The Record of the First Presbyterian Church of Morristown, N.J. : v. 1-5 Jan. 1880-Dec. 1885, pt 1, Part 43

Author: First Presbyterian Church (Morristown, N.J.); Green, R. S. (Rufus Smith), 1848-1925
Publication date: 1976
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 826


USA > New Jersey > Morris County > Morristown > The Record of the First Presbyterian Church of Morristown, N.J. : v. 1-5 Jan. 1880-Dec. 1885, pt 1 > Part 43


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).


Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58


1


guest


1,


1


(٫٠٠


THE RECORD.


59


dues in specie." The society started with ninety-six volumes. At the end of the year. the treasurer reported $35.47 on hand, and an addition of twenty volumes to the library,


The society thus organized, went along swimmingly, until 1812, when a " Morris Li- brary Association" was started, and the "Association for Promotion of Agriculture and Domestic Manufactures" merged into it.


February 3d, 1812, a party of gentlemen met at Bull's Hotel and agreed to the pro- per measures, necessary for the organization of a Library, and adjourned until February 24th, on which day G. H. Ford was elected President, and was to be Secretary as well. A seal was ordered to be engraved. At the next meeting April 6th, they elected Jabez Campfield, librarian. The seal was received, and was very unique.' They received also a communication from the President of the "Society for the Promotion of Agriculture and Domestic Manufactures," who wished to sell out the old organization. It was duly accepted. The inventory showed 123 names, who were to be placed on the new company's books, together with 396 vol- umes, and other articles, amounting to $656.55. At this meeting, a code of laws was read and adopted, which was to govern the Library. It allowed a person holding a share, to have a book out not longer than one month, for which, each year, he was to pay fifty cents.


It also recognized strangers and non-pos- sessors of shares, but charged them ex- travagant prices for allowing them the use of books. No subsequent meeting is re- corded until February, 11th. 1815, but all this time the Library was in good running order. This meeting was of little impor- tance. In 1820, an amendment was made to the code of laws that any person, paying one dollar, was entitled to all the privileges of a stockholder. From the report of the librarian for 1820, the first report since its organization, we gather the following. The amount of scrip taken, is $417.00. The first year (1812) 144 books were taken out, at a fee to the librarian of six cents each, and in 1820, 600 were taken out, at two cents each.


In 1823 a number of shares were confis- cated by the association and advertised for


public sale in the Palladium of Liberty. They were all sold, except four. In 1825, the trustees presented Rev. A. Barnes, pas- tor of the first Presbyterian Church, with one of these (No. 1) shares, " to be used by him so long as he may remain pastor of the said church," and not subjected to yearly annuity. Mr. Barnes accepted the share, and was elected a trustee.


The next library, for public benefit at Morristown, was instituted June 16th, 1848. The books and chattels of the former or- ganization were purchased by the infant as- sociation, which started with the brightest prospects imaginable. This library was be- gun solely for the benefit of the apprentices of Morris County.


There were a great many in Morristown at the time who had none of the literary privileges which may be enjoyed now. This fact caused some of the best men in the town to get together and organize the needed society.


From the constitution, which is a finely written article, by Dr. R. W. Stevenson, we. learn that "The capital stock of the Asso- ciation was limited to fifteen hundred dol- lars, divided into shares of three dollars each, half of which was in three months sub- scribed."


This was a wise measure because the ap- prentice for whom the library was intended received no money for his work ;- what money he did manage to obtain he must ei- ther receive as a gift from his guardian or secure in small sums by work done " after hours."


Outsiders-that is, those people who were neither stock holders nor apprentices- could secure books only upon the payment of excessive charges which were not limited but were at the option of the librarian.


The library started with fifteen hundred volumes, ranging with many and frequent gaps, from Mother Goose to the English. Encyclopedia, and was considered for the times a very good collection. The library rooms were in the building now used by James Douglas as a drug store.


The association with various vicissitudes lived from 1848 until 1851. This library did without doubt, a great deal of good. The Apprentices' Library, at closing, had some twenty-five hundred volumes including all


: 1


- ¿ to. Ince r a and ich lge -- he 'e- lir


-


60


THE RECORD.


from the ancient books of the "Society for the promotion of Agriculture and Domes- tic Manufacture" to the " latest edition of Shakespeare in eight volumes." By com- mon consent the library was closed and li- terary mechanics were unable to read at reasonable cost for some time.


The Morris Institute succeeded the Ap- prentices' Library Association. It lived however but a short time. It was founded February 11th, 1854, with G. T. Cobb, Esq. as its president and J. R. Runyon, Esq. its secretary. They rented rooms in " Mr. Marsh's building" which is now called Washington Hall. They purchased or rent- ed all the books of the Apprentices' Library and in addition had a reading room with some of the prominent weekly and monthly peri- odicals. But the enterprise was not a suc- cess, the books were old and the privilege of reading cost so much that but few avail- ed themselves of it. The society dis- solved in two years and all the books were stored away in the building on the corner ,of Court and Washington Streets. Soon after this took fire and about half of the books were destroyed. The rest were stored in a safer place where they remained until they were claimed for the " New Library."


If any of the Associations whose history we have endeavored to give, met with any success it was because there were some who were really interested in the welfare of that institution. When this person died or his zeal abated, then, unless there was some one to take his place at the helm, the society likewise perished. Such seems to be the law of human nature,


About 1860, a number of gentlemen began to be impressed with the need of a library which might support itself and be in no way dependent upon the personal efforts of one or even two gentlemen.


In 1863, the Morris Lyceum took the mat- ter up and called a public meeting at Wash- ington Hall, December 26th, 1865. At this meeting, a committee was chosen consist- ing of Messrs. J. Whitehead, J. F. Voorhees, W. C. Caskey, W. S. Babbitt, J. T. Crane, E. J. Cooper, G. T. Cobb, A. Mills and Rev. R. N. Merritt. They drew up a charter which they presented at a public meeting, January 6th, 1866. It passed the State legislature in March of the same year,


The present library was really organized in 1872, although, as we have said, the com- missioners received the charter, several years prior.


The meeting for organizing the. " Morris- town Library and Lyceum" was held in the Grand Jury room, May 11th, 1872. At which meeting $3,700 was reported to be uncondi- tionally subscribed while $9,500 more had been conditionally subscribed. The next meeting was held in the same place, May 25th, 1872, at which time, after some dis- cussion, a board of directors was chosen. They immediately met and elected Mr. W. L. King, President, Mr. J. Whitehead, Vice President, Rev. W. G. Sumner, Secretary and Mr. E. F. Randolph, Treasurer. A com- mittee was appointed to " further subscrip- tions" and another to " procure information as to a site." At the meeting November 30th, 1872, Mr. W. S. Babbitt was elected Se- cretary, having been the month previous elected a director, owing to the departure from town of Rev. W. G. Sumner. At the same meeting, a communication from a ma- jority of the stock holders of the Morris Academy was received. They expressed a willingness to transfer the deed of the pro- perty to the Morristown Library and Lyceum, provided that in the intended building there should be a part set aside for a classical boys' school, and that they should receive stock in the new institution, in pro- portion to the value of the Morris Academy property. The board accepted this favor- able offer and, the property having been ap- praised, they issued the necessary certifi- cates.


A legacy of five thousand dollars had also been received during the year. This be- quest was by Mr. M. Blatchley who had taken a generous interest in the library and now his executors paid over this amount solely for the purchase of books. At the meeting of the board of directors May 28th, 1873, Mr. J. E. Taylor was elected to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Mr. Randolph.


The board of directors had secured the majority of the stock of the old Morris Academy. Still there was some out which could only be bought. So, at their request, the old academy property was sold, October 13th, 1873, by G. W. Forsythe, Master in


.5


THE RECORD.


61


Chancery, for the sum of six thousand dol- lars, to the Morristown Library and Lyceum. About this time a very pretty piece of poc- try appeared in the Morris Republican writ- ten by " South Street," we clip one stanza. " My heart seem'd standing still, Tom, my eyes were dim with tears,


" I thought o' their taking it away, where it's stood for many years ;


"They're going to build a library, Tom, open'd to high and low,


" In the place of the old school-house of fifty years ago."


How true this appears, for the new library is indeed " open'd to high and low."


The resolutions presented at the meeting January 10th, 1874, were two, the first offer- ing all architects an opportunity to submit plans for a proposed building ; the second " that immediate steps be taken to remove and store in a safe place, the old 'academy bell." The academy building was sold to Mr. Kelly for a small sum who removed it from the grounds. March 28th, 1874, a meeting was held at which it was decided to have the proposed building of stone ; and each architect was requested to change his plan accordingly. May 22nd Mr. G. B. Post was selected as the architect as his plans conformed most closely to the designs of the board. Stone was discovered of fine quality and attractive appearance on the land of the Morris Aqueduct near the Jockey Hollow road. On testing it, it proved all that could be desired and as there seemed to be an abundance, the board accepted the friendly offer of the Aqueduct Company to give them the stone.


During the year 1875, the building had been entirely enclosed. A large number of governmental documents had been received from Washington and Trenton, as well as a complete file of the " Palladium of Liberty" from the daughters of the publisher, Mr. J. Mann; these have been added to the li- brary.


During 1876 but little was done. Inside, the building had been partitioned off and the gas pipes had been laid, while without the walls had been pointed and the tile had been "set.". But during the succeeding year much more was accomplished. The building was nearly completed. The hall was finished except the drapery and the drop curtain. A very brief sketch of this room may not here be amiss. The hall is


nearly square. It has three ways of admit- .tance, by the front door, eight feet wide, and by doors on either side of the building. The stage is 23x50 feet, with retiring room in the entresol beneath it. The gallery is made semicircular, conforming somewhat to the curve of the stage. Four furnaces throw their united heat, when desired, into the hall. There are four private boxes, two on either side of the stage, and they are very finely made. The whole room is fit- ted up with opera chairs. It has a seating capacity of about one thousand. The acoustical properties of the hall are pro- nounced perfect.


At this time the library and reading rooms were in a bare and unfinished con- dition. They had secured for it the books of the " Apprentices' Library." August 14th, 1878 was set apart by the directors for the opening of the Library and Lyceum and it was a splendid success. Almost everyone who had heard of the library came during the day and evening, and were shown over the building by the directors. The ladies of the city had trimmed the library and reading rooms with flowers, and secured a band for the evening.


The library and reading rooms open to- gether. The front room neatly covered with a fine double linoleum and furnished with elegant walnut tables and chairs, is used as a reading room. On the tables may be found all the latest periodicals of importance, as well as some German and French month- lies. These may be read by anyone gratui- tously. The other room is a very large one and is used for the library. It is fitted up in alcoves with shelves ranged around the room. There are at present, exclusive of Public Documents, some 5207 vols. and con- stant additions are being made. The charge for the privilege of taking books from the library is very small. That 2245 vols. were taken from the building in six months, is pretty conclusive proof that the people of Morristown really appreciate the efforts of the gentlemen who have devoted so much time and money to the library. In the rear of Library and running the whole width of the building is the Morris Academy, now a very flourishing institution.


On the whole the Library and Lyceum, together with the School, may be said to be


ted tal Is- be th


1


٢٠١١ ١٠٠


1


11


1 035


62


THE RECORD.


a grand success, much grander in fact than any of the directors, at the meeting in '72,' ever expected. The library is the culminat- ing point of all previous Morristown li- braries.


What man in Benjamin Freeman's house in 1792, would have dared to prophesy such wide results from their feeble efforts? Still we, who may profit by the library have not only to thank and praise those venerable patriots, but also a gentleman of our day to whom we should be more than grateful for the great work he has done for the library. We refer to the President of the Board of Directors :


" I wander'd every where, Tom, till the time for us to part,


" Then I left the dear old place with a sad and heavy heart ;


" I thought of our dead playmates, Tom, and my tears began to flow


" As I bade fare-well to the school-house of fifty years ago."


HON. IRA CONDICT WHITEHEAD.


In the sketch of this gentleman's life, given in the last number of the RECORD, reference was mostly made to him, as con- nected with the church, and but little said about him as a Justice of the Supreme Court. There are some incidents in his life, as a Judge, which space would not permit to be given before.


When Judge Whitehead took his seat on the bench, no more able or brilliant array of Counsel was to be found anywhere than at the Bar of New Jersey. At the Capital of the State were Peter D. Vroom, Garret D. Wall, Wm. Halsted and Henry W. Green, afterwards Chief Justice and Chancellor, whose decisions in both those positions have been quoted by the English Courts with great approbation, and Mercer Beasley, now Chief Justice of the State. At this end of the State were Isaac H. Williamson, Theo- dore Freelinghuysen, Att'y Gen. and U. S. Senator, Wm. Pennington, for seven years Governor, Oliver S. Halsted, Senr., after- wards Chancellor, and Chancellor Asa Whitehead, Aaron S. Pennington, Henry A. Ford, Jacob W. Miller. Among the younger men were Benjamin Williamson, afterwards Chancellor for many years, Edward W. Whepley, afterwards Chief Justice, Amzi Armstrong, A. C. M. Pennington. In other parts of the State were Alexander Wurts, Abraham Browning, Abraham O. Zabriskie, Chancellor for one term, Win. L. Dayton,


made Associate Justice of the Supreme Court at the early age of 29, afterwards U. S. Senator and minister to France, Peter Vredenburg, also Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. Joseph C. Hornblower was Chief Justice. These are but representative men.


Judge Whitehead's first experience, as a Judge in a murder trial, was most peculiar, It was an important case, interesting in all its aspects and it created the profoundest sensation in the county of Essex where it was tried.


A house, near the Market street depot, at Newark, had been burned between eight and nine o'clock at night, and two persons, a man and his wife, destroyed by the fire. Suspicion pointed at once to a man named Thomas Marsh, the former owner of the property. He had exchanged it with Gers- hom Cheddick for a farm near Rahway. Marsh was a shrewd, cunning man, but, this time, had been outwitted by Cheddick in making the exchange. After his arrest, Marsh was indicted. The theory of the State was that Marsh, finding himself cheat- ed, determined that Cheddick should reap no advantage from his fraud, and resolved to burn the house down, before Cheddick could take possession. But Cheddick, fear- ing that he would not obtain possession of the house in Newark, removed his family thither before he was expected,and was sleep- ing soundly in the house on the fatal night.


Marsh lived in New York, and when the trial came on, it was necessary that his presence should be proved in Newark and near the house. The evidence of his guilt, en- tirely circumstantial, was dependent, in a large measure, upon the exact moment of time when the fire broke out. According to the theory of the State, Marsh came out from New York in the train leaving at eight o'clock, went to the house, only a few minutes walk from the depot, fired it and returned to the city in the train leaving Newark at nine o'clock. The evidence was strongly conclu- sive as to Marsh's guilt, but there was a linger- ing doubt in the minds of many as to its being sufficient to convict. He was, however, con- victed. Ilis counsel were a gentleman and his son ; the father, one of the leading men at the Bar of Essex County, an experienced and able advocate and who afterwards was


1


,


٠٠٠ ١٠٠


٠٠


.


١٠


٢٠


63


THE RECORD.


raised to the highest judicial position in the State. The son, then just licensed, was a young man of great ability and afterwards became prominent as a politician. The father and Judge Whitehead had been rival candidates for the position of associate Jus- tice, in which contest Judge Whitehead had been successful. During the trial the elder counsel for the prisoner, an impulsive, quick tempered man, had been led away by his zeal for his client, and perhaps by other feelings, to a course of conduct, which no one regretted more than he, and Judge Whitehead was obliged to order him into arrest. It was a most trying ordeal for a Judge, especially under the circum- stances. The forbearance, the dignity and Christian bearing of Judge Whitehead were most remarkable. But the most singu- lar part of the whole transaction was this, that before the close of the trial and on the summing up of the testimony to the Jury, the leading counsel for the prisoner showed most unmistakable evidence of aberration of mind. This placed the presiding Judge in the most delicate position. The manner in which, through the whole trial, he had met the difficulties of the case, had elicited uni- versal respect, but here was a new dilemma to meet which there could have been no possible preparation. It was met, however, and in a manner which only increased the admiration of those present.


After the verdict of guilty, Marsh employ- ed Asa Whitehead and Gov. Pennington, and a motion for a new trial was made to Chief Justice Hornblower, who was called in to hear and decide the motion. The Chief Justice, it is said, after argument, de- cided to refuse the motion and had actually, prepared an adverse opinion, but finally yielded to the arguments and persuasions of Judge Whitehead, and the motion was granted. Marsh was retried and acquitted.


The sound common sense mind of Judge Whitehead made him a valuable addition to the Bench. His opinions were always re- garded with respect, and were the result of thorough research and the most patient in- vestigation. One of the earliest delivered by him, in 1842, was in the celebrated case of Den, vs Allaire. This was an impor- tant case, involving many intricate and ab- struse principles of law, and the opinion of


Judge Whitehead, which was acceded to by all the members, showed immense amount of industrious labor and a thorough exami- nation of the subject. The cause was argued by the first Counsel in the country, Henry W. Green and William L. Dayton for Plain- tiff, and Peter D. Vroom and George Wood for Defendant.


All causes presented to Judge Whitehead, both at Circuit and at Bar, received the same patient, industrious investigation, and the record of his opinions left in the books of reports, only serve to enforce the respect that is due to a learned and la- borious Jurist and impartial Judge, and a Christian gentleman.


CLIPPINGS.


There is a beautiful practice common throughout a portion of Mexico for little children to kneel before a stranger and pray that he may have a safe journey.


A Coptic church of the fifth century has recently been discovered among the ruins of Thebes. The way down to it is by five brick steps, the floor is tiled and the walls are of rough bricks, bearing inscriptions. On a stela, covered with a hard white sub- stance, are 300 lines written in red ink in Theban, forming part of a sermon directed against heretics.


In Prussia the numeral Protestants are to the numeral Catholics almost exactly two to one. In Bavaria the position is more than reversed in favor of the Catholics, who are five to two ; in Elsass Lothringen they are more than four to one. On the other hand, Saxony, in spite of its Catholic king, counts less than 100,000 Catholics and not far from 3,000,000 Protestants. The Jews are about one-half of the population.


It is now claimed that Prof. Sattler of Munich, has solved the problem of the day of Christ's birth, and that he has demonstrated the fact that " Jesus was born on the 25th of December, 749 years after the founding of Rome :" so that the current year is pro- perly 1888 of this era, rather than 1883. This claim is heralded widely by German, English and American periodicals. Yet the truth is, that the arguments as made by Professor Sattler, and the precise results re- ported by him, are identical with those given


- me U. iter ;he łas ve a r. 11 t t


. .


٠٫


1


٠٠: ١٠٠


٠٤٠


٢٠٠


it. ..


1


. 1


١٦٢٫٠٠ ٤٠


:


1


64


THE RECORD.


by the Rev'd Dr. S. J. Andrews, of Hart- | 109,000 more, who have not ventured to have ford, Connecticut, twenty years ago, in the Chronological Essays which precede his life of our Lord,-a work which has prominence in England as in America for its critical ac- curacy in chronological details. The only addition by Professor Sattler is the corro- boratory evidence of certain Roman coins to which he refers .- Sunday School Times.


It has been claimed for German scholars that any statements made by them on bibli- cal or scientific subjects are entitled to the highest respect because of the well known fact that they give to the examination of any subject most extended investigation with patient and profound research.


The contributions of American scholars are now received with almost equal respect. In fact, it may be said that on both sides of the Atlantic, in many instances the results of American scholarship are held in just as high estimation as are those of the Ger- man.


In the last issue of the RECORD reference was made to this subject of Christian Chro- nology in connection with Prof. Sattler's views ; but. a doubt was expressed by the Editor, as to the date fixed by him of the birth of Christ, that is the 25th of Dec. It is not known whether Dr. Andrews agreed with Prof. Sattler with regard to this date, and the extracts just given from the Sunday School Times throw no light on that subject. Whether there is an agree- ment between these two learned scholars, or not, that doubt is still held. [EDITOR.]


The minutes of last Conference of the Methodists at Leeds, in Aug., 1806, repre- sent the members of that society to be as follows :


In Great Britain, 110,803


Ireland,


23,773


Gibralter, 40


Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and New Foundland, 1,418


West India, whites, 1,775


Colored people, 13,165 5 14,940


U. S. whites, 95,628


Colored people 24,317


119,945


270,919


Of these upwards of 109,000 are found in England and Wales, to which may be added


their names enrolled ; and, to these may be added the younger branches of families, making about 218,000 more, forming in the whole nearly half a million of persons ! ! !-- Monthly Magazine, April, 1808.


The exclamation points are not the RE- CORD'S. How many would the wondering editor of the Magazine have placed after his article, if he could have looked into the fu- ture and have learned.into what proportions the Methodists have now grown ?- EDITOR,


The time may be delayed, the manner may be unexpected, but sooner or later, in some form or another, the answer is sure to come. Not a tear of sacred sorrow, not a breath of holy desire, poured out in prayer to God, will ever be lost ; but in God's own time and way it will be wafted back again in clouds of mercy, and fall in showers of blessings on you and those for whom you pray .- Prof. W. S. Tyler.




Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.