USA > Indiana > Indiana miscellany : consisting of sketches of Indian life, the early settlement, customs, and hardships of the people, and the introduction of the gospel and of schools ; together with biographical notices of the pioneer Methodist preachers of the state > Part 6
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Spencer .- This brother, though a mulatto, is wor- thy to be named and remembered. He was born a slave, and was compelled to wear the galling chain till some time after he had grown to manhood. He was known by one name only-Spencer. His mind, naturally strong, would have shone with brilliancy, had the advantages of education been his. Despite, however, the crushing slave power, he could read, and had acquired quite a fund of knowledge. By the blessing of a kind Providence he was liberated from bondage, and at a very early day came to Indiana with some of his friends, who settled in Wayne county. No exhorter, in all the region
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round about, was more popular than Spencer. He had a talent for the work of a high order. The people were glad at all times to see him make his appearance among them when met for worship. He was often called upon to exhort after the traveling preachers had preached. His voice was most melo- dious-sweet as the sound of the dulcimer. He would sometimes set a whole congregation on fire by singing one of his favorite songs, such as,
"Hark! listen to the trumpeters! They sound for volunteers; On Zion's bright and flowery mount Behold the officers!"
" Hark! brethren; do'nt you hear the sound? The martial trumpet now is blowing,"
And
"Sweet rivers of redeeming love Lie just before my eyes."
He seldom failed to move and stir the congregation. Sometimes the tide of feeling rose so high that his voice was drowned in the general rejoicing of the people. Many years since, after a long and painful illness, his sufferings ended, and in holy triumph he bade the world adieu.
John Doddridge .- Mr. Doddridge emigrated to Indiana when it was a Territory. He settled in what was afterward called "Doddridge's neighbor- hood," six miles south of Centerville, Wayne county. He was not a learned man, but a very successful exhorter, and full of the Holy Ghost. He was
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METHODIST EXHORTERS.
always on hand at quarterly and two days' meetings, ready to act his part. He delighted to labor with penitents, and few had greater success in that par- ticular work. Being deeply experienced in the things of God he knew well how to point the heavy- laden to the Lamb for sinners slain.
A large and flourishing class was organized in his neighborhood, and a log meeting-house erected which was known far and near as Doddridge's meeting-house. For several years camp-meetings were held on his land. On these occasions he was always in the front rank of Immanuel's host. His voice, as he shouted to the onset, could be heard high above the noise of the battle. After he had resided in Indiana ten or fifteen years he received intelligence concerning a sister older than himself, but whom he had never seen. She had been cap- tured in Virginia by the Indians when a small girl, before he was born. The Doddridge family had received no tidings of this lost child from the period when she was carried off till now. They supposed she had been dead many years. When Mr. Dod- dridge received information of her being still alive he went to the Indian nation and saw his sister. She was now old, and had lived so long among the Indians that she would not leave them and return to her relatives.
John Doddridge was a good man, and "fought a good fight, finished his course," and has been crowned with eternal life,
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INDIANA MISCELLANY.
CHAPTER XIV.
MORAL HEROINES.
THERE were many pious females among the early settlers who were Christian heroines in the true and full sense of the word. Having left their native States and accompanied their husbands to the Ter- ritory, when it was nought but a howling wilder- ness, they had proved themselves to be helpmeets for the men who braved the dangers of a frontier life. Not only were they resolute to endure the hardships and privations to which they were exposed in the wilderness, from ferocious beasts and cruel, savage men, but were equally bold in the Christian warfare. They were ever found by the side of their husbands on every moral battle-field, fighting for the Lord. Many of them could sing with a voice that, in its heavenly sweetness, never failed to charm the ear and melt the heart. While their "hands held the distaff," or while they plied the shuttle or the needle, their voices were tuned to sweetest melody.
They were neither ashamed nor afraid to pray in the public congregation. Though they felt the cross, they boldly took it up and bore it aloft in the sight of all the people. When they drew near to God in prayer, and by faith took hold .of the
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horns of the altar, heaven opened, light shined, salvation came down, and the gates of hell were made to tremble. Women who cultivate their talents are peculiarly gifted in prayer; this seems to be their special calling. We have heard some women pray with an eloquence and power surpass- ing any thing that ever fell from the lips of man.
These moral heroines usually accompanied their husbands to two days' and quarterly meetings. Some of them thought it no hardship, after having performed their daily toil, to walk four miles along an Indian-trace to a week-night prayer meeting. They delighted in the privileges of the class-room. When mourners were at the "mourner's bench " these faithful women were among them pointing them to the Savior of sinners. In love-feasts they acted well their part. One after another they would arise, and stand with streaming eyes and glowing countenances while they spoke of their penitential sorrow; of the joyful hour when first they felt a Savior's pardoning love; of the deliverances God had wrought out for them; of how religion had sustained them when called to leave, in a distant land, the graves of loved ones, and make their homes in the wilderness, and then of their pros- pects of joining the blood-washed throng in the land of light and bliss, where there shall be no more sighing. These holy mothers so deeply im- pressed themselves upon their sons and daughters that their memory will " be ever fresh and green."
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The authorities of Indiana have published the "Roll of Honor," giving the names of those brave men who went forth under the stars and stripes to fight for their country in the late cruel, bloody rebellion. These moral heroines are equally worthy of having their names recorded in the history of the Church in our State. They were the mothers and grand- mothers of many of the brave boys who so nobly stood for the right against treason in the hour of their country's peril.
But these mothers have nearly all passed away. Only a few linger on these mundane shores. A few years more and the last one of them will be safely housed in their "home beyond the tide." The old class-papers upon which their names were inscribed are lost, and we have no record of them left; never- theless, their names are written in the Lamb's book of life, and the roll will be called when Adam's long line shall be assembled at the judgment-seat of Christ.
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PROGRESS OF METHODISM.
CHAPTER XV.
PROGRESS OF METHODISM IN THE STATE.
IN the year 1819 the work in Indiana was so arranged as to place the circuits in two Annual Conferences, namely, the Ohio and Missouri, and to form three districts, namely, the Lebanon and Mi- ami, in the Ohio Conference, and the Illinois in the Missouri Conference. There were three new circuits formed, which appear upon the Minutes this year for the first time, namely, Madison, Indian Creek, and Harrison.
The circuits were placed in districts as follows : Whitewater in Lebanon district, with Moses Crume presiding elder ; Lawrenceburg and Madison, in Mi- ami district, with John Sale presiding elder; and Silver Creek, Indian Creek, Blue River, Harrison, Vincennes, Patoka, and Pigeon, in Illinois district, with Jesse Hale presiding elder.
Allen Wiley and Zachariah Connell were sent to Whitewater circuit, Benjamin Lawrence to Law- renceburg, John T. Kent to Madison, David Sharp to Silver Creek, William Mavity to Indian Creek, John Pownal to Blue River, William Medford to Harrison, John Cord to Vincennes, John Wallace and Daniel M'Henry to Patoka and Pigeon. This
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INDIANA MISCELLANY.
was a year of considerable prosperity. The whole number of members in Indiana was three thousand four hundred and seventy, giving an increase, for the year, of four hundred and twenty-six.
In 1820 the districts and circuits were again changed, and supplied as follows : Miami district, Ohio Conference, Walter Griffith presiding elder; White- water circuit, Arthur W. Elliott, Samuel Brown ; Lawrenceburg, Benjamin Lawrence, Henry S. Fer- nandes ; Madison, Henry Baker, William H. Raper; Indiana district, Missouri Conference, Samuel Ham- ilton presiding elder; Silver Creek circuit, Calvin Ruter, Job Baker; Indian Creek, John Shrader, John Everheart; Blue River, John Stewart, Joseph Pownal; Patoka, John Wallace; Vincennes, Daniel M'Henry. Pigeon and Harrison do not appear on the Minutes this year.
This year Calvin Ruter commenced his labors in Indiana. He had been admitted into the Ohio Con- ference two years before, and was now transferred to the Missouri Conference. The whole number of members returned this year was four thousand three hundred and ninety-nine, giving an increase of nine hundred and twenty-nine. In 1821 Charlestown, Bloomington, Ohio, Mount Sterling, and Corydon, appear upon the Minutes as heads of circuits. The presiding elders continued upon the districts as they were the past year. This year James Jones was sent to Whitewater, John P. Durbin and James Collard to Lawrenceburg, Allen Wiley and William
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PROGRESS OF METHODISM.
P. Quin to Madison, Calvin Ruter and William Cravens to Charlestown, John Scripps and Samuel Glaize to Blue River, Daniel Chamberlin to Bloom- ington, Job M. Baker to Vincennes, Elias Stone to Patoka, John Wallace to Ohio, George V. Hester to Mount Sterling, and John Shrader to Corydon. The aggregate membership for this year was seven thou- sand, three hundred and fourteen. Methodism was now advancing rapidly in the State.
In 1822 Allen Wiley and James T. Wells were sent to Whitewater, Henry Baker to Lawrence- burg, James Jones and James Murry to Madison, with Alexander Cummins for presiding elder. James Armstrong was sent to Charlestown, George K. Hester to Flat Rock, John Wallace and Joseph Kinkade to Blue River, John Cord to Bloomington, David Chamberlin to Honey Creek, John Stewart to Vincennes, James L. Thompson to Patoka, Eb- enezer Webster to Mount Sterling, John M. Baker to Corydon, and William Cravens to Indianapolis, with Samuel Hamilton for presiding elder. Indian- apolis now appears upon the Minutes as the head of a circuit for the first time.
At the present writing, 1866, there are five Methodist preachers and one missionary stationed in Indianapolis, and the charges in the city belong to four Annual Conferences. The borders of Method- ism had rapidly enlarged. The men into whose hands the work had been committed were fully de- voted to their calling.
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INDIANA MISCELLANY.
In 1823 the number of circuits had increased to fifteen. Two new ones had been formed, Conners- ville and Eel River. Cummins and Hamilton were continued as presiding elders. The appointments of the preachers were as follows: Whitewater, Rus- sel Bigelow and George Gatch; Lawrenceburg, W. H. Raper; Madison, J. Stewart and Nehemiah B. Griffith; Connersville, James Murry and James C. Taylor ; Charlestown, James Armstrong; Flat Rock, Dennis Willey ; Blue River, William M'Reynolds and George K. Hester; Bloomington, John Cord; Honey Creek, Hackalia Vredenburgh; Vincennes, John Ingersoll and Job M. Baker; Patoka, Ebene- zer T. Webster; Mount Sterling, Stephen R. Beggs; Corydon, James L. Thompson; Indianapolis, James Scott; Eel River, William Cravens. The whole membership this year was seven thousand, seven hundred and thirty-three, giving an increase of four hundred and nineteen.
In 1824 John Strange was sent to the Miami district as presiding elder, John Everhart and Levi White to Whitewater circuit, W. H. Raper and John Jaynes to Lawrenceburg, John F. Wright and Thomas Hewson to Madison, Aaron Wood to Connersville.
William Beauchamp was sent to the Indiana dis- trict, Missouri Conference, as presiding elder. Samuel Hamilton and Calvin Ruter to Charles- town, Thomas Rice to Flat Rock, William Cra- vens and Dennis Willey to Blue River, James
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Armstrong to Bloomington, Samuel Hull to Honey Creek, Edward Smith to Vincennes, William Med- ford to Patoka, George K. Hester to Mount Ster- ling, James L. Thompson to Corydon, Jesse Hale and George Horn to Indianapolis, and John Cord to Eel River. The whole number of Church mem- bers returned by the preachers this year was eight thousand, two hundred and ninety-two-an increase of five hundred and fifty-nine.
In 1825 the Illinois Conference, having been or- ganized, embraced the whole of the State of Indi- ana. Five new circuits had been formed, and ap- pear upon the Minutes for the first time, namely, Rushville, Salem, Paoli, Boonville, and Mount Ver- non. The work in Indiana was placed in three districts : Madison, Indiana, and Illinois. Mount Vernon was the only circuit in Indiana placed in the Illinois district.
John Strange was presiding elder of Madison district, James Armstrong of Indiana, and Samuel H. Thompson of Illinois. The preachers appointed to the circuits this year were as follows: Madi- son, Allen Wiley and Aaron Wood; Lawrenceburg, James Jones and Thomas S. Hitt; Whitewater, Peter Stephens and N. B. Griffith; Connersville, James Havens; Indianapolis, John Miller; Flat Rock, Thomas Hewson and James Garner; Eel River, John Fish; Charlestown, James L. Thomp- son and Jacob Varner; Corydon, G. K. Hester and Dennis Willey; Salem, Samuel Low and Richard
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INDIANA MISCELLANY.
Hargrave; Paoli, Edward Smith; Boonville, Orse- neth Fisher; Patoka, William H. Smith and George Randle; Vincennes, Edwin Ray; Honey Creek, Samuel Hull; Bloomington, David Anderson and John Cord; Mount Vernon, William Moore.
James Havens, John Miller, Richard Hargrave, William H. Smith, and Edwin Ray appear in con- nection with the work in Indiana this year for the first time. James Havens and Edwin Ray have finished their work, and are gone to their rest; the others survive. The whole number of members. this year was 8,900, an increase of 610.
In 1826 considerable change was made in the arrangement of the work. There were four dis- tricts, and two stations were made, namely, Madison and Salem. These were the first stations formed in the State.
It was a great mistake for the perpetuity of the itinerant system to make stations. It would have been better for the Church in America if we had adhered to the circuit system, like our fathers in England. Stations lose their sympathy with cir- cuits, and circuits with stations. The station system tends to do away with the office of presiding elder. Stations make it necessary to place many fields of labor in one district in order to give the presiding elder a sufficient support without being burdensome to the people. This causes his services to each field of labor to amount to but little, and the quarterly meetings to fail of creating that interest they for-
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PROGRESS OF METHODISM.
merly did. To place a minister in charge of but one congregation, and retain him with that for three years, and keep him in the same city for half a lifetime, is itinerancy but in name. Some sister Churches have as much without the name. If we have no stations, nothing but circuits, as in En- gland, the number of fields of labor in each district should be so reduced as to enable the presiding elder to give a Saturday and Sunday to each quar- terly meeting, and at his quarterly visits he could spend three or four days among the people, if need be, and have as many members to draw his support from as under our present arrangement.
This year the preachers were appointed to the work as follows: Madison district, John Strange, presiding elder; Madison station, Samuel Basset; Madison circuit, George K. Hester ; Lawrenceburg, James L. Thompson ; Whitewater, James Havens; Connersville, Nehemiah B. Griffith; Rushville, Ste- phen R. Beggs; Flat Rock, James Jones, Thomas S. Hitt; Indianapolis, Thomas Henson.
Charlestown district, James Armstrong, presiding elder ; Charlestown circuit, Allen Wiley, George Randle; Corydon, Samuel Low, George Lock ; Paoli, John Miller ; Bloomfield, Eli P. Farmer ; Eel River, Daniel Anderson; Crawfordsville, H. Vredenburg; Bloomington, Edwin Ray; Salem station, William Shanks; Salem circuit, John Cord.
Wabash district, Charles Holliday, presiding el- der ; Honey Creek, Richard Hargrave; Vincennes, 10
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INDIANA MISCELLANY.
Aaron Wood; Patoka, James Garner, Joseph Tar- kington ; Boonville, William H. Smith.
Illinois district, Samuel H. Thompson, presiding elder; Mount Vernon, Orseneth Fisher. It will be perceived that the work was extending north- ward in the State. Crawfordsville was the most northern circuit, and Mount Vernon was in the extreme southern portion. The total number of members this year was 9,872.
In 1827 the districts and circuits in Indiana were manned as follows: Madison district, John Strange, presiding elder; Madison station, Calvin W. Ruter; Madison circuit, James Scott, Daniel Newton; Law- renceburg, James L. Thompson, George Randle ; Whitewater, James Havens, John T. Johnson ; Con- nersville, Robert Burnes; Rushville, N. B. Griffith; Flat Rock, Abner H. Cheever; Indianapolis, Edwin Ray.
Charlestown district, James Armstrong, presiding elder; Charlestown circuit, Allen Wiley, James Gar- ner; Corydon, George Lock, Samuel Low; Paoli, William H. Smith, Smith L. Robinson; Eel River, Daniel Anderson, Stith M. Otwell; Crawfordsville, Henry Buell; Bloomington, Aaron Wood; Salem, William Shanks, John Hogan; Washington, Wil- liam Moore.
Wabash district, Charles Holliday, presiding el- der; Vincennes, S. R. Beggs; Patoka, Asa D. West ; Boonville, Thomas Davis; Mount Vernon, Thomas Files.
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PROGRESS OF METHODISM.
The total membership this year was 10,740, an increase of 868.
In 1828 the districts remained about as they had been the year previous. Some slight changes had been made in the arrangement of circuits and stations. Lawrenceburg was a station this year, being the third one organized in Indiana. The appointments of the preachers were as follows : Madison district, John Strange, presiding elder ; Madison station, Edwin Ray; Madison circuit, James Garner, A. H. Chever; Lawrenceburg sta- tion, J. L. Thompson ; Lawrenceburg circuit, Allen Wiley, D. Newton; Whitewater, T. S. Hitt, James Scott; Wayne, S. R. Beggs, William Evans; Con- nersville, Robert Burnes ; Rushville, James Havens; Columbus, C. B. Jones ; Indianapolis, N. B. Griffith ; Vernon, Henry Buell.
Charleston district, James Armstrong, presiding elder; Charleston circuit, George Lock, Enoch G. Wood; Corydon, J. W. M'Reynolds, S. Low; Paoli, William Moore, James M'Kean; Eel River, W. H. Smith, Benjamin Stephens; Crawfordsville, E. P. Farmer; Bloomington, D. Anderson, S. M. Otwell ; Salem, William Shanks, John Hardy; Washington, Thomas Davis.
Wabash district, Charles Holliday, presiding elder ; Vincennes, John Miller, Ashley Risley; Patoka, Charles Slocum ; Boonville, William Mavity ; Mount Vernon, Thomas Files. The total number of mem- bers returned at the close of this year amounted to
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INDIANA MISCELLANY.
12,090, showing the highly-gratifying increase of 1,350.
We have now given a brief sketch of the prog- ress of Methodism in Indiana for the second dec- ade. In twenty years from the time Methodism was introduced into the State, the number of mem- bers had increased to 12,090. In the first twenty years, by the working of the itinerant system, 127 traveling Methodist preachers were connected with the work and took part in spreading Scriptural holiness over these lands. They laid the foundation of the Church deep and broad. We are indebted, under God, to the men who cultivated this field for the first twenty years for the present prosperous state of the Church in every part of Indiana.
A few of these men are still in the active work. Most of them have joined their fellow-laborers where there is rest from toil.
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POLITICS.
CHAPTER XVI.
POLITICS.
IN the early settlement of Indiana, what is now called party politics was a thing unknown among the people. The people had but few political prin- ciples, and these were simple and easily understood. When a man aspired to office, the great questions with the people were, " Is he capable? is he honest ?" They considered the ballot-box the palladium of their liberties-its purity-something to be guarded most sacredly. If any man had attempted to corrupt the ballot-box by stuffing, or by incorrectly counting, or by procuring illegal votes, or by attempting to buy votes in any way, he would have so completely blasted his reputation, that there would have been " none so mean to do him honor." He could not have found admittance into respectable society. It would have placed a mark upon him that would have made him an outcast. A good reputation was worth something to a man in those days.
Caucuses and conventions to nominate candidates for office were unknown. Every man who so de- sired declared himself a candidate for office. Some- times there were ten or twelve candidates before the people for the same office. Every voter selected
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INDIANA MISCELLANY.
his candidate and cast his ballot for whom he pleased.
The people did not call themselves after political parties, as Democrats, Whigs, Republicans, etc., but after their respective candidates, as Hoover men, Lomax men, Beard men, Hill men, Pennington men, Test men, Holman men, etc. In the great presi- dential campaign, when John Quincy Adams, An- drew Jackson, Henry Clay, Thomas H. Crawford, and John C. Calhoun were candidates, the people in Indiana called themselves Adams, Jackson, Clay, Crawford, or Calhoun men, according to their preferences among the candidates. The friends of Andrew Jackson were especially proud to call them- selves Jackson men.
On election days, when the people came to the polls to vote, they did not inquire where they could obtain Democratic, Whig, or Republican tickets, but men were passing through the crowd of voters shouting ever and anon: "Here's Jackson tick- ets !" "Here's Adams tickets !" "Here's Clay tickets !" etc.
Stump-speaking was not practiced in Indiana for several years after she became a State, but was finally introduced and soon became general. At present, stump-orators are numerous. The stump is a great resort for demagogues. The people are often misled by its fulminations. Party politics were unknown in the State till after John Quincy Adams was elected President by Congress over
--
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POLITICS.
General Jackson. From that period party politics began, and have continued, sometimes running to great excess. The friends of Jackson organized themselves under the title of Democrats, and those of Adams under that of Whigs. The Democrats carried the State in every State and Presidential election, till the Whigs took it from them under the leadership of General Harrison. After his death, the Democrats took the State from the Whigs, and kept it till the Republicans carried it under the leadership of the immortal Lincoln in 1860. After party politics was introduced into Indiana, trickery was soon resorted to in conducting our election campaigns, even down to the little county offices. These campaigns were not always conducted exactly upon the principles of honesty, but upon the plan most likely to succeed, without regard to whether it was right or not.
In 1840 the Whigs adopted the raccoon as their insignia, and the Democrats the rooster as theirs. The Whigs were led to take the " coon" in conse- quence of the taunts thrown at General Harrison, their candidate for the Presidency. He was called by the Democrats "the log-cabin candidate," "an old hunter," etc. The Democrats were led to adopt the "rooster" in the following way: The contest between the two parties in Hancock county was close, and the Whigs seemed to be gaining. Joseph Chapman, a leading Democrat in that county, wrote to one of his political friends in another part of the
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State informing him how the parties stood, and ask- ing advice as to what he should do in order to carry the county for the party. His friend wrote back to him to appear in good spirits-to represent the party as gaining, saying to him in the letter: "Crow ! Chapman, Crow !" Somehow, the Whigs obtained knowledge of the contents of that letter. Their stump-orators rang the changes on "Crow! Chapman, Crow!" In every Whig gathering you would hear the shout, "Crow ! Chapman, Crow!" The Democrats determined to make capital out of these taunts, and adopted the "rooster " as their insignia.
In 1842 Joseph Chapman and Thomas Walpole, a Whig lawyer who then resided in Greenfield, were opposing candidates for the State Senate. Walpole had been in the Senate, and Chapman in the House of Representatives. The Senatorial district was composed of the counties of Hancock and Madison. The canvass became warm. The candidates stumped the district together. Walpole was neat in his ap- parel, and wore ruffled shirts. Chapman was pecul- iarly slovenly in his appearance. In those days the Democrats charged the Whigs with being the " Ruffled-Shirt Gentry." By this they made many votes among the yeomanry of the country. Upon this charge Chapman rung the changes well against Walpole, as they met upon the stump from time to time, often pointing to the ruffles in his bosom as evidence of the truth of the charge.
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