History of Union and Middlesex Counties, New Jersey with Biographical Sketches of many of their Pioneers and Prominent Men, Part 178

Author: W. Woodford Clayton, Ed.
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Philadelphia: Everts
Number of Pages: 1224

USA > New Jersey > Middlesex County > History of Union and Middlesex Counties, New Jersey with Biographical Sketches of many of their Pioneers and Prominent Men > Part 178
USA > New Jersey > Union County > History of Union and Middlesex Counties, New Jersey with Biographical Sketches of many of their Pioneers and Prominent Men > Part 178

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" This is an age and country of rapid and extensive progress. And yet how few of us consider where we stood a century ago, or even fifty years back. True as this is in matters political, it is none the less so in religious affairs. How few of us who worship in large, commodious, comfortable, and highly-ornamented temples, who have priests at every call, and Catholic schoole in every locality, who have Catholic news- papers and Catholic magazines, how few of us have any idea of the hardship and suffering, the frequent humiliations, the bitter trials un- dergone by the grandfathers and grandmothers of the youth of to-day in the practice and transmission of that faith which is to-day our choicest blessing, our glory, and our pride. Scattered and hare as are the facts preserved to us, yet they are defined enough io their character to make their tracings matter of some interest.

" In the hope, therefore, that this paper may not be uninteresting, we have collected such facts as we could concerning early Catholicity in New Brunswick, N. J., and concerning him to whose untiring and self- sacrificing efforts, firm yet kind government and shrewd management, as well as holy example, we owe, under God, whatever of success we now possess in matters religious. It goes without saying that we refer to the good, saintly, and venerable Father Rogers, who has braved the heats and the colds of half & century of missionary life, and is to-day clear in mind and sound in body, ready at his post to exercise the duties of the priesthood.

" We have been unable to obtain one iota from the reverend gentle- man himeelf concerning his life and labors, his modest retiring disposi- tion making him as reticent as a marble statue when any information 47

of that nature is sought. But to an intelligent and trustworthy member of the congregation our application was more successful, and to her we are mainly indebted for the following facts.

" The first Catholics concerning whose coming to New Brunswick there ie any remembrance was a colony from the province of Ulster, Ireland. They did oot number fifty in all, and ceme in two divisions, the first about 1814, the second in 1816. Included among these were the McDede, McConlough, McGrady, McShane, Campbell, Hagerty, Gilles, Kelly, De Vinne, Murphy, Butler, and Hasson families. These children, from the Isle of Sainte, form the original stock of our present Catholic population. For years they met in one another's bouses to recite the rosary and keep burning the light of faith. It was, owing to the scarcity of priests at the time, and the difficulty of transit to and from New York, very hard to obtain one even to say mass. There are tha descendants of one of these families who proudly tell that from the day their grandfather set foot io New Brunswick there has not passed one evening in which the family has not been assembled and the beade recited. It was to such piety as this that the original stock owed it that they kept the faith, kept it though they were laughed and jeered st, kept it though they bad no priest, and if they wanted to see one or to hear mass, or to receive the sacraments they had to go to New York, a three days' trip, undertaken only at great expense and difficulty, hut which they counted for almost nothing compared with the benefit and comfort received.

"The first priest concerning whom there is any recollection who visited New Brunswick wae a Father McDonough. He was on his way from New York to Philadelphia. As he was coming up George Street Mr. Butler and another Catholic were coming down. The pair espied the stranger and surmised from his appearance that he was a priest. He noticed that they were comparing notes concerning bim, and stepped over to interview them. 'You're Irishmen ? was his opening. 'We are,' was the response. 'Aod Catholics?' he continued. 'And you're & priest?' came the quick half question, half affirmation. 'I &m,' was the answer, which settled their surmises, and which opened for him & welcome such as Irishmen alone could give to the first priest they had seen in their midst since they had landed. The priest stayed at Butler's that night, and preached to the Catholics who gathered there that even- ing, and next day started for Philadelphia.

" Next cama the Rev. Dr. Powers, from St. Peter's, New York, about 1825. He said the first mess ever celebrated in the town, in a house oc- cupied by Terence Rice, in the upper end of Albany Street. The first baptism administered in New Brunswick was to Sarah Butler in 1825. Later ou, when Rice moved to the old ' Bartle Mansion,' on Church Street, where Zimmerman's store now is, mass was said there once a mooth.

" In 1829, Father Schneller came in Dr. Powers' place every month. Hle suggested and urged the building of a church. The people were delighted with the idea. But the most difficult part of the plan was to obtain & plot. No one would eell ground for a Catholic Church. In this difficulty Father Schneller borrowed six hundred dollars from Dr. Springer, of New York, & Protestant, intrusted it to Robert Butler with instructions to try and buy from Dominie Jacob Edmunds the plat oppo- site the present public school on Bayard Street. Butler eaw the dominie, said be wanted the property for himself and his children, which wae trne as far as it went. The sale was successfully consummated in the Dame of Butler. But when the transfer was made to the priest there ensued great excitement and objection on the part of our separated brethren; nevertheless the church went up all the same, and it was called SS. Peter and Paul's.

" It was a very plain structure of brick, with but two windows, and without a bit of paint on any of the woodwork. This was in 1830. The entire population of the town was six thousand, and the Catholic portion some three hundred conls. Father Schneller came ooce & month and said mass till 1833. At times hie place was filled by Father (afterwards Bishop) O'Reilly, who went dowo with the steamer 'President' some years ago.

"In 1833, Father McArdle came and took up bie residence in New Brunswick, where he remained until 1839, when he was transferred to Paterson. It was in his time that the terrible tornado which visited New Brunswick with such sad results in 1835 tore away the rear end of the church. The open space was closed up with boarde, and so remained till 1847.

" For some time the people were again without a resident priest, hut Father Medima, and after him Father Deniber, came every two weeks and said mass and ministered to the faithful. Next came Father McGuire, who took up his residence with Mr. Boylan, and remained until 1845, saying mass every Sunday in the little brick church.

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HISTORY OF UNION AND MIDDLESEX COUNTIES, NEW JERSEY.

" And now in 1845 came Father Rogers. A glance at his previous his- tory will be interesting.

" He was born in Fermanagh County, Ireland, seventy-seven years ago, and was well advanced in the classics when he met Bishop Dubois at his consin's in Dublio. The bishop gained the good will of the young student, who soon after left home and came to New York at his lordship's invita- tion. Before leaving home he went to the curate, between whom and himself there was a warm friendship, to seek his blessing. ‘God bless you,' said the priest, 'and may be I'll soon be after you to the hig land.' "Little did I then think,' said Father Rogers, some time since, ' that I would ever see him again, much less that I would one day succeed him here as psstor of St. Peter'a.' The curate alluded to was the Rev. Father McArdie, the first resident pastor.

"Having finished hisstudies at Chambly and Montreal, he was ordained priest in 1834 by the Right Rev. Bishop Lartigue. For some months, on request of Bishop Lartigue, he remained in Canada to administer the sacraments to some of the English-speaking residents, but his own su- perior, Bishop Dubois, recalled and appointed him to the parish of Onon- daga, N. Y. As a pioneer in this section of the country much hard work was his share, but he proved equal to the burden, and soon a new church was started, and by his uotiring energy and the earnest co-oper- ation of the people successfully completed. Indeed, so great was his zeal that it nearly cost him his life, for, giving all the time possible to the supervision of the new structure, he was one day on the ground when a hod-carrier was taken sick. The masons were calling for mortar, and a strong effort was being made to have a certain portion of the wall finished at a fixed time. The sun sent his fierce raye down upon the workers, yet the priest seized the hod, and actually carried brick and mortar till he was sonstruck himself. And it was while he was in bed under this stroke that a sick call came. He was wanted to attend a man fourteen miles off. The doctor told the priest he would never reach the place alive. Nothing daunted, the young priest ordered a hed to be put in a wagon, sayiog to those around him, 'I took the cross, and I'm not going to throw it down now that a man needs my help to get to heaven. If I only reach him-and please God I will-and administer the sacra- ments, I'm not afraid to die in harness.' And so he on his bed was taken to the man in his bed. The priest prepared the sick man and was carried home. The doctor'e prophecy never got a more living denisl.

" During the ten years he remained in Onondaga he was often known to attend sick calls at a distance of fifty miles, and on one occasion went over one hundred miles in a sleigh to administer the last sacraments. Yet amidst all this he found time for teaching the children, as instanced in the case of the present Bishop Boltes, who received his first Latin lessons from him in Onondaga.

" In 1844 he was sent to Jersey City, where he resided with the late Father Kelly, and went every Sunday for some time to say mass in Ho- boken, in an old barn opposite the site of the present magnificent struc- ture of St. Mary's.

"In 1845, Bishop Hughes sent him to New Brunswick, telling him that he would have to soak the rod of firmness in the oil of kindness, and with it whip out the serpent of the hateful old trustee system, which there as elsewhere had caused much trouble. And the priest was faithful to the charge; for thought the serpent raised its head the first Sunday he came, and occasionally afterwards, he then and always beat it down stoutly, but without any noise or commotion.

" The year before he came the church had been sold under foreclo- eure, and bought in for the congregation for $600. Meantime muss was said in Mr. Poylan's on Church Street. Father Rogers' first step was to lift this debt, and this he soon did by extraordinary work, and the church was again opened.

"In 1847 he tore away the boards that inclosed the back of the church and enlarged the edifice. Next he built a school and had about thirty children in ettendance. Meanwhile he lived in a little house beside the church, and some of the old folks laughingly tell that when they called on the priest he would invite theor in and bid them take a chair, seating himself on a trunk beside a little wooden table. Theu allowing the visitor to remain in perplexity for some moments, he would suddenly, as if reminded of the fact, apologize for the absence of chairs by saying in a very confidential tone that he had loaned them out the night before to a wedding party.

" Beside attending to New Brunswick, he also visited Perth Amboy, South Amboy, Woodbridge, Somerville, Millstone, Plainfield, and Prince- ton. He would have mass at 8 o'clock in New Brunswick on one Sun- day, and then go in a carriage to one of the above-mentioned places and say another mass. On the succeeding week he would go on Saturday afternoon to one of these places, hear confessions, and say early mass on Sunday. Hard work this, yet he never complained of anything save the

mosquitoes that would meet him on the way to Amboy, and escort him there and back with musical and insinuating assiduity, never leaving him, not even while he was on the altar. He has built churches in South Amboy, Plainfield, and Princeton, end added something to the one already io Perth Amboy. For years these places were the subjects of his unremitting care.

" In 1854 he had the Bayard Street church enlarged again, and put in a gallery and an organ. A Miss Fanny Ward was the first organist, and the present Miss Ann Nugent, whose hair is now snowy white, and whose voice is not as good as it used to be, was one of the first singers. There are those living who yet speak in high terms of Ann's touching rendi- tion of the hymn, ' Mother Sweet.'

" The building of the railroad bridge in 1835. the erection of the old saw-mill by Mr. Neilsoo, the starting of the rubber-factory by Mr. Horace Day shortly after, and the other improvements undertaken brought an increase of population, principally Irish Catholics, so that with those already here and those arriving it became necessary to build a larger church to accommodate them. In 1858 the site where the present St. Peter's Church now stands was purchased and the work started. The building and completion of the church, which is now one of the largest and most ornate as well as desirably located in the State, stands a worthy monument to honor the memory of this veteran priest, and a credit to the parish over which he has so long and faithfully presided. The cumuing of Father McCosker, now in Rahway, the work of Father Dng- gan and Father Downes, the large and commodious school on George Street, with eight hundred children, under the guidance of seven devoted Sisters of Chairty and two lay teachers, from whose lips the little ones learn the secret of true wisdom, the establishment of societies for young and old to unite and emulate efforts in the practice of virtue, the uo- tiring and eminently successful efforts of the gifted Father O'Grady are matters of present history.

" Father Rogers still lives, as hale and full of vigor as most men at half his age, and to mark his ruddy cheek and elastic step as he comes down every morning to say mass one would never suppose they belonged to one who probably labored with greater and more continuons zeal than any other leader of the good cause in New Jersey, and that against obsta- cles almost ioconceivable. And yet a more retiring, unostentations person it would be difficult to find. Every ons of his people remember some in- teresting anecdote about which bis characteristic wit and humor, or his gentleness, benevolence, and sanctity are conspicuous. May he live not only to ses his golden jubilee in 1884, but many years after, as our glory and our. pride in the future as he has been in the past !"

Mount Zion Methodist Episcopal (Colored) Church is one of the oldest organizations among the colored people in this city, being for many years (1827) holding services in different places until their church was built, situated in Division Street. It is with considerable difficulty to learn of the many pastors who have served this people. The Rev. Thomas Cuff took charge in 1879, and found a small membership, less than one hundred. The congrega- tions are good, and the church accommodates about three hundred and fifty. They have quite a large Sabbath-school ; Josiah Henson, superintendent.

St. James' Methodist Episcopal Church .- This church was organized from the First Methodist Epis- copal Church about the year 1860. Their beautiful Gothic brick church, with steeple about one hundred and seventy-five feet in height, cost $75,000; located on the corner of Bayard and Schuyler Streets (now called St. James' Place); was dedicated Nov. 11, 1866.

The following is a list of pastors: Revs. John E. Cookman, D.D., 1860-61; Frank B. Rose, 1862-63 ; James R. Bryan, 1864-65; R. M. Strattan, D.D., 1866-67 ; Robert Laird Collier, D.D., 1868-69 ; John McClintock, D.D., LL.D .; Otis H. Tiffany, D.D .; William V. Kelly, A.M .; G. K. Morris, D.D .; Ed-

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CITY OF NEW BRUNSWICK.

ward Wilson, D.D., 1877-78; John E. Adams, 1879- 80; John E. Price, A.M., 1880-82. Trustees, James Bishop, Garret Conover, Joseph Fisher, Jr., William E. Kelley, J. HI. Mattison, Christopher Meyer, R. G. Miller, G. W. Davies, J. G. Palmer. Stewards, J. O. Bedford, J. W. Fielder, J. J. Holland, William H. Mailler, H. S. Manning, G. B. Munn, G. B. Merri- man, W. S. Pettit, I. J. Schock. Financial Secretary, Joseph Fisher, Jr. Treasurer, William E. Kelley. Membership, 125; sittings, 450.

St. John's Evangelist Episcopal .- This church was organized in 1860. Their building is brick, situate on corner of George Street near Commercial Avenue, valued at $5000; accommodations, 300. The mem- bership is one hundred and twenty. The first rector of this parish was Rev. E. B. Boggs, who remained for some four years, and whose labors in this new church were successful. The present rector, who came in 1869, is the Rev. Charles E. Phelps. Senior War- den, J. S. Carpender ; Junior Warden, W. G. Par- sons ; Vestrymen, J. N. Carpender, Gen. J. B. McIn- toshi, W. Carpender, J. Belcher, L. T. Ives, W. Ree. Swift, C. D. Deshler, E. B. Young, M.D., and C. E. D. Phelps.

Evangelical Lutheran Emmanuel (German) was organized from some of the members withdrawing from St. John's German Reformed. Their church situated on corner of New and Kirkpatrick Streets, built 1878. Rev. Mr. Berkemeyer was first pastor, 1877. The Rev. John A. Dewald became their pastor in 1878. Their membership is about 150; sittings, 500.

St. John German Reformed .- This organization, with sixty members, elected their trustees in 1861. They have the same confession of faith as the Re- formed Church in this city. Their building is frame, valued at fifteen thousand dollars.

Their first pastor, in 1861-64, was Rev. A. Hoching. After he left the Rev. I. M. Steiner came and stayed one year. Their third pastor, Rev. Oscar Lohr, came in 1865 and stayed but a few mouths. Their present pastor, Rev. Charles Banks, was installed in 1868. Their present membership is two hundred and sev- enty. Their church, situated on corner of Albany and George Streets, has accommodations for five hundred.

Third Reformed (German) Church .- Organized in 1851. Their building is small, built in 1857, frame, situated in Guldin Street. The Rev. Prof. Carl Meyer, D.D., took charge in 1862. Their mem- bership is small, numbering not over thirty. Sittings, two hundred. Their pastor, Dr. Meyer, is one of the professors in Rutgers Theological College.

Union African Methodist (Colored) Church .- This has been but lately organized, in 1879, and has but a small membership, about thirty-nine. Their pastor, Rev. E. H. Chippey, took charge in 1880, with the prospect of seeing an increased attendance upon the worship of this young society. There is a

large colored population residents of this city who attend no church.

St. John the Baptist German Roman Catholic .- This church was organized in the year 1865. It is situated in Neilson Street, near Cannon, and accom- modates about four hundred persons. The Rev. Henri T. Martens is the pastor, and took the charge in 1874, and also conducts the Sunday-school.

Colored Baptist Church .- In 1876 a number of colored people belonging to the First Church were organized by themselves. They worship in a brick building built for them by the First Church. They are now known as the Ebenezer Colored Baptist Church, situate in Hale Street near Lee Avenue. They have been supplied with regular services, and now (1881) have a membership of about eighty. The Rev. Archie G. Young took charge in 1880. The church accommodations, one hundred. Their Sun- day-school superintendent, Hannibal Brown.

Second Baptist Church .- The subject of church extension had been agitated, but had been laid aside for the time. But a large number of the member- ship of the First Church desirous of having a new organization, March 16, 1872, a large plot of land was generously given by Deacon Van Wickle. A neat church was built thereon, on corner of Remsen Avenue and Redmond Street. Church accommoda- tions, five hundred. A Sunday-school was established. This was the first start of the Remsen Avenue Baptist Church ; now has nearly three hundred and fifty com- municants. The Rev. A. E. Waffle, their pastor, has been zealous in all its enterprises. It now has a large Sabbath-school, an efficient band of workers, and has greatly helped the cause of evangelical religion in that part of the city. Frequent gracious visits of the spirit in revivals have gladdened all hearts. John T. Morgan was the first deacon, 1872, and is also the superintendent of Sabbath-school.

Rev. W. H. Marsh, pastor, 1881.

Evangelical Lutheran Emmanuel (German) .- This church was organized in the year 1878, when Rev. John A. Dewald became their pastor. Their church, which will accommodate some five hundred, is situated on the corner of New and Kirkpatrick Streets. The president of the board of trustees is Mr. William Lins. This church, with a small mem- bership and but five years old, is destined to be within a few years one of the largest German-speaking churches in the State. This society is growing, and the pastor has everything to encourage him in his efforts in building up this congregation.

Jewish Synagogue .- There are a few families resident in this city, but feeling an interest in having a synagogue organized in New Brunswick, and feeling that the distance and expense to New York on their Sunday (Saturday) was too much, they in the year 1861 organized a congregation in a hall Nos. 9 and 11 Peace Street, named the congregation of " Anshe Emett," " Man of Truth." Reader, Rev. Isaac Shick-

736

HISTORY OF UNION AND MIDDLESEX COUNTIES, NEW JERSEY.

len ; President, William B. Plechner; Secretary, L. Opper ; and Treasurer, Aaron Wolfson.

Capt. Kidd .- It is stated that at an early day an or- ganized attempt will be made to dig out a mysterious wreck recently discovered imbedded in the mud on the shores leading into the Raritan River, and it is now supposed to have been one of the privateers of Capt. Kidd, and the idea has been lately strengthened by the finding in the vicinity of several pieces of sil- ver and copper coins and some strange-looking tools, evidently fashioned hundreds of years ago. It was in 1695 that adventurous privateers ripened into bold and merciless buccaneers and plunged right and left, regardless of the flag, which was supposed to be a guar- antee of protection. The American coast swarmed with pirates. No vessel was safe upon the waters, and the ocean commerce was almost destroyed. New York mer- chant vessels were rifled and burned within sight of her shores, and the pirates even entered her harbors and seized her ships as they lay at anchor. A vessel was fitted out to secure if possible; "subscriptions were raised to stimulate the capture of this noted pirate, Capt. Kidd. Ballamont was Governor at this time, and his maxim was no quarter for pirates," and it was sup- posed that he would be found at anchor in the Rari- tan Bay, in some of its inlets, " as this was one of his rendezvous." The faith has descended to the present day, and the mention of "Kidd's Treasure" still sug- gests to credulous minds visions of untold wealth lying almost at their doors, awaiting only the vigorous application of the pick and shovel.

The result of Kidd's enterprise caused great ex- citement and indignation both in America and Eng- land, and Ballamont, Livingston, and even the king were openly accused of having secretly connived at it and shared in the spoils. A motion was made in the House of Commons that all who had been in- terested in the adventure should be deprived of their official positions, and this motion heing lost by a large majority, the noblemen were impeached, and forced to undergo the form of a trial for their lives; but these charges against them could not be sustained, and all the accused were honorably discharged. The spot selected by Kidd for the burial of his treasures was along the Jersey shore, and the opinion is that vast treasures are buried near this city as well. The probably correct solution is that entertained in the early days, that Kidd's wife and daughter (he mar- ried a widow lady by name of Mrs. Sarah Oort, in New York City) knew of the location of the treasure, and that they secured the greater portion of it.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

STAATS CLARK.

His father, John Clark, was born Feb. 29, 1768, at Flemington, N. J., was a blacksmith, and while a young man settled in New Brunswick, where he

worked at his trade for a time, and about 1800 es- tablished the iron-store on Peace Street in New Brunswick, which he carried on until his death, Nov. 14, 1815. His wife, Ellen Schuyler, belonged to the old Schuyler stock, who were among the first Holland settlers in New York and on the Hudson, and was born Feb. 20, 1776, married Feb. 12, 1795, was a devoted member of the Reformed Dutch Church, and died Dec. 27, 1844. The children of this union were Catharine, died young; Abraham S., born November, 1797, was a merchant in New Brunswick, and died Sept. 5, 1830; John, born April 20, 1800, succeeded his father in the iron business, which he carried on until 1863, then retired, and died in March, 1874; James, born Aug. 8, 1802, studied in New York for a physician, settled in New Bruns- wick, where he gave his attention mostly to business pursuits instead of his profession, and died Aug. 30, 1850; George, died young; George (2d), born May 22, 1807, was a merchant in New Brunswick during his active business life; Staats, born Nov. 4, 1809, subject of this sketch; Ira Condit, born April 2, 1812, was a lumber merchant in New Brunswick, and died May 22, 1865; and David, born Dec. 4, 1814, partner with his brother John in the iron trade, died October, 1863.

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History of Union and Middlesex Counties, New Jersey with Biographical Sketches of many of their Pioneers and Prominent Men, Part 178

Author: W. Woodford Clayton, Ed. Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Philadelphia: Everts Number of Pages: 1224

Author: W. Woodford Clayton, Ed.
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Philadelphia: Everts
Number of Pages: 1224