Although Bro. Henry C. Slade, Kentucky's famous "feud breaker," created perhaps
more sensations during the course of his life than the average mountaineer of
his state he broke all records the day his own voice preached a funeral sermon
over his dead body, directed the music and made one last impassioned address to
the rough people among whom he had lived and worked for so many years.
When this man, who in his little mountain church had won widespread fame was
breathing his last in his humble cabin under the mountains, he had a talking
machine drawn ⁵close to his bed and then poured into it the story of his life
and a last plea to the rough mountaineers. This was the climax of his life's
noble work.
Bro. Slade died on March 7, 1905 and a couple of days later the strange funeral
service was held. Word had gone far and wide that the minister would preach his
own funeral sermon, for the members of the congregation had spread the news till
it became the wonder of the mountains. When the body was carried Into the church
and placed upon the trestles in front of the altar, hundreds had gathered to
hear the dead pastor presch. One of the minister's friends started the machine
and a familiar voice spoke saying: "The Lord giveth and the lord taketh
away."
He then invited the congregation to stand and join him in singing "Blest Be The
Tie That Binds," afterwhich the dead preacher began telling his life story, his
struggles, his hopes and his fears. He spoke of how the first three years of his
pastorate church members met in each others homes because they had no meeting
house, and how his efforts were rewarded in the fourth year when families, who
for generations had bitterly fought each other, with many murders being the
result, were brought into the Christian fold, and how those families had helped
build a church building.
At the end of the sermon the voice admonished the people to be constant in
well-doing. And then the voice asked the congregation to rise and sing "Jesus,
Lover of my Soul" and the members of the church joined their dead pastor in that
old hymn.
When the ceremony was over the congregation, awed and whispering, stood in
groups while the body was borne out of the church to the burying ground, where
it was laid to rest.
For eleven years, Bro. Slade had preached to his mountain congregation, first in
the homes of the people and afterwards in the little church at Rideout. Through
his efforts, the Howard-White feud, and the famous Tolliver feud were ended.
Bro. Slade had become interested in the talking machine while on a visit to
Louisville, and on returning to the mountains took with a talking phonograph
machine and a number of records, among which were the latest musical successes,
the best in oratory and many humorous recitations. Such a luxury had never
before been heard of in that remote mountain district, so when Bro. Slade turned
his Wednesday evening prayer meetings into talking machine entertainments the
church was crowded.
He became so impressed with the importance of the talking machine he believed he
could do good after death, and hence conceived the Idea of preaching his own
funeral sermon. By doing so he helped to settle the difficulties between many
families who were threatening declare open war at any time.