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DONALSONVILLE NEWS
Established February, 1916.
Entered as second class matter
February 12, 1916, at the post office
at Donalsonville, Georgia under the
act of March 3, 1879. I
ELLISON DUNN, editor-owner
Official organ of Seminole County
and the City of Donalsonville, Georgia.
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
One Year SI.OO
Six Months .50
MEMBER:
National Editorial Association
Georgia Press Association
Advertising Rates Reasonable
And Furnished On Request
NOTICE
Any person, firm or cooperation
holding any indebtedness against the
Estate of Thos. Chason are requested
to furnish the undersigned with a
verified statement of the same im
mediately.
Mrs. E. A. Chason. Sole
Heir Estate of Thos. Chason.
THAT PECULIAR SECT
by M. C. Liddell
Sbme time ago I wrote an article
entitled. THAT DESPISED SECT
which was published in our splendid
paper the Donalsonville News.
Many readers of that paper have
said to me that they enjoyed reading
my compositions and insisted that I
write another. Because of this urgen
cy I am endeavoring to write again,
hoping that it will be of interest to
all who read it.
Soon after coming to Donalsonville
and Seminole County 1 discovered that
there existed many religious bodies
bearing different names, such as
Methodist, Presbyterian, Baptist,
.Nazarene, and Holiness.
There are different groups of
Methodists, Methodist Protestant
Church. Methodist Episocopal Church,
Africian Methodist Episcopal Zion,
Calvinistic Methodist or Welsh
Church.
There are different groups of Pres
byterians, Cumberland Presbyterian,
Dutch Reformed Presbyterian. North
ern Presbyterian, Southern Presby
terian. Psalm singing Presbyterian,
and many others.
We are told that there are three
principal bodies of Regular Bap
tists, the Northern, the Southern, and
the Negro, all of whom agree in doc
trine and principles, but each having
its own associations.
Besides the three large divisions of
Baptists, there are several smaller
ones which bear different titles. The
Six Principle Baptists, The Seventh
Day Baptists, the Freewill Baptists.
General Baptist, Separate Baptists,
United Baptists, and Primitive Bap
tists.
In writing this article it is not my
purpose to dwell upon any of the a
bove mentioned religious groups, ex
pect one, and that one is the Primi
tive Baptist. The reason why I am
singling them out from all the other
religious groups or bodies is because
I have become tremendously inter
ested in them collectively and indivi
dually. They are a pecular people, a
people of distinctive characteristics.
God says in his word Deuteronomy
-14:2, speaking of his people His
Church, “The Lord hath chosen thee to
he a peculiar people unto Himself a
bove all nations that are upon the
earth.” Titus 2:14 “Peculiar people”.
J Peter 2:9 “A Peculiar People”.
They call themselves “Primitive
Baptists”, primeval, original, first
Baptists, that all others who go by the
name of Baptist are descenters who
have deviated, wandered, departed
from the original way of old-fashion
ed Christianity.
During my sojourn of two years
here, it has been my privelige and pro
fit to attend services in three churches
of this denomination, Log Union,
Rock Pond, and Sharon, here in Don
alsonville, meeting many of the
members, hearing their ministers
preach and eating the splendid food
which the good women had prepared
and spread on the long tables in the
church yards.
The hospitality manifested by these
people surprised me no little. I
thought they were a cold, distant,
ar.d selfish people, but I found them
the very opposite to what I expected.
Mv, what a good time I had the days
I attended their meetings.
ft was on a Saturday that I heard
the venerable Elder Kelley preach
here at Donalsonville. His subject was
“Ezekiels Vision of Dry Bones”—
Ezek. 37. The hand of the Lord was
upon the preacher that day. He made
the congregation see the valley of dry
defense. ,
B 0 tU/V
\ rrafM
A .Jhßs
human bones, he made them hear
the rattling as the bones came to
gether, “bone to bone” as the minister
preached on we saw flesh and skin
grow upon the skeletons making them
human forms. Then the wind’s breath
came, the breath of God moved over
this prostrate host and they lived
and stood upon their feet a great army
of living people breathing a new life.
Tile good minister told us that day
that the lesson of dry bones was given
to show that men were dead In sjn.
That preacher was God’s Method of
resurrecting men from their dead
state. The wind was the Spirit of God
accompanying the preached word,
making men alive unto the Lord —
walking in newness of life—trans
lated into the Kingdom of His Son.
When the Lord God formed man of
the dust of the ground, he breathed i
into hjs nostrils the breath of life and I
man became a living soul. Gen. 2:7.
This breath gave to man natural life.
Job said. “The Spirit of, God hath ]
made me and the breath of the Al
mighty hath given me life.” Job 33:4.
The resurrected Christ breathed on
his disciples and said, “Receive ye the
Holy Ghost." Jno, 20:22,
Physical life comes from God the
Holy Ghost. The word and the Spirit
are the instruments used of God in
recreating a new life.
Mi’ soul feasted on spiritual food
and drink that day. I can never read
Ezekiel 37 without thinking of Rev.
Kelley and his sermon.
Another Saturday I was at Log:
U n|on Church when I heard Eider
Blackshear preach on the subject of
"Ruth the Moabitess”, A very inter-!
esting and helpful sermon. The dis
course revealed the preacher as being
a deep thinker and an interesting
speaker.
The sermon helped me very much
but the thing that impressed me most
was th? attitude the congregation had
toward the p»eath?r and to each other.
They listened reverently t.Pi the
reading of the scripture and eagerly
drank in the words of the sermon.
While the service was in progress
men who were late coming into the
house would go around shaking hands
with all the brothers gnd sisters, who
greeted him with a hearty handshake
and a brotherly smile.
Belated women worshippers coming
in a side door were hugged and kissed
by one of their sex who had stationed
herself at the entrance supposedly for
that purpose. There was much affec
tion shown among them.
I thought pf what Jesus said to his
disciples “a new eoiup)pndment I give
unto you, that ye love oi.e another
as I have loved you”. By this shall all
men know that you are my disciples
if you have love one for another.
John 13:
I also thought of what the apostle
Paul said to the early Christians “Let
brotherly love continue”. Heb. 13:
And salute, and greet one another
with a holy kiss”. I said to myself,
people called primitive Bap
tists must have the spirit of Christ
for they seem tu ipye each other as
no other group of professed Christians
I have known.
I was born in the country on a farm.
When I was about eight years of
age my father took me with him one
Sunday afternoon to hear a well
known preacher of the Primitive Bap
tist church, whose name was Jordan,
Uncle Jimmie Jordan he was affec
tionately called by all who knew him.
I can never forget the impression this
man and his sermon made on my
DONALSONVILLE NEWS F RIDAY, JANUARY 2ND, 1942.
{mind.
Rev. Jordan had a twin brother
! named Johnny who also was a preach-
I er of the same faith and order but the
, people all agreed that Jimmie was the
best preacher. I heard my father and
some men discussing the question of
i the preacher brothers before the ser
i mon began.
Uncle Jimmie was tall and lank;
i bald on top of his head with a fringe
I of long white hair that hung to the
'shoulders; face c|epn shaven with a
I tuft of whiskers starting at one ear,
i running under the chin and termina-
■ ting at the opposite organ of hearing.
He wore a long black coat with
pockets in the tail from which he
would draw forth a red bandanna
handkerchief and mop his sweaty
brow. Preaching was hard work in
i those days. The preacher pranced
j from one end of the wide pulpit to
the other, beating the air with a
closed fist slapping both hands mak-
I ing a noise like two boards striking
together.
A large white pitcher sat on the
right side of the Bible desk, out of
which the preacher poured water in
to a glass tumbler and drank every
little while.
The afternoon was hot and as I
watched the preacher pour water I
got thirsty. This thirst increased un
til I began to whimper for a cool
draught. Father thumped a finger a
gainst the back of my head at the
| same whispering into my ear to keep I
quiet. I did my best under the circum
! stances.
The old preacher soon made me for
get all about water when he told of
; how Jesus sent Peter and John to
! Bethpage to borrow gn ass from a
friend and how they came back up thp
i hill leading the animal. Then the
preacher jerked his audience to rapt
attention when he pulled off his long
tailed coat and threw it over a pine
1 pole joist just over his head and with
1 the agiluy fit yftphg mjtif he
! jumped astride that object, his long
legs dangling beneath giving the im-
I pression of one riding an animal
without a saddle. The preacher con
tinued to preach as he took the imma
ginary ride down the mountain side.
Preseptjy a great multitude of child
; ren caipe out »f the city qp their way
to meet the Naaarine, strowing palm
' branches jn the way, some taking
the|r garments and spreading them in
: the way Re told of how the multitude
| sang, lifting his voice which Pt times
; . had the volume of a fog horn, he
■ I chanted, “Hosanna to the son of
I
David. Blessed is he that cometh in
the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the
name of the Lord.” Coming to myself,
I was standing on the bench with bul
ging eyes at the preacher and mouth
wide open when someone behind pull
ed at my waist, at the same time tell
ing me to sit down so they could see.
The preacher told his hearers that
Jesus had need of an ass to serve
him on his mission of mercy and sal
vation and that the master was still
calling people and things into his ser
vice and blessed is he whom the
Lord calls. He also spoke of the fick
leness of man. One day the multitude
sang the praise of the man of Golil
le. That same crowd, a few days later
cried out, “Crucify him, crucify him.”
After the minister had preached a
bout one and a half hours the con
! gregation sang:—
“My Christian friends in bonds of
■ love
Where hearts in sweet union join
Your friendship’s like a drawing
bond
Yet we must take the parting hand.
Your comp’nys sweet, your union
dear
Your words delightful to my ear
Yet, where I see that we must part
You draw like cords around my
heart.
Oh could I stay with friends so kind
How would it cheer my drooping
mind
But duty makes me understand
That we must take the parting hand.
Oh glorous day. Oh blessed hope
My soul leaps forward at the
thought
When on that happy, happy land
We’ll no more take the parting hand.
But with our blessed holy Lord
We’ll shout and sing with one ac
cord
And there we’ll all with Jesus dwell
So loving Christians fare you well.”
Then came the benediction. The old
preacher spread out his large hands
and stretched his arms toward the
rafters, and looking up as if trying
to penetrate the heavens, with that
rich, solemn voice of his he asked
the God of all grace and mercy and
peace to be and abide with all who had
gathered to worship here.
Coming from their seats a large
number gathered around the old
preacher to shake his hand.
AGENT URGES MORE
GARDENS AS AID IN
SECURING VICTORY
, “Help win the war by planting a
garden.”
This was the “plea” of Bill Brig
ham county agent of Seminole county
this week. And in calling on farm peo
ple to do their part in helping the na
tion’s food-for-freedom program and,
at the same time, helping themselves,
Mr. Brigham called attention to sev
eral garden facts that should be borne
in mind,
First, he said, many vegetable seed
will be scarce and some unobtainable.
Therefore, farmers should buy early
w’hat they need.
Second, all garden seeds left over
from last year should be saved and
planted somewhat thicker than new
seed.
Third, left over seeds should be
stored away from rats and mice in
cool, dry storage to maintain as much
of theii’ vitality as possible.
Fourth, germination tests may be
made of old seeds by planting several
kinds in boxes of moist dirt kept in
a sunny location.
Fifth, most seed should be treated
for disease wjth Red Copper Oxide or
Semesan, according to directions on
container.
Sixth, such seed as beans and peas
will grow faster and produce better
crops if inoculated with the proper
THURSDAY & FRIDAY
SWAMP
WATER
DLIVE THEATRE
inoculation for these crops.
In conclusion, the county agent de
clared :
“Every farmer owes it to his coun
try and his own family to do his part
in planting a garden. As Secretary of
Agriculture Claude R. Wickard re
cently said, ‘Vegetables for vitality
for victory’ should be our slogan to
go hand in hand with the national
cry of ‘Remember Pearl Harbor’ ”.
IN MEMORY OF DR.
THOMAS CHASON
The journey of life lies along the
dark valley of the shadow of death.
There is no spot on its pilgrimage
where his presence is unknown.
There is no family over who’s hearth
stone his somber shadow does not
fall. There is always somewhere some
eye that is weeping, some heart that
is bleeding, some home who’s light is
(extinguished and who’s altars are
draped in the sad habiliments of
woe.
On November 24th the spirit of our
neighbor and friend Dr. Thomas
Chason, passed from our midst to hear
the welcome plaudit, “Well done,
good and faithful servant, enter into
the joys of thy Lord”.
The last months of his life were
ones of affliction. He bore with great
patience and fortitude the sickness
which resulted in his death—believ
ing all the while the closing day of
his life was near. A complaint of his
was that he wanted to be able to be
up and at his office so that he might
give aid to the worthy poor. His
■whole life was spent in Seminole
County, loved and honored by all who
knew him, his death is truly one to be
! lamented. All hearts are saddened at
the thought that never again will his
kindness be known, his sympathy
shared or his genial face seen in our
midst. If for his death a whole com
munity mourns, what shall be said of
the grief of her to whom for so many
years he has borne the relation of
husband.
None of the advantages of wealth
and influence were his in early life to
aid him in his struggle for recogni
tion and success. No royal road was
opened up before him; nothing but
the rough beaten path that stretches
at the feet of stern industry and in
tegrity. This path was not strewn with
roses; on the contrary, it was often
a weary way, beset with thorns and
brambles and calling for the exercise
of patience, fortitude and self-denial;
but it lead to honor, usefulness, com
petency and success.
He had many lovable traits of char
acter, pre eminently of which was his
lovable sameness of disposition—he
was the same Dr. Thomas Chason
morning, noon and night. His private
life deserved all admiration; devoted
to his wife and friends; simple and
upright, these virtues are his eulogy
I more than tounge can tell. If “to live
in the hearts of those he left behind
is not to die” Dr. Thomas Chason has
only gone nearer the eternal light—
has but crossed the lowlands to dwell
on the mountain top. But he is dead,
and though ripe in years died all too
soon.
Into the quiet of his home death en
tered gently, and his spirit drifted a
vray on the bosom of that dark and
shadowy river that flows with rest
i less sweep into the shoreless sea
I which has never yet borne on any way
the image of a homeward sail. We
gently fold the drapery of his couch
about him and lay him down to sleep
where immortelles and sweet forget
| me-nots will bloom above his grave.
We bow with resignation to the sum
mons that calls him away, and we
leave him with the angels who will
stand at his tomb and keep watch
over his slumbers until the resurrec
tion mourn, and we invoke Him who is
above all angels, principalities and
powers to care for the one whom His
dispensation has left widowed and
sorrowing.
J. L. Haralson.
Large Attendance
Expected To Credit
Association Meeting
Indications point to a very large
attendance at the annual meeting of
the members of the Bainbridge Pro
duction Credit Association, which will
be held on January 14th at Bainbridge
in the Court House, beginning at
10:0 A. M., according to C. W. Carr
and C. A. Curry, of Calvary and Cairo,
who are Directors of the association.
A very interesting and instructive
program has been ararnged for the
meeting, Mr. Carr and Curry said,
and much interest is being manifested
by the members. Some new feature*
will be introduced at the meeting this
year, they said.
“Every farmer is vitally interested
in the problems and changing condit
ions affecting agriculture today,”
said Mr. Carr, and Curry, “and we
hope that this will be the largest
meeting in the history of our organi
zation.”
The Bainbridge Production Credit
Association serves Decatur, Grady.
Miller, and Seminole Counties and
furnishes short-time credit for gen
eral agricultural and livestock pur
pose’s.
Officers of the association are: W.
W. Hodges, president; L. C. McElvy,
vice president; and George N. Guest,
secretary-treasurer. Directors in ad
dition to the president and vice presi
dent are: C. W. Carr, C. A. Curry, and
Broadus Willoughby.