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 20
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30
312
INDIANA METHODISM,
mained on that circuit three months, took into the church twenty-five members, and received six dol- lars. The balance of the year he spent as preacher- in-charge of Waynesville, an adjoining circuit. Here he was recommended to the Annual conference, which was held October, 1804, at Mt. Gerizim, Ky. He was ordained deacon at Lexington, Ky., by Bishop Asbury, September 16, 1806. In 1808 he was ordained elder, by Bishop McKendree, at the conference held at Liberty Hall, Tenn .; August 18, ISOS, he was married to Frances Gains, his bride be- ing nineteen and he nearly twenty-three ; and this year he traveled Salt River circuit. 1809-10 he was on the Lexington circuit, Ky. 1811 he was on the Chris- tian circuit, and in 1812 was appointed presiding elder of Wabash district, by Bishop Asbury, at the conference at Fountain Green, Tenn. From 1813 to 1816 he was presiding elder of Green River dis- trict, Ky. In this latter year he was first elected delegate to the General conference held at Balti- more, Md. He was a delegate to thirteen General conferences in succession. From 1816 to 1820 he traveled circuits in Kentucky. From 1821 to 1824 he was presiding elder of Cumberland district, Ky. His appointment to this district was the beginning of his fifty years in regular succession in the presid- ing eldership.
He came to Illinois on horseback in 1823, to ex- plore the country. He moved his family to Pleas- ant Plains, Ill., November 24, 1824. Here he spent the remainder of his eventful life ; here he died in peace, and here lies his body in the soil which, like Abraham, he purchased with his own money. The
313
SKETCHES AND INCIDENTS.
Illinois conference was organized the year Dr. Cart- wright joined it. In 1825 he was made presiding el- der of Illinois district, and was, continuously presid- ing elder of different districts in Illinois till Sep- tember 24, 1869, when he was relieved from its la- bors at his own request. In 1870 and 1872 he was conference missionary. He attended forty-six meet- ings of the Illinois conference, missing only one, from 1824 to 1871. He was present at the first call- ing of the roll in this conference forty-five times. He was six years a visitor of McKendree college, three years a visitor of Illinois Wesleyan university, and one year a visitor of Garrett Biblical institute. He was eight years in the old Western conference, eight years in the Tennessee conference, four years in the Kentucky conference, and forty-eight years a member of the Illinois conference.
In person, Dr. Cartwright was about five feet ten inches high, and had a square built, powerful physi- cal frame, weighing nearly two hundred pounds. He often said that he had a constitution that could wear out a dozen threshing machines. His com- plexion was dark, he had high cheek bones, and a small piercing black eye. His hair was never straight, and as his head was large, he presented at times a very bold and formidable look. His hardships and exposure seemed but to add to his manly vigor and produce almost perfect health. And he appreciated this blessing of Heaven so greatly that he had a high regard for the muscular part of his Christianity. The roughs and bruisers at camp- meetings and elsewhere stood in awe of his brawny arm, and many anecdotes are told of his
314
INDIANA METHODISM,
courage and daring that sent terror to their ranks. He felt that he was one of the Lord's breaking plows, and that he had to drive his way through all kinds of roots and stubborn soil. Added to and above all this superior physical strength he had a sort of moral and kingly power that belongs to all real heroes, without which the grandest muscular development is but as wood, hay, and stubble. His gesticulation, his manner of listening, his walk, and his laugh were peculiar, and would command atten- tion in a crowd of a thousand. There was some- thing undefinable about the whole man that was attractive to the majority of people, and made them linger in his presence and want to see him again. His early Kentucky life, and the long prairie rides in Illinois, did more than build up a powerful phys- ical frame. The fund imental doctrines of Christi- anity early engaged his attention, and occupied his thoughts; and what truths are better calculated to give mental health and vigor? 1 His mind naturally and readily perceived the strong points of a subject and did not waste its energies on side issues, and hence he soon became acknowledged as a man of superior mental power. His acquaintance with books was not commensurate with his intellect; yet he seemed to possess a knowledge of all the important facts of history, ancient and modern. He had a remarkable perception of men, and seldom had occasion to change his first impression of a man's character. He said he could read a man who talked much in ten minutes. He would reach a point by intuition where others had to go through long and tedious processes of reasoning. He was posted on all promi-
315
SKETCHES AND INCIDENTS.
nent subjects of legislation, and occasionally took an active part in politics; but made all subservient to the higher duties of the ministry. Public men had a very high regard for his mental and moral power. Sometimes he handled them with an un- sparing hand, and woe to the man that came with- in the sweep of his indignation. It has been said of him that he hated the devil more than he loved Christ. We hardly think so, for while he was fierce in his denunciations of Satan and the powers of darkness, he was none the less successful and power- ful when he came to dwell upon the glories of heaven and the mercies of Jehovah. He wielded the bat- tle-axe of truth with no feeble hand; but while he could cut and pound, and blow away a subterfuge of lies, he could also build up a ho ne, and extend a warm and hearty welcome to the slain, gathering them in with a kind hand to a place of peace, safety, and glory.
For years he was an acknowledged leader. In the Illinois conference he took that rank at the first, and continued his influence and power almost up to the time of his relinquishment of the district. Nearly two generations of preachers in this body looked upon him and Dr. Akers as their spiritual fathers, protectors and guides. He
had a peculiar talent for a conference. He regarded a body of Methodist ministers as the best society on earth, and he knew how to enjoy it. In debate his speeches were short, pithy, and right to the point. Sometimes his rebuffs, wit, and compliments were scattered promiscuously upon his opponents and his supporters. He loved his conference, and
316
INDIANA METHODISM,
almost to the last of his days attended its sessions. When his form was bowed, his steps feeble, and his voice had lost its volume, he loved to linger where so many of his trophies had been won, and enjoy the smiles, and grasp the hands of his co- laborers, some of whom he had known fifty years. That the conference highly esteemed him was evinced by its repeatedly electing him to the General conference, and holding a jubilee in honor of the fact that he had been presiding elder fifty consecutive years. No man was ever elected so oft- en to the highest legislative body of the church, no man was ever fifty years successively presiding elder, and no man ever had a whole conference to hold a jubilee in honor of such an event, save Peter Cartwright.
Mrs. Cartwright, who survives her husband, was in every sense of the word a helpmeet for him. In all the trials of poverty, and of a new country, and the itinerant life therein, and the special trials of Father Cartwright, she was always his trusted coun- selor, and faithful and quiet assistant. She was literally a worthy companion of such a man. More than sixty- four years they lived together happily, fulfilling the promise they made at the altar in ISOS to support, love, and cherish each other till death should them part. Their family consisted of nine children-two sons and seven daughters. Twosons and five daughters are still living; and the patriarch saw before he died the faces of his fifty grand- children, thirty-seven great-grandchildren, and seven great great-grandchildren. As a preacher, he was warm, sympathetic, clear, and often rose to
317
SKETCHES AND INCIDENTS.
the highest style of oratory. In fact, his power over an audience was in his palmy days often over- whelming. Scores have been known to fall under his burning words as if they were struck by lightning. Riotous ruffians, who came to scoff and disturb, were prostrated by the impetuous sweep of his sword of the spirit; and contentious skeptics,
and uproarious infidels, and quarrelsome bigots, were scattered and driven by his preaching as chaff in the wind. He could knock down the leader and disperse the mob at a camp-meeting, and then mount the stand, and in thirty minutes cause three hundred to fall like dead men in battle under his preaching. Sometimes he would overflow with mirthfulness and humor. But behind all his ec- centricities of wit he carried a warm heart, good sense, and a supply of divine grace. Although he was a natural wag, he never allowed his inclination to drollery to master him. He assumed various ways for various people. Now he was like a fearful cloud charged with thunder, lightning, and terror; and then he would excite to levity and glee, which soon, it may be, was followed by floods of tears, so that the people hardly knew how to show their admiration, whether by crying, laughing, or shout- ing, or all together at once. Everything about his discourses was marked and original. He knew well the great truths of religion, and generally made them plain to his hearers. There was noth- ing misty or ambiguous in his statements. He al- ways made his hearers understand the aim he had in view. We might extend this tribute to his mem- ory to almost any length, relating incidents of his
318
INDIANA METHODISM,
long and eventful career. His history is connect- ed with almost the entire history of our church in America. He preached nearly eighteen thousand sermons, not including minor addresses; he baptized nearly fifteen thousand persons and received into the church nearly twelve thousand members, and licensed preachers enough to make a whole confer- ence. He has faced mobs, quelled riots, preached ser- mons, prayed for mourners, legislated for his church and his State, written books, sung songs, worked with his own hands on a farm, and done all these diversified kinds of business in good order, in quick succession, and of vast amount. And amid all this diversity of labor and trial, for over seventy years he maintained a character for unblemished Christian honesty and integrity. He may have committed errors and mistakes; but if God would never carry on a work until he could find servants free from fol- lies his work never would be done, through human agency at least. If his blessing never attended a preacher until he was free from all unwise words and ways, we are afraid we would all go without a blessing the balance of our days. The infallible pen of inspiration notes the fact that prophets and apostles were not as perfect and complete as the Lord would desire them. For our part, we would rather a locomotive would now and then run off the track and break a few bones, than stand on the side switch and rust and rot. We would rather look up- on the swift torrent that carried with it destruction now and then, than to look upon the stagnant pool, breeding malaria and death in its quietness.
Brother Cartwright was living six years before
319
SKETCHES AND INCIDENTS.
John Wesley died. He was a Methodist when the term was almost unknown except as a reproach and derision; when its members were counted by hun- dreds and far between. He devoted his remarkable energies to the service of the church while it was weak and despised, and was spoken of as an "igno- rant and excitable rabble;" when its contributions were measured by a few hundreds, and the support of its preachers was doled out by dimes; when it had hardly a leaf of literature, and had no college or seminary worthy of the name; when its churches were log cabins, and its conferences were held on camp-grounds.
Brother Cartwright lived in the country before it had a constitution, and most of the renowned men of the nation have risen, flourished, and died in his lifetime. Washington, and the Adamses, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, Jackson, Clay, Webster, Benton, Calhoun, Douglass, and Lincoln, all performed their wonderful deeds of statesmanship within his day. He was a witness of the birth of the nation, and was an intelligent actor at the time of the war of IS12. He was past the average age of men when Scott took Mexico and Zachary Taylor conquered on the field of Buena Vista. He heard and opposed the first notes of nullification, and the repeated threats to dissolve the Union; he saw the attempt to carry out these threats and its miserable failure. He knew his country when there was neither steamboat nor locomotive in it, and he lived to see our waters covered with the noblest specimens of naval architecture, and nearly eighty thousand miles of railroads running from the rivers to the
320
INDIANA METHODISM,
ends of the earth. He was spoken of as an old man before the telegraph was thought of, yet he lived to see it extended through all civilized lands, and its lines spread over the depths of the sea. He stood on the site of Chicago when it was a swamp, and when no man was mad enough to dream that it was the spot where the most wonder- ful city of the world would be built. He had al- most made a history of his own when St. Louis was only a trading post, and when Omaha and Sin- Francisco were unknown.
Our pen and time fail to do him justice. A vol- ume might be written, and then the events of his remarkable life would be but dimly portrayed. When thousands of other orators, and scholars, and theologians, and evangelists are for- gotten, Brother Cartwright's name will be a house- hold word throughout the western country."
This writer's acquaintance with Dr. Cartwright commenced in 1852 and wasafterwards more or less intimate to the time of his death.
Years ago the bishops adopted an administrative rule requiring a more frequent change of presid- ing elders. Not long afterwards Bishop Morris pre- sided at a session of the Illinois conference, when the following colloquy took place between him and Peter Cartwright in one of the cabinet meetings. (The writer received his account of it from the bishop's own lips, and now gives it in the bishop's own words as nearly as they can be recalled.) "Brother Cartwright, I suppose you know of the ac- tion taken by the board of bishops, the rule they adopted at their last meeting?"-"Look here, Tom, I
1
321
SKETCHES AND INCIDENTS.
want you to understand right now that you can't cut up any such flubdubs about me. Don't you remember when you were the junior preacher on a circuit with me? and how I had to carry you on my back the whole year? and how I begged socks and other clothing for you from the people? and have you forgotten, when the people determined to send you home, how I stood by you? Now I sup- pose you think you are no longer little Tom Mor- ris but big Bishop Morris! The idea of your com- ing out here and proposing to interfere with my rights! I want you to understand Brother Tommy that the thing can't be done. You may do as you please with these young chaps, but, as for me, be it understood right now, you will leave me on my dis- trict. Mind you, I am no spring chicken!" The bishop laughed heartily while relating the incident, and when the writer inquired, "Well, what did you do with him, bishop?" he answered, "Why, what could I do with him? I just left him on his district." "The fact is," said the bishop, "everybody knows that Peter Cartwright is a privileged character; more- over, in view of his long life and arduous labors, I thought it was best to deviate from the rule, and not disturb the old war-horse."
The writer having been elected at the Annual meeting of the joint board of trustees and visitors as financial agent of the Indiana Asbury University, was appointed by Bishop Thomson in the fall of 1868 to that work. He succeeded in securing from Anthony Swisher, of Warren county, Indiana, the following bequests : for the University, one half of the Swisher estate, which, it was thought
322
INDIANA METHODISM,
would be worth to the University at least twenty thousand dollars; for the Board of Church Extension, five thousand dollars; for the Missionary Society, five thousand dollars; for the Preacher's Aid Society, five thousand dollars; and for the American Bible Society, five thousand dollars. The agent also se- cured several donations to the University from other parties.
The conditions of Mr. Swisher's will were such that nothing could be realized on the bequest until after the death of himself and wife, they having no children. Mrs. Swisher survived her husband sev- eral years, and died late in 1890. The estate is not yet fully settled, but the Asbury, now DePauw Uni- versity has already received about eighteen thousand dollars.
CHAPTER XXV.
GENERAL CONFERENCE 1876-BOOK COMMITTEE.
For the first time Bishop Clark held the session of the Northwest Indiana conference, at LaFayette, September 8-13, 1869 ; Clark Skinner acting as sec- retary. At this conference nineteen were admitted on trial, and there are among them to-day, in the active work, W. P. Mckinsey, David Handley, H. N. Ogden, J. T. Stafford, and H. A. Gobin.
Brother McKinsey is now stationed at Lebanon. He has from the beginning been an active and earn-
323
SKETCHES AND INCIDENTS.
est worker ; for several years past he has occupied important stations such as Plymouth, Delphi, and others. He has had success in his work in every charge to which he has been appointed ; he is a good preacher, has made himself familiar with the polity of the church ; a ready accountant ; active and faith- ful ; and is blessed with a gifted and godly wife, who has indeed been a helpmate in all the years of her honored husband's ministry. She is now the efficient, able, and popular Conference secretary of the Woman's Foreign missionary society, and right royally has she sustained the work committed to her charge.
Brother Handley was for some time a student in the Valparaiso college, and afterwards passed through the course of study in the Garrett Biblical Institute, He is an able and logical gospel preacher ; he has been a success in the work of the ministry in every field of labor in which he has served. He is now on his second year in the Thorntown station, where he is greatly esteemed by the people, and is having prosperity in his work.
Brother Ogden is well-known in the conference as a pleasant,smooth,sweet spirited man of God. For a number of years he has diligently and successfully labored in several of the important stations of the conference. For three years past he has been elected secretary ; and, at the last session of the conference, 1891, he was appointed by Bishop Ninde, presiding elder of the South Bend district, and now bids fair to be fully equal, if not superior, to his former self in his new field of labor.
Brother Stafford is now stationed on the Monon
324
INDIANA METHODISM,
Charge;he is an excellent preacher, clear,sound,meth- odical. In private life Brother S. is orderly,dignified, and sometimes a little taciturn, but has a social na- ture and a warm heart ; is devoted to his friends, loves the church, and is faithful and successful in his work.
Dr. Gobin is one of our purest and best men. His father, Calvin Gobin was one of the class-leaders in the pastoral charge of this writer at Terre Haute, in 1847-8, when Hiliary was a little boy and Sabbath- school scholar. He was a lovable child, a pure young man, devoted, pious ; graduated at Asbury university ; labored as a pastor for several years ; was instrumental in building a fine church both at Remington and at Goodland ; stationed at first M. E. church, South Bend ; afterwards at Trinity church, LaFayette ; then elected Greek professor in De Pauw university ; then called to the presidency of a col- lege in Kansas ; elected and recalled to Greencastle, and is now successfully serving as Dean of the school of theology ; and is delegate elect to the General conference to meet in Omaha, Neb., in May, 1892.
Bishop Clark was kind enough to give this writer Williamsport circuit, although both the bishop and some of the writer's special friends in the conference, were for a time, determined that the College agent should continue in the agency. They were very persistent in their efforts to have him re-appointed, but, on the other hand, he as persistently refused to be re-appointed. They persisted until he felt it to be his duty as well as privilege to rise before the conference and say : "Neither this conference nor Bishop Clark, with all his episcopal authority, has
325
SKETCHES AND INCIDENTS.
the power to continue me in the agency. He has the power to send me to the poorest mission, the hardest circuit, the most difficult station, or the largest district in the conference ; and, in case of any such appointment, as a loyal Methodist preacher I will go, but back into the agency I will not go." He did go to a circuit, and it proved to be one of the best and most successful years of his ministeral life. Through the blessing of God a gracious revival at- tended his unworthy labors ; two new churches were built and a third was well on the way, the year wind- ing up with a glorious camp-meeting ; and, as these churches were built and three new societies organ- ized outside of the circuit to which he had been ap- pointed, he was able to return (at the next confer- ence) the Williamsport circuit revived and greatly strengthened, and an entire new circuit called Wal- nut Grove, which from the beginning was self-sup- porting.
At this conference was reported the death of the venerable and much loved H. Vredenburgh who had been on the superannuated list for quite a number of years. He was born in West Chester county, New York, May 10, 1790 ; settled in Terre Haute, Indiana, in 1817 ; joined the Missouri conference in 1820. In 1824 the Illinois conference was formed and Brother Vredenburgh was one of the original thirty-two members. He traveled many hard cir- cuits, among which were Crawfordsville and Logans- port mission. He was included in the Indiana con- ference at the time it was formed, and his last years of active service was on the Prairieville circuit, to which he was appointed in 1851. He was a very
326
INDIANA METHODISM,
clear and sound doctrinal preacher, much loved by the people, venerated by the junior members of the conference, and respected by all. He closed his ca- reer in peace at the home of his son-in-law, Rev. R. C. Rowley, in Wisconsin, January 23, 1869.
From the time the Episcopal plan of visitation was published the preachers of the conference hailed with delight the approaching session, when their in- timate friend and much loved Bishop Simpson would preside again. The conference that year was held at Terre Haute, September 7-12, 1870. Twelve were admitted on trial, and, of these all that remain in the conference and in the active work of the min- istry now, are Henry C. Neal, and Elijah R. John- son.
Brother Neal is a devoted Christian gentleman, a man of good education, a fine preacher, and success- ful in his work. He was educated at Delaware, Ohio ; has traveled a number of years, also spent several years as teacher in the High School at Thorntown, and is now the much loved and highly esteemed pastor of Lebanon circuit.
Rev. E. R. Johnson is a man of worth ; he is not only an able preacher, a faithful pastor, and a man who brings things to pass as a leader in revival work ; but he is, and has been, the useful and popu- lar chairman of the Conference committee on sta- tistics. In every department of the work to which he has been called, he has been a success.
Among those admitted that year, who have gone out from us, mention should be made of Rev. E. R. Dille, of the California conference ; D. G. LeSourd, and Dr. N. A. Chamberlain, the former of Puget
327
SKETCHES AND INCIDENTS.
Sound conference and the latter of Colorado confer- ence, now stationed in the city of Denver. Each of these three brethren now stand among the leading men of their respective conferences.
The Crawfordsville district for that year stood as follows : J. L. Smith, presiding elder ; Crawfords - ville, A. A. Gee ; Crawfordsville circuit, W. G. Ves- sells ; Darlington, F. Mikels ; Alamo, C. B. Heath ; Covington, W. Frank Bartholomew ; Perrysville, Wilson Beckner ; State Line, G. W. Warner ; Will- iamsport, Thomas Bartlett ; Walnut Grove, D. P. M'Lain ; Stockwell, C. B. Mock ; John Thomson, Agent of American Bible Society.
On the Sunday of the conference Bishop Simpson, among his old and highly esteemed friends in the city of Terre Haute, arose in his sermon to the highest point of grandeur as a gospel preacher. He was loved and honored everywhere in the state, but nowhere more than in the city of Terre Haute. Among the prominent citizens of Terre Haute at the time, and some of them are yet living, were Hon. Richard W. Thompson, Senator Vorhees, T. C. Buntin, and Hon. Thomas Dowling. Mr. Dowling gave a dinner party in honor of the bishop. Among the guests were Hon. D. W. Vorhees, one of the bishop's old students, Rev. Dr. A. A. Gee, and J. L. Smith. At the dinner table Mr. Dowling told a very amusing anecdote. Once, when he was a member of the Indiana legislature, the common- school question came up for discussion. The Hon. Joseph A. Wright, a Democrat, and the Hon. H. P., a Whig, who, it appeared, had no children to edu- cate, were the principal disputants. Mr. Wright
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.