USA > Maryland > A Century of Growth [electronic resource] or, the history of the Church in Western Maryland > Part 17
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at the Flatwoods. They succeeded well, and the old St. James' Church was built and dedicated in 1853 under the zealous pastorate of Rev. William Lambert, who died recently as pastor of Mason City, W. Va. This mission, since the departure of Father Lambert, has been attended from Oakland. It was for many years very prosperous, being supported by dozens of farmers, nearly all of whom were in comfortable circum- stances. In 1875 the income of the mission amounted to one thousand dollars. Father O'Sullivan began to say Mass there one Sunday each month; and the congregation contributed annually twenty-five dollars a family towards his support. He suggested to His Grace, Archbishop Bayley, of Baltimore, the pro- priety of establishing a resident pastor at Johnstown. Many Catholic families have since moved to other localities.
In 1890 the present church was built under the pastorate of Rev. Romanus Mattingly. The name of the patron saint was at the same time changed from St. James to St. Dominic. Dr. Chapelle, at that time pastor of St. Matthew's Church, Washington City, and Bishop-Elect of Santa Fe, dedicated the church and preached the dedication sermon. He is at present Archbishop of New Orleans, and Apostolic delegate to the Philippine Islands. The mission can still boast of many fervent souls and generous supporters. Father Connell, of Oakland, is the present zealous pastor.
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OUTLYING MISSIONS.
FORTY WATER STATION,
on the seventeen mile grade, was a mission of some prominence from 1860 to 1875. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass was celebrated in private houses by the Westernport priests. The people have all moved away from this old mission.
HUTTON'S SWITCH
has been a little Catholic settlement since about 1862. The people have generally attended Mass at Oakland. In 1870 Father O'Sullivan began to visit the town and say Mass at the home of Mathias Flaherty. The house in which Mass was first celebrated at Hutton's was situated at the East end of what was called Fifty-eight Cut. Mr. Flaherty was a one-armed railroad watchman. He was quite intelligent, and very fervent. Father O'Sullivan had great admiration for him. Since 1882 Mass has been celebrated at the beautiful home of Martin Hughes and family.
ST. ANN'S CHURCH, NEW GERMANY.
This beautiful little church is situated three miles from the National Pike and twelve miles from Frost- burg. It was built by Rev. Valentine F. Schmitt, of Frostburg. The congregation is mostly composed of well-to-do farmers and numbers about three hundred souls.
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The dedication of St. Ann's Church took place August 29, 1874. A procession was formed at St. Michael's Church, Frostburg, and moved down the National Road, a distance of twelve miles. The ceremony of dedication was conducted by Very Rev. Dean Edward Brennan, of Cumberland, in the presence of a vast assembly from Allegany and Garrett Counties, and Somerset, Pa. Solemn High Mass was sung by Father Anselm, O. M. C., with Father Schmitt, deacon, Father M. J. Brennan, sub-deacon, and Father Mckenzie, master of ceremonies.
This church is at present attended by Rev. Father Clark, of Frostburg.
DEER PARK
is a summer mission. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is offered up in the picturesque little chapel near the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad hotel. This church was built by the railroad company for the accommodation of summer visitors. It is owned by the Company, and used by all denominations. It is attended from Oakland.
GRANTSVILLE
is the youngest mission in Garrett County. The church was built in 1890, and has been attended as a station of Frostburg. It is located near St. Ann's, of New Germany, and the future, no doubt, will see these missions united in one grand parish, under charge of a resident pastor.
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MESHACK BROWNING.
ARTICLE IV.
MESHACK BROWNING.
A nation's boast is a nation's bone, As well as its might of mind; And the culture of either of these alone, Is the doom of a nation signed .- O' Reilly.
Meshack Browning is a character of rare interest. He is a splendid example of nature's noblest sons. Giant though he was, he was as tender-hearted as a woman. Hardship was his life-long companion. Danger could not intimidate him; fear was unknown to him. He stands out the most striking and most romantic figure in the history of Garrett County ; and his manly character has impressed itself boldly, but attractively, on the history of the Western Maryland Church.
The facts, which follow, are taken substantially from his graphic autobiography entitled, "Forty-four Years of a Hunter's Life, roughly written down by himself." The original manuscript of these charming reminis- cences is in the possession of his grandson, Ex-Senator Browning, of Oakland.
Meshack tells us: "I was born in Frederick County, Maryland, in the year of our Lord, 1781. My mother became a widow when I was an infant two weeks old, and after the business of the estate was settled, there was but a trifle left for the support of the family,
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and she was obliged to maintain herself and children as best she could. But it does not seem to me that when persons are left in such distress that kind Providence has always something in store to supply their necessities, as was the case in this instance. Mother managed by dint of industry and economy to keep us as well as other poor children."
Very soon the little family found it necessary to move westward to be near Mrs. Browning's friends. Here is how Meshack tells of their moving to Flinstone, Allegany County : "In a few days Mr. Jacob's driver, a large negro, called on us to go to the backwoods, then so called. Having all our property in the wagon, off went the horses, with whip cracking, mother crying, negro cursing and swearing, until we were on the main road to Frederick." They reach Old Town after many mishaps and hardships and find themselves " much fatigued, worn down, in low spirits, alone in a strange country." Within a year, with the assistance of friends, they had a small piece of ground under fence and raised a hundred bushels of corn. Then came the turning point in Meshack's young life. We must let him tell it himself: "At this time I had an aunt living near, who was always teasing mother to let me stay with her for company for her, as she had no children. And at last mother yielded, and let me go with her and her husband. He was a good-natured, kind man, but neglectful, lazy, and unlearned : they made it their aim to seduce me from my mother's love and from my home, and take up my home with
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them; but took good care not to let mother get the least knowledge of their interested design.
"They had me so well into their scheme, that I was ready for any movement they might wish me to undertake. So, in September, they had all things in readiness, and a young man to assist in driving their cattle and horses : they then proposed to me to go with them into the prettiest country in the world ; and that I should be their adopted son, and all the cattle and horses we could raise should be mine; and that I could stand in the door and see the pretty deer sporting and playing in the glades ; and as soon as I was big enough to shoot, I should have a nice rifle to shoot those deer.
" Fired with such prospects of sport, I was ready and willing to undertake the journey forthwith. I was put to bed, and told to go to sleep, and they would wake me before day and take an early start, so that my mother should have no chance of stopping me. Sure enough, I was awakened a long time before daylight; all was ready for a move, with three horses loaded; and the young man soon had the cattle ready to follow the horses. I was put on one horse, my aunt on another, and uncle drove the third-aunt in the lead. Off we went, as still as possible, that our movements should not be known to my mother until we would be suffi- ciently out of her power. On we went, without noise, over the mountains towards Cumberland; and, as the sun began to show its beautiful reflection on the high top of the Dan Mountain, westward of the town, we
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arrived in sight of the valley in which the town was situated. Here was a new scene to me. The whole valley was covered with a dense fog-nothing was to be seen but the high tops of the western mountains, with here and there stripes of sunlight; whilst all around was in uproar, with cows bellowing, calves bleat- ing, dogs barking, cocks crowing, and, in short, all sorts of noises. The fog was so heavy that I could not see any object until within a few paces of it. Here we halted for our breakfast. By that time the sun had driven away all the misty clouds, and the town was in plain view ; and I think that there were not more than twenty or thirty houses, and they mostly cabins surrounded by large corn fields containing heavy crops of corn."
They finally reach Blooming Rose in the year 1791, when Meshack is but ten years old. He describes it: " Here we were in the place I had so long been looking for with so much anxiety; and I must say that what my uncle had told me as a truth was fully realized ; for the country abounded with deer, bears, panthers, wolves, wild cats, catamounts, wild turkeys, foxes, rab- bits, pheasants, partridges, wild bees, and in all the streams, trout without number.
"October being the beginning of the hunting season, my uncle commenced his task of laying in the winter's provisions. Some days he would hunt for deer, other days for bees; and, as he was most successful in bee- hunting, he spent more of his time in hunting bees than he did in pursuing the deer. Soon our table was abundantly supplied with venison and honey; and the
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high, fresh, tame grass caused our cows to give large quantities of milk, from which aunt, who was a very industrious woman, made plenty of butter; and fre- quently a fat turkey being added to our table store, we began to think that there was not such another place to be found in all creation."
Two years later, when Meshack is twelve years old, according to his reminiscences, he has noticed that their nearest neighbor is an Irishman, named James McMullen, and he has a daughter named Mary, who happens to be only six months younger than Meshach himself. A school is started, and he tells us: "My uncle signed me for three months; and, to my great pleasure, Mr. McMullen signed Mary and. Hugh. This was just as I wished it to be, for they had to pass by our house on their way to and from school. In a short time they came, and off we went together, all merry and playful. All was as it should be until the school broke up, for which I was very sorry. I was convinced that my kind attentions to her had made an impression on her young heart. Her father had some idea that our friendship was getting stronger than he wished to see it, and he took care to keep us at a distance as much as he could. Mary and myself were at this time about fifteen years old."
He is treated harshly by his aunt, and goes to Wheel- ing, Virginia; visits his mother; finally returns to Blooming Rose, and by this time being convinced that Mary is " the loveliest creature in all creation," marries her in 1799, when they are eighteen years old. This is
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how he tells it: "Thursday, the 30th day of April, 1799, was appointed for our marriage. Our friends assembled to ride with us into Pennsylvania, to get a magistrate to perform the marriage ceremony, which in those days was the only way open to young people to become joined in wedlock. Everything being ready, we all set off in great spirits, and at a rattling pace; for all the girls in the company could ride like show-masters. In a few hours we found ourselves at the magistrate's office, and were soon called upon to stand up before that sagacious officer, who professed great piety. He gave us such a lengthy exhortation that I became tired of his noise; but at last, putting the necessary questions and getting the proper answers, he pronounced us man and wife. 'Thank you, Mr. Squire,' said I, 'that is what I have wanted to be a long time.'"
When they got home, the old gentleman, Mary's father, turned them out of doors, and then began in earnest their battle with the world. Meshack com- menced to philosophize: "I began to consider what I should do to make Mary happy. I had previously thought that if I only had her, I would want nothing else in the world, but now, that I had her, I saw that I wanted everything else but her." He trades a horse for a small squatter's-farm and becomes a hunter. He first shot a wild turkey and next trapped a bear. "While we were cutting up our meat and securing it, Mary said to me: 'Meshack, how truly your words have come to pass, "That if we trust in God, He will not forsake us."'" Here we see that
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admirable disposition of reliance on Providence, that high degree of natural virtue, which so well prepared this exemplary young couple to become devout Catho- lics in God's own chosen time. Meshack Browning was of English descent and his young wife was of Irish descent, but her father was a North-of-Ireland man, and none of them were Catholics.
Mr. Browning was a hunter for forty-four years. He killed his first game in 1795 and his last in 1839. During this time he killed upwards of two thousand deer, more than three hundred bears, fifty panthers and catamounts, and scores of wolves and wild cats. He had six sons and five daughters; fourty-four grandsons, thirty-two granddaughters, seventeen great grandsons and eighteen great granddaughters, in all one hundred and twenty two descendants before his death. In our second war with England, the old mountaineer joined the army to fight for the stars and stripes. In 1826 Meshack paid a visit to Annapolis, and although he had been a Marylander all his life, he tasted there for the first time oysters, which, of course, he ever afterwards heartily detested. When he was well up in years, he became a justice of the peace, and was regarded with unbounded respect for his integrity and manly traits. Meshack and his wife were both instructed and baptized by Father Marshall and confirmed by Bishop Flaget.
Their life was peaceful and happy, notwithstanding their hard battle with the world, until January 29, 1839, when Meshack tells us : "The dearest friend
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of my bosom, the earliest love of my boyhood, the kind and affectionate mother of my eleven children, was taken from us forever." Mrs. Browning had been visiting her daughter-and when returning home was thrown from a wild horse-and so seriously injured, that after a long continued illness borne with true Christian resignation, she breathed her last.
Meshack composed the following verses in memory of his beloved Mary :
" I've heard that first and early love Outlives all after dreams; But memory of my first great grief To me more lasting seems.
How oft my mind recalls the day, When to my peaceful home, Death came a dread unwelcome guest, And beckoned to the tomb.
I knew not if 'twas summer then, I knew not when 'twas spring ; And if the birds sang in the trees, I did not hear them sing.
If flowers came forth to deck the earth, Their bloom I did not see ; I thought of one lone withered flower, The last that bloomed for me."
We can hardly fail to notice a similarity of feeling between the kind-hearted old hunter, the ancestor of one hundred and twenty-two descendants, and Abraham,
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the Father of the Hebrew people. We read in Genesis : "And Sara lived a hundred and twenty-seven years, and she died. And Abraham came to mourn and weep for her. And so Abraham buried Sara, his wife, in a double cave of the field, that looked towards Mambre- this is Hebron in the land of Canaan." But how short lived is human affection ! We are brought back with a flash from the grave of Sara by the startling announce- ment : "And Abraham married another wife named Cetura." And Meshack married another wife named Smith.
He found it absolutely necessary to have a house- keeper, and soon married "a little widow, Mrs. Mary Smith." His second wife died September 8, 1857, and Meshack dedicated the following lines to her memory :
" The last look that I gave, she lay With hands crossed on her breast ; I kissed the lovely placid face, Which spoke her spirit's rest. And now she dwells beyond the sun And I am left below, To mourn for her I've loved so well Since eighteen years ago."
" Thus," says the autobiography, "was I a second time left alone in gloom, and almost despair, to wander from place to place in search of comfort and to find but little. That little, however, I hope will be the means of keep- ing my feet in the paths of rectitude, that when I am called to meet the common destiny of all flesh, I may
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be able to do so in the full hope of a glorious immortality."
He died in November, 1859. His remains rest in the shadow of the new St. Dominic's Church, Johnstown, Md. When the storms of summer prepare to depart towards evening, it is not unusual to see a radiant rain- bow resting on the humble grave, arching resplendently skyward until almost touching the heavens, and grace- fully sloping earthward again to rest above the old graveyard of Blooming Rose.
"As fresh in yon horizon dark, As young thy beauties seem, As when the eagle from the ark First sported in thy beam. For, faithful to its sacred page, Heaven still rebuilds the span ;
Nor lets the type grow pale with age That first spoke peace to man."
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