Biographical and historical memoirs of northeast Arkansas : comprising a condensed history of the state biographies of distinguished citizens a brief descriptive history of the counties, and numerous biographical sketches of the prominent citizens of such counties. V. 1, Part 16

Author:
Publication date: 1889
Publisher: Chicago, Nashville, St. Louis : The Goodspeed Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1026

USA > Arkansas > Biographical and historical memoirs of northeast Arkansas : comprising a condensed history of the state biographies of distinguished citizens a brief descriptive history of the counties, and numerous biographical sketches of the prominent citizens of such counties. V. 1 > Part 16

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The constitutional convention of 1874 made changes in the school law and provided for the school system now in force in the State. The act of the legislature, December 7, 1876, was passed in conformity with the last preceding State con- vention. This law with amendments is the present school law of Arkansas.

Hon. Thomas Smith was the first State super- intendent, in office from 1868 to 1873. The present incumbent of that position, Hon. Wood- ville E. Thompson, estimates that the commence- ment of public free schools in Arkansas may prop- erly date from the time Mr. Smith took possession of the office-schools free to all; every child entitled to the same rights and privileges, none excluded: separate schools provided for white and black: a great number of schools organized, school houses built, and efficient teachers secured. Previous to this time people looked upon free schools as largely pauper schools, and the wealthier classes regarded them unfavorably.

Hon. J. C. Corbin, the successor of Mr. Smith, continued in office until December 13, 1875.

Hon. B. W. Hill was appointed December 1S, 1875, and remained in office until 1878. It was during his term that there came the most marked change in public sentiment in favor of public schools. He was a zealous and able worker in the cause, and from his report for 1876 is learned the following: State apportionment. $213.000; dis- trict tax, $88,000; school population, 189,000. Through the directors' failure to report the enroll- ment only shows 16,000. The total revenue of 1877 was $270,000; of 1878, $276,000.

Mr. Hill was succeeded in 1878 by Hon. J. L. Denton, whose integrity, earnestness and great ability resulted in completing the valuable work so well commenced by his predecessor-removing the Southern prejudices against public schools. He deserves a lasting place in the history of Arkansas as the advocate and champion of free schools.

The present able and efficient State superin- tendent of public instruction, as previously men-

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tioned, is Hon. Woodville E. Thompson. To his eminent qualifications and tireless energy the schools of Arkansas are largely indebted for the rapid advance now going on, and which has marked his past term of office. From his bien- nial report are gleaned most of the facts and sta- tistics given below.

The growth of the institution as a whole may be defined by the following statistics: In 1879 the revenue raised by the State and county tax was $271,000; in 1880, $285.000; in 1881, 8710,000; in 1882, $722,000; in 1883, $740,000; in 1884, $931,000; in 1885, $1,199,000; in 1886, $1,327, - 000. The district tax in 1884 was $346,521; in 1885, $343,850, and in 1886, $445,563. The dis- trict tax is that voted by the people.

Arkansas to-day gives the most liberal sup. port to her free schools, all else considered, of any State in the Union. It provides a two mill tax, a poll tax, and authorizes the districts to vote a five mill tax. This is the rule or rate voted in nearly all the districts, thus making a total on all taxable property of seven mills, besides the poll tax.

The persistent neglect of school officers to re- port accurate returns of their school attendance is to be regretted. The number of pupils of school age (six to twenty-one years) is given, but no ac- count of attendance or enrollment. This leaves counties in the unfavorable light of a large school population, with apparently the most meager at- tendance. The following summaries exhibit the progress of the public schools: Number of school children, 1869, 176,910; 1870, 180,274; 1871, 196,237; 1872, 194,314; 1873, 148.128; 1874, 168, - 929; 1875, 168,929; 1876, 189, 130; 1877, 203,567; 1878, 216, 475: 1879, 236,600; 1880, 247, 547; 18S1, 272,841; 1882, 289,617; 1883, white, 227.538; black, 76,429; total, 304,962; 1884. white, 247, - 173; black, 76,770; total, 323,943; 1885, wbite, 252,290; black, 86,213; total, 338,506; 1SS6, white, 266,188; black, 91,818; total, 35S.006; 1887, white, 279,224; black, 98,512; total, 377,- 736; 1888, white, 288,381: black, 99,747; total, 388,129. The number of pupils enrolled in 1869 was 67,412: 1888, 202,754, divided as follows: White, 152,184; black, 50,570. Number of teach-

ers employed 1869, 1,335; number employed 1888, males, 3,431, females, 1,233. Total number of school houses, 1884, 1,453; erected that year, 263. Total number school houses, 1888, 2,452; erected in that year, 269. Total value of school houses, 1884, $384,827.73. Total value, 1888, $705,- 276.92. Total amount of revenues received, 1868, $300,669.63. For the year, 1888: Amount on hand June 30, 1887, $370,942.25; received com- mon school fund, $315,403.28; district tax, $505, - 069.92; poll tax, $146,604.22; other sources, $45,890.32; total, $1,683,909.32.

While there were in early Territorial days great intellectual giants in Arkansas, the tendency was not toward the tamer and more gentle walks of lit- erature, but rather in the direction of the fiercer bat- tles of the political arena and the rostrum. Oratory was cultivated to the extreme, and often to the neglect apparently of all else of intellectual pur- suits. The ambitious youths had listened to the splendid eloquence of their elders-heard their praises on every lip, and were fired to struggle for. such triumphs. Where there are great orators one expects to find poets and artists. The great states- man is mentally east in molds of stalwart pro- portions. The poet, orator, painter. and eminent literary character are of a finer texture, but usually not so virile.

Gen. Albert Pike gave a literary immortality to Arkansas when it was yet a Territorial wilderness. The most interesting incident in the history of literature would be a truc picture of that Nestor of the press, Kit North, when he opened the mail package from that dim and unknown savage world of Arkansas, and turned his eyes on the pages of Pike's manuscript, which had been offered the great editor for publication, in his poem en- titled "Hymn to the Gods." This great but mer- ciless critic had written Byron to death, and one can readily believe that he must have turned pale when his eye ran over the lines-lines from an un- known world of untamed aborigines, penned in the wilderness by this unknown boy. North read the products of new poets to find, not merit, but weak points, where he could impale on his sharp and pitiless pen the daring singer. What a play must

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HISTORY OF ARKANSAS.

have swept over his features as his eye followed line after line, eager and more eager from the first word to the last. To him could this be possible -- real-and not the day dream of a disturbed im- agination. This historical incident in the litera- ture of the wild west-the pioneer boy not only on the outer confines of civilization, but to the aver- age Englishman, in the impenetrable depths of a dark continent, where dwelt only cannibals, select- ing the great and severe arbiter of English litera- ture to whom he would transmit direct his fate as a poet; the youth's unexpected triumph in not only securing a place in the columns of the leading review of the world, but extorting in the editorial columns the highest meed of praise, is unparalleled in the feats of tyros in literature. The supremacy of Pike's genius was dulled in its brilliancy be- cause of the versatility of his mental occupations. A poet, master of belles lettres, a lawyer and a poli- tician, as well as a soldier, and eminent in all the varied walks he trod, yet he was never a book- maker-had no ambition, it seems, to be an author. The books that he will leave, those especially by which he will be remembered, will be his gathered and bound writings thrown off at odd intervals and cast aside. His literary culture could produce only the very highest type of effort. Hence, it is prob- able that Lord North was the only editor living to whom Pike might have submitted his "Hymn to the Gods" with other than a chance whim to de- cide its fate.

There was no Boswell among the early great men of Arkansas, otherwise there would exist biog- rapbies laden with instruction and full of interest. There were men and women whose genius com- pelled them to talk and write, but they wrote dis- connected, uncertain sketches, and doubtless often published them in the columns of some local news- paper, where they sank into oblivion.

The erratic preacher-lawyer, A. W. Arrington, wrote many and widely published sketches of the bench and bar of Arkansas, but his imagination

so out-ran the facts that they became mere fictions -very interesting and entertaining, it is said, but entirely useless to the historian. Arrington was a man of superior natural genius, but was so near a moral wreck as to cloud his memory.

Years ago was published Nutall's History of Arkansas, but the most diligent inquiry among the oldest inhabitants fails to find one who ever heard of the book, much less the author.

Recently John Hallum published his History of Arkansas. The design of the author was to make three volumes, the first to treat of the bench and bar, but the work was dropped after this volume was published. It contains a great amount of valuable matter, and the author has done the State an important service in making his collections and putting them in durable form.

A people with so many men and women com- petent to write, and who have written so little of Arkansas, its people or its great historical events, presents a curious phase of society.

A wide and inviting field has been neglected and opportunities have been lost; facts have now gone out of men's memories, and important histor- ical incidents passed into oblivion beyond recall.

Opie P. Read, now of Chicago, will be known in the future as the young and ambitious literary worker of Arkansas. He came to Little Rock from his native State, Tennessee, and engaged in work on the papers at that city. He soon had a wide local reputation and again this soon grew to a national one. His fugitive pieces in the news- papers gained extensive circulation, and in quiet humor and unaffected pathos were of a high order. He has written several works of fiction and is now running through his paper, The Arkansaw Traveler, Chicago, a novel entitled "The Kentucky Colonel," already pronounced by able critics one among the best of American works of fiction. Mr. Read is still a comparatively young man, and his pen gives most brilliant promise for the future. His success as an editor is well remembered.

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HISTORY OF ARKANSAS.

CHAPTER XIII.

THE CHURCHES OF ARKANSAS-APPEARANCE OF THE MISSIONARIES-CHURCH MISSIONS ESTABLISHED IN THE WILDERNESS-THE LEADING PROTESTANT DENOMINATIONS-ECCLESIASTICAL STATISTICS -- GENERAL OUTLOOK FROM A RELIGIOUS STANDPOINT.

No silver saints by dying misers giv'n Here bribed the rage of ill-requited Heav'n; But such plain roofs as piety could raise, And only vocal with the Maker's praise .- Pope.

N all histories of the early settlers the pioneer preach- ers and missionaries of the Church are of first inter- est. True missionaries, re- gardless of all creeds, are a most interesting study, and, in the broad principles of Chris- tianity, they may well be considered as a class, with only incidental refer- ences to their different creeds. The essence of their remarkable lives is the heroic work and suffering they so cheerfully undertook and carried on so patiently and bravely. Among the first of pioneers to the homes of the red savages were these earnest church- men, carrying the news of Mount Calvary to the benighted peoples. It is difficult for us of this age to understand the sacrifices they made, the privations they endured, the moral and physical courage required to sustain them in their work. The churches, through their missionaries, carried the cross of Christ, extending the spiritual empire in advance, nearly always, of the temporal empire. They bravely led the way for the hardy explorers, and ever and anon a martyr's body was given to

the flames, or left in the trackless forests, food for ravenous wild beasts.

The first white men to make a lodgment in what is now Arkansas having been Marquette and Joliet, France and the Church thus came here hand in hand. The Spanish and French settlers at Arkansas Post were the representatives of Cath- olic nations, as were the French-Canadians who came down from the lakes and settled along the banks of the lower Mississippi River.

After 1803 there was another class of pion- eers that came in-Protestant English by descent if not direct, and these soon dominated in the Arkansas country. The Methodists, Baptists and Cumberland Presbyterians, after the building of the latter by Rev. Finis Ewing, were the pre- vailing pioneer preachers. Beneath God's first temples these missionaries held meetings, traveled over the Territory, going wherever the little col. umn of blue smoke from the cabin directed them, as well as visiting the Indian tribes, proclaiming Christ and His cause. Disregarding the elements. swollen streams, the dim trails, and often no other guide on their dreary travels than the projecting ridges, hills and streams, the sun or the polar star; facing hunger. heat and cold, the wild beast and the far fiercer savage, without hope of money compen-

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HISTORY OF ARKANSAS.

sation, regardless of sickness and even death, these men took their lives in their hands and went forth. Could anything be more graphic or pathetic of the conditions of these men than the extract from a letter of one of them who had thus served his God and fellow-man more than fifty years: " In my long ministry I often suffered for food and I spent no money for clothing. *

* The largest yearly salary I received was $100." Were ever men inspired with more zeal in the cause of their Master? They had small polish and were as rugged as the gnarled old oaks beneath whose branches they so often bivouacked. They never tasted the refinements of polite life, no doubt despising them as heartily as they did sin itself. Rude of speech, what eloquence they possessed (and many in this respect were of no mean order) could only come of their deep sincerity.

These Protestant missionaries trod closely upon the footsteps of the pure and gentle Marquette in the descent of the Mississippi, and the visits to the Indians amid. the cane-brakes of the South. Marquette's followers had been the first to ascend the Arkansas River to its source in the far distant land of the Dakotas in the Northwest. Holding aloft the cross, they boldly entered the camps of the tribes, and patiently won upon them until they laid down their drawn tomahawks and brought forth the calumet of peace. These wild children gath- ered around these strange beings-visitors, as they supposed, from another world, and wherever a cross was erected they regarded it with fear and awe, believing it had supreme power over them and their tribes.

He who would detract from the deserved im- mortality of any of these missionaries on account of their respective creeds, could be little else than a cynic whose blood is acid.

Marquette first explored the Mississippi River as the representative of the Catholic Church.

The old church baptismal records of the mis- sion of Arkansas Post extend back to 1764, and the ministrations of Father Louis Meurin, who signed the record as "missionary priest." This is the oldest record to be found of the church's recog- nition of Arkansas now extant. That Marquette

held church service and erected the cross of Christ nearly one hundred years anterior to the record date in Arkansas is given in the standard histories of the United States. Rev. Girard succeeded Meurin. It may be gleaned from these records that in 17SS De La Valliere was in command of Arkansas Post. In 1786 the attending priest was Rev. Louis Guigues. The record is next signed by Rev. Gibault in 1792, and next by Rev. Jannin in 1796. In 1820 is found the name of Rev. Chau- dorat. In 1834 Rev. Dupuy, and in 1838 Father Donnelly was the priest in charge. These remained in custody of the first mission at Arkansas Post. The second mission established was St. Mary's, now Pine Bluff. The first priest at that point was Rev. Saulmier. Soon after. another mission, St. Peter's, was established in Jefferson County, and the third mission, also in Jefferson County, was next established at Plum Bayou. In order, the next mission was at Little Rock, Rev. Emil Saul- mier in charge; then at Fort Smith; then Helena, and next Napoleon and New Gascony, respectively.

The Catholic population of the State is esti- mated at 10,000, with a total number of churches and missions of forty. There are twenty-two church schools, convents and academies, the school attendance being 1,600. The first bishop in the Arkansas diocese was Andrew Byrne, 1844. He died at Helena in 1862, his successor being the present incumbent, Bishop Edward FitzGerald. who came in 1867.

From a series of articles published in the Ar- kansas Methodist, of the current year, by the emi- nent and venerable Rev. Andrew Hunter. D. D., are gleaned the following important facts of this Church's history in Arkansas: Methodism came to Arkansas by way of Missouri about 1814, a com- pany of emigrants entering from Southeast Mis- souri overland, and who much of the way had to cut out a road for their wagons. They had heard of the rich lands in Mound Prairie, Hempstead County. In this company were John Henrey, a local preacher, Alexander and Jacob Shock, broth- ers, and Daniel Props. In their long slow travels they reached the Arkansas River at Little Rock, and waited on the opposite bank for the comple-

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HISTORY OF ARKANSAS.

tion of a ferry-boat then building. When these people reached their destination they soon set up a church, and erected the first Methodist "meet- ing-house " in Arkansas, called Henrey's Chapel. "Father Henrey," as he was soon known far and wide, reared sons, all preachers. This little col- ony were all sincere Methodists, and nearly all their first generation of sons became preachers, some of them eminent. Jacob Shook and three of his sons entered the ministry; Gilbert Alex- ander, his sons and grandsons, became ministers of God's word, as did two of Daniel Props' sons. The small colony was truly the seed of the church in Arkansas.

In 1838 two young ministers were sent from Tennessee to the Arkansas work, and came all the way to Mound Prairie on horseback.

The church records of Missouri show that the conference of 1817 sent two preachers to Arkan- sas-William Stevenson and John Harris. They were directed to locate at Hot Springs. It is conceded that these two missionaries "planted Methodism in Arkansas."

In 1818 the Missouri Conference sent four laborers to Arkansas, with William Stevenson as the presiding elder of the Territory. The circuits then had: John Shader, on Spring River; Thomas Tennant, Arkansas circuit; W. Orr. Hot Springs; William Stevenson and James Lowrey. Mound Prairie. What was called the Arkansas circuit in- cluded the Arkansas River, from Pine Bluff to the mouth. After years of service as presiding elder, Stevenson was succeeded by John Scripps; the ap- pointments then were: Arkansas circuit, Dennis Willey; Hot Springs, Isaac Brookfield; Mound Prairie, John Harris; Pecan Point, William Town- send. The Missouri Conference, 1823, again made William Stevenson presiding elder, with three itin- erants for Arkansas. In 1825 Jesse Hale became presiding elder. He was in charge until 1829. He was an original and outspoken abolitionist, and taught and preached his faith unreservedly; so much so that large numbers of the leading fam- ilies left the Methodist Episcopal Church and joined the Cumberland Presbyterians. This was the sudden building up of the Cumberland Pres-

byterian Church, and nearly fatally weakened the Methodist Church. Some irreverent laymen desig- nated Elder Jesse Hale's ministrations as the "Hail storm" in Arkansas. Fortunately Hale was succeeded by Rev. Jesse Green, and he poured oil on the troubled waters, and saved Methodism in Arkansas.

"Green was our Moses."

The Tennessee Conference, 1831, sent eight preachers to Arkansas, namely: Andrew D. Smyth, John Harrell, Henry G. Joplin, William A. Boyce. William G. Duke, John N. Hammill, Alvin Baird and Allen M. Scott.

A custom of those old time preachers now passed away is worth preserving. When possi- ble to do so they went over the circuit together, two and two. One might preach the regular ser- mon, when the other would " exhort." Under these conditions young Rev. Smyth was accompanying the regular circuit rider. He was at first diffi- dent, and "exhorted " simply by giving his hearers "Daniel in the lion's den." As the two started around the circuit the second time, on reaching a night appointment, before entering the house, and as they were returning from secret prayer in the brush, the preacher said: "Say, Andy, I'm going to preach, and when I'm done you give 'em Daniel and the lions again.". Evidently Andy and his lions were a terror to the natives. But the young exhorter soon went up head, and became a noted divine.

The Missouri Conference, 1832, made two dis- tricts of Arkansas. Rev. A. D. Smyth had charge of Little Rock district, which extended over all the country west, including the Cherokee and Creek Nations.

The formation of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, occurred in 1844. This is a well known part of the history of our country. In Ar- kansas the church amid all its trials and vicissi- tudes has grown and flourished. The State now has fifteen districts, with 200 pastoral charges, and, it is estimated, nearly 1,000 congregations.

The Methodist Episcopal Church has a com- fortable church in Little Rock, and several good sized congregations in different portions of the State. This church and the Methodist Episcopal

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HISTORY OF ARKANSAS.

Church, South, are separate and wholly distinct in their organization.

The Baptists are naturally a pioneer and fron- tier church people. They are earnest and sincere proselyters to the faith, and reach very effectively people in general. The Baptist Church in Ben- ton celebrated, July 4, 1889, its fifty-third anni- versary. Originally called Spring Church, it was built about two miles from the town. The organi- zation took place under the sheltering branches of an old oak tree. One of the first churches of this order was the Mount Bethel Church, about six miles west of Arkadelphia, in Clark County. This was one of the oldest settled points by English speaking people in the State. The church has grown with the increase of population.

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Biographical and historical memoirs of northeast Arkansas : comprising a condensed history of the state biographies of distinguished citizens a brief descriptive history of the counties, and numerous biographical sketches of the prominent citizens of such counties. V. 1, Part 16

Author: Publication date: 1889 Publisher: Chicago, Nashville, St. Louis : The Goodspeed Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 1026

Author:
Publication date: 1889
Publisher: Chicago, Nashville, St. Louis : The Goodspeed Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1026