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comings, and the like, Bug Dust and brother hied themselves out to the far reaches of Richmond District Sunday for some fine old gospel singing and preaching.An elaborate homecoming had previously been announced, this to be held at the New Salem Baptist Church near Pear, and former residents, their offspring, and friends came from far distances.Owen Lilly, Richmond High principal who doubles as parson at the church, launched out with some spellbinding oratin' that almost made the old walls of the New Salem templegive at the seams.Owen told them about the three T s the devil uses to lead people into hell. They arethings, thrills, and theories.The mo:e of i ite al t a person cangathei aroi • . re pleasures hecan pack into a lifetime, the more theories about religion he can spout about, the nearer to hell he finds himself. That's Owen s opinion. and he pounded it home in true school teacher style so Richmond folk would remember.After the preaching, tht* crowd, whichoverflowed thlt;across the road where the good women of the district brought out enough food to feed double or triple the number presentThey were tastv vittles too, right out of the -;lt;»od earth that spread- 111 lt;vi direction from the church—tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans, potato salad, tossed salad, fried chicken, milk, lettuce, toastin' cars. et ceteraA fellow dot'sn * realise how much of life he's missing until lit- goes back into the lt;oun-try and partakes of the excellent fare found there—full-pod beans, laige, juicy tomatoes, cool, rich milk right out of the cellar. ’Tis a far cry from the emaciated stuff that comes, fancy-packed, from the super markets.We were full plumb to the brim, and still Otis Plumley, Sunday school superintendent who fathered the homecoming idea, plied us with food. Pie that made a fellow drool was not enough. There was cake too.All during the adventure in good eating,the singers gave forth wit n lt;Right in the center of them was Sheriff Carlos Garten. of Summers County, leading with a full,resonant voice.If one would pass hasty judgment on the sheriff, one would say, after looking at his portly frame, that there was no time for sing g. But that 1 wrong Sheriff Ga takes eve- . • . .cienty of time foi both singing a fating Bug Dust asked him way he was there—•whether he was an oldtimer returned to the scene of his childhood. Such was the case.back in 1912, and he never misses an opportunity such as that afforded by a homecoming to come home and be with friends of otheryears.Prior to breaking bread with the Plumley clan, Bug Dust met Virgil Cochran, who came into it via the marital route. While logging out that way some years ago. Virgil wooed and won Opha Plumley, and took her awaywith him. They live now on the outskirts of Grafton, where he works on the railroad.This writer mentioned that he was a native of Grafton, but had left there in the mid '30s. “It’s funny the way folks get switched around. remarked Virgil.Calvin Plumley invited Bug Dust to go out to his place and see the view. It’s as pretty as Grandview maybe prettier,” he said.So off to the brink of the mountain we went. He was right. The view was awe-inspiring. Far into the distance, up New River gorge, we could see And off to the light was Raymond Bennett’s fine farm, a beautiful sight to byhold, atop a mountain, it’s topsoil anchored with strip cropping and contour furrowing.it was hard for a fellow to believe thatthe Richmond folk were in need of the sermon that Owen Lilly gave them. The things they have are God-given things. The pleasures they enjoy are centered in thechurch. Theories thev leave to other folkwout and beyond their unpaved road.“Don’t leave,’’ they urged, when we got ready to start for home “Stay-the rest of the afternoon. We re gonna have a lot more preaching and singing ’’Richmond has been blessed with so much si erne splendor such as that seen from Calvin Plum ley’s place. The land is rich and productive. There is so much of wholesome living with the Good Book providing the formula.It seems a shame that the Richmond people want a paved road that will give them access to diversions that will take them away from the simple life. But they say, “We can't yet a doctor when our children get sick, and we can't move our produce to market.”And so it goes.They arc enough tied to our type of existence that they in time will abandon theirs. Our so-called standard of living has a way ofeverybody over intu a more or less common moldBut while the\ letain the wavs of ourTgF. “ : ' .IBP -fathers and grandfathers, it wouldn't hurt anybody to spend a day with those fine folk who reside on Raleigh County’s last frontier. The experience has a way of rekindling one's appreciation in fundamentals.#1€t0rt!vannaPhclt;cadPlt;itUU:Plt;nlt;fcw[Hfombv\K’\t a]vilt;reeddiidoofbetals h 1inlerIncrye;gitFo150 (Thsus00(byItheha*owout011 * (eleCO!
Newspaper Details
Beckley Raleigh Register
Beckley, West Virginia, US
Tue, Aug 15, 1950
Page 4
Full Page
Clipped by
Greene C.
OH, USA 18 Jul 2020
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