CHAPTER XI.

THE BAPTISTS

HE Baptist church played an important part in the spiritual welfare of the people of Menard County in its early days. The Hardshells were

perhaps the most numerous back in 1840. They often had preaching at my father's house in Salem, because it was the largest house in the village. John Antle, who lived at Salisbury, and who was the father of the late Dr. Francis P. Antle, was a fair preacher, though he had an ah-h-h at the end of every sentence. Then there was Crow and Bagby, who could not preach without the holy tone and who like Whangdoodle thought it better to have a hardshell than no shell at all.

The Hardshells were opposed to the more progressive sentiments of the other sects. An incident will serve to illustrate: At a meeting in the Baptist Church near Felix Green's, where everything was done by the church, Bro. Green was turned out of the church for having joined Dr. Allen's temperance society. At the same meeting Bro. A was charged with being drunk, and was also turned Bro. P, who was loaded for bear, got up and, steadying himself, pulled out a flask and shook it till it beaded, and said: "Brethering, it seems to me that you are not sistenent, (consistent) because you have turned out one man for taking the pledge and another for getting drunk. Now, brethering, how much of this critter have I got to drink to have good standing among you?"

out.

Another portion of the early Baptist Church was represented by Tilford Clark, who was a fine preacher and conducted revivial meetings in the school houses and private residences.

In 1842 Abraham Bale came from Kentucky and created a commotion. He was considered a great preacher. Tall, well formed, with a powerful constitution and a voice like a lion, he could wake the natives for a half mile 'round. He held wonderful revivals all over the country and baptized converts in the River Sangamon, even as John the Baptist did in the River Jordan. I have seen him administer baptism to fifty at a time, just below Salem mill. A couple of men or women would get the converts ready and pass them to Bale, who would soon have them put under the water in good style, while the rowdies above would throw in dogs and logs and otherwise disturb the proceedings, and when going to and from the river would run their horses and whoop and yell like Indians. At one of his baptizings, just as he was about to lead a sister out into the water, her husband, who was watching the ceremonies, cried out: "Hold on, Bale! Hold on, Bale! Don't you 'dround' her! I wouldn't take the best cow and calf in Menard County for her!"

Bale's star outshone every other star for a few years and then he moved away. His brother, Jacob Bale, tried his hand at preaching for a time but did not make much of a success at it.

"Pres" Curry has sounded the gospel trumpet in Menard County for nearly sixty years and has probably baptized more people, preached more funerals and married more couples than any other man. "Pres" does not take to any so-called improvements in theology. He thinks the Bible should be interpreted as it reads; hence his sermons are of the doctrinal sort, and he never considers a sermon complete unless he has the Baptist mode of baptism somewhere

in it. He is an earnest preacher, and still thinks the old time theology the best.

The Baptist Church in Menard County has filled its mission well and among the churches in Petersburg the one on Main street, south of the court house, has done as much to better the spiritual condition of the people as any other.

THE CAMPBELLITES

In early days it was no stigma to call this division of the army of the Lord Campbellites. They were the followers of Alexander Campbell and were not ashamed of their parentage. Now, we believe, they prefer to call themselves Christians, which is not objected to, unless they lay claim to being the only church that is entitled to the name. In early days it was said that the Campbellites and the dog-fennel took the town every fall; that is, the church had a revival about the time the dog-fennel crop ripened. Some worthy evangelist would come along and after a few days' preaching would increase fifty to a hundred and go on his way rejoicing. I remember Aaron White as a zealous advocate of the doctrines of this church. He always carried his Testament with him, with marked passages of scripture, ready to defend his faith.

At Sugar Grove William Engle was a preacher belonging to this church. He was a short, heavy-set man, of good speech, and never let any man get ahead of him in an argument. All old settlers remember "Bill" Engle. He was a jolly story teller. I heard him and "Fog" Atchison telling in Petersburg which had the fattest sheep. Engle said: "I tell you, Mr. Atchison, I have the fattest sheep. An ox hooked one the other day and we rendered it up. It was all tallow and its tail made a tallow candle." He got the laugh on Atchison.

The Christian Church has many schools and colleges. One at Eureka turns out many young men well educated. The church has taken advanced ground on the temperance question and most of its preachers and members are prohibitionists.

THE PRESBYTERIANS

Dr. Allen's coming to Petersburg in 1840 was the beginning of that church. For a time the meetings were held in the old court house, an old building in which Septimus Levering kept store at an early day. It was in the middle of the block, three blocks south of the public square and on the west side of the street. Jim Taylor kept store on the south corner of the block and the Hoeys on the north corner. After a while a small church was built north of where Rule's livery stable now stands, where other denominations also held meetings when it was not occupied by the Presbyterians. A preacher by the name of Gault held meetings there for a number of years. He was a good preacher, but, Presbyterian like, read his sermons, which lessened their effect. William Cowgill, the Frackeltons, Dr. Allen and a few others represented the Presbyterian Church in the "forties." A large and substantial brick church was erected one block west of the square later on. The old church is now occupied by S. B. Bryant as a paint shop.

METHODIST CHURCH

A representative man in the early history of the Methodist Church in Petersburg, was Rev. George Barrett, a young man, full of vigor and very popular. The old settlers remember his eccentricities. He would read his text and if anything engaged his attention he would make a remark

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and go ahead. In reading his text one morning he said: "And the Lord said unto Moses'-Bob Davidson you be still!" Then he went ahead and finished his text. Barrett was a good feeder. One year his circuit took in Pecan Bottom, where the natives lived on pumpkins, cooked in various styles-stewed pumpkin, dried pumpkin, pumpkin pie, etc., etc. Barrett got tired of this kind of provender and one morning he thought he would tell the Lord about it; so he prayed: "Oh, Lord, we thank thee for the genial sunshine that causes the corn to grow, to fatten the the hogs for meat to eat, that thy servant may have strength to fit him for the arduous duties that lie before him. And now, Lord, may it please thee to blast the pumpkin crop, for we cannot perform our work on such diet." After that Barrett got all the meat he wanted.

Barrett died about ten years ago in Morgan County. He made a trip to Europe in the latter part of his life. Crowds of beggars beset him in his travels. He finally discovered that if he took his store teeth out of his mouth he could scare the beggars by running after them wth his teeth in his hand. He was not annoyed any more by beggars.

OLD-FASHIONED CAMP-MEETINGS

In the early days of Menard County (then a part of Sangamon) there were no churches and the religious meetings were held in the little school houses or in private residenges. Once a year camp-meetings would be held. The Cumberland Presbyterians appeared to lead. There were three large congregations of that denomination within the bounds of Menard County from 1830 to 1845. At Concord, north of Petersburg, where one of these camp-meetings was held annually, a large shed was built under which the preachers held forth. The Pantiers, the Rutledges and