- Part three in a series.
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Capt. Stephen Porter continued to serve in the Methodist Church because he was deeply committed, but there were times when the thirst for drink tempted him almost more than he could bear, but his faith in God carried him through.
He served as the Sunday school superintendent at the Methodist Church and was known for his wit and keen sense of humor, as was portrayed in the following story. This is a paraphrase of a story told by Polly Stewart McGuire, daughter of Sammy Stewart.
“Uncle Jack Stewart was bitten by a rabid dog, and there was no doctor that could treat a mad dog bite. Since there was not much known about rabies, Capt. Porter accompanied Jack to Raleigh for treatment. Jack almost died and decided to mend his ways, so Capt. Porter invited Jack to church and Sunday school with a plea to his brother Sammy to do the same.
“When Capt. Porter saw that Jack was in church the following Sunday morning, he gave an ‘eloquent’ prayer of gratitude.
“Father, we thank Thee for sending that mad dog to bite Jackie Stewart and that he has repented and decided to lead a better life. And, oh Lord, we pray that you will send a bigger dog and a madder dog to bite his brother Sammy if that is what it will take to get him to Sunday school and church!”
I saved a copy of the Andrews Journal back in the early 1970s because I thought this rendition of the story was priceless. Bob Barker, a local historian, submitted a story to the Andrews Journal about a brawl that erupted in front of the Porter House Hotel.
He wrote, “There was no electricity then, no radio, movies or TV, citizens read their Bibles and went to bed, almost with the chickens at sundown and got up before daylight. Next to gunfights and murders, the greatest excitement arousing widespread interest was a runaway marriage.
“One such marriage erupted in a family brawl in front of the Porter House Hotel on July 18, 1908, when Luther Nicholson ‘stole’ Evelyn Russell (Jake) away to find John A. Bradley, the Justice of the Peace, who married the couple. She was 22 and Luther was 23, and he was a clerk in the Southern Railway Depot.
‘Jake was pretty as a speckled pup, was an expert seamstress (as were all her sisters) and with her nimble fingers, made her own clothes, and she was dainty as a newly blossomed rose.’”
People seemed to gather on the porch of the Porter House Hotel to socialize as was the case when the Mayor, David Russell and his wife, Harriett, stopped by. She was outspoken, high tempered and strong willed and very strict, which was probably why all six of her daughters had been runaway brides.
The porch of the Porter House Hotel was a social gathering place for locals to congregate and talk in the afternoon.
Luther drove up in a buggy with Jake and announced they had just been married. Mrs. Russell was outraged and slapped Luther who retaliated and David jumped off the porch of the hotel and tried to hit Luther with a rock, but Luther tripped him.
A wagon was parked nearby with a load of huge Pippin apples. Mrs. Russell was enraged and began to throw apples at Luther, who was catching them and throwing them back until Harriett and David retreated to the porch.
A large crowd had gathered to watch the event, but the outcome of this runaway marriage resulted in 48 years of marriage, until Luther’s death in 1956.
Kandy Barnard is a columnist for the Cherokee Scout. To talk about the Andrews Valley, call her at 828-361-3268 or email kandybarnard@gmail.com.