USA > Nebraska > A history of Nebraska Methodism, first half-century, 1854-1904 > Part 12
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in a place that is at a standstill, with people discouraged and distracted and facing an uncertain future. Brother Hart is to be honored for holding the forces well in hand and preventing a complete collapse, so that when the tide turned, as it soon did, he could turn over to his successor a well organized Church, with such members as J. W. Tousley, Col. Richie, Samuel Burns, Brother Isaacs, and Mrs. McCoy and others of like zeal and capacity. And Omaha Methodism had the right man in the person of T. B. Lemon to make the most of the opportunity when the tide turned. Fresh from his wonderful success in Nebraska City, Dr. Lemon entered upon his work after the Conference of 1863, flushed with victory and ready to lead the Church forward to larger things.
T. B. Lemon became popular with all classes, not by seeking it for its own sake, but by the inherent qualities of his mind and spirit. There were the strength of intel- lect, and the culture and refinement of the well-bred gen- tleman, which seemed perfectly natural to him and strongly attracted the most influential men, like A. J. Pop- pleton, G. L. Miller, Samuel Burns, and others of like standing. So he was in demand for special services on great occasions. When in December, 1863. Omaha cele- brated the fixing of that point as the terminus of the Pacific Railroad, and the ceremony of breaking ground for this great enterprise which was to be of national and even international importance occurred, it was T. B. Lemon who was called on to open the exercises with prayer. When the legislature met it was T. B. Lemon who should be chaplain of one of the houses. In speak- ing of Dr. Lemon's pastorate at that time, Haynes says :* "The national conflict was rife, but Mr. Lemon re-
* History of Omaha Methodism.
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fused to commit himself to either side, and with eager desire for success in his charge preached, prayed, and sang as if undisturbed by the rigor of fratricidal strife. Mr. Lemon was occasionally criticised for his not unre- servedly avowing Union sentiments. A story is told that during a session of the legislature at Omaha, after he was elected chaplain, in a prayer one morning he uttered a petition in behalf of the Chief Executive of the nation. Some members of the Assembly found fault by saying he did not pray for the country. A lawyer of prominence and a friend of the chaplain, told some of them that they were too illiterate to comprehend the meaning of a gifted man's language."
He made friends outside of the Church who volun- tarily assisted in the maintenance of the pastor and his projects. The two years of his sojourn in Omaha were almost uninterruptedly pleasant to him and his family, and to the day of his death he had many admirers in the city. Coming to the metropolis at that time, and pursu- ing the lines of conduct thought by himself the best, he well-nigh broke down the partition that separated between the ardent friends of the Government and those who pre- ferred the success of the Confederacy.
At his coming he found nearly a hundred communi- cants,* and received seven hundred dollars for his first year's allowance. An increase in the number of the mem- bership not worth mentioning is noted at the close of the year, but his acceptability is signified by his having re- ceived on salary, as reported in the Minutes of the Con- ference, $1,000, and $500 as a donation.
But while thus popular with the rich and influential,
# This is an error, the number being fifty-seven.
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he was equally popular with poorer classes. His warm, sympathetic nature made him a real friend to everybody, and everybody felt that the friendship was genuine. The presence of T. B. Lemon in Omaha, unquestionably gave Omaha Methodism a standing in the community it had not had before.
But amid all this popularity, Dr. Lemon held himself steadily to his high ideals of a Gospel minister. He did not depend on what accessions might drift into the Church as the result of the new prosperity and growth of the city, but preached with power the old-fashioned gospel, and held revival services which were very successful and at the end of two years, when he took the district, the membership had increased to one hundred, including twenty probationers, and the Church was strengthened in every way.
It can not but be regretted that at this critical juncture a man like William M. Smith should have been appointed to follow T. B. Lemon, in April, 1865. Flushed with the victories being won by Grant, and a few days later maddened by indignation at the assassination of the be- loved Lincoln, the people were more intolerant of any want of sympathy with the Union cause than ever, yet this man stubbornly and offensively held on his way, as will be seen by the following related by Haynes :
"He reaches the city in time to preach on the Sabbath following the assassination of President Lincoln. The church was draped, and loyal men and women were in mourning as if one of their own household had been taken away. They were in expectation that a memorial service would be held. Mr. Smith entered the pulpit at the ap- pointed hour, and to many present was not a stranger.
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He chose as a text, I Cor. xi, 2: 'For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified,' and proceeded to preach. In the discourse he made no allusion either to the preparation of the room for the occasion nor to the taking off of the now dead chieftain, totally ignoring the sad and disappointed people who had met to honor his name and to do a most willing part in perpetuating a remembrance of his noble manhood and distinguished patriotism.
Mr. Smith was not willing to concede that he had made a mistake in paying no respect to the feelings or preferences of a large share of the people present ; but the loyal and patriotic at once decided not to sustain a man, though appointed as a pastor, who would so brazenly offer an affront! A few weeks later the Quarterly Con- ference met, and after proceeding with the business till the question was reached, 'What has been raised for the support of the ministry this quarter?' An- swer: 'Nothing!' The presiding elder, who was present and in the chair, was informed that if he would remove the offending pastor, he would receive pay for the time he had served; otherwise he would get no salary. He was removed, and for a time the charge was left pastorless. Mr. Smith's name appears not again in the Minutes as pastor, but as having superannuated. He removed to Colorado, and it is intimated became connected with the Methodist Episcopal Church, South ; and now owns and lives upon a ranch a few miles south of Pueblo, in that State."
There appears now the right man for the place in the person of W. B. Slaughter, who fills out Wm. Smith's year, and completes the full term of the pastorate in
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Omaha. He finds ninety-three members and seventy-five probationers, the latter being the fruit of T. B. Lemon's revivals. He finds Omaha entering upon an era of pros- perity, with Methodism well at the front among the Churches of the city, thanks largely to the influence of T. B. Lemon. Haynes says: "The Methodist Church was now the place of entertainment on the Sabbath, and as a consequence the congregation was much the largest in the city." (Of course by "entertainment" he means that the preaching was the most attractive. )
W. B. Slaughter was one of the most scholarly men we have had in Nebraska. He was born in Penn Yan, New York, July 15, 1823, and received his education in part at the Genesee Wesleyan Seminary. For a while he engaged in teaching, being principal of an academy at Coudersport, Pennsylvania, and later of the Genesee Model School, in Lima, New York. He then joined the Genesee Conference, serving several pastorates, among them Old Niagara Street Church, Buffalo.
Coming West he served Wabash Avenue, Chicago, for the full term, then Joliet. Of this cultured, consecrated man, Haynes gives some facts which show the spirit of the man, and of his devoted wife as well :
"Early during the late rebellion he raised a company of volunteers for the Thirty-ninth Illinois Infantry, ex- pecting to be appointed chaplain of the regiment. But the men whom he recruited insisted upon his being their captain, to whose preference he yielded. However, he actually served as chaplain, organizing class and prayer meetings, and seeking the conversions of soldiers. Serv- ing twenty-one months, toiling with heroic zeal, he was disabled and returned to his family. Recovering as nearly
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as to permit him to perform pastoral work. he was ap- pointed to Rockford, Illinois. In the midst of his labors at Rockford, in the spring of 1864, Bishop Ames sought him as the man he wanted for Denver District, Colorado. The matter was urged, and he finally consented. The people whom he served remonstrated, and telegraphed the bishop asking that he might not be removed. But the reply was 'He must go.'" He left at once and hurriedly, only delaying long enough to provide a private convey- ance that his family might follow. He reached the seat of the Colorado Conference just in time to hear the ap- pointments read at the close of the session, and was startled to hear his own name announced for Colorado District, instead of Denver.
The last-named district, at that date, included all of the southern part of the territory and was made up of a few preaching places a great distance apart, the largest of which was Colorado City, once the capital, having less than ten members. The sacrifice he must make was unexpected, but there was no loyal way out of it. Hero- ically he accepted the work and sent for his wife and two sons, leaving his daughter that she might attend school. There was no railway reaching further west than Mar- shalltown, Iowa. Mrs. Slaughter sent her eldest, a boy of seventeen, with the conveyance for crossing the plains in advance, and, taking the rail, overtook him at the west- ern terminus. They together hence began the long and hazardous journey, expecting to meet bands of Indians after crossing the Missouri River.
Arriving at Omaha they were kindly received by Rev. T. B. Lemon, pastor, and his family, who persuaded them to rest a few days. Mrs. S. says: "I started from
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Omaha with my two boys, the older serving as driver, and the other two years old, feeling there was safety only in the protection of the divine arm." Often their vehicle was surrounded by the red men, who, at that time, were committing frequent depredations, but they were not mo- lested. Four weeks of wearisome travel had passed, and an axle of their carriage broke when several miles from any habitation, and they were helplessly alone. Fortu- nately a covered wagon came in sight. They were taken on board and their conveyance was drawn behind; and in this manner were driven into Denver, where they were met by Mr. Slaughter. Tarrying long enough to get the carriage repaired, the trip toward Pike's Peak was re- sumed, Colorado City being their destination. Their ar- rival was in the evening, only to find that there was but one place where they could get lodging for the night; and but one frame house in the village; the others were of logs. They could make no arrangement for house- keeping, and could find no place where they could all occupy the same house-they had to be separated for sleeping. As their money was nearly gone, Mrs. S. · began teaching, while her husband made a round on the district, taking about a month.
Mr. Slaughter attempted to make better provision for his family's comfort. In his travels he found some min- eral springs (now Manitou), and as he had never used his right to government land, he concluded to claim them as a homestead. Upon this claim he and his son put up a log house, and while yet unfinished the family occupied it. Retiring the first night while the stars could be seen through the undaubed apertures and the air balmy and quiet, an unlooked for change in the temperature occurred
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before morning. The wind blew cold and biting and snow began flying; and daylight found Mr. S. with a severe cold that soon developed in pneumonia. He summoned a doctor who invited him to his cabin, one room of which he occupied for two months. By the watchful care of the physician he was brought through the crisis. But the doctor advised that he would con- valesce more surely in the altitude of Denver.
Mrs. S. says: "Our finances were meager, and liv- ing very costly. When we broke our last dollar it indeed looked very dark ahead. But I felt surely the Lord will provide. And he did ; for the next mail brought a check for fifty dollars from Governor Evans, who had heard of Mr. Slaughter's illness. This enabled us to outfit for Denver."
Though relating to other fields, these extracts are jus- tified because they reveal so vividly the spirit of self- sacrifice that characterized this cultured man and wife through their entire career in Nebraska. While, as we see, his abilities were soon recognized and he was soon summoned to responsible places in educational and pas- toral lines, both in the East and West, he also heard the call of duty when summoned to that hard far-away field in Colorado. There are few men who have made as great sacrifices in the ordinary way as W. B. Slaughter. But there was a special feature in his case which made the trial doubly hard. He was well qualified and strongly inclined to serve the cause of Christ along literary lines, as shown by his book referred to by Haynes, "Modern Genesis," pronounced by competent judges one of the strongest arguments against the "Nebular Hypothesis" ever written. To go West meant to give up the cherished
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and congenial plans of his life work, as it then seemed, and doubtless did rob the Church of much excellent work on that line. After coming to Nebraska, though as a rule serving the best charges, it was not always so. He cheer- fully took some hard circuits. The writer well remem- bers that in 1871, when Dr. Slaughter was in charge of Bellevue Circuit, actually receiving not to exceed $700, I visited him at his home in West Omaha. Dr. Slaughter took me with him in his old buggy, down through the woods near where Hanscom Park Church now stands, to visit his son Bradner, who was superintendent of a soap factory, and laughingiy mentioned the fact that while he was getting the promise of $700 for preaching the Gos- pel, his boy was getting $1.300 for making soap.
This visit was an illustration of one side of Dr. Slaughter's character, which was prominent. He had become a father to all the boy preachers, and they often found their way to his home for counsel in their work, but especially in their studies. No one could make a young preacher feel more at ease in his presence. He treated them as though they were his equals, and inspired in them self-respect, self-confidence, and made them feel that if they tried they could make something of themselves.
Eternity alone will reveal how many young preachers Dr. Slaughter has helped at some crisis, and put at their best, and his service along this line is unique, and its value to the work in subsequent years may never be com- puted, but will be none the less real.
It can hardly be said that Slaughter was an orator, or a revivalist, but he was pre-eminently a teacher of the Gospel. He was a diligent student to the last, and con- stantly digging about the foundation to find the reason
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of things, and would, in skillful ways, indoctrinate the people in the foundation truths of Christianity. It was his chief function to build up into intelligent, strong Chris- tian character the raw material furnished by the revivalist.
This was the strong, cultured pastor that Omaha Methodism needed and received at the crisis in 1865, when the flock had been left without a shepherd by the violent rupture with Win. M. Smith.
Though the membership is only one hundred, includ- ing twenty probationers, they are in high spirits and face a much more hopeful future than had as yet presented it- self. The need of a new church was keenly felt, but the way to realize it did not present itself during Dr. Slaugh- ter's pastorate of three years, though he and his brethren among the laity sought it diligently. But along all other lines the Church grew and prospered, and at the end of three years, when Dr. Slaughter gave way to his suc- cessor, he handed over a well-organized, enthusiastic Church. As to the exact number of members we have no means of knowing, as the Minutes that year unaccounta- bly omit the statistics relating to membership, something that had not happened before, nor has it since. But the number must have been much larger than at the begin- ning of his pastorate. The Church had been growing and was beginning to feel its own importance. This is inci- dentally shown in the fact that they now felt they must have a "special transfer" from the Fast, and Dr. H. C. Westwood was secured from Baltimore Conference. He was distinguished as being the only Methodist preacher who up to that time had received the degree of Doctor of Divinity from Presbyterian Princeton College.
Of the man, his work, and the results of his pastorate,
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Haynes has this to say: "Henry C. Westwood, trans- ferred from the Baltimore Conference, was next in the succession of pastors. He arrived in May, 1867, more than a month after the closing of Mr. Slaughter's terin. The agitation the year before of the project of more in- viting quarters as a place of worship resulted in the quit- ting of the old church and making extensive alterations in the structure that it might be rented as a source of revenue. The congregation had already hired and had begun using the German Methodist Church as a place of meeting. Mr. Westwood's cultivated notions of propriety were almost shocked at the coarse looking apartments of this cheap building ; and as a concession to his wishes the trustees hired the privilege of using the Academy of Music as a preaching place only once a week-on the Sabbath.
Mr. Westwood reports having large congregations, and that the official board and himself were in complete harmony. The estimating committee suggested $2,000 as his salary, and the Quarterly Conference confirmed their judgment. A new and comfortable parsonage housed him and his family, and the prospect was flatter- ing. The thoughts of the official members were much engrossed in devising a method by which money might be secured to provide a new chapel. Mr. Westwood inter- ested himself in giving assistance, to the partial neglect of more directly religious work. The congregation was not held to the maximum; no revival occurred, though the preacher failed not to be in the pulpit on Sunday. But before the winter was ended, and while the new chapel's walls were being raised, there were intimations of discontent.
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The pastor did not enjoy Western etiquette nor the bland manner of some of his parishioners. Much of his former life had been spent among better polished people, and he hardly would tolerate those who could not appear well at their homes or in society ; and he almost refused to visit the humble poor of his charge. Nothing better might be expected than that fault-finders would use such an opportunity to complain of the pastor. There seemed to be but little room left for mutual good feeling between the servant and the served, and before the ending of the first year the chances for the accomplishing of goo:l were lost.
Mr. Westwood was, in appearance, an accomplished gentleman, and an interesting sermonizer. His efforts in the pulpit were not criticised unfavorably ; and if he had not persisted in his exhibitions of an haughty spirit, ac- cepting the situation in right good fellowship, he might have been very certainly a useful man in Omaha. As it was, he went to Conference under a cloud, pursued by a delegate from his charge instructed to ask for his removal. But he was reappointed only to meet such opposition as forced his presiding elder, A. G. White, to consent to his removal in three months. He was transferred to the Conference which he left to come West. His death oc- curred at Fredonia, New York, August, 1890.
Moses F. Shinn, in those days a handy man to use in filling a gap, and having reformed, was employed to take charge till some one might be secured permanently to stand in his stead as pastor. Mr. Shinn was a man of much experience in the ministry, and, at times, of great value to the Church. He was a cheerful companion, and a speaker of no mean qualities, sound in doctrine and a thoroughly orthodox Methodist."
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After an interval of six weeks, during which diligent efforts had been made by presiding elder, bishop, and the leading lay members to find the right man to meet this crisis in affairs, he was finally found in the person of Gilbert De La Matyr, D. D., who entered upon the pas- torate in 1869. Dr. De La Matyr was doubtless the equal in pulpit ability of any of his predecessors or successors. With his great abilities as a preacher was a large stock of common sense, together with a kindly sympathetic nature that gave him social access in helpful ways to all classes. He seized the situation with a firm grip, and soon be- came its master, and the Church starts out on a new era of prosperity. The first year of Dr. De La Matyr's pas- torate coincides with the close of the second period, and we will resume later the story of this strong man's work.
Before passing, however, it is proper to note that dur- ing this period Omaha had residing in the city the fol- lowing presiding elders: The first two years, Wm. M. Smith, who succeeded better as presiding elder than as pastor, being a wise administrator, and not coming in such constant contact with the people as to make his political views offensive. He was succeeded by Isaac Burns, who at the end of two years asked to be released that he might resume the pastorate, which to him was more congenial. It was providential that after three successful, helpful years in the pastorate in Omaha, Dr. Lemon was placed on the district and remained four years in Omaha as pre- siding elder. Doubtless his influence was of great value in steadying things during the pastorate of Dr. H. C. Westwood. He was followed by that natural born pre- siding elder, A. G. White, whose sound judgment was much needed in those critical times.
CHAPTER X.
OMAHA DISTRICT.
(1861-1865.)
IF we pass now to the Omaha District, we will find the same adverse conditions, with even more discourag- ing reports of the progress of the work, during the excit- ing war period.
Beginning with Bellevue, we find this circuit well manned by that sterling Methodist preacher, Martin Pritchard. He follows Jerome Spillman, whose two years' work was on the high pressure order, which, while it was of great value in permanent results, as we have seen, is likely to be followed by some reaction and loss, and Martin Pritchard did splendid service by keeping the high figure of ninety-six with nineteen probationers, though this shows a loss, as compared with the number Spillman left.
He is followed by that- faithful and efficient pastor, David Hart, but he, too, is compelled to report a small loss, the number dropping down to eighty-two, with ten probationers.
WVm. A. Amsbary, a revivalist after the Spillman or- der, succeeds Hart, in 1864, and is able to report a gain of fifty during his year's pastorate.
T. M. Munhall follows Amsbary in 1865, and reports a loss of some twenty-five. Passing to the westward and tracing the progress of the work along the Platte Valley, we find Elkhorn Circuit, which appears for the first time,
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and probably takes some of both Bellevue and Platte Val- ley ; J. H. Alling is pastor. Of course it is impossible to say whether the sixty-four members and probationers he reports represents gain or loss. He is followed by T. Hoagland in 1862. He reports fifty-one, a loss of thirteen.
We now come to Platte Valley, that large, indefinite charge which is supposed to extend as far west as Co- lumbus, at least. Theodore Hoagland, the pastor, will . only find thirty-six members, and will be compelled to report only nineteen. This is Brother Hoagland's first appointment, he having been received on trial along with T. B. Lemon and J. B. Maxfield, but in sad contrast to these, he only continues for two years and drops out of the work ; why, we have no means of knowing.
Joseph H. Alling, who entered the work in 1860, en- ters upon his last year in Nebraska as Theodore Hoag- land's successor on the Platte Valley work and reports a gain of three members.
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