months. Mr. Clark is now enjoying that privilege. Major McWhorter sold the Crew Street house to Dr. Nathaniel Macon Crawford, eldest son of Hon. William H. Crawford, who, for at least thirty years, was one of Georgia’s leading statesmen. Being of splendid physique and courtly mein, it is on record that Mr. Crawford is the only man in honor of whom Napoleon Bonaparte, during his whole life, ever raised his hat. When Mr. Craw ford was presented to him as United States Min ister to France, the Emperor paid him this honor. In connection with Mercer he was Professor of Theology and President of the University. Under him Mercer prospered wonderfully. Mild manner ed and gentle, he possessed great firmness of char acter and regardless of all consequences, under no . W ’ '■/ \ "7 V''”' ■" i / ' • - 37 Ml'" WMF I ; W 4 ' 1 ii 1 ® 4 liMIJIIfc ■ i- i z 7 ■ > 7 ■■ ZZ •• Z. Z , .. v circumstances, could he be induced to swerve from what he regarded as a line of his duty. A Manifestation of Divine Grace. One incident in his life will show what sort of a man he was. During his connection with Mercer University as professor there arose great friction between the trustees and one of the professors, in consequence of which Rev. J. L. Dagg, president of the college, and two professors, retired. This trouble brought about great dissension. It was re ferred to the Georgia Baptist Convention. Delegates from all parts of the State came in structed either to ratify or annul the action of the trustees. Many bitter things had been written, worse had been said, upon he subject, both pro and con. A great many were aimed at Dr. Craw ford personally. The Convention met at Savannah, and this par ticular business was made the order for a certain hour. Up to this time Dr. Crawford had never been known to utter a single word on the subject. The controversy against Dr. Crawford had been lead by a great and wonderful man. He exerted his utmost, both by speech and writing, to defeat the plans of the trustees. He had done and said more than any other man on that line. The hour arrived; the matter was called up; suspense hov ered over the whole house; disruption threatened the Convention. Dr. Crawford quietly arose and The Golden Age for April 12, 1906. A House of Historic Interest to Baptists. asked the President if the Convention would per mit him and this aggressive brother to retire to the ante-room, and pray together over the subject. Permission was given; they retired. Within a very few minutes Dr. Crawford and his brother appeared on the stage, and amid the silence of the dropping of the proverbial pin, Dr. Crawford very quietly announced that the difficulty had been ami cably and satisfactorily settled. Following this announcement, there was a general handshaking and universal rejoicing. Scarcely a dry eye was found in the house. There has probably never been such a manifesta tion of Divine grace since Pentecostal day. While Dr. Crawford visited this house, I, my self, was present at a meeting at which were five Baptist ministers and two Baptist laymen; the for mer were the Rev. A. T. Spalding, Rev. J. S. Mor row, Revs. W. L. Compton, A. D., Phillips and Rev. J. H. Kilpatrick. Also the Rev. T. B. Cooper and John T. Clark, together with Rev. William H. Da vis and L. W. Stephens, all useful and well-known men, were frequent guests at this hospitable home. Ex-Governor Northern was raised within a stone’s throw of the lot on which this house stands and must also have been there manv times. In 1856 Dr. Crawford sold the house to Rev. AV. L. M. Harris, the third son of Rev. John Harris. The latter had two sons, Ed wa~l and John, both of whom became Bap tist ministers and visited the house while their brother, the doctor, lived there. Dur ing his stay in the house, Dr. Harris had four sons, all of whom became in turn Bap tist ministers, three of whom are still liv ing. In 1868 Dr. Harris sold the house to Rev. H. H. Tucker, then president of Mer cer University. Dr. Tucker was for many years known as one of the ablest divines in the United States. He made a European tour and performed the ordinance of Bap tism at Rome, in the river Tiber, the only instance of the kind known since the time of the apostles. In 1876 Dr. Tucker bought the lot on which the house now stands from R. P. Zimmerman, a prominent Baptist who had, in turn just purchased it from Penfield, and put it up in its original shape. For sev eral years it was occupied by another Bap- list, Captain S. P. Verdery. At the death of the latter, Hon. Warren D. Webster was the next ten ant of the house, and he also was a prominent Bap tist. Still the long list of Baptists who have been as sociated with the little house in Crew Street is not ended. Among those seen there may be mentioned Rev. Hillman Williams, of Texas; Dr. Sylvanos Landrum, of Atlanta; Rev. E. T. Winkler, of •Charleston, Savannah and Montgomery; Rev. W. B. Crawford, of Madison, Ga., and others. Os all these great and good men so far as I can remember, only six are living: Hon. R. L. Mc- Whorter, fast approaching his nonagerian mile post; Rev. A. T. Spalding, of Atlanta, still faith fully working in his Master’s cause; Ex-Governor Northern, who is today working all the time doing good for his church, State and country; Rev. J. H. Kilpatrick, who is today working as faithfully for his charge at White Plains as he did fifty years ago, when he commenced; and last, but by no means least, that grand triumvirate of Baptist preachers, the Harris brothers, able, earnest and consecrated. Now, if this good old house isn’t entitled to the role of apostolic succession it certainly can come in upon the plea of Baptistic succession for nearly seventy years.