USA > Illinois > Fulton County > Canton > Canton; its pioneers and history : a continuation to the history of Fulton County > Part 6
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About the 1st of March, 1856, Elder Joslin came to the aid of the pastor of this church, in a series of meetings which resulted in the additions of twenty-five more members.
At the annual business meeting held on the 15th of November, 1856, Elder S. G. Miner was for the eighth time elected pastor by a unanimous vote, and his salary was increased from $500 to $1000. November 23d, 1856, letters of dismission were granted to Alonzo Barnes, T. C. Luther, Rebecca Barnes, Elizabeth Lu- ther, Joseph B. Robison, Abigail Robison, Matthias Himinover, and Matthew McComb, for the purpose of uniting with others in the formation and organization of a Baptist Church at Prairie City, Illinois.
Elder Jacob Knapp again assisted Elder Miner in a series of
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CANTON : ITS PIONEERS AND HISTORY.
meetings, commencing carly in December, 1857, and added twenty-five new members to the church as the fruits of his labors.
July 31st, 1858, letters of dismission and commendation werc granted to Bros. James Burson, Alanson Swan, Alonzo M. Swan, and Sister Nancy W. Burson, for the purpose of organizing a Baptist Church at Yates City, Illinois.
On the 24th of October, 1858, Elder S. G. Miner resigned his pastoral connection with the church; but the church by vote re- fused to accept his resignation at that time. There had grown up some dissatisfaction in regard to his pastoral relation, which satisfied Elder Miner that the day of his usefulness had about closed so far as his connection with this church was concerned; but the majority of the church thought differently, and earnestly plead with him to remain. He, however, was inexorable, and did sever his connection with the church as its pastor on the 30th of October, 1858, after eleven years' pastorate. It is not now ne- cessary nor would it be profitable to discuss the reasons pro and con which led to this separation. It created great dissatisfaction among the membership of the church. Elder Miner, however, was recalled after one year's absence.
January 3d, 1859, letters of dismission were granted to Jaqucz Vorhees, Sarah V. Vorhees, Elizabeth Hill, Alletta Ann Perine, Christian V. Spader, Jane V. Spader, Amanda T. Perine, and Wm. Perine, for the purpose of being organized into a Baptist Church in Henderson county, Illinois.
During the year of Elder Miner's absence, Elder H. Daniels was called to the pastorate of the church, but declined. Elder T. S. Griffith was also called, but would not accept, although con- senting to supply the pulpit for a few months.
On the 10th of September, 1859, Elder S. G. Miner was again elected pastor of the church by a large majority, and consented to serve. He accordingly returned, and remained with them as pastor until December 22d, 1860, when he again resigned, this time permanently. The immediate cause of this resignation seems to have grown out of difficulties originating in the choir, but were really but the old difficulties fanned into a new flamc.
Elder Miner was not an eloquent man, yet his discourses werc sound in doctrine according to the tenets of his church, and re- spectable in ability. As a pastor he was without doubt one of the most competent ever in Canton. Kind, cordial and tender,
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he was at once the pastor, father and brother of the younger members, and the sympathizing friend of all. Mr. Miner was loved by a majority of the citizens of the town as few men have ever been loved, and by the membership of the church, with few exceptions, as few men ever are.
On the 9th of June, 1861, Rev. Mr. Webb, of Dixon, Illinois, was elected pastor, at a salary of $600 per annum; but he appears to have declined, and on the 3d of August Rev. W. B. Bolton, of St. Louis, was called to the pastorate, and began his labors on the 18th of August, 1861.
Elder Bolton began a series of meetings on the 15th of Janu- ary, 1862, which resulted in the addition of twenty-eight persons to the church.
On the 10th of September, 1862, a council called by the church convened, and ordained John C. Bolton to the work of the min- istry in connection with the Baptist Denomination.
In August, 1864, Elder Bolton resigned his position as pastor, but agreed to reaccept the position at a salary of $800 per annum, he being permitted to practice medicine at the same time. In January, 1865, Elder Bolton asked an increase of salary to $1200 per annum, he to quit the practice of medicine and devote his en- tire time to the church; but the church refused to grant the in- crease, and accordingly he resigned, his resignation taking effect on the 15th of February, 1865.
In March, 1865, the church elected Rev. W. R. Webb as its pastor, agreeing to pay him one thousand dollars per annum, quarterly in advance. He accepted the call and began his labor in April of that year.
At the annual first of January Week of Prayer, in 1866, there was an unusually great revival, considering the fact that no out- side assistance was called and no revivalist was laboring with the church. Eighty-five persons were added to the church as the re- sult of this meeting. .
Under Elder Webb's administration there was a thorough over- hauling of the church records and a general weeding-out of un- worthy members. The great numbers who from time to time had been added, many of whom had removed from the city and whose names were still borne upon the church books, necessitated this measure. After the weeding-out had been completed, the membership for 1867 footed up a total of 375 members. They
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CANTON : ITS PIONEERS AND HISTORY.
had raised that year, for pastor's salary, $1000; for incidental ex- penses, $261; for domestic missions, $77.85; for Baptist Mission- ary Union, $80.45; for Sabbath School, $326; for printing min- utes, $5.00; a total of $1,750.30.
In January, 1867, a four-weeks protracted meeting was held, Elder Webb being assisted by Rev. Mr. Palmer, of El Paso, Illi- nois. This meeting resulted in the addition of thirty persons to the church communion.
Elder Webb terminated his connection with the church as its pastor, by resignation, on the 1st of October, 1870, leaving with the esteem of the church and the community. His labors had been successful in healing old breaches and more firmly establish- ing the church in a pure membership. Mr. Webb was a man of fair ability as a speaker, and a careful and deservedly popular pastor. He received while here the degree of D.D. from Ham- ilton University.
On the 1st of January, 1871, Elder D. H. Cooley, having been elected pastor of the church, entered upon the discharge of his duties, at a salary of $1,200 per annum, payable monthly.
Elder Cooley signalized his advent as pastor by a series of meetings beginning with the annual January Week of Prayer, which were instrumental in a revival of the Christian zeal of the members of the church and the addition to its numbers of twenty- three persons.
Elder Cooley promises to prove one of the most useful pastors the church has had.
In connection with this church there has been, ever since its removal to Canton, a large and constantly-increasing Sabbath school.
There are many features in the history of this church which would be interesting to the religious reader; but the limits of this volume will not admit a more extended history.
Three of the members of the old Duck Creek Church, and they among the earliest members, are still living and still in full fel- lowship with the church, viz., Maria Wilson, widow of Samuel Wilson, and William Swan and Jane Swan his wife. Each of these were admitted in 1833. Each has maintained connection with the church for a period of thirty-eight years.
The present membership is 360.
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CANTON : ITS PIONEERS AND HISTORY.
In 1852, David M. Smith, jr., was employed as sexton, and for over nine years discharged the duties of that offiee at a salary of $100 per annum,-discharging them faithfully, and to the entire satisfaction of church and congregation.
THE FIRST SABBATH SCHOOL.
IN the fall of 1832 and soon after the Black-Hawk War, a Sabbath sehool was organized in Canton -rather in the neighbor- hood of which Canton was the nueleus. It was eondueted by Gabriel Walling as superintendent, and met in the second story of Childs & Stillman's Distillery on Big Creek, a little north of the west end of Cole street. Here were gathered, in addition to the children belonging to town, children from Barnes's settle- ment, from John Orendorff's neighborhood, Sterling Turner's children, and indeed children from the entire eireuit around Can- ton for three or four miles, until, when all were assembled, there were not less than eighty seholars in attendance. Here, with the aid of Christians of all denominations, were taught, on Sabbath, the juvenile minds in the ways of life eternal, and during the week, in the room below, adults were fitted for eternal death.
This Sabbath sehool gradually gave place to denominational schools, and by 1840 each of the churches represented here by an organization had schools of their own. Now there are over twenty-five Sabbath schools in the county.
In 1857 the friends of Sabbath schools in the county decided to organize County Sabbath-sehool Conventions, for the better organization of the system. Mr. Wm. P. Turner writes me in re- gard to this movement as follows:
"MR. A. M. SWAN. Dear Sir :
. . My mind and heart were greatly exercised in that direction. I was a volunteer S. S. Missionary-so much so that my thoughts, by night and by day, were directed to the Sabbath- school work.
"As a result of these meditations, I prepared a paper to be used at any pre- liminary meeting that might be ealled as a basis for organization, and prepared myself to show what might be done to thoroughly eanvass the county throughout every school-district and township. Finally, one Sabbath after- noon in 1857, a preliminary meeting of the friends of Sabbath sehools was held at the residence of Deaeon John G. Piper, in Canton. There were present, I think, John G. and I. S. Piper, John W. Ingersoll, Cyrus and Na-
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than Overman, myself, and a few others whose names have escaped my memory. I was called upon to state the object of the meeting, which I did as briefly as possible, and also read my constitution. Brother Ingersoll's re- mark was, 'The plan of that constitution is about what we need, if we only had the men to carry it out. It is rather too cumbersome, there is too much of it, as we are now situated.' Deacon Piper stated that he had received a letter from Bro. Parrish, of Farmington, suggesting the propriety of calling a county convention. Out of this meeting grew the first County Sabbath- school Convention ever held in Fulton county. During the summer I visit- ed Lewistown, Marietta, Vermont, and other townships, and urged this mat- ter. We got the convention called, holding it at Lewistown. My constitu- tion was the basis of the present constitution under which the county convention is organized. The first President was Deacon John G. Piper. I think this was two years before the organization of any other county in the state : now all of our one hundred and two counties are organized, and we have had a State Sabbath-school organization and convention for eight or ten years.
" Yours respectfully, WM. P. TURNER."
ANECDOTES.
CONVERTING DRUNKARDS.
Soon after the Indian War, a Methodist preacher who had been assigned to this circuit preached a temperance sermon here, following it up by the circulation of a total-abstinence pledge. A good many of the people signed, including many who scarcely ever indulged themselves, but signed simply for the sake of cast- ing the weight of their influence upon the side of temperance. Among the signers were Isaac Swan and Elizabeth Swan, Nathan Jones and Matilda Jones, Joel Wright and his wife, all temper- ate. The preacher was delighted with his success, and at once forwarded to the newspaper organ of his church an account in which he stated that the Lord was abundantly blessing his labors, and that he had been the humble instrument in God's hands for the conversion and reformation of the following drunkards: then followed a list of the names of all who had subscribed to his pledge. Isaac Swan did not see this article till on a Sunday morning just before starting to church, and it excited his indigna- ยท tion terribly. On arriving at the school-house where preaching
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was held, he found the offending minister in the aet of reading a hymn. Marching up to him, he laid his hand on his shoulder, and in a low but stern voiee invited him to step out of doors be -. fore proceeding further with his services. The preacher, seeing that Isaae was in dead earnest, eoneluded it was best to comply. On reaching the door, Isaae pulled out the paper and said,
"Did you write that, sir ?" pointing to the objectionable artiele.
"I did," responded the astonished minister.
"Don't you know that there is not one word of truth in it? Don't you know that these persons"-pointing to the names of several well-known temperance men and women-"are not now and never have been drunkards?"
The preacher stammered, hesitated, and tried to explain; but
no explanation would satisfy Swan. Said he,
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"Now, sir, you have just one thing to do. You must take this paper into the house, read that article to the congregation and tell them that when you wrote it you lied, and you knew it. Do that, sir, or I will break every bone in your body."
The trembling minister meekly accepted the terms, and read the artiele, confessing that he had lied and had known it when writing.
PIONEER METHOD OF ADVERTISING.
Mrs. Darrow was the first milliner ever located in Canton. Slie was a Methodist, and, among her accomplishments in the millinery line, she possessed the art of making a sort of fur bonnet shaped much like the old round-erowned Methodist bonnets. Old Father Lumery, one of the earliest Methodist preachers here, was much pleased with Mrs. Darrow's bonnets, and at all his appointments would exhort the Methodist sisters to purchase them, say- ing that they were the proper helmet for a female warrior of the Lord. This plea was so successful that Mrs. Darrow was en- abled to sell one of her bonnets to nearly every Methodist sister in four congregations.
A LITERAL INTERPRETATION.
At a ehureh-meeting of a church in Joshua township, one of the brothers was arraigned for drunkenness. It was proved that he had stopped at Canton on his way to Copperas-Creek Landing
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CANTON : ITS PIONEERS AND HISTORY.
and indulged to the point of drunkenness in Mallory's best. The evidence being conelusive, the vote on the question of expulsion was about to be taken, when one of the old brothers arose and asked:
"Mr. Cheerman, kin I ax a question ov the witness ?"
" Certainly."
"Will the witness say if the brother puked when he was drunk ?"
"He did not, to my knowledge," replied the witness.
The questioning brother looked over the congregation with a confident air, and said :
"Brethering and sisters, I do n't reckon we kin do any thing more in this ease. You all know what the Scripter sez: 'It 's what comes out'en a man's mouth as defiles him, and not what goes in.' Now if the brother did n't puke, I reckon there was nothin' come out'en his mouth, and he was n't defiled."
The good brother sat down conscious of having made an irre- sistible scriptural argument that could not be overthrown, and the congregation decided he was right.
A PARSON NONPLUSSED,
Rev. Robert Stewart, who preached for the Presbyterians, was not always judicious in timing his admonitions. On one occa- sion he was making a pastoral call on Mrs. Alex. McPheters, who was siek, and there met Dr. Newton. The doctor, as usual, was under the influence of liquor, and was pacing the floor snapping his fingers, and ejaculating "Oh, h-1!" at every step. The doe- tor's profanity grated harshly on the parson's ear, and he forth- with decided to reprove him.
"Doctor, you speak very familiarly of that place called hell. Do you know any thing about it ? t'
The doctor stopped in his walk, eyed his interrogator, gave the peculiar wink for which he was noted, and responded -
"Yes, sir : I know all about it; I've been there."
"Been there ?" said Stewart, "well, tell us all about it." The doctor struck an attitude, winked again, and said :
"I tell you, Bob, old hell is a pretty respectable kind of a place; but just a little the other side of old hell they have got a new hell for Presbyterian priests, that's the G-d d-st hole you ever seen."
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CANTON: ITS PIONEERS AND HISTORY.
Stewart never after ventured to reprove the doctor without knowing whether or not he was duly sober.
PAY IN PREACIIING.
Rev. Williston Jones had just moved into his new house on the corner of Elm and Wood streets, when it occurred to him that green blinds to his windows would be an improvement. Buckley was accordingly called in to do the job, and was soon at his task, swearing, working, and joking, as was his habit. Williston one day suggested to him the idea of reciprocity in patronage. "I patronize you, Mr. Buckley, now you ought to patronize me."
" Oh, certainly," said Buckley, feeling for the scribe-mark on the strip he was dressing, "I had just as soon have my pay in preaching as in money. Let me see, how much do you get a year for preaching?" Williston informed him. "How many sermons do you preach per annum ?" continued Buckley. On this point he also received information. Taking out his pencil, he com- puted how much preaching his job would pay for, and informed Williston that his work would just come to two sermons. No more was thought of the matter by Mr. Jones until, on passing Buckley's shop, some time afterward, he was hailed and his bill presented as follows :
"Rev. Williston Jones to A. W. Buckley, Dr. To fixing Blinds on windows, 2 Sermons."
" Now, sir," said Buckley, "I need those scrmons to-day, so you may just mount that work-bench and preach them." Mr. Jones was nonplussed, and insisted on paying the money. Buck- ley at first demurred, demanding the fulfillment of his contract, but finally relented and took the money.
Buckley on one occasion visited St. Louis, and at dinner at a leading hotel had placed before him a bill of fare. Being exceed- ingly near-sighted, he did not undertake to read it, probably did not notice it. On the waiter's returning for his order, Buckley inquired what they had, and was directed for information to the bill of fare lying before him. Picking up the document, hc handed it to the astonished waiter, with the remark, "Oh, d-n
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CANTON: ITS PIONEERS AND HISTORY.
it, fill the bill." . While eating, he noticed several snobs loudly calling the waiters to change their plates. Now at Tyler's, Sebree's and Freeman's taverns this plate-changing was not in vogue, and Buckley thought it foolishness; so, to rebuke it, he arose, and, in a stentorian voice, called, "Waiter, change my chair. By G-d, I'll have something changed."
Buckley was an infidel. His residence being opposite the old Baptist Church, he was in the habit of donating five dollars an- nually to the Baptist Sabbath school. Some one inquired how it was that one entertaining his religious views should be thus lib- eral to a Sabbath school. "I do it," said he, "to keep the d-d boys out of my cherry-trees on Sunday."
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One of the pioneers relates of himself and a companion a story in this wise :
" Ike and me were coming up from Copperas-Creek Landing in a wagon. On the road up we concluded we'd steal a pig from a mighty fine litter we seen along the road. Well, we stole the pig, and throwed it into the wagon and brought it home. We thought a good deal of that pig, slopped and fed it carefully until it was nearly big enough to kill. So one day the pig got out, and one of the neighbors put it up right away. We soon found out where it was and went after it; but the plagueoned feller would n't give it up. 'You see,' said he, 'I got that hog the same way you fellers did, and I got just the same right to it you had; and just the less you say about it the better.' Ike and me had no more to say, we just let the feller keep it."
The religious belief of three of the old pioneers may be in- ferred from the following conversation, which occurred in Dr. Bell's drug-store soon after the death of John Coleman, sen. Old Shannon and Benjamin Perry were sitting by the fire warming, when old Ha'penny, an old Revolutioner, who, from some trifling cause, had fallen out with Coleman during his life, entered.
Said Ha'penny, "Well, Coleman 's dead and in h-Il, and I'm glad of it.".
Shannon, assuming an air of tragie dignity, at once responded, "Mr. Ha'penny, you are laboring under a delusion : "Mr. Coleman
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CANTON : ITS PIONEERS AND HISTORY.
is not in the evil country; Mr. Coleman is an inhabitant of the good country. Mr. Coleman is not in the rank and file in the evil country, either; on the contrary, her most august and im- perial highness has given him an official position in the home of the blessed."
" How in h-1 do you know ?" responded Ha'penny.
"Why, sir," said Shannon, "Mr. Coleman and myself com- mune with each other daily. He comes to me for instruction in regard to the important duties of his position. I am his mentor, sir, and talk with him face to face, as a man talks with his brother."
Perry had listened uncasily to this conversation, and could no longer keep out. Rising and pacing rapidly back and forth, swinging the skirts of his blue coat in an excited manner, he broke out-"You are both a pair of d-d old fools. Coleman lies right up here on the hill five feet and a half under ground, and he'll lie there till the resurrection. I know, by G-d, for I helped to put him there."
THE FIRST TURNING-LATHE.
THE first turning-lathe in Canton was owned and operated by Deacon Nathan Jones. It was a spring-pole lathe, with the cord wound around the stick to be turned, in such a manner that the stick ran half the time one way and half the time the other. Up- on this lathe the deacon turned his chair-stuff. This lathe was a part of the outfit of the first chairmaker's shop in Canton. It is related of the deacon, while engaged in this shop, that on one oc- casion he had carried a lot of chair-stuff into the kitchen to season by the kitchen fire. The deacon had neglected to provide Aunt Matilda-his wife - with wood, and this neglect had so excited the old lady's ire that she seized and burnt an armful of chair- rungs. The deacon stood and contemplated the destruction of his chair-rungs in solemn silence for some moments. As the flames began to curl around them, the deacon's lips parted, and his hand was raised, not in anger, but in sadness. He tipped his hat to one side with the uplifted hand, and exclaimed, "Matilda, I wish you were in Heaven !" And this, it is recorded, was the most nearly an oath the good old man had ever allowed to escape his lips.
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CANTON: ITS PIONEERS AND HISTORY.
The first power lathc, operated by horsc-power, was put up by Daniel H. Dewey, and began operations in March, 1838, on the ground still occupied by Mr. Dewcy, on the southeast corner of White and Jones strects. Mr. Dewcy also put into operation the first circular saw in Canton, in 1841. It was eight inches in diameter, and was used in cutting blind-stuff-Mr. Dewey bc- ing at that time engaged in the manufacture of window-blinds.
About the same time that Mr. Dewey's power lathe was put in operation, his brother Milton C. Dewcy had a lathe opcrated by men turning a large crank, and Peter L. Snyder another operatcd in the same manner.
The first kiln of brick ever made here was burnt in 1830, and was made by Dcacon Jones. The deacon burnt several kilns during the five or six succeeding years, taking into partnership with him in the business his son-in-law Loving Ames. Jones & Ames furnished the brick for the first brick house that was erected in Canton. This house was built for James Hood, was situated on lot 74, Jones's Addition to the Town of Canton, between Jones and Walnut streets, fronting on Fourth street. The house is still standing. Jones & Ames also furnished the brick for the Canton College. These brick were not equal in quality to brick made here now, as the makers did not thoroughly understand the business or the material they were called upon to work.
THE CORN-HUSKING.
A PIONEER corn-husking was an event of more than ordinary interest, at which would congregate the young and many of the middle-aged of the entire neighborhood. When the farmer's corn was "snapped" from the stalk, in the husk, and the time ar- rived for it to be "opened" for winter use, a boy would be dis- patchicd to warn the settlers, for miles around, that "We're g'wine to have a schuckin' til our house Wednesday nite, and wc want you all to come over." This invitation was more sure to mect an affirmative response than do the perfumed and gilt-edged cards of invitation of this more refined age.
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