Letter written by Johnson Pate to the William L Bebee, Editor of the Southern Baptist Messenger (Devoted To The Service Of the Old School Baptists], published Covington, Newton Co. GA. Pulished in 1 Sept 1853 issue. Coweta Co., Ga., May 15, 1853 [1st part is of religious nature... & is signed Johnson Pate].... [Johnson Pate continues writing] "N. B. As there is some room on this sheet yet, and as I have not put it in the ofice until this morning, suffer me to tell you some of my troubles. This year I agreed to serve two churches in DeKalb Co., Utoy and Camp Creek--the time of their meeting, at Utoy the second Saturday and Sunday in each month, and at Camp Creek the third. Well, this month when the time came to start to Utoy I thought I could not go; I had but two plow horses, and one of them was lame, and I thought I must run one plow, and if I went I must walk, and I was not able to do that, it being about thirty miles, and I did not start, and on Sunday one of my daughters fainted and fell out of her chair, and in the course of two days it was decided by all present five or six times that she was dead, but she is yet alive and on the mend, she was in very good health when taken. And when the time came to start to Camp Creek I decided about on the same ground, I could not go, I must stay at home and work or lose my crop, and on Monday my son who is with me got bit with a large Mocasin snake; we had just got out to work after dinner, when he called to me, O pa, I am bit, what shall I do? it seemed to strike me it was a judgement sent on me for not going to meeting. He started towards me, and I met him and took a suspender and corded his leg and put my mouth to the place and no doubt drew out some of the poison, for I soon took the toothache and have not been well since. My son is a little on the mend--two weeks gone and but very little work done. Brethren, my word is out to go to meeting if I have to walk. I have often thought what I heard brother Willis Norris say, that he went to meeting and how he saved his fodder, and the brethren, some of them, decided they must stay at home and save their fodder, and so they did not go and lost all their fodder, or a large part of it; but brother Norris went to meeting and staid until the meeting broke, and returned home and saved all his fodder. Let us hear the conclusion of the whole mattter, Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. Dear brethren and sisters, pray for poor me, that while I have to suffer here it may be for well doing, and not for evil doing. J. P. " This is from microfilm of "Southern Baptist Messenger 1852-1862." Lindy Hard

I hope you can help me. Back about two months ago I had contact with one of my PATE relatives. His name is Bob. After a really bad car wreck which put me in the hospital for almost a month, I am finally back on line. Due to a pc crash, thanks to my kid :) and linux mandrake. I lost everything including all my addresses. I need to find this kind gentleman whom I met at the Bloomfield Indiana Library a matter of hours before the accident. If he subscribes to this list, will he please contact me at my joink. com address? My best to all. Remember, when you stop at a stop sign, don't always assume that the person coming the other way will also stop. Drive safe. cj