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VOL. XLIX.
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BLAZERS AND CHIPS
By Rev. Win. L. Metz, D. D.
(By order of Atlantic Synod).
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Article IV.
Sumter County is an old Pres
byterian County. It was Pres
byterian before it was Sumtei
County, but Sumter District
Therefore, Presbyterian Ne
groes were not difficult to find
when Dr. Matthew Miller—ever
those among he labored seem tc
know very little about Dr. Mil
ler—came to Sumter County
about the time Rev. Loomis be
gan his labors in Chester and
about York County. We owe our
large Presbyterian following ir
Sumter and Clarendon Counties
to the activity of Dr. Miller, Miss
Kate Morehead, and Rev. C. S.
West, who was once a trustee of
Biddle University. The writer
feels quite safe in asserting that
the Presbyterian Negro who will
be nothing else if he cannot be
a Presbyterian or find a Pres
byterian church somewhere is a
Sumter of Clarendon County
Presbyterian Negro, the prod
uct of Dr. Miller, Hiss Morehead
or Rev. West. The writer haa
made contact with all kinds of
Negro Presbyterians as to their
stability, but the most stable
are of the two counties men
tioned. What few colored’ "^es
byterian congregations time
in the State of Florida were
started by some Negroes from
one of these counties who mi
grated in quest of employment
in the orange or pineapple
groves, or as laborers in lumber
camps or such work. In Fort
Pierce we have a newly organs
ized Presbyterian church by the
naihe of Good Will, which is
Good Will in Fort Pierce were
originally members of old Good
Will in Sumter County. Our
church at St. Augustine owes
its beginning to Sumter County
Presbyterians, the writer is in
formed. One Presbyterian min
ister who was born in Sumter
County said to the writer: “If
Presbytery drives me out of the
door of the Presbyterian
Church, I will return by the
way of the window and take my
seat as an humble member.”
Ebenezer and Good Will
churches are products of Colo
nial Presbyterian efforts, but
saved by Dr. Miller, Miss More
head, Rev. West and a few good
women from the North in the
60’s and 70’s.
The writer is sorry that he
has not hitherto been able to
get faces of these pioneers, who
blazed the way in these counties
for Negro Presbyterians that
they might not lose their way.
Some of the chips of these
blazers were the late R. H. Rich
ardson, Rev. J. C. Simmons,
Rev. A. J. Jefferson and Rev.
M. J. Jackson; and the Greggs
are chips of the chips of these
pioneers, like Mary Jane Mc
Leod Bethune, who is President
of Bethune-Cookman College at
Daytona, Fla., and who is also
President of the Women’s Na
tional Federation. She is of the
class of ’94 of Scotia Seminary,
Concord, N. C.
The “Black Border’
was not passed by and left to
perish, but was saved to our
Church by the Second Presbyte
rian church in Charleston,
known by some as Flinn’s
church, having been organized
by this man over a century ago.
Dr. John L. Girardeau preached
to the Negroes of Charleston
under the Session of Flinn’s
church until he was persuaded
to give up his Negro congrega
tion to teach in Columbia Sem
inary.It wu not difficult to
find a Negro Presbyterian after
the Civil War, anywhere in
Charleston County; therefore
Bev. Patton, Bev. E. J. Adams
and Bev. Grove found few ob
stacles in the way of their ef
forts to establish our work in
historic Charleston.
•Bev. Thomas A. Grove organ
ized and built Olivet church in
Charleston, on Beaufain Street,
whose pastor is Rev. Dr. J. R.
Pearson. Dr. Grove had charge
of Wallingford Academy, which
was one of our strongest schools
in that day, among the Negroes
of the coastal part of South Car
olina.
Some of the best colored bus
iness and professional men of
Charleston had their founda
tions laid in Wallingford Acad
gence. He and David Laney, the
father of Miss Lucy Laney, yrjkre
appointed by the Session of the
white Presbyterian church*' of
Macon, Ga., to exhort the
ored people and to advise
morally anl spiritually. This
the beginning of the co!
Presbyterian work in G
It may be information to mj£ny
of the younger members of I ur
Southern work to know li at
Rev. David Laney pastoredjj ir
church at Macon, after R v.
Joseph Williams, for quite a
number of years for one hi n
dred dollars per annum. He l&gle
to church every Sabbath on
THE REV. THOMAS A. GROVE
emy. It is interesting to know
that students leaving this school
to enter college always made ad
vanced classes. The first man
to make the Freshman class on
entering Biddle was the product
of "Wallingford Academy, the
late Rev. Adam Frayer, who,
died July, 1916, and who seryea
our churches in James Island,
Wadamalaw Island, Edisto
Island, and at one time our Wal
terboro field.
Rev. J. A. Rollins, D. D., and
the late Rev. Walter Blake Mid
dleton entered the Senior Pre
partory class when they went to
Biddle in October, 1888, from
Wallingford.
It is a great pity that this
school has suffered for thirty
years for the lack of funds. It
could be a power in the County
of Charleston with sufficient fi
nancial support.
horse; and the little girl who
would hitch his horse for him
as he would dismount told the
writer a few days ago—she now
lives in Charleston with my
group in years—that it was her
greatest delight to take Rev.
Laney’s horse and hitch him
every Sabbath morning.
Rev. Laney’s daughter, Miss
Lucy Laney, is a very conspic
uous chip of her father, who
was a blazer even in the days of
slavery. The writer feels al
most doubly sure that few of
his or of the other group know
that Miss Lucy . Laney was a
regular Sabbath school teacher
to white children in that histo
ric Presbyterian church in Au
gusta, Ga. The writer calls it
historic, because in this church
in Augusta, the Church divided
into what is now known as the
Presbyterian Church, U. S., or
THE REV. JOSEPH WILLIAMS
One of the first among the pi
oneers after the Civil War was
the Rev., Joseph Williams, who
was originally of the West In
dies Island. He was a slave in
Bibb County, Georgia, but was
above the average' in intelli
Southern Presbyterian Church,
and the Presbyterian Church,
U. S. A. Miss Laney taught
white children whose parents fa
vored separation— and slavery
and the Negro’s freedom were
incidents in the Civil War that
DR. JOHN L. GIRARDEAU.
were much larger than the
measure—and resigned as teach
er of her own volition.
It may not be out of place to
say that our Assembly met in
Augusta, Ga., in 1861 with Dr.
Benjamin Palmer, of New Or
leans, as Moderator. He and J.
H. Thornwell were the leaders
of thought in the Southern sec
tion of the Presbyterian Church
at that time. Dr. Palmer’s fath
er lived in Walterboro in the
days of American slavery, and
was opposed to slavery. He said
if a man would have slaves
around him, he should give them
thdir freedom after seven years.
His father was also a great
Presbyterian preacher, and was
very active among Negroes in
the Civil War. He organized
our churches at Walterboro and
Neyles Cross Road, Colleton
County, S. C. He named the
church at Walterboro Hope Well,
because, he said, it hopes to do
well; and the one at Neyles Cross
Road he named Aim Well, be
cause, he said, it aims to do
well.
This old apostle’s house-ser
v.ant girl still lives in Walterbo
ro, S. C., and attends the Pres
byterian church, of which she is
a most faithful member, regu
ularly. She had a daughter to
graduate at Scotia Seminary
years ago.
PRESBYTERY OF MCCLEL
LAND.
The Fall meeting of McClel
land Presbytery convened with
Westminster Presbyterian
church, the Rev. B. H. McFad
den, Stated Supply, Spartan
burg, S. C., September 1 and 2.
The Rev. L. E. Ginn, the retiring
Moderator, preached a most ex
cellent and timely opening ser
mon from Heb. 2: 8.
The Rev. J. M. Johnson, D. D.,
was chosen Moderator and Rev.
H. Y. Kennedy was made clerk
pro tern.
The Rev. W. A. C. Kelly, of
the Metropolitan A. M. E. Zion
church, Spartanburg, extended
most cordial words of welcome
for the churches of his city, and
Prof. C. B. Johnson made the
response for the Presbytery.
The name of Rev. D. S. Collier
was added to the roll on a letter
of dismissal from the Presbyte
ry of Birmingham to the Pres
bytery of McClelland.
The Presbytery listened with
great interest to the reports
from the chairmen of commit
tees on the work of the various
Boards of the Church.
Revs. C. J. Baker, D. D., Pres
bytery of Birmingham, G. W.
Long, D. D., Presbytery of Fair
field, N. Bell, Presbytery of Ca
tawba, P. A. Flack, Presbytery
of Rogersville, W. A. C. Kelly,
Palmetto A. M. E. Zion Confer
ence, and R. Kennedy, of the
Spartanburg Baptist Associa
tion, were accorded seats as cor
responding members.
Drs. C. J. Baker, G. W. Long
(Continued on page 4)
■ L ' ' V ' ' '
HOLBROOK ST. CHURCH,
DANVILLE, VA.
By Miss E. V. Gunn.
Beavers-Swanson Nuptials.
The marriage of Miss Betty
Crews Swanson to Mr. W. E.
Beavers, Jr., which occurred
September 8th, at'eight o'clock,
in the palatial residence of Mr.
B. J. Swanson, 642 Stewart St.,
was one of the outstanding
ever, ts of the season. It was
picturesque, charming and soci
ally important; it Was every
thing that could appeal to the
taste of Danville society. The
beautiful >4iome of old Co
lonial style, with its spacious
gaoms; JttWagfcad ,,, ia lpp|
splendor that lends pomp to
such an occasion. In the living
room there was a beautiful can
opy of cut flowers, ribbons and
palms, from the top of which
was suspended a huge, white
bell, shedding forth soft, pink
light, under which the ceremony
took place. Pink and white
were the color scheme of the
decorations.
Mrs. Watkins Thompson, in
beautiful black teatin, receive^
the guest's.
Miss Betty Crews Swanson is
the charming daughter of Mr.
B. J. Swanson, and a graduate
of Virginia Seminary and Col
lege. Mr. W. E. Beavers, Jr.,
is proprietor of Beavers’ Shoe
Repairing Shop; Secretary
Treasurer of the People’s Mutu
al Building and Loan Associa
tion, a graduate of Johnson C.
Smith University and member
of Alpha Phi Alpha.
Just before the ceremony Mrs.
Emma Brandon Kohn sweetly
sang “At Dawning,” accompa
nied by Mrs. Thos. B. Hargrave
at the piano.
To the strains of Lohengrin’s
Bridal March, the wedding par1
ty entered in the following or^
der: Little Gregory H. Swanson
with the ring in the center of a
large white rose, wearing a lit
tle Fauntleroy suit.
Miss Annie Lee Swanson, sis
ter of the bride, in pear taffeta
bouffant style with a large
flower of silver entwined with
taffeta, silver slippers, and car
rying a bouquet of pink roses
and fern with a large tulle bow.
Miss Irma Beavers, sister of
the groom, wearing a pink taffe
ta, bouffant style, trimmed with
rhinestones, and slippers of sil
ver carrying pink roses and
ferns.
Mr. C. B. Adams, attired in
full dress suit.
Miss Josephine G. Swanson, a
sister of the bride, as maid of
honor, wore a gown of rose tulle
over taffeta, made bouffant
style and trimmed with silver
flowers and ribbon, and slippers
of silver, carrying pink roses
and ferns.
Little Misses Mollie 0„
Doris and Catherine L. Swan
son as flower girls, wore peach
crepe de chine dresses trimmed
with peach satin ribbon and
white slippers and socks. 5 They
scattered petals for the bride.
Miss Bettie Crews Swanson,
in a gown of white tuHe with a
Princess Ann lace bodice, made
over bridal crepe, the skirt
edged with silver lace bouffant
style, leaning on the arm of her
father, Mr. B. J. Swanson; who
gave her in marriage. She wore
white satin slippers and carried
a huge bouquet of bridal roses
and • lilies of •* "the ; valley' and
ferns. Her long, -bridal veil was
held by little Miss Margaret
0. Swanson;- whcrWore old rose
taffeta, white slippers and socks.,
The bride was met before the
canopy by the groom, Mr. W. E.
Beavers, 3V., and his best man,
Mr. Koyeton Beavers, both at
tired in full dress suits." '‘
The ceremony was performed
by Rev. W. T. Hall, of Lynch
burg, former pastor of High St.
Baptist church, of this city? as
sisted by Rev. Thomas Hargrave,
pastor off Holbrook St. Presby
rian church;' •
Following the ceremony the
guests were served punch, ice
cream and" Cake. Mrs. Daisy
Clark, in Grecian rose crepe de
chine and Mrs. Lucy E. Hannon
in rose pink taffeta, trimmed
with gold lace and wearing gold
slippers, presided at the punch
bowl.
In the bridal chamber the
presents were displayed. It
looked more like the interior of
a Fifth Avenue shop where
every kind of article de luxe was
heaped in plenty. There were
beautiful gifts of gold and silver,
and linen enough to smother the
pretty bride.
The newly weds left Danville
the same night for a honeymoon
to New Y$rk and other North
ern cities.
«ws. George ^noBton, ot
TK-WH— ~
liams, of New York City; Mrs.
Mamie Beavers Holland, of New
York City,-were the out-of-town
guests for the occasion.
Mr. C. B. Adams Entertains
Oh Wednesday evening some
of Danville’s leading business
and professional men were in
vited to a stag in hohor of Mr.
W. E. Beavers, Jr., who was to
forsake ‘single blessedness’ on
Thursday, the 8th. Thosfe at
tending were Dr. C. S. Cowan,
Attorney L; E. Knight, Jr.; Mr.
W. C. Martin, Cashier of Dan
ville’s Savings Bank and Trust
Ca.; Mr. J. W. Yancey, Dr. Geo.
W. Robinson, Mr. U. S. Cunning
ham, Mr W.’E: Beavers, Jr.;
Mr. Koyeton Beavers, Mr. Harry
Hall, Mr. W. J. Ivey, Mr. May
nard Falden, Mr. B. 0. Hender
son, Mr. W. D, Stroud, Mr. Mil
ton Sanders; Washington^ D. C.;
and Mr. Isaac C. Hunt. A light
lunch and punch were served,
buffet style. All were highly
pleased with the hospitality of
Mr. Adams’ home.
Thursday morning, Mr. and
Mrs. Beavers, the parents of the
groom, entertained the bridal
party at breakfast.' Those pres
ent were: MiSs ' Betty Crews
Swanson, the honored guest, Mr.
W. E.‘Beavers, Jr.; Mr. and Mrs.
M. C. Martin, Mrs. Mamie Beav
ers Holland, Mrs. Mollie B. Wil
liams, Misses Josephine and An
nie Lee Swanson, Mr. C. B. Ad
ams, Rev. and Mrs. Thomas B.
Hargrave, Mr. Koyeton Beavers,
Miss Irma Beavers. The color
scheme was green and yellow.
Sunday mOrning, our pastor,
Rev. Thos. B. Hargrave,
preached a wonderful sermon,
subjeet, “The Secret of a Happy
H6me.”‘!-~ ' •• •»* f*! :•• •
The radio club is progressing
rapidly. * Forty little folks gath
ered at the manse Monday eve
ning1 at 7'' o’clock to listen to
bed' 'time1 storied;;
Sunday evening at 8:30
o'clock a pleasing program was
rendered.. under the -auspices of
Mrs. Vafi Hatchett and Mrs. T.
B. Hargrave. >
Mrs. Hargrave' presided at
the piano and Mrs. Van Hatehett
was mistress of ceremonies, ; .
Mrs. Ida Allen, whohas. been
very ill for several months, was
able. to., be in her pew Sunday
morning. . ■; , <, ■