Show correspondence FROM THE SOUTHERN STATES Ante interesting resting missionary experiences LIMESTONE COVE co tennessee may 19 1886 editor deseret desat news lealiu leaving my mountain home for a mission to the southern states in company with others on the loth of otto october bei 1885 via the D R G railway we passed some beautiful scenery which ahlo I 1 will not attempt to describe on paper after reaching achins re chattanooga I 1 was assigned si ined to td the norta carolina conference aud and joined elder thorne in burke county on the of october where I 1 labored until january 1st ast IBM when I 1 was changed to labor with elder taylor in inCa carter iter county tennessee we labored there to together ether for a mouth month then elder eider ebward edward crowther was appointed to labor with me we baptized a few in that place and as more elders came to our assistance in april it was necess necessary arv that we extend our area and ou the 1 anthof ath of april the Pre president silent of this N C conference aud 1 came here lor for the purpose of opening a new auld lor missionary labors aluni asuni opposition we found some kind hospitable friends who desired us as to hold a meeting and offered a house for the purpose we accordingly notified the people 0 that we would preach the mornings mor ninis before we were to hold meeting in tl the afternoon three would be usurpers usurp ers of municipal power came and or orde deroo redas to leave the place before noon we ve w e attempted to reason with them but they turned a deaf ear saying we are raising families and dont want your pernicious doctrines taught in ow out midst and persisted per alsted that we or force would be used our friends insisted that we hold the meet lagand said they would protect us we filled the appointment only a few a report had been circulated that we had bad left those stated they would like to hear wl again but we had bad business la in ater county and could not stay lot eiffe promised to come back and nd other meetings OTHER MEETINGS accordingly on saturday may 1st ast elder D B R taylor anu I 1 came and on sunday aali 0 clock attended a freewill ra meeting e e tt alg by permission immediately after their seti services rices terminated we held a meeting in the housea with a large attendance good order prevailed and strict attention was paid to what was SAW said we visited among the people finding more friends who were inquiring into our principles until sunday when we held another meeting in the church house honse which was well wc 11 filled with attentive listeners beina desirous of visiting some saints in Mit mitchell ciell county conaty 9 C we left an a appointment ointment for the fourth sunday we we arrived at brother david Van vances cels on horse creek on the ath A TERRIFIC STORM on the 1 th in company with bros D G vanoe vance I 1 started lor elk river biver six miles distant to attend a meeting lt it be bezan besan zan a storm of thunder and lightning about 3 2 and a dark angry cloud accompanied by rain hail and M wind windI appeared in the northwest north west wea taking an easterly course As it neared Us it assumed a more dest aspect we littile thought we were deot facing J a hurricane until it became so violent that limbs and tops of trees were flying through the air with great velocity many large trees were uprooted and large hickory trees were twisted off we narrowly escaped by running to a house near by the storm lasted lasted about 20 minutes mina teg after which in looking around we found ourselves entangled with fallen trees counting nearly one hundred within a stones throw of us anione large orchard only five fruit trees are standing and other orchards are more or less jess injured As we continued our journey we encountered much difficulty from the fallen trees and scattered fence rails we discovered that the leaves and in some places the bark had been stripped from the trees one boy was killed by a falling fall ing tree and a little girl was blown away a short distance and severely injured alcorn crib was blown on to a man knocking him through a board fence as he was va S passing to a house A returning visitor to a saloon with more ardent spirits than he could carry was reposing b by the roadside unconscious of the approaching danger when suddenly a tree fell across his leg holding him femly I 1 in the rain and hail until some one extricated him from his perilous predicament As far as I 1 have learned the storm was about two miles in width and was the most disastrous ever known la iii that part it seems the judgments of god are commencing to be poured out upon the inhabitants of the earth and the elders of israel are assiduously engaged in warning the people and calling them to repentance but they heed it not yet as it was in the days of noah so shall it be in the days of the coming odthe son of man if wic wickedness ked and indifference to the commandments of god are essential requirements hentsi think the people are fully prepared with those qualifications GIBSON A CONDIE |