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 17
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The Valparaiso College prospered and did great good in the twelve or more yearsof its active existence. In its incipiency the people of the town took a very lively interest. After a general consultation among the friends and patrons of education, a pub-
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lic meeting was called to be held in the court-house, on Tuesday evening, March 25, 1859; and after earnest speeches were delivered by S. G. Hass, John N. Skinner, Azariah Freeman, and J. L. Smith, the following gentlemen were requested to act as secretaries for the purpose of taking down the names of donors and amounts subscribed for the erection of a suitable college building. These per .. sons were M. L. DeMotte, Elias Axe, Joseph Pierce, S. T. Cooper, and Lorenzo Freeman. At the close of the meeting, in footing up the sub- scriptions, it was found that the good people had manifested their interest in the enterprise by sub- scribing over $11,000. The officers of the first board of trustees were J. L. Smith, president; A. Freeman, vice-president; E. L. Whitcomb, sec't .; with Sylvester Smith, agent.
At this writing (1892) co-education has be- come the rule in our best and most popular institu- tions of learning, but it was the exception in 1859, and this may account to the present generation, for what doubtless seems to them a peculiar name for a school-"Valparaiso Male and Female College."
The first of this class of schools was the Thorn- town Academy. The founders of that institution, in 1854 and '55, had become thoroughly convinced that, since it was the order of nature for brothers and sisters to be reared in the same family, it was according to the true order of things for them to be educated together in our schools of learning. At first there was a strong public prejudice against the new or- der; and it was not until years after that date, that,
REV. S. T. COOPER.
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through the persistent efforts of the friends of co-edu - cation, the Indiana Asbury, now DePauw, Univer- sity threw open its halls, admitting without distinc- tion of sex all seeking the benefits of higher edu- cition. In order, therefore, that the public might distinctly understand that the college at Valparaiso was not for males nor females as such, but, that it was an institution where all, upon the same terms, were entitled to all the benefits of the school, they gave the institution the corporate name "Male and Female College."
Rev. Samuel T. Cooper was from the beginning not only deeply interested, but an active and a de- voted friend of the Valparaiso Male and Female College. This good man was for a considerable time påstor of the church in Valparaiso, and for four years presiding elder on the Valparaiso Dis- trict ; and it is befitting, and this is thought to be the appropriate place, in view of his long residence in the city just named, that a brief sketch should here be given, not only of his connection with the institution as a friend and patron, but his life work as a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church. At the earnest request of this writer, Brother Coop- er a few weeks before his death, furnished a brief sketch of his early life and labors, which is here given.
Samuel T. Cooper, son of Rev. Samuel C. Cooper, was born June 11, 1824 ; joined the M. E. Church, being received by Dr. W. M. Daily, and bap- tized by Dr. Aaron Wood (both of precious memory), in August 1837, and was soon after joyfully converted in a love-feast, on a Monday morning, while listen-
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ing to the triumphant remarks of the first wife of Gov. Joseph A. Wright, who had been recently converted, and, with her honored husband, taken into the M. E. Church by my father.
I spent several years at Rockville, Indiana, and from there was for some time a student at Indiana Asbury, now DePauw University. For lack of means to finish my studies to graduation, I went to LaFayette, and was employed in business by my lifelong friend, Hon. H. T. Sample, but having, from the time of my conversion, felt called to the ministry, though too timid to reveal this impression to any one. I was called out by Rev. Charles M. Holliday, presid - ing elder, of LaPorte district, North Indiana con- ference. Rev. J. B. DeMotte, having divined my state of mind informed Elder Holliday, and I was drafted into the work in the fall of 1845. My earthly all was a horse, saddle-bags, Bible, hymn-book, and discipline. Having no parchment or license, I was furnished with authority as follows : "This is to certify that Brother Samuel T. Cooper is authorized to take Brother Early's place for the time being, to preach, exhort, and lead class and prayer meetings. November 1, 1845, C. M. Holliday, P. E."
After three happy months I was licensed to preach, and went to my original destination, "Un- ion Circuit," where I stayed long enough to make the acquaintance of a host of the grandest and most devoted men of God to
be found in any country. After some days I was removed to succeed Rev. T. C. Hackney on the Valparaiso circuit, which embraced all of Porter county. At the close of the year I was recommend-
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ed and received into the North Indiana conference, at LaPorte ; was appointed to Roseville, with Rev. Nelson Green, in charge. After six months I was removed to Greencastle circuit, to succeed Rev. J. C. Robbins, who had been changed to Terre Haute, Rev. Wade Posey was in charge. The circuit had twenty-one appointments, and was a grand circuit.
I stayed to the close of the year, and was reap- pointed, Rev. Hezekiah Smith, in charge.
This was a year of great revivals and additions to the church. A great work of salvation occurred under the labors of such eminent men as President Matthew Simpson, Prof C. Nutt, Dr. A. Wood, W. H. Goode, and others.
At a camp-meeting near Walnut chapel convic- tion for sin, deep and awful, seemed to have seized the vast multitudes in attendance. One meeting, opened in a tent in the early morning, lasted till the lamps were lighted at night, with at least one hun- dred conversions. Many young men were saved, entered the ministry later, and the strange fact of several persons losing the power to move, lasting many hours, was witnessed.
In the fall of 1848 I was sent to Terre Haute, to found a second church. The available point was the northern portion of the town, then the most prosperous and promising part of the place. Forty years have made great changes, which could not be foreseen ; but in the good judgment of Dr. W. H Goode, and others, it was then thought to be wise to locate the church in that part of the town. The beginning of our services was at the home of Broth- er and Sister Anderson. Sister Anderson was the
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aunt of Rev. H. A. Gobin, D. D, and was a most devoted Christian woman, than whom there was not a greater spiritual force in that country. At once the Sibley Bros., John and Sylvester, Calvin Gobin, the honored father of Dr. H. A. Gobin, Jona- than Rockwell, and others, united to buy lots, and commenced the erection of a house to be used for a church until a permanent building should be erected, and then the first to become a parsonage. This
church was built, paid for, and dedicated by W. H. Goode, presiding elder, on Christmas day. The dedication was followed by a great revival and re- joicing of the people, which continued till confer- ence, when the pastor left a church which was self- supporting for many years, and at one time number- ing within fifty of as many members as Asbury, the mother church.
On the west side of the river was a territory which had been supplied from Illinois, but the General conference had made the State line the boundary. Exploring, I found two unfinished churches and about thirty members who were reluctant to give up old pastors ; but W. B. and Pleasant Rippetoe, Henry and David Smith, and others, were too loyal to give me trouble.
At the quarterly meeting in November a revival of wonderous power commenced. Elder Goode sent me to town on Monday to keep the church building going ; for it had a habit of stopping as soon as the preacher was out of town. The presid- ing elder stayed in the country until Tuesday, and thought the meeting closed, but after he was gone, the people came together, and, though without a
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leader, souls were converted at every meeting. On Sunday David Smith came to tell the preacher that they could not stop the meeting ; so he went to them, and it was indeed a time of power. The re- vival spread over the entire country to the river and resulted in the finishing of the two churches and the building of three new ones, leaving two hundred fifty-two members and a good circuit, which continues to this day.
ASBURY, NOW FLETCHER PLACE, INDIANAPOLIS.
In the fall of 1849 I was appointed to a mission charge in connection with the Indianapolis dis- trict, North Indiana conference. Rev. J. H. Hull was at Robert's chapel, Rev. W. H. Goode, presid- ing elder. We came to the city together by horse power. I attended Robert's chapel in the morning and at night. Opened my work preaching at Broth- er Hughey's private residence on the hill near the Fletcher place, with a congregation of eight persons. Brother and Sister Hughey and daughter, Calvin Fletcher and wife, and three others composed the congregation. The meetings were continued here another Sunday, when they were moved to a small wooden school-house (afterwards bought for a class and infant school room), which was quickly filled to overflowing with people, for the spirit of revival was at once developed. We soon again removed to Madison depot, and were given an upper room about 15x16 feet, which was furnished with a pulpit and seats suited to the size of the basement of our future church. In this room we had one hundred or more conversions, and gath-
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ered a large Sunday-school. Many times our meet- ings were furnished with music by the trains run- ning under us, for this was the capital depot of the only railroad in Indiana.
There were about fifteen thousand people sepa- rated from the city by the valley of Pouges Run, who generally rallied around our infant church. We took steps at once to buy a lot for a church. Brother Fletcher giving one hundred and sixty acres of land towards it, the balance was raised in small amounts, and the ground secured.
During the winter we were engaged in revival meetings, taking in a school-house on the Michigan road and one near where Irvington is now located. ()ur membership grew rapidly, so that the $100 of missionary money for each of the two years was returned untouched, The people with the help of John Wilkins, Samuel Beck, John Dickinson, and others gave me free and pleasant entertainment, and such support as a single preacher was supposed at that time to need. In the spring of 1850a church was built, and the money raised by subscription ; nearly everything being done by the preacher. W. L. Wingate, Samuel Seybert, Samuel Daniel, Cal- vin Fletcher and John Dickinson were the first trus- tees. The money was collected by the preacher, and the workmen paid weekly ; and in the fall of 1850 I was returned for a second year, and we en- tered the basement of the new church, called "As- bury Chapel."
During that fall we encountered the plague of Asiatic cholera, losing many of our best and bright- est members. Many houses lost every inhabitant.
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Some squares were almost entirely deserted, and houses nailed up. This afforded some of our mem- bers work day and night, administering to the sick and dying, and laying away the dead. Many thrill- ing scenes were witnessed, which eternity alone will fully explain.
At the close of the conference year we had a large Sunday school, eight class-meetings, with one hun- dred and seventy-three members. During the two years we had almost a continuous revival, so that, besides providing for the great loss by cholera, we left the two churches, Roberts and Asbury, strong in membership, with a good record in benevolences, and, as we had labored, loved and suffered together, so we parted to other fields and vocations. During the ensuing year I accepted the kind invitation of the trustees, through our Honored Dr. S. T. Gillett, to attend the dedication of the church. Rev. Elijah Whitten preached in the morning, and the writer in the evening. Time and space forbids mention of the many stirring memories rising out of my former associations with the good people of what is now known as "Fletcher Place Church."
In the fall of 1854 I was stationed at Robert's chapel, Indianapolis, North Indiana conference, Rev. J. H. Hull, presiding elder. Our year was a very pleasant one ; the church was well organized, and deeply spiritual. Prayer-meetings were very large, the classes were also well attended.
During the year we were favored with an exten- sive revival, which was peculiar in the fact that we had scarcely any preaching except at the regular services on the Sabbath ; but we had an array of
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spirtual men and women, who, either in prayer or testimony, brought the meeting to the favorable moment of altar service, and we had a large addi- tion to the membership.
There were ten or twelve notable intemperate men, of influence and wealth, who professed to be converted, which electrified the city ; and though making a brilliant start, if any one of them continued faithful, I never new the fact. This and other in- stances show sadly how little we can expect as a permanent result, from mere reformatory efforts in this line, without true Scriptural conversion. It was during this year that the little wooden residence on the alley was superceeded by a commodious brick parsonage.
John Wilkin and wife, Lydia Hawes, Willis Wright and wife, Frederick and Mrs. Baggs, Dr. Abbott, Joshua Langsdale, and a host of others are names never to be forgotten.
The conversion of Joshua Langsdale was in sev- eral respects peculiar. During the pastorate at Robert's chapel of Dr. J. L. Smith, Mr. Langsdale kept a saloon on Washington street. Somehow he became interested in, and frequently attended, the public service at Robert's chapel. The pastor be- came satisfied that Mr. L. was becoming deeply concerned for the salvation of his soul. Mr. L. en- deavored to evade the preacher ; but John L. Smith, for it was like him to do, sought every opportunity for even a brief word with the awakened sinner in order to lead him to Christ. On one occasion, as Dr. Smith was walking down the street, he saw Mr. L. coming from the other direction, but Mr. L., not
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wishing to meet the preacher dodged into his saloon, feeling, doubtless, that he was there secure. Noth- ing daunted, the preacher immediately followed, and, there in the saloon, persisted in his effort to bring the man to a sense of his lost condition, and extorted a promise from the saloon keeper that he would come to prayer-meeting on the next Wednes- day night. A terrible conflict was going on in the mind of Mr. L. between giving up his business and saving his soul, or loosing his soul and continuing in a business which he himself loathed in his very heart. This occurred near the close of Dr. Smith's second year in charge of Robert's chapel, but the former pastor was made happy in learning, at the very beginning of the succeeding year, that the man had quit the saloon business, made restitution so far as possible to those whom he had injured, and was sound- ly converted to God, under the pastoral care of Rev. S. T. Gillette. Dr. Gillette soon appointed Brother Langsdale as class-leader, which office he held forty years, and, in March, 1891, closed his earthly labors in triumph, to find a home in heaven.
May the pillar of cloud and of fire never leave this wonderful church.
S. T. COOPER, St. Joseph, Mich.
The delegates elected in 1859 to the General con- ference were John L. Smith, Jacob M. Stallard, Richard Hargrave, and James Johnson. The Gen- eral conference for 1860 was held in the city of Buf- falo, N. Y. At this conference slavery was the lead- ing question, taking precedence of all other sub- jects. Calvin W. Kingsley, afterwards bishop,
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seemed to be the leading spirit in the animated, not to say heated, debates on the absorbing question.
The Episcopal board at that time stood thus : T. A. Morris, E. S. Janes, L. Scott, M. Simpson, O. C. Baker, and E. R. Ames. The thought was enter- tained by many that, at this conference, at least two additional bishops would be elected ; and so there seemed to be an agreement that one of these should be taken from New Jersey and the other from In- diana. The committee on episcopacy, however, to the great surprise of many members of the body, re- ported the following : "Resolved, That it is inex- pedient to elect any bishops at the present time." This resolution, as it is now remembered, was adopt- by a bare majority of one or two votes, and of course the episcopal bee ceased at once to buzz in any- body's bonnet.
According to custom the writer of these pages was entitled to a place on the episcopal committee, which he voluntarily and willingly awarded to his senior in the ministry, Rev. Jacob M. Stallard, who was then in the fullness of his strength, and one of the leading preachers of the conference. Brother Stallard gave the church many long years of faithful and efficient service. These several years he has been on the superannuate list. He resides in the city of LaFayette, loved and honored by his breth- ren and friends as a man of God, patiently waiting the summons to his exceeding great reward.
James Johnson entered the ministry at the session of the North Indiana conference at Ft. Wayne in 1844, and performed forty years of active and suc- cessful labor in the ministry. After laboring for a
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number of years on circuits, he was stationed, in 1850, at Cambridge City, afterwards at South Bend and other points of importance. For a number of years he served the church as presiding elder. Every- where he was loved and honored for his sweet Chris- tian spirit, genial and brotherly bearing, and effect- iveness as a preacher. At the Northwest Indiana conference of 1884 he asked to be placed on the su- perannuated list, closing then his active labors, and soon after, viz., on November 11, 1884, he fell asleep in Jesus, and gained his long sought rest among the saved above.
During the year 1860, after long and useful lives, Thomas J. Brown and William Campbell were called by the Head of the church from labor to reward.
Brother Brown commenced his labors as a travel- ing preacher in the Tenneessee conference in 1822. He emigrated to Indiana in 1831, and was transfered from the Tennessee to the Illinois conference in 1832. The last-named conference included at that time a large portion of the State of Indiana. He was an able preacher, very circumspect in his walk and conversation, thought at sometimes to be some- what severe in denouncing the ways of the wicked. After faithfully serving on many hard circuits, togeth- er with Crawfordsville district as presiding elder, he was superannuated in 1842 ; after resting a year or two he was again placed on the effective list, and was again superannuated in 1855. He died in peace at his own home on the 8th day of June, 1860, leav- ing no family but his wife. At her death, accord- ing to the will of both husband and wife, the farm on which they lived and died, the land having been
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entered by Brother Brown as government land, was conveyed as a free gift to the missionary society of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
Rev. William Campbell was born in Warren coun- ty, Ohio, August 21, 1810. He came with his father's family to Indiana in 1826, and settled in Fountain county in 1832. He made a visit to the old home on the Little Miama river in Ohio, and, at the cele- brated "Clear Spring" camp-meeting, was soundly converted to God on the 20th day of August, 1832. Brother Campbell was a man of God, and after long years of faithful and useful service, filling many im- portant appointments, he sweetly passed away at his home in Thorntown, June 4, 1860. The vener- able James L Thompson assisted by Rev. Joseph White, Brother Campbell's old friends aad fellow- laborers, performed the last funeral rites, and his remaines were tenderly laid away near Asbury chapel in Montgomery county, Indiana.
CHAPTER XXIII.
GENERAL CONFERENCE 1864-PRESIDENT LINCOLN.
The conference in 1860 was held by Bishop Simp- son, at Terre Haute, beginning October 11. Among those admitted on trial were Oliver C. Haskell, John L. Boyd, and B. W. Smith.
Brother Haskell is one among the best men in the conference ; he is an able preacher, a conscientious
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Christian gentleman, much loved by his people, faithful and successful in his work.
Brother J. L. Boyd, lithe, sprightly, very neat and genteel in his personal appearance ; traveled for a number of years ; a man of no mean ability in the pulpit ; very sociable and agreeable among his peo- ple; did good work wherever he went; a few years ago went to Kansas with the understanding, on his part, that he was to be transferred and stationed at Wichita; but, for some reason, perhaps some mis - understanding between the presiding elder and the bishop, he was not transferred. At the next session of the conference his relation was changed from the effective to supernumerary; since which time he has removed to Denver, Colorado. This clever and kind-hearted brother is a son of our late lament- ed Rev. George M. Boyd, D. D.
Rev. B. W. Smith, A. M., D D, a graduate of Asbury, now DePauw University, was for a num- ber of years engaged in educational work, first in Cornell University, Iowa, and afterwards for quite a time, as president of the Valparaiso College. B. Wilson Smith is one of the manly men-a man of character and high intellect; he is a man who loves his friends, and doesn't forget them. After being stationed at Monticello, Centnary Church, Terre Haute, and other important points, he was pressed into service by his friends, and served for several terms in the State legislature. His name has been frequently mentioned for the congress of the Uni- ted States. He is an interesting lecturer on moral, literary, and religious subjects-an able pulpit ora- tor; and, in short, he is every inch a man. He is
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now, and for some time has been, the popular post- master of the city of LaFayette; he is the superinten- dent of the Trinity Church Sunday-school; and is ever ready for every good word and work. His honored father, Able T. Smith, of White county, Indiana, was one of nature's noblemen, and his no less noble sons have shown themselves to be worthy of such a father.
The LaFayette District that year stood as fol- lows :
J. L. Smith, Presiding Elder; Lafayette-Fifth Street, W. Graham; Ninth Street, J. R. Eddy; La- Fayette Circuit, T. C. Stringer; Romney, F. Pierce, W. R. Mikels; Crawfordsville Station, C. Skinner; Battle Ground Station, J. H. Hull; Battle Ground Circuit, G. Guild; Stockwell, J. W. Greene; Clark's Hill, H. O. Huffman, E. H. Staley, Principal, and G. W. Rice Professor in the Battle Ground Institute- members of the Battle Ground Quarterly Conference.
Dr. Graham is an able preacher, and, in the years of his active service, was an untiring worker. Whatever the church gave him to do, he did it well. Always the same faithful, diligent pastor, whether in charge of a circuit, station or district. He has been stationed in several of the leading cities of the conference. He is an excellent financier, and has accumulated some property without in any way neglecting his ministerial work. Beginning in 1878 he was for several years a member of the board of trustees of DePauw University. He is not now en- gaged in the active work of the ministry, but is doing good service for the church as agent of the Preach- er's Aid Society.
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Brother Clark Skinner has somehow always been a favorite,-highly esteemed both by his brethern in the ministry and by the laity of the church generally. He, too, has served in important posi- tions as stationed preacher and presiding elder; is a good preacher, a man of sterling common sense, a genial companion; now retired and living in com- fort with his family at South Bend.
Rev. George Guild was a man of faithfulness and large success in his work all through the years of his active ministry; but, for a number of years be- fore his death, his name stood on the superannuated list. His good wife, a sister of Rev. John H. Hull, yet lingers, but is steadily looking forward to the reunion with the loved and blessed. Three of their noble sons are following the footsteps of their honored father in the Master's work. And good Brother George Guild will doubtless have many stars in the crown of his rejoicing.
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