History of Alabama and dictionary of Alabama biography, Volume II, Part 48

Author: Owen, Thomas McAdory, 1866-1920; Owen, Marie (Bankhead) Mrs. 1869-
Publication date: 1921
Publisher: Chicago, The S. J. Clarke publishing company
Number of Pages: 724

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The failure of the State to make institu- tional provision for mental defectives, other than the insane, has been due to two causes, the belief that the insane hospitals should care for all classes, and because of the de- pleted condition of the State treasury. How- ever. many thoughtful people, including the Medical Association of Alabama, have felt that the State should properly recognize its duty. A committee of the State Board of Health made a survey for the purpose of as- certaining the number of feeble-minded, and of providing for their maintenance and care. The committee severely arraigned the non- progressive attitude of the political leader- ship of the State, pointed out the abnormal conditions existing, and urged an appropria- tion for an institution "to care for our men- tal cripples." The various statistical sum- maries as to mental defectives in the State are so deficient and constantly changing that none are here given.

See Defective Classes; Insane Hospitals; Mental Hygiene, Alabama Society for.

REFERENCES .- New International Encyclo- pædia, 2d ed., vol. 15, p. 410.

MENTAL HYGIENE, ALABAMA SOCIETY FOR. A voluntary society organized in the city of Tuscaloosa in 1915. The society owes its origin to Dr. W. D. Partlow who pre- sented a request at the meeting of the Medi- cal Association of the State of Alabama, held at Birmingham, April, 1915, directing the appointment of a committee charged with the duty of bringing about such an organization. Dr. J. N. Baker, president of the Medical Association, appointed Dr. W. D. Partlow, chairman, Dr. J. T. Searcy, Dr. B. L. Wy- man, Dr. W. M. Faulk and Dr. C. M. Rudolph. To these were added, in accordance with the resolution, Dr. John W. Abercrombie, Mrs. F. D. Losey, Dr. J. J. Doster, Prof. Charles A. Brown, and Prof. James H. Foster.

The objects of the organization, as stated in its constitution, are "to work for the con- servation of mental health; for the preven- tion of brain diseases and deficiencies; and for the improvement in facilities for the care and treatment of those suffering from nerv- ous or mental diseases or mental deficiency."

The organization consists of members, who pay $1.00 annual dues; contributing mem- bers, $5.00 to $100; donors, $1.00 or more; patrons, $100; benefactors, $500; and hon- orary members, limited to those who have rendered "distinguished service to the so- ciety or to the cause it advocates." Its of- ficers consist of a president, not more than three vice-presidents, and secretary-treasurer, a board of directors, with not more than 60 members, and an executive committee of 11 members. To carry on the work, in addi- tion to the officers, committees on education, publicity, clinics and dispensaries, member- ship and finance, survey or census of defec- tive, epileptic, malformed or feeble-minded

Vol. II-17

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children in Alabama, social service, legisla- tion, and library.

The first annual meeting of the Society was held at Hotel Tutwiler, in Birmingham, April 8-9, 1916. A number of distinguished physicians were in attendance, including Dr. T. W. Salmon and Mr. George A. Hastings of New York. The various committees made reports, and there was a general discussion of the activities of the society. No subse- quent sessions have been held because of war conditions. The first president was Dr. John W. Abercrombie, and the second, Prof. Charles A. Brown, the present incumbent. The first and only secretary is Dr. W. D. Partlow of Tuscaloosa.

PUBLICATIONS .- Announcements, 1915, and 1916.

REFERENCES .- Dr. Partlow, "Mental Hygiene," in Medical Association of the State of Alabama, Transactions, 1915, p. 552; publications supra; and manuscript data in the Alabama Depart- ment of Archives and History.

MENTONE. Postoffice and interior sum- mer resort on the plateau of the Lookout Mountains, in the northeastern section of De Kalb County. It is located on the west fork of Little River, about three miles east of Valley Head, its railroad shipping point. It is about 20 miles northeast of Fort Payne. Population: 1910-80. It is a popular re- sort for the people of DeKalb County, who have built their summer homes in the vicin- ity. Every year it is becoming more and more attractive to people outside the county. The scenery is wild and picturesque. This village is situated in the fruit-growing reg- ion of DeKalb County. The springs are own- ed by the Loving Springs Hotel Company.

REFERENCE .- Manuscript data in the Alabama Department of Archives and History.

MERCANTILE REPORTING. The busi- ness of accumulating information concerning the standing or credit of individuals or firms engaged in mercantile or other transactions, and of supplying such information, on call or demand therefor, to subscribers or others for a consideration. The oldest mercantile agency in the world was established in New York in 1841. Through varying changes of name and organization, this agency is today represented by R. G. Dun & Co. This agency in the conduct of its business, has corres- pondents and other means of securing in- formation concerning merchants and others in Alabama. For many years this consti- tuted the only way for which information was obtained. In many instances reports were filed by merchants themselves, descrip- tive of their assets, resources, etc. These were subject to careful scrutiny. In some cases they were sent to the correspondents, and sometimes to attorneys for revision.

In 1859 the first reference book, compiled or kept by the agency, containing the names of 221 individuals or firms of merchants or of others engaged in business, who had rat- ing. This number steadily increased with each succeeding issue of the reference book.

At present there is hardly any reputable firm or business in the state not listed with R. G. Dun & Co.

There are four representatives of this com- pany in Alabama, at Mobile, 1872, Mont- gomery, 1881, Birmingham, 1885, and Selma, 1902. The oldest was established at Mobile, 1872, and is the forty-fourth in order of es- tablishment throughout the United States.

The early methods of securing reports solely through the mails has given place to telegraph, telephone and long distance tele- phone. The company does not hesitate to send agents to make a personal examination where necessary. In these several offices are kept copies of the records and reports on the subject of correspondence, from the date of opening, and in some instances copies are on file of earlier date. The greatest of care is exercised in preserving these reports in- violate and confidential. The courts held that the officials of the company, their em- ployees, agents and representatives are not compelled to testify as to such matters.

Much information is derived from special correspondents, as bank cashiers, insurance agents, notaries public, sheriffs and others, whose official position gives them particular opportunities of knowing not only the re- sources and character of business men, but also the promptness with which they meet their business obligations.

The selection of agents is always done with great care. Only men of high intelligence, free from prejudice, and from any entang- ling connection with mercantile men which might bias them in their reports are all tak- en into consideration in making the selection.

MERRIMACK MANUFACTURING CO., Huntsville. See Cotton Manufacturing.

METEOROLOGY. See Climatology.

METHODIST CHURCH OF NORTH AMERICA, FREE. About 1850 an agitation started in the Genesee conference of the Methodist Episcopal church, in New York, but the Free Methodist church of North America, the outcome of their agitation, was not organized, until 1860, when a convention was held at Pekin, N. Y. It was a reaction towards the strenuous ideals of primitive Methodism in regard to secret societies, the subject of slavery, the system of pew rent- ing, the use of tobacco, plainness of dress, and in the interests of positive Christian teaching and practice. Sanctification and eternal punishment were the two new articles put into the creed.

Alabama Statistics .- 1916.

Total number of organizations, 2.

Number of organizations reporting, 2. Total number members reported, 27. Number of organizations reporting, 2.

Total number members reported (Male), 12.

Total number members reported (Female), 12.

Church edifices, 1. Halls, etc., 1.

Gainesville

William L. Yancey Oakwood Cemetery, Mont- gomery

Gen. John T. Morgan, Selma

Father Ryan Author "The Conquered Banner" and other Con- federate poems, Mobile.

Clayton

Camp Lomax Arch, Mont- gomery

Magnolia Cemetery, Mobile

Pelham's Monument, Jack- sonville

CONFEDERATE MONUMENTS

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Number of church edifices reported, 1. Number of organizations reporting, 1. Value reported, $850.

REFERENCES .- U. S. Census bureau, Religious bodies, 1916, pts. 1 and 2; New International Encyclopedia.

METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH (NORTH) IN ALABAMA. See Methodist Episcopal Church, South.

METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, SOUTH, IN ALABAMA. Religious denomina- tion in Alabama which traces its organiza- tion to the religious teachings of John Wesley.

The first preaching ever done in Alabama except by Roman Catholic priests, was done by the Rev. Lorenzo Dow, who claimed to be a Methodist. In 1803 Rev. Mr. Dow preached to the pioneers in the Tombigbee and Tensas settlements. After describing the perils of his journey from Georgia to Tombigbee, some- thing over four hundred miles, he says in his journal, pages 163 and 164, "The inhabi- tants are mostly English, but are like sheep without a shepherd. Whilst under the Span- ish government it was a place of refuge for bad men; but of late, since it fell to us, seems to be in a hopeful way, and there is still room for great amendments. A collection was offered to me but I did not feel free to accept it; and I left the settlement, pro- cured some corn and had not a cent left. Three of my traveling companions fell in with me again, and accompanied me through the Choctaw nation to the Natchez settle- ment, which we reached in six days and a half, being about eight hundred miles from Georgia." The Rev. Anson West says in his History of Methodism in Alabama, "The ministry of Lorenzo Dow to the settlements on the Tombigbee was accidental, irregular, occasional, only a sermon now and then preached on contingent trips through the land. All the preaching he did in these set- tlements in all the years in which he occa- sionally passed through this wilderness was not sufficient in quantity, even under favor- able circumstances, to procure any favorable results. And none were reported. He had never been ordained to the ministry, and he was without authority from any church to administer the sacraments or to organize so- cieties. He was in this position at the time he preached about the Tombigbee, and so continued all his life, without any church alliance or allegiance, though in' doctrinal principles he was a Methodist."

When the South Carolina Conference met at Charleston December 27, 1807, to January 2, 1808, the Rev. Matthew P. Sturdivant was the only man who answered the call for mis- sionaries to go to the newly created Oconee District, of the South Carolina Conference. During 1809 the Tombigbee mission had two preachers, Matthew P. Sturdivant and Michael Burdge. Their report to the South Carolina Conference for that year, at Charleston, which they attended shows that though they

had no schools, or church buildings, or con- tributions to benevolent enterprises, they did have a membership of seventy-one whites, and fifteen colored members in the Society at the Tombigbee settlements. In 1811 the Tombigbee station was transferred from the South Carolina to the Western (or Tennes- see) Conference. At that time there were one hundred and forty members of white and colored Methodists in Alabama. In 1812 the report was one hundred and ninety-seven whites and fifty-four colored Methodists in Alabama. The Bishops were authorized by the General Conference held in May, 1812, to form a Conference in Mississippi "some time in the near four years," if in their judgment it should ne expedient to do so, "under this given authority the Bishops decided to consti- tute the Mississippi Conference, and accord- ingly appointed a time and place for holding its first session. It was to meet Nov. 1, 1813." It was the purpose of the Bishops to go to the place where this Conference was to be organized from the session of the Ten- nessee Conference which was to meet on the 1st of October, 1813, at Rees's Chapel, Tenn. But when the Tennessee Conference ad- journed in the latter part of October, 1813, the Indian troubles were at their height and the members of the Conference did not think it expedient for their Bishops to undergo the dangers and hardships which would have to be met on their journey to Mississippi. Upon their deciding not to go to Mississippi they appointed the Rev. Samuel Sells who was at that time the presiding elder of the Mississippi District to preside over the new Conference. This body of men, including all preachers who had been stationed on charges, the ap- pointments to which ended with December, 1813, met at Spring Hill meeting house and there organized the Conference for business. At the annual Conference held in October, 1818, the districts were rearranged, and the Tennessee River District of the Tennessee Conference, and the Alabama District of the Mississippi Conference were made, and these two districts for a number of years contained all of the appointments then in the Alabama Territory. The Alabama District was com- posed of three pastoral charges two of them in Mississippi, and one, the Tombigbee Cir- cuit, in Alabama. In 1819 the Alabama Cir- cuit was created, "and in 1821 the district was still further enlarged by the addition of the Conecuh Circuit."

The boundaries of the Tennessee and Mississippi Conferences were changed by the General Conference of May, 1824. The Ten- nessee Conference was so bounded as to in- clude that part of North Alabama watered by those streams flowing into the Tennessee River. "That extended the Tennessee Con- ference further South than it had hitherto and made a re-arrangement of the districts necessary. The Franklin and Lawrence Cir- cuits, hitherto in the Mississippi Conference, were under the new boundaries, in the Ten- nessee Conference. At the close of 1824 the districts were arranged according to the order.

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HISTORY OF ALABAMA

of the new boundaries of the Conference, and the Huntsville District was arranged, and under its new form extended entirely across the state of Alabama, from the Georgia line on the east to the Mississippi line on the west, including in its bounds all of the pas- toral charges in Alabama belonging to the Tennessee Conference, except the Shoal and Cypress Circuits, which were for four years, beginning with 1825, in Forked Derr District, and then for four years, closing with 1832, with Florence in the Richland District. The Alabama District, giving up the Alabama Cir- cuit secured the Mobile and Pensacola Mis- sion. At the same time the Tallahassee Dis- trict of the South Carolina Conference, which had in it the Chattahoochee Circuit, which was partly in Alabama, was made, and the next year that district took up other pastoral charges in Alabama."

There were in the state of Alabama, at the close of 1832, when the Alabama Conference was organized, in round numbers about twelve thousand Methodists, of whom about two thousand were colored. There were at work in the state at that date about sixty- five itinerant ministers. It is not possible to ascertain the number of local preachers then in the State.

The above estimate of twelve thousand does not count the numbers of the Metho- dist Protestant Church at that time in Ala- bama; and sixty-five itinerant preachers is exclusive of the itinerant preachers of that Church.

One of the greatest works done by Ala- bama Methodists was that among the Indians. The first provision for this work was made at the Columbia meeting of the South Caro- lina Conference, January 11, 1821, when Bishop McKendree appointed Rev. William Capers, missionary to the Indians. "In the Conference at Augusta, Ga., on Saturday, February 23, 1822, the report of the Con- ference Missionary was read, at the conclu- sion of which the Conference gave their Mis- sionary a unanimous vote of thanks for his indefatigable labors, wisdom, prudence, and success in forming missionary schools among the Creek Indians. The effort was made to have two schools in the Nation. One, and the principal one, was in Alabama, about one mile from the Chattahoochee River, about nine miles below the present city of Colum- bus, and was near Fort Mitchell which was afterwards established. The second school was to be in Alabama, in the neighborhood of the town of Tuckabatchee on the Talla- poosa River. At the same Conference at which the report of the Conference Mission- ary was read, on the 27th of the month, it was moved by Daniel Hall and seconded by William Capers and unanimously agreed to by the Conference, "that the site of our sec- ond missionary school which is to be in the neighborhood of Tuckabatchee in the Creek Nation be called McKendree." It seems that the school which was to be in the neighbor- hood of Tuckabatchee, on the Tallapoosa . River and called Mckendree, was never

opened and by 1823 all trace of it, even the name, had disappeared.

Missionary schools were maintained among the Indians and preaching services held for the Creeks, Choctaws, Cherokees, Chicka- saws and other Alabama tribes until by trea- ties and purchases they were forced to leave the land of their birth for the unknown land beyond the Mississippi. Prominent among those preachers and teachers who labored among these Indians that they might know the saving grace of Jesus were: Revs. William Capers, Isaac Smith, Andrew Hammill, Sam- uel Chicote, James McHenry, Richard Neely, Robert Boyd, Andrew Jackson Crawford, Greenberry Garrett, Ambrose F. Driskill, James J. Trott, and Turtle Field.

The seeds of internal strife were first sewn at the General Conference of 1820, when a law was passed, taking from the Bishops the right to name the presiding elders, and giving it to the Annual Conferences. This was re- garded by the Rev. Joshua Soulé as an in- novation and as he had been elected a Bishop refused to be introduced into the office until the objectionable innovation had been re- pealed. The dissenters continued to intro- duce innovations, and by 1832, when the Alabama Conference was organized and held its first session in Tuscaloosa, "the dis- ruption had been effected, a new church organization had been made, the Methodist Episcopal Church had been relieved of a troublesome faction and internal strife, and the handful of would be reformers found themselves by themselves in all respects feeble enough and needing relief and refor- mation more than any other body of Chris- tians around them. There were enough of them to hinder the work of Methodism, to impede the cause of Christianity without the possibility of accomplishing sufficient good to counterbalance the evil. There were some able men and women among them, but the folly of the movement was apparent in the incipiency, and the folly of it was demon- strated at every step, and the folly of it has long since been confirmed, though there are few left to defend the movement, and the folly." (See West's History of Methodism in Alabama, pp. 426-427.)

The first effort on the part of the Metho- dists to establish an institution of higher learning, was when the LaGrange College (q. v.) went into operation on January 11, 1830. This school was under the patronage of the Tennessee and Mississippi Conferences. The Alabama Conference of the Methodist Episcopal church was organized and held its first session in Tuscaloosa, in 1832. The sec- ond session was held in Montgomery, with Bishop John Emory presiding, in 1833. From 1832 to 1845 the Methodists in that part of Alabama which was embraced in the Tennes- see Conference "were generally zealous in behalf of Christianity under the auspices of the church to which they belonged, and dur- ing those years there was progress made in most places."

As noted above the work of the first mis-

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sionary to the state was partly among the negroes. It is a fact that is worthy of men- tion that Matthew P. Sturdivant instead of preaching emancipation, as did the Methodist abolitionist of twenty-five years later, did all in his power to make the negroes true believers in the saving power of Jesus. And at many places in the state the negro mem- bership outnumbered that of the whites. As time went on negro preachers were sent to their people as missionaries. But as a rule the colored man clung to the white preacher, and those missions which were put down as supplied were usually supplied by the white preacher of the circuit. There were missions maintained for the colored race at the fol- lowing places: Madison, Courtland Valley, Bigbee Mission, Huntsville, Wilcox, Greene, Cypress, Mount Pleasant, Chattahoochee, Woodly Bridge, Autauga, Franklin, Law- rence, Mobile, Glennville, and Tallawassee.

The year 1839 was the centenary year of Methodism and was marked principally throughout Alabama by the inauguration of the movement which resulted in the estab- lishment of the Centenary Institute, which was located for many years at Summerfield. The Tennessee Conference projected a school for girls, of high order in October, 1842, to be located at Athens. The General Assembly incorporated it in January, 1843, under the title of the "Female Institute of the Tennes- see Conference." The School is now known as Athens College (q. v.).

Probably the most memorable of all the General Conferences was the one of 1844, which was held in New York City, May 1 to June 10. The question constantly before this conference was slavery, associated with Rev. Francis A. Harding, of the Baltimore Conference, and Bishop James O. Andrew, of Georgia. The result of all the discussion was that Dr. Harding and Bishop Andrew were told that they could either give up their slaves or leave the church until they did. They chose the latter course. The delegates from the thirteen southern states were now in a dilemma because if they failed to stand by their Bishop and brother minister they would have no place to work in, while on the other hand if they did they would be without a Conference and any legal recognition. They chose the latter course and as a result we have the General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, which was organized at Louisville, Ky., May 1, 1845. Alabama's representatives at this convention were: Jef- ferson Hamilton, Jesse Boring, Thomas H. Capters, Eugene V. LeVert, Elisha Calloway, Thomas O. Summers, and Greenberry Gar- rett. The jurisdiction of the Southern Confer- ence went into effect in 1846 and from that time until 1863, the Tennessee Conference had two whole districts in the state of Ala- bama, the Huntsville and the Florence. Among the preachers who served charges on these districts were: Revs. Samuel S. Moody, Thomas Maddin, W. G. Hensley, Henry P. Turner, Thomas W. Randle, James W. Allen, Justinian Williams, Adam S. Riggs,

Finch P. Scruggs, W. D. F. Sawrie, W. R. J. Husbands, Moses M. Henkle, Anderson G. Copeland, A. F. Driskill, J. D. Barbee, Alex- ander R. Erwin, Pleasant B. Robinson, J. R. Plumer, and Wellborn Mooney.

The Bascom Female Institute (q. v.), lo- cated at Huntsville, was chartered by the General Assembly of Alabama, Jan. 27, 1852. This school was placed under the patronage of the Tennessee and Alabama Conferences and drew pupils from both of them.

During the stirring days of 1861-1865 the Methodists of Alabama bore their part. In every command that went forth to the war, there were Methodists.

At the session of the Alabama Conference held at Columbus, Miss., November 25 to December 2, 1863, it was decided to divide the Conference into two parts, one Confer- ence to be called the Mobile, the other the Montgomery. The Montgomery conference was to include all of Florida except Apalach- icola, and all of Alabama east of the line beginning at the mouth of the Mobile River to the town of Selma; thence up the Ala- bama and Tennessee River Railroad to Mon- tevallo; thence along the Elyton road to the Cahawba; thence up said river to the east- ern line of Blount County, and along the said line to the Southern boundary of the Tennessee Conference. The Mobile Confer- ence included all of the other part of the territory which had been included in the Ala- bama Conference. The first sessions of the Mobile and Montgomery conferences were held respectively at Tuscaloosa and Tuske- gee, in 1864, Bishop J. O. Andrew presiding. The last session of the MontgomeryConfer- ence was held at Union Springs, December 8-14, 1869, and the last session of the Mobile Conference was held at Selma, December 15- 21, 1869, Bishop Robert Paine, who had been the first president of the LaGrange College, presiding.

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History of Alabama and dictionary of Alabama biography, Volume II, Part 48

Author: Owen, Thomas McAdory, 1866-1920; Owen, Marie (Bankhead) Mrs. 1869- Publication date: 1921 Publisher: Chicago, The S. J. Clarke publishing company Number of Pages: 724

Author: Owen, Thomas McAdory, 1866-1920; Owen, Marie (Bankhead) Mrs. 1869-
Publication date: 1921
Publisher: Chicago, The S. J. Clarke publishing company
Number of Pages: 724