Rensselaer Standard, Volume 1, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 November 1879 — Nooktown Gossip. [ARTICLE]

Nooktown Gossip.

Good Cara pan y, Number Two. We are having serious times of late in Nooktown. The church is in a tumult. Some are in favor of the minister, and some are not. Church meetings are the order of the day: we have them after every meal. Tilings are greatly mixed. The strife runs high, and the bitterness increases. First there was trouble about the pray-er-meetings. Some thought there was to much singing and not prayer enough. Others thought there were too many prayers and not singing and “exhortation” enough. Some of the members would get displeased with the others, and then sit tar back in the room ana

do nothing, while die rest had to do the whole. Thai somebody found that brother Holdfost’s fence extended beyond hto bounds, on to the church property. The church requested Mr. Holdfast to move it back. He refused, and the church moved it for him. Mr. Holdfast got angry at this, mid refused to pay what he had subscribed for the support of preaching. The church tried to make him pay. The church sued Mr. Holdfast for hto subscription; and then Mr. Holdfost sued die church for pulling down hto fenoe. Finally it seemed best to drop Mr. Holdfast from the church. The ministar, Mr. Ernest, favored the plan. Then the whole church began to take sided; some for Mr. Ernest, and some for Mr. Holdfast. Mr. Ernest said he had doubted for a long time es Mr, Holdftst’s sincerity. Mr. Holdfast has discovered that Mr. Ernest,is not fit for hto position as minister, and thinks he ought to be removed; and with hto friends is trying to remove him. The best friend Mr. Holdfast has on his side is Mr. Strong, our representative In the Legislature. Mr. Strong says he has mistrusted Mr. Ernest’s unfitness for some time; “but didn’t like to speak of it.” Says he knows Mr. Ernest Drought up this fence affhir on purpose to get Mr. Holdfast into trouble, and get him out of the church. Says he can prove it by witness. Says he don’t know but it was his duty to bring this up before, “but didn’t like to speak of it.” He says, too, that he himself has been shamefully treated by Mr. Ernest. Says Mr, Ernest tried to hinder his election last spring by advising people not to vote for him, because he was n’t right on the temperance question. He says he don’t think the minister has treated him quite fairly ever since he came to town. He had thought sometimes that he would bring up the matter before the church; “but didn’t like to speak of it ”