Jones County MsArchives News.....Ray, W. D. writes letter to newspaper of old home  1935
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Candace (Teal) Gravelle tealtree@comcast.net February 3, 2007, 3:32 pm

"The Cleburne News" 1935
Heflin, Cleburne Co., Alabama 

NEWSPAPER Issue of Thursday, APRIL 11, 1935

OLD RESIDENT WRITES (Letter from W.D. Ray of Mississippi)

Dear Editor,

The News, which comes on Friday, is always a welcome visitor and a week 
passing without it, seems impossible.

The health of our family is excellent and hope it remains so, for sickness 
is always a source of uncertainty and of times of regret.

In reading through the paper of March 28th, I read the obituary of Mrs. S.M. 
Thrower who died Feb. 6th and reading same, I came to where the writer, J.W. 
Grubbs says " she lived in the days when men and women shouted their praises 
to God, most of which now is all gone" , which assertion takes me back to my 
boyhood in north Georgia, Haralson county, when we, or they, had old time 
protracted meetings (now it is a "series of meetings") in which people 
shouted, prayed and seemed to really enjoy their religion and it is quite in 
contrast to the dry amen meetings we have down here in this part of the 
state of Mississippi, and by what Bro. Grubbs says, it is like that part of 
the state of Alabama I would love to really visit a church again where the 
hand clasp is warm and sincere and the brotherly salvation and greeting is 
from the heart.

But we are daily coming to the time when one of the writers of the New 
Testament says " And they shall preach the doctrines of men". Another place 
"The time will come when they shall not endure sound doctrine." And it is an 
oasis in a desert to know there is some, even though they are rapidly 
passing to their last rest, that partook of the "old time religious 
blessings of shouting and washing feet". The two used to go hand in hand.

I would love to go back over the roads and roam the hills of old Cleburne 
county and Haralson county, Georgia that I used to play over when a barefoot 
boy, but those times are forever in the past.

I also read in the late issue of The News of the "crime wave" that has hit 
Cleburne, with the different murders and killings taking place up there. 
Especially was I surprised to read of John Spurlin being accused of the 
"attempted murder of Mrs. Fanny Anderson". His father is a very dear friend 
of years ago and it really is hard to believe him guilty of such a dastardly 
crime. May justice prevail, however.

School in our district will come to a close April 19th with one of my girls, 
Freddie Mae, graduating from grammar school, 8th grade.

I see the different communities are organizing their singing societies, 
which are very scarce down here and are called "sings". Some time I want to 
visit Macedonia and hear Arthur Preston, John Cook, Jim Banks and R.E. Moore 
sing again, as well as others.

Speaking of "shouting", I will tell you this, and quit. In 1905, a Mr. 
Willie or Willis Fincher's wife was buried at a church named Oak Grove (I 
think) out from Tallapoosa and of course the usual mourners were weeping, 
and she left some small children and it was really pitiful to see those 
little children crying for mother. So in August or whenever they had their 
protracted meetings, my father and mother took all us children to the 
meeting and as usual in those days, shouting broke out, mamma being the 
first to start and papa not far behind. It scared me and my brother Fred 
(who was killed in France) and we ran out of the house and got behind a 
large oak tree that was in the church yard and hid, we thinking they were 
dying and the thoughts of those little Fincher children still fresh in our 
minds, we really boo-hooed. That was my first shouting to see. But here is 
hoping it breaks out a fresh all over God's green earth. I've near done any, 
but love to see the good working going so. 

With best regards to The News family,I am, sincerely yours,
 
W.D. Ray, 
Moselle, Miss. Rt. 2 [Jones Co.]
March 31, 1935


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