In his seventeenth year, a desire to read books came into his mind. By good fortune, he came into possession of 25 cents which he invested in a “blue back speller.” In order that his book and purpose might not come to the notice of the white people he decided that he would tear out and learn one leaf at the time. Thus he began to spell, aided by a more fortunate fellow slave. The widow of a Baptist minister encouraged him with the statement that if he could read she would give him a hymn book and a Bible. On _one_ Sabbath he learned the Ten Commandments. Doubtless he owes much of his success to his excellent wife, who is no less enterprising than she is devout and faithful. He said to the writer: “My wife _makes_ me study.” In 1879 at the call of the Friendship Baptist Church of Barbour county, he was set apart to the ministry by Revs. J. Shorter, A. Gachet and E. Alexander. Brother Maddox is a good man, a faithful preacher, and a successful builder--a leading man in the Eufaula Association, and is as gentle as a woman, and simple hearted as a child. [Illustration: Rev. M. Tyler, D. D., Lowndesboro, Ala.] Maderson, Rev. William, of Greensboro, was born in Virginia in 1849, and came to Alabama in 1866. In the fall of 1872 he was baptized into the Second Baptist Church at Marion, Ala., and in the following year began to enter upon the work of the ministry, speaking in public as he had opportunity. While the Convention was in session in Marion in 1880, the hands of ordination were laid upon his head by order of the Marion Church, and by the same presbytery that ordained Dr. Pettiford. He spent some time in study in the Selma University, under the presidency of the late Rev. Harry Woodsmall. Mr. Maderson is a man of fine natural gifts which, considering his early, meagre advantages, have been well developed. He is remarkably capacitated for imbibing what is pure and elevating in good men and good books. He is dearly beloved no less for his stainless character than for his refinement and wisdom. After serving various other important pastorates, he was called to the pulpit of the Salem Church at Greensboro, where he now serves with success, greatly increasing the membership and purchasing a neat parsonage. For the past seven or eight years he has been the moderator of the Uniontown Association--the largest Association in the State. Should he continue as he has begun, coming years must increase his power with God and man.