USA > Indiana > Indiana Methodism: a series of sketches and incidents grave and humorous concerning preachers and people of the West with an appendix containing personal recollections, public addresses and other miscellany > Part 14
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wards learned, he was not only conversing with a Unitarian preacher, but with the identical man who had been the settled pastor in tliat church before it was sold to the Methodists.
CHAPTER XX.
CARTRIGHT, FINLEY, COOPER,
Organization of the Northwest Indiana Confer- ence, 1852, at Terre Haute, Ind., Bishop Osman C. Baker presiding.
The conference began on the eighth day of Sep- tember. The month of September was dry and warm ; yet our new bishop, having heard such hor- rible stories about Wabash chills and fevers, had provided himself with heavy overshoes, the better to protect himself against the sickly climate of the then far West. He presided in a very graceful, dignified, and agreeable way, and soon won the hearts of the conference. Lest over-exertion should bring on mortal sickness, he declined to occupy the pulpit on the Sabbath. Consulting the members of his cabinet he inquired who among the preachers he had better request to do the preaching at the morning and evening services ; and so Lucien W. Berry was chosen to preach at 10:30 in the morn- ing, the ordination of deacons following ; in the afternoon, Richard Hargrave, his sermon to be fol- lowed by the ordination of elders. While listening
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to these good, grand men, the bishop seemed ut- terly astonished ; afterwards, with apparent wonder, he said, "I never heard such preaching before, I had no idea that there were such men out here in Indiana."
In the division of the State into four Annual con- ferences, the city of Indianapolis was about equally divided into four parts ; the north-west quarter fall- ing to the Northwest Indiana conference. In that quarter of the city there was a little frame church standing on the bank of the canal, which bore the name of the celebrated Rev. John Strange-"Strange Chapel." Brother George M. Boyd was taken from the Crawfordsville district and appointed to Indian- apolis ; his brethren believing, and the bishop also, that he would be equal to the occasion of building up the church interests in that quarter of the city. Right royally did he meet the expectations of his friends.
The little church was moved from the canal to a more 'central location, the society reorganized, the church edifice enlarged and beautified, and it was altogether a prosperous year. But, before proceed- ing further, it may be a matter of interest, especial- ly to the younger preachers and those who are to come after them, to have some knowledge of the men and their appointments at the beginning of the history of the Northwest Indiana Conference.
"Where are the preachers stationed this year ?"
GREENCASTLE DISTRICT.
Richard Hargrave, Presiding Elder ; Greencastle, Thomas S. Webb ; Bainbridge, John Edwards, one
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to be supplied ; Montgomery, James B. Gray ; Rock- ville circuit, William J. Forbes, Lewis Roberts ; Russelville, George W. Warner ; North Salem, Mathew Fennimore ; Danville, Michael Johnson ; Augusta, Harrison Burgess, one to be supplied ; In- dianapolis Mission, George M. Boyd ; Ladoga, Jared B. Mershon ; Middletown, Joseph White; Indiana Asbury University, William C. Larrabee, Profess- or, Daniel DeMotte, Agent.
TERRE HAUTE DISTRICT.
John H. Bruce, Presiding Elder ; Terre Haute- : Asbury Chapel, Aaron Wood, :North Chapel, Thomas Bartlett ; Numa, Enoch Wood; Vigo, James Scott ; Clinton, John Leach ; Newport, Abraham Salisbury ; Eugene, James Rickets ; Perrysville, Wade Posey ; Williamsport, Moses Wood ; Coal Creek, John T. Jones ; Anapolis, Nelson Green; Rockville, James L. Thompson ; Terre Haute High School, Allen D. Beasley, Agent.
LAFAYETTE DISTRICT.
George M. Beswick, Presiding Elder; LaFayette- Western Charge, Jacob M. Stallard, Eastern Charge, Luther Taylor ; Thorntown, James Spinks ; Leba - non, Edward A. Hazen ; Romney, Allen A. Gee, Philander Wiley; Newtown Wm. F. Wheeler, Heze- kiah Smith ; Shawnee Prairie, Jacob Cozad ; Cov- ington, Ithamar H. Aldrich ; Crawfordsville, James Johnson ; Attica, Benj. Winans ; Independence, John W. Parrett ; Poolsville, Franklin Taylor ; Ox- ford, Thomas C. Workman.
DELPHI DISTRICT.
Joseph Marsee, Presiding Elder ; Delphi and Pitts-
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burg, William Graham ; Dayton, Wm. C. Harker ; Frankfort, Philip I. Beswick, Jessie Hill ; Camden, David Keeder; Rossville, Hermon B. Ball; Lockport, David Dunham ; Monticello, Lucas Nebeker ; Har- risonville, George Guild; Rensselaer, Wm. Hamilton; Davidsonville, Alford N. Cave ; Kewana, Eventus Doud ; Winemac, Francis Cox.
LAPORTE DISTRICT.
John L. Smith, Presiding Elder ; LaPorte, to be supplied ; Michigan City, to be supplied ; Crown Point, Conrad S. Burgner, one to be supplied ; Val- paraiso Station, David Crawford ; Valparaiso Cir- cuit, Lyman B. Kent, Nelson L. Brakeman ; Union, John S. Donaldson, Samuel Godfrey ; Kingsbury, Wiley P. Watkins; Byron, Levi More, one to be sup- plied ; Sumption Prairie, Arthur Badley ; South Bend, James C. Read ; Rochester, Robert H. Cal- vert; Plymouth, John G. Osborne ; Samuel T. Coop- er, John S. Hetfield, Francis M. Richmond, and Franklin A. Hardin, transferred to the North India- na Conference ; John C. Smith, transferred to the Indiana Conference ; John Daniel, transferred to the California Conference ; Abram Cary, transferred to the Iowa Conference ; Isaac M. Stagg, transferred to the Missouri Conference.
Bishop Baker also presided at the North Indiana conference held at Fort Wayne, Indiana, two weeks after the Northwest Indiana conference, when the following transfers took place : John R. Tansey and Joseph C. Reed, to the Northwest Indiana con- ference, and stationed respectively at LaPorte and Michigan City. The Southeast Indiana confer-
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ence, also organized by Bishop Baker, was held in the town of Rushville, commencing October 6, 1852, when the following transfers took place : James Hill, Elias H. Sabin, Bartlett Y. Coffin, and Elias Gaskins to the Indiana conference; John B. DeMotte, to the North Indiana conference, and stationed at Muncytown. And so the State of Indiana was organized into four Annual conferences, and has thus continued nearly forty years.
The Northwest Indiana Conference as one man, looked forward with joy and delight to the advent of their own Bishop Ames, who presided at the session held in the autumn of 1853 at Attica, Indiana. At this session some interesting as well as exciting scenes occurred. A superannuated preacher, A. B, who lived in the village, was charged with cruel treatment of his wife. He was an active member of the Masonic order. Among the preachers of the conference there were some zealous masons, and others who were bitterly opposed to all secret societies. In the appointment of the committee to investigate these rumors against the brother, the anti-secret- society men felt that they had done a very smart thing by managing to have only members of the order appointed on the committee, thinking, and even saying to their friends "Now you will see how in their report the committee will 'whitewash' their brother mason; for the masons are bound to protect one another, 'murder and treason not ex- cepted." The committee investigated the matter and reported that in their judgment the rumors could be sustained by proof, and so moved that
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Brother A. B. be put on his trial before the conference for immoral conduct, which was done. The accused was duly tried, his principal prosecutors being ma- sons, and, by the verdict of his peers, was expelled from the conference and the church.
Another incident. Charges were brought against a young preacher for breach of marriage contract. And he was hotly pressed by the preacher-in-charge with whom he had traveled a circuit the preceding year. In this trial it was brought out that the young man had entered into a marriage engagement in good faith; and that a few months afterwards the young woman became what was called a spiritual medium. In some of her frantic movements as a medium she seemed to become totally deranged; so the young brother frankly told her that, if she continued these vagaries, he would at all hazards, break the engagement, and that she could never be his wife. She persisted in keeping up the spirit-rappings, and seemed to be fond of the noto- riety she was gaining as a spirit medium. While the trial was going on it came to the surface, as had been suspected, that several of the older members of the conference, who were looked upon as grave elders, had been more or less tinctured with this delusion; for they seemed to bear down heavily on W. P. W., while their sympathies were evidently in favor of what they regarded as the injured girl. Finally by a close vote this pious and honest young preacher was saved to the church. He lived for many years, and was a successful soul-winner; he died only a few years ago, and doubtless has many stars in the crown of his rejoicing in the better world.
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At that same conference another incident occurred, not so serious as the former, but, contrarywise, very amusing. There lived and moved up and down the Wabash river at that time a semi- demented lawyer commonly know as Jack Stinson. He had been an intelligent and successful attorney, but by some means became partially deranged. He dressed very neat, and, though he often seemed incoherent in his conversation, was, nevertheless polite and gentlemanly. On a certain occasion during the session, and in the midst of conference business, Jack strode up the aisle, hat in hand, and approaching the bishop's table, complaisantly bowing, placed on the table in front of the bishop a paper, and then bowing himself out, quietly retired. The bishop was noticed, while reading the paper, to be evidently amused. The following is a verbatim copy of the letter:
"ATTICA, FOUNTAIN CO., IND., Sept. 9, 1853.
RIGHT REV. AND DEAR SIR :- My name is Jack Stinson, alias, Colonel John Stephenson, of the United States army, I was born in Louden county, Virginia, on the 29th day of March 1793, but being very young at the time of my birth, I now have no distinct recollection of that very important affair. I have the honor and proud distinction to be your most obedient and humble servant,
JACK STINSON, alias Colonel John Stephenson, Of the United States Army."
The preachers gathered around the bishop after adjournment that morning, all curious to see the
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letter Jack had written. After reading it to those near, the bishop said he would perserve this singu- lar billet as a literary curiosity, to descend to his grand-children.
At the close of that conference the following transfers were made : John R. Tansey and E. H. Hazen to the California conference; Nelson Greene to the North Indiana conference; Enoch Wood, to the Iowa conference.
On the 6th day of September, 1854, the confer . ence met at LaPorte, and Bishop Simp- son, another of our Indiana bishops, for the first time presided over the Northwest Indiana conference. At this conference fourteen were received on trial, viz: Noah Lathrop, Philan- der R. Owen, George W. Crawford, G. WV. Good- win, Jacob Haun, Albion Fellows, Lemuel G. Welton, Abraham Davis,* Charles A. Brook, Lan- don Carson, Daniel Shonkwiler, William Hancock, J. F. Goodman, Elisha Adamson.
"Question 12. Who have died this year ? Answer: George M. Beswick and John H. Bruce."
These two noble men, both presiding elders,falling at their posts at the high noon of their manhood and in the midst of their usefulness, brought a shad- ow over the hearts of the entire conference. This was the first death knell heard since the organiza- tion of the conference. The following record of the lives and labors of these men of God was unani- mously adopted :-
"Rev. George M. Beswick was born in the State of * Died during conference.
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Kentucky, October 1I, 18II. His father left Kentucky in 1815, and settled with his fam- ily in Harrison county, Indiana. Philip Bes- wick, father of the deceased, was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and a firm and intelligent Christian. Possessing a good library of religious books, and his house be- ing a home for the ministers of the church of his choice, George was early impressed with the truth and necessity of religion. He was converted in the fourteenth year of his age, and immediately united with the Methodist Episcopal church. He was li- censed to exhort in his sixteenth and to preach, in the eighteenth year of his age. At the age of twenty he was admitted on trial in the Indiana conference, and appointed to Salem circuit. From 1831 to 1838 he traveled circuits in different parts of the State. In the fall of 1838 he was appointed to the Logans- port district. Since that he has traveled Greencas- tle, Centreville, and LaFayette districts, and has filled some of the most important stations in the State, and has served the church in the. capacity of an agent for the Tract and Sabbath- school cause, and for the university. He was elected a delegate to the General conference of 1852. After an absence of eight years, he was appointed the second time to Greencastle district at the last session of the North- west Indiana conference. He was at his work in due time, and labored with his usual faithfulness until he had nearly completed his third round on the district, when he was attacked with a malig- nant typhoid fever, and laid his armour by to resume it no more. His brain became involved at an early
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period of the attack, and consequently he was much of the time delirious. He experienced lucid inter- vals, however, which were improved in rejoicing, exhorting his friends, and comforting his family. The subjects which employed his thoughts in health were his theme in sickness. Even in his delirium, his incoherent sentences gave evidence of the pur- ity of his heart, and the chastity of his life and con- versation. In Brother Beswick the virtues which constitute the Christian gentleman were most har- moniously blended. He was firm and decided, yet persuasive and respectful. As a husband and father, he was a model ; as a minister, he was talented. He was a bold, original thinker, always ready to attack sin in high or low places. His motto in preaching was to fear God and do right, no matter what the consequences might be ; and to this motto he ad- hered most tenaciously to the end of his life. But he is gone ; and with sincere emotions of grief we bid him adieu, till we meet on Mount Zion to make the final report of our ministry to the great Shep- herd and Bishop of souls."
"Rev. John H. Bruce was born in Montgomery county, Virginia, February 2, 1817; soon after which his father with his family emigrated to the State of Ohio, and settled in Miami county. Here his house became the home of the itinerant Metho- dist preachers as they traveled their circuits; and under their instructions, combined with the pious example of Christian parents, John became versed in the doctrines and practical workings of Method- ism which characterized his subsequent actions.
At the age of fifteen he sought and obtained re-
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ligion at a camp meeting held at Spring creek, un- der the supervision of Rev. Levi White. He soon after this received license to exhort, and on the 13th of June, 1835, he was licensed to preach by the Quarterly-meeting conference of Sidney circuit, Ohio conference. He labored as a local preacher about sixteen months. In the fall of 1836 he was admitted on trial in the Indiana conference, and ap- pointed to Rockville circuit; after which he traveled Monticello, Marion, Winchester, Newcastle, and Milroy circuits. In 1842 he was appointed to Centreville station; the next year to South Bend; the following year to Mishawaka; and the following year to Goshen circuit. In 1847 he was appointed to the agency of Fort Wayne Female College, which office he filled for one year. He was then sent to LaGrange circuit; and from 1849 to 1852 he traveled Logansport district as presiding elder. In the fall of 1852 he was appointed to Terre Haute district, where he continued to labor efficiently un- til the great Head of the Church, as we trust, transfered him to the Church triumphant. As a presiding officer brother Bruce was manly, courte- ous, and dignified. As a theologian, he was sound and clear. As a preacher, zealous and pathetic. As a husband and father, he was affectionate and kind; and we may safely say that those who knew him best loved him most. He was permitted to close his life at home in the bosom of his family. His death occurred on the 23rd day of August, 1854. After calling his children around him, and conferring a father's blessing on them, he exhorted his weep- ing companion not to weep, but to trust in Him who
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is the widow's God, and has promised to be a father to the fatherless. It is supposed that he came to his death from the effects of having been thrown from his carriage, caused by a fright of his horses.
The stroke which cut him down in the midst of a career of usefulness, falls heavily upon us as a con- ference; but we meekly bow, with the full convic- tion that our loss is his eternal gain. May the Lord bless, and take care of, his bereaved widow and children."
At the close of this conference, the writer, with reluctance left his many friends in the North, for his next field of labor. The following is a partial record of the appointments :
INDIANAPOLIS DISTRICT.
J. L. Smith, Presiding Elder; Indianapolis Mis- sion, T. S. Webb; Augusta, Joseph Marsee, J. F. M'Daniel; Lebanon, Jessie Hill, A. Gurney; Thorn - town, William Campbell, L. G. Welton; Dayton, Ferris Pierce; Crawfordsville, Hezekiah Smith; Ladoga, John Edwards, C. B. Heath; Bainbridge, H. S. Shaw; Springtown, Lewis Roberts; Pitts- borough, Houghton W. Brown; Danville, Conrad S. Burgner; James C. Reede, Agent of the Tract society,-member of Indianapolis Mission Quarterly Conference.
The presiding elder moved from LaPorte to Indianapolis, and, although, his official connection with the city was now confined to the north-west quarter, yet he was rejoiced to meet many of his old friends and former parishioners of Roberts chapel. In a few weeks after his arrival at
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the city, he was called to conduct the funeral services of the estimable wife of his distinguished friend, Calvin Fletcher, one of the leading members of his former pastoral charge. The elect lady's funeral sermon was preached from the text recorded in Proverbs, 3Ist chapter and 30th verse: "Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised."
After remaining in Indianapolis some eight weeks or more, he decided, for the purpose of aid- ing in the founding of an academy or school of high grade for the benefit of his growing family and others, to move to Thorntown, in Boone county, where the "Thorntown Academy" was opened in the spring of 1855, with Rev. Levi Tarr, A. M., as its first principal. This institution of learning, which adopted from the beginning the then unpopular system of co-education, had a vigorous, useful, and highly successful career for quite a number of years. The first board of trustees consisted of the following named persons : Oliver Craven, esq., Rev. Wm. Campbell, Philip Kring, Nelson W. Weakly, sec'y, with J. L. Smith, president. Among the many educated at this institution not a few are found in the learned professions. The first gradu- ating class consisted of Cynthia Cason, Russell D. Utter, James F. Scull. Miss Cason, a young lady of superior talents, died a few years after her grad- uation. J. F. Scull is the popular and efficient Superintendant of the Rochester (Indiana) city schools. R. D. Utter, who has achieved a fine rep- utation as a scholar, educator, and preacher, is a
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member of the North-west Indiana conference. Rev. W. R. Mikels, pastor of Grace church, South Bend, was for some time a Thorntown student; also Rev. W. P. Mckinsey, now stationed at Lebanon; as also Rev. L. C. Buckles, presiding elder of the LaFayette district; Rev. J. H. Claypool, Tacoma, Washington; Rev. Franklin Mikels, Stockwell; and Rev. L. S. Buckles, Thorntown. Others are found in educational work and in the legal and medical professions. Scores of gifted young women were educated at the Thorntown school, and but for them what would such men as W. P. Mckinsey, J. H. Claypool, and W. R. Mikels have done for wives? The Rev. Dr. C. N. Simms, also, found his wife at the Thorntown Academy.
After a few years, Rev. Mr. Tarr resigned the pro- fessorship, to go into the pastoral work. His suc- cessors were Rev. C. N. Simms, D. D., now Chancellor of Syracuse University, New York; Rev. O. H. Smith, minister and educator in the South- west; Professor John Clark Ridpath, LL. D., the distinguished historian, now resident of Green- castle; and others. At one of the annual com- mencements of this Academy, an amusing incident occurred. Among the students was a farmer's daughter, witty, brilliant and studious, who became a fine scholar. This young lady's mother was a cultured and refined woman. The father was almost a semi-idiot and very illiterate. Of course this young lady was more or less prominent in all the school exhibitions. On the occasion referred to this writer happened to be seated immediately in the rear of where the father sat by the side of a
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neighbor farmer. The young lady read a taking essay, and, at its close, was cheered and other- wise highly complimented. At this moment her father turned to his neighbor and said, "That is my daughter, and, don't you see, blood will tell."
The work of the church on the district, went for- ward grandly and the close of the year showed a handsome forward movement along almost all lines of work, with a large number converted and many added to the membership.
The next session of the conference was held at Delphi, commencing August 28, 1855, Bishop Ames in the chair, Professor B. H. Nadal, sec'y. At this conference the exciting subject for discussion was the abolition of slavery. Not a few sought to have this question largly enter into the question of the election of delegates to the next General conference. While no member of the Annual conference by word or even innuendo declared himself in favor of slavery, yet the conference was divided, with con- servative anti-slavery men on one side and the extreme abolitionists on the other. This writer had been taught from his infancy to look upon slavery as a geat sin, and yet, by the extremists he was looked upon as a conservative; and, conse- quently, as the radicals slightly outnumbered the conservatives, he lacked two or three votes of being elected as a delegate to the General conference which met at Indianapolis, May Ist, 1856.
As before stated, one quarter of the city of In- dianapolis was in his district, and so, though not a member, he was about as regular an attendant at the sessions of the General conference, and took as
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much interest in the discussions, as any member of the body. Among the more aged brothers of that body were James B. Finley and Peter Cartwright,re- spectively of Ohio and Illinois. This writer, as well as the people of Thorntown, was greatly delighted, when these two venerable men agreed to go out with him and spend a Sunday at his home and each of them preach to the people of the village.
Both of these octogenarians were great smokers, having come into the church and ministry under the old dispensation, before the tobacco rule was incorporated in the discipline. It so happened that neither of them had with him his pipe or tobacco. Such was the effect of their suddenly breaking off this somewhat unseemly practice, that they ap- peared in a degree to lose their sweet and gentle manner in conversation both as between them- selves and others.
Cartwright preached in the morning. The sermon was largely made up of reminiscences, relating some of his conflicts with the rowdies at camp-meetings, and many other things pertaining to the customs of the people in early days, especially in the rural districts. One incident . only may be mentioned here.
At a certain camp-meeting, some one of the preachers, possibly Cartwright himself, whenever a seeker of religion would go forward to be prayed for, would speak out distinctly, "Thank the Lord, another sinner down," till the rowdies caught up the refrain, and would go outside the encampment and shout at the top of their voices, especially if they were wrestling or fighting and some one was
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felled to the earth, crying out-"Thank the Lord, another sinner down." And so after the close of the meeting as Mr. Cartwright was on his way re- turning home in a very muddy lane, a number of the same rowdies overtook him, all on horseback. The rowdies seeing their opportunity, for there was a great deal of water as well as mud on the road from the late rains, concluded to spur up their horses and in a body dash through and get ahead of the preacher, intending, if possible to bespatter him from head to foot with mud and water. Just as the leader of the gang came up opposite to Mr. Cartwright, he spoke out in a loud voice "Thank the Lord, another sinner down," alluding to Cart- wright, whose clothes by this time were almost covered with mud : at that moment the rowdy's horse fell down and threw his rider heels over head into the mud, and now it was Cartwright's time, so, lifting up his voice like a trumpet, he cried out, "Thank the Lord, another sinner down."
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