AN IREDELL NEIGHBORHOOD A HALF CENTURY AGO 1845-53
By Captain H.A. Chambers of Chattanooga, Tennessee
The Landmark
Statesville, N.C.
April 17, 1900
The school house was the only house of a public nature
in the bounds of the neighborhood. Although there were many children
residing within these bounds the churches to which they belonged lay
outside. The Fifth Creek Presbyterian Church and New Union Methodist
Church were on the north side of Fourth Creek. The Third Creek
Presbyterian Church, the nearest church on the east, was on the edge of
Rowan County. Bethesda Presbyterian Church was on the south side of
Third Creek a short distance to the southeast. Shiloh Methodist Church
was also on the south side of Third Creek. The Fourth Creek Presbyterian
Church was in Statesville and St. Paul’s Lutheran Church was situated
immediately on the western boundaries of the neighborhood of the
neighborhood a short distance east of Statesville. Most if not all the
Presbyterian members in the neighborhood belonged to the Bethesda or
Fourth Creek. The Dutch people were usually Lutheran and belonged to St.
Paul’s. If there were any Methodists they probably belonged to Shiloh. I
recall no Baptists.
The few public meetings I recall in the neighborhood had reference to
school matters and would be naturally held at the schools.
During the time under consideration, debates were frequently held at
this school house in the winter time when nights were very long and the
men and the boys of the neighborhood would meet there and enjoy the
discussions of various questions that were selected for debate. Dewalt
Harkey I remember was one who greatly encouraged these debates. He and
the other men of mature years thought that the debates would encourage
the boys to read, study and reason and they were doubtless correct.
As a rule, religious and political questions were not discussed. The
subjects were often selected with a view to enabling the boys to
practice. Sometimes they were practical and sometimes historical. It was
when these latter were under discussion that Weems’ “Lives” of
Washington and Madison and peter parley’s “Common School History” and
other books of that class came into play as authorities to support the
argument of the contestants.
Many of the questions I have forgotten but I remember that, with a view
to enabling the smaller boys to take part in the debate such questions
as “which is the most useful animal the horse or the cow?”, or “in which
is there more pleasure, pursuit or possession?”, were sometimes
selected.
Once, with the former question under discussion one of the champions of
the cow, I think, was Mr. Harkey. In order to effect the opposite
argument that the horse was necessary in war for the use of cavalry, Mr.
Harkey drew an imaginary picture of a great army with banners, mounted
on oxen, trained to gore horses and men, with their great horns,
festooned with flaming ribbons and rushing headlong with the noise and
encouragement of marital music towards a body of cavalry, would scare
the horses between them and their riders to flight and sweep everything
before them. My recollection is that argument was regarded as
unanswerable and won the day for the adherents of the cow.
The usual mode of procedure at these debates was to have a president to
preside and preserve order and a committee consisting of an odd number
either three or five, so there could never be an even division to decide
which side had the best argument.
Usually at one meeting the question for the next meeting would be
selected and the debate divided so that forces of each side would be as
nearly equal as possible. My recollection is that a champion or captain
for each side would be selected who could “throw up” or in some way cast
lots for the selection of sides and then alternately select their
respective supporters in the proposed debate.
Sometimes famous debaters from outside the bounds of the neighborhood of
the school district would be induced to attend and take part in these
debates. One of these was the late William “Billy” Watts, who lived near
Kestler’s Mill on Third Creek, a few miles south of Statesville.
Whenever it was known in the neighborhood that Billy Watts would take
part in the debates, the little school would be usually crowded with
hearers on the occasion.
The eloquence of Mr. Watts was of the lurid kind. He was much given to
strong and exaggerated expressions. When no antagonist worthy of his
steel was present to contest with him, he usually carried the day. He
overcame all ordinary opposition by his dramatic manner and his
withering invective.
Whenever it was known, however, that he would be present, an effort was
always made to procure the attendance of some equally famous debater who
would be expected to take the opposite side to Watts and thus equalize
the balance in this battle of intellectual giants.
There was one old gentleman whose name I cannot now remember who lived
some where west of the neighborhood bounds, who frequently attended and
took part in these debates and was by many regarded as fully equal to
Mr. Watts. His manner, however, was entirely different. He was a great
wag and much given to sly humor. He was a man of considerable
information but his strong point in debate was ridicule and sarcasm. He
delighted with these weapons to punctuate the bubbles blown by Mr. Watts
and the adherents of his side of the question. He was one of those men
who get a reputation for much humor, with the result that everything
they say or do, whether he intends or not, is regarded by the others as
funny. His manner of speaking, his gestures, the tones of his voice, the
expressions of his face, always caused amusement. I remember yet his
peculiar way of opening his speech with “Mr. President, and gentlemen of
the committee” accenting and emphasizing the syllables underlined.
When the school was in session and especially when any important
question was to be discussed, the teacher was expected to attend and
give those present the benefit of his learning on the subject. My
recollection is that Miles F. Freeland, who was a man of great natural
ability and who had cultivated his mind and acquired information from
books more extensively and accurately, probably, than any other man in
attendance at these debates, was always looked upon as an authority on
history and literary subjects. His statements were usually taken as true
without question. While he did not have the fiery eloquence and
impressive humor of Mr. Watts, or the sly humor or power of ridicule of
the other gentleman above mentioned, he was always interesting and
instructive.
Among others who I remember took part in these debates, were C.L.
Summers, Henry I. Kimble, Martin Murdoch, Wallace Leslie, Stokes Brems,
and probably Calvin Kimball and Columbus Freeland.
The people of this neighborhood were a law abiding, church going, God
fearing people. Quite a few of the older men, from habits acquired in
their pioneer days, would occasionally drink a little too much and while
there may have been some who failed to always live up to the standards
of morality, I cannot remember any violation of civil law, the
commission of any crime, or legal proceedings for any violation of the
law involving any resident of the neighborhood during the entire eight
years under consideration. Neither do I remember any civil suit between
residents of the neighborhood during that time.
While, as before stated, there was no church held within the bounds of
this neighborhood, yet the surrounding churches, especially Bethesda and
St. Paul’s were near enough to its boundaries and the services at them
so arranged that all who wished to attend services somewhere every
Sunday during the year could do so. As a general thing, most of the
people of this neighborhood would attend services at one of these
churches. Every Sunday except in very bad weather, this habit, with the
beneficial influence the ministers exerted over their congregations, had
its effect in making them a law abiding as well as religious community.
A few of the people had buggies and carriages in which to go to church
but most of them went on horseback. The women were generally fine horse
women. Some of them took quite a pride in this accomplishment and
delighted to ride spirited animals. The took almost as much pride in the
trappings on their horses, the saddle, saddle blanket, bridle,
martingale, and riding habit as they did in their personal appearance.
Among the fine riders, I can recall Dorcas and Chrissy Kimball and my
aunt Adaline Chambers.
At the close of the service, the hurried unhitching and mounting with a
view to getting ahead of the crowd and the dust on dry days generally
caused a good deal of excitement and interest. The excitement incident
to so many horses and the spurs, whips and switches of the riders
generally caused the animals to show their spirit to their best
advantage.
This was the time, too, when the young men sought the privilege of
escorting their female friends and sweethearts and protecting them to
their homes. I can now vividly recall such scenes as these at Bethesda
Church, especially on sacramental occasions when there was always a big
crowd of people in attendance. This church and St. Paul’s were so near
to the people of this neighborhood that on pleasant days many of them
preferred to walk to the church and thus gave their horses a day’s much
needed rest.
On these occasions, the foot walkers usually lined the sides of the road
and chatted with the passers by in the vehicles and on horse back. The
crowd was always greatest just at the church and the roads immediately
leading from it but thinned out as, from time to time, persons and
couples and families diverged into the neighborhood roads leading to
their respective homes.
In those days, the custom had not yet been discontinued of having a
protracted or “camp” meeting. I remember the cabins or camp houses
erected at Bethesda early in its history by the families encamped there
during the protracted services.
The first church building erected there was on logs and was rather small
in its dimensions. For the big meetings or on sacramental occasions a
stand was erected in the grove west of the church and between it and the
“Georgia” Road. Rough seats were provided there for outdoor services
when the congregation was too large to accommodate it in the church. The
first pastor I remember was Rev. Thomas Davies. Among those who followed
him were Pleasant H. Dalton, John Davies Wilson and Stephen Frontis.
At the camp meetings and on sacramental occasions ministers from the
surrounding and sometimes distant congregations came to help the pastor.
I remember that among these was the beloved and eloquent Henry N. Pharr.
I can recall how this venerable old gentleman, after the preliminary
service, and the announcement of his text, would take off his spectacles
and swing them in his hand as he preached. Notwithstanding his piety and
his earnest preaching, he had quite a fund of humor and was popular with
both the young and the old. He was a very tall man and I recall that on
one occasion when he was staying all night at Uncle George Robeson’s
near the church, he was asked, with a view to having breakfast the next
morning, to state his time of rising, how long he usually slept, with a
twinkle in his eye, he stated “a little over six feet”.
To Be Continued
Transcribed by Christine Spencer, May, 2008
