USA > New York > Orange County > Monroe > Chronicles of Monroe in the olden time : town and village, Orange County, New York > Part 9
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Dr. Frank Gignoux was the son of Claude Gi- gnoux, a silk-weaver of Lyons, France. His mother's maiden name was Adele Christina, an English lady. The ancestors of the family were Huguenots, but his father was a Catholic. Several of his forefathers
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were soldiers, and one was rewarded for bravery at the battle of Waterloo, fighting on the side of Napoleon.
The doctor was a nephew of Regis Gignoux, an artist of note. His father emigrated to Staten Island, New York, where the doctor was born. He was edu- cated at St. Mary's College, Maryland, where he was a diligent student, judging from the numerous testi- monials of scholarship in possession of the family. He was graduated from the College of Physicians and Surgeons under Dr. Willard H. Parker, who pro- nounced him a most promising young surgeon, having unusual steadiness of nerve for a surgical
operation. After the usual hospital practice he served as surgeon in the Army of the Potomac, the battle of Antietam furnishing his first experience of the realities of war. He married the only daughter and settled on the homestead of Judge Miles Hughes, in the upper village of Monroe. Here he devoted the most of his time to farming, but was always ready for consultation with brother physicians, who were glad to avail themselves of his skill in surgery. He died October 1, 1883, aged forty-two years.
CHAPTER XXII.
LAWYERS AND LITIGATION.
W E have already alluded to the fact that Monroe in its early history was the scene of no little litigation, for the reason that the boundaries of the Patent and the subdivisions of it were ill defined and poorly surveyed. Lines overlapped ; monument trees and stones, the simple landmarks, were likely to be removed innocently. With poor fences and inclo- sures, cattle would stray and trespass and so enhance the causes of dispute.
It used to be said, "It required more gumption to cross Broadway, New York, than to be a country jus- tice." But men that had not merely crossed Broadway, but battled with the milkmen of Hester Street and followed up the tricks of middlemen, brought to the tribunal of justice in a country town no little shrewd- ness and common sense. They were not chosen, many at least, because of party influence, but be- cause they were men who possessed more than average sagacity to understand some of the plain principles of law, and also how to apply the equities in its ad- ministration. The cases that came before them were usually petty cases of disorder or theft, some dispute over trespass or an estray in which often a little good sense coupled with good advice could adjust the affair .
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Lawyers and Litigation.
without cost to court or loss to client. A litigious, grasping justice had it in his power to stir up jealousy between neighbors and keep the community in a state of chronic war, or could pour oil on troubled waters and still the tempest of strife by a few strokes of magisterial common sense. Monroe was blest with some such justices of the peace. But of others in the olden time we have heard the complaint that they loved to encourage litigation, and kept neighbor in feud with neighbor, and so were accountable for much of the unrest of the early times in Monroe.
One might have thought from the lesson taught by the sign in front of the Lynch tavern,-the badly dilapidated horseman and his pitiful confession, "I have been to law,"-that lawsuits would be very un- common ; but, on the contrary, they were very numer- ous. In early days, when there were few excitements and amusements, a lawsuit, a horse-race or a funeral was a time of general concourse. Lawsuits were commonly held at the country tavern, and the tavern- keeper found it more of a harvest than the counsel or the court. Of course at times there were very serious questions to be settled, but as a general thing much of the litigation was petty and ought to have been settled by arbitration. We have heard a case referred to a justice in which the parties were joint tenants of a bit of land on which they raised poultry and were in dispute as to the broods of turkeys and chickens. Their classification of the little and the big little ones gave the justice a harder example than he had with his own corn when the hail beat it down, and he said: "I am in doubt whether I had better amputate or splinter up." Another justice had a perplexing case submitted to him for decision. An
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Irish lady had a dog that thought himself a high commoner and ranged around among the gardens of Dublin at his own sweet will. During these preda- tory excursions he unearthed some of the tubers of a brother Hibernian and disturbed the order of his garden beds. Exasperated, he caught the trespasser just as the milk-train had hauled up at the station, when the happy thought struck him to put the pris- oner in an empty car, close the door and send him on to parts beyond. When this became known to the owner of the dog, she had him arraigned before Squire Seaman. Never was a man of the law so perplexed to classify the alleged crime. The Irishman pleaded he just thought a ride would be good for the "baste," and he put him in the empty car to take a ride to Oxford. It was not maiming nor assault, not trover nor trespass, petit larceny nor grand. As soon as the justice could obtain silence,-for both wanted to plead at the same time,-he dismissed the case. Another memorable instance along this line was the Dorking case. A kind-hearted neighbor had procured from us a dozen fine Dorking fowls, remarkable for their pure white plumage and the presence of a fifth toe in place of a spur. One of those pettiest of felons, a chicken-thief, came one night, forced the lock of the hen-house and bagged the whole lot. Suspicion fas- tened upon a neighbor of unsavory reputation; search was made at his house, where white feathers gave him away, while inquiry at Turner's restaurant fur- nished indisputable evidence in the feet of fowls five-toed attached to birds bought recently from the suspected party. He was arraigned and tried before the justice. A five-toed chicken foot was shown in court, together with a list of the latest quotations of
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the fancy poultry-market. Dorkings at that date were marked at from eleven to twelve dollars per pair. This brought the pecuniary claim to over fifty dollars; and as the breaking of the lock was an in- dictable offense, the court pronounced the prisoner guilty of burglary and grand larceny, and gave him the full penalty of the law, namely, six years in the penitentiary. Such exemplary damages put a pause to chicken thievery for a while. It is matter of record that the tender-hearted prosecutor relented toward the prisoner and after two years procured his pardon. But the generosity of his benefactor was rewarded by the culprit stealing a fine colt from Peter Townsend, Esq., for which he was sent up to serve out his full sentence.
Monroe has had its roll of lawyers as well as phy- sicians. The persons who conducted cases before the justices were often lay practitioners who, having read Blackstone and the Revised Statutes, brought no little shrewdness and common sense to bear in elucidating points of law and evidence. If a pro- fessional ventured to enter the arena, he would be handled without gloves, particularly if it were a jury trial. It is a common observation that the man of books is outwitted by the child of nature and experience.
We remember an instance in which the help of a neighboring lawyer was sought, and while the man of learning was making up the res gesta, he happened to apologize to his client for a smoky chimney, and wish he would go up and investigate the cause. When he had so done a bill was handed him for counsel fees, whereupon his witty client said, "I, too, have a charge of like amount for advice about the chimney."
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Thomas L. Carpenter, son of Dr. Ethan B. Car- penter, studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1868. He practised in New York and in the West. He is now connected with the Postal Telegraph and Cable Company of New York City.
John Charlton, son of Mr. Frank Charlton, of this village, was graduated at the New York Law School, has been admitted to the bar and is employed in the law office of Henry W. Taft, Esq.
Robert M. Gignoux and Claude, his brother, were the sons of Dr. Frank Gignoux; were born in Mon- roe; graduated at Yale University; studied, the former at Yale and the latter at the New York Law Acad- emy, and after admission to the bar practised for a time at Monroe, but soon removed to the city, where they have an office on Nassau and Cedar streets, New York. They are reported to have a large practice.
Fred. Hulse, son of Jesse Hulse and Ruth Webb, studied law at the New York Law School, and distinguished himself by his studiousness, winning both honors and premiums.
Mr. M. N. Kane, although not a native of Monroe, deserves to be enrolled with its sons, having taught in its school and married one of its fair daughters, Miss Emma Boyd. He has a beautiful home in Warwick, and a law office there and in Monroe. He has the honor to be corporation counsel of the latter.
To the legal roster must be added the name of Lewis R. Conklin, son of Geo. R. Conklin and Isa- bella Roberts. He studied at Exeter Academy, New Hampshire, at Yale College, and at the New York Law School. He enters his profession with high aspira- tions and bright promise of success.
CHAPTER XXIII.
CHURCHES AND CLERGY.
T HE churches and clergy of the olden time are worthy of notice. Provision was made in the Patent, or rather in the survey under the Patent, for religious worship; the surveyor, no doubt carrying out the instructions of the patentees, sought out a lot for a parsonage, and rejected one as too poor, set- tling upon lot 24. This is the present Peter Bush farm. A log hut was built here, beside a spring, probably for the minister ; but the spot was too remote from business centers for a church. The Presbyterians were the first to enter the field. The first sermon known to have been preached in this vicinity was delivered by Silas Constant, then a licentiate, under the care of Morris and Orange, known as an inde- pendent presbytery. He was stationed at Blooming Grove, and according to his own journal was accus- tomed to preach at the Clove. He began his work April 20, 1783, and was ordained September 25, 1784. About the former date he delivered a sermon to a congregation assembled under an apple-tree standing in the southeast corner of the orchard of the late Robert Fowler, Esq. The tree, shattered and broken, still remains; but the generation who knelt and prayed there, together with the preacher, have long
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since entered on their rest. The fruit borne by this tree is of delicious quality, subacid, flushed, and ten- der as a strawberry. Being nameless and unclassi- fied, it has been christened the Presbyterian apple. It is perpetuated in grafts in several Monroe or- chards. This first sermon was not without its fruits, for the people arose immediately to build. Daniel Miller, mill-owner at Seamanville, gave a lot of about two acres near by, for church and burial-ground. It has been considerably diminished since by encroach- ments. Timber was cut, probably on the spot, for the meeting-house, as it was called. Neighbors of all denominations were called out to the raising. Ne- hemiah Clark was among the number. When the neighbors stopped for him on their way to the scene of operation, he had just been made happy by the birth of a daughter. Whether he went on to share in the natal joy of the parish, deponent saith not. We only know that she was afterwards married to Stephen Bull, and was known by a large circle of friends as Aunt Betsy Bull. The family Bible con- tains the record: "Elizabeth Clark was born the 5th month, 28th day, 1783." This was the day the first church building was erected in the old Town of Cheesecock. The building was not inclosed till long afterward. The preacher preached from the carpenter's bench and the people sat on the sills. School was held in it during the week, and neighbor Sutherland's sheep would take refuge in it by night. The congregation was not organized till May 17, 1784, by Rev. Amzi Lewis, of Florida, and Rev. Silas Constant, at the house of Mr. John Bell of Baker- town. The name taken was " The First Presbyterian Congregation of Cheesecocks." Archibald Cunning-
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ham and William Miller, Jr., were chosen deacons. Afterward, say the minutes, " the church agreed to have a stated meeting, monthly, for business, conver- sation, and prayer." The names of those composing the church were: Archibald Cunningham and wife; William Miller, Jr., and wife; John Miller and wife ; Thos. Davenport ; Thos. Davenport, Jr., and wife ; Samuel Hall and wife; Jas. Lewis and wife; Jane B., wife of Timothy Smith; Mrs. Jonathan Archer ; - a little handful of corn whose fruit has since begun to shake like Lebanon. This religious movement was the result of an act of the legislature granting lib- erty of worship and regulating the organization of congregations, passed April, 1784. There were de- vout souls in the little flock, who deplored the low state of religion in the community, and the desolate condition of the congregation. Among them was good Mrs. Archer. Falling one day over the rude timbers, the people rose up and resolved to finish the building. They put in windows, door, floor, square pews, gallery, pulpit, and sounding-board. It was treated to two coats of paint, one in front, white, the other red, in the rear. But it was done so badly that one old man said he "could have thrown the paint on from a cup and done better." The sermons in those days were very long doctrinal discourses, with an intermission at noon, when the people lunched among the graves of the churchyard. The dominie would take the opportunity to answer in- quiries, converse with the children, for there was no Sunday-school, thus becoming acquainted with the wants of his flock. We do not know whether to wonder more over the endurance of the minister, or the patience of the people. One old gentleman, it
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is said, got tired, and going out, said, " I will go home and get my dinner, and if you are not through when I get back, I will hear you through."
It is related of one of the younger men that he would sit with his back to the minister in the old square pew and take a nap. One Sunday he had driven a pair of colts before his sleigh to the church with his sister. He had much trouble in tying them under the old trees. Just as the minister was about closing, his sister trod on his toe to awaken him, and he, dreaming it was his colts stepping on his foot, sprang to his feet and exclaimed, " Whoa, whoa!"
The music of those days was of a primitive order, like everything else. The precentor stood up and gave the pitch with his pitch-pipe, and the choir joined in. The tunes were marvellous with their fugues and trills, while the doleful minors, particu- larly on a communion occasion, made the service seem like a funeral. One Sunday, when the choir had chosen a lively air, one old man said it sounded like "picking up chips." When an attempt was made to bring in a cello, a deacon took it and threw it out on the grass. When, later on, a melodeon was brought in, a stern Scotchman arose and bare witness against the profanation by walking out and slamming the door. But we must not get the impression that there were no skilled musicians or sweet singers then. Deacon Van Valer built several pipe-organs, and his daughters could all play and sing. They and Wm. V. Mapes' daughters, with some others, under the lead- ership of the late Virgil Y. Thompson, poured from the gallery of that old church strains of music com- pared with which "Italian trills are tame." But now
" They are gone, all gone from their mountain home, And their song is not heard o'er the hills to roam."
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Churches and Clergy.
There were no stoves in the sanctuary then. The matrons had their small foot-stoves, which they filled with coals and took with them. They were intended for the feet, but were sometimes held in the lap. The rest of the congregation must be kept warm by the ser- mon. The sanctuary was also without lights. When there was an evening service, tallow candles were taken and snuffed,-if there were no snuffers present, with the fingers, a feat some prided themselves upon, effecting it without burning the hand. What dis- comforts, the young will say : to walk half a mile, with no overshoes, through slush and zero weather, to sit in a cold church and listen to an hour's dis- course on some abstruse point of theology or exege- sis. But there was many a weary soul comforted in that old house of God, and not a few of the young as well as the old brought into the fold of God. One aged mother was received by baptism at her home when eighty years of age, and five generations were present. Seed was sown early and late, and none can tell " which shall prosper, whether this or that."
This old structure stood unaltered till about 1840, when a movement was started to remove to the vil- lage, then feeling the boom of the coming railway. One party strongly advocated such a move. Others, interested in building up Seamanville, desired it should remain where it was, claiming all that was needed was a renovation. These latter prevailed. The square seats were taken out, the sounding-board removed, the pulpit remodelled, and a stove put in. Thus it remained for another decade. Meanwhile the other party went out and joined with the Methodists in organizing the Methodist Church of Monroe.
The Presbyterian congregation was not incorpo- rated until April 13, 1804, when the Court of Com-
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mon Pleas granted application for the same. Samuel Gregory, Gilbert King, Samuel Webb, George R. Fowler, James Smith and Isaac Bull were the first trustees. The court also granted permission to lease to A. Gates White, as long as wood grows and water flows, parsonage lot No. 24 in the Cheesecock Patent, containing 150 acres, for the consideration of one tenth part of a cent if demanded. Then the trustees purchased for a suitable residence for their pastor, Rev. Howell Powell, 58 acres of land from A. Gates White, situated on the east side of the stage road in the village, said White to pay the sum of £200, without interest, for one year; afterwards interest annually, till all was paid. Thus the farm on the road to Turners was exchanged for the John Brooks place, and here the early pastors lived. This was afterwards exchanged for a tract of 35 acres nearer the church. If the former was a stone quarry, the latter was mostly a narrow strip between two farms and stretching across the summit of Bald Hill. It had the advantage of elevation, from which the pastor could literally oversee his flock; but by reason of situation it was anything but a fruitful hill. The dominie was informed by one of his parishioners during a haying frolic that "he saw the last grass- hopper departing over the hill." After eighteen years of happy residence there, this was sold and the present glebe was bought, and on it was erected the com- modious manse.
It may be of interest to note that the incorporation was once permitted to lapse, through default of elec- tion of trustees. Application was made to Commis- sioner Francis Letts for the renewal of the charter, which was granted January 23, 1822.
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Churches and Clergy.
The salary for the first seventy years amounted to about 300 dollars per annum in cash, the use of parson- age and glebe, together with an annual donation visit.
This last was a peculiar institution, but adopted then by most feeble rural congregations. On a cer- tain eve, the community were invited to the manse to pay their respects to the minister and his family. They would come, young and old, laden with gifts, from a quarter of beef, or a load of wood, to a pair of slippers for the minister, or a tidy for his wife. A sumptuous table was spread by the hands of the ladies, and all sat down to eat. We have read of the astonishment of some ministers to find that the men ate up all the women brought, and the mixed multi- tude turned his house into bedlam, rummaged the bureaus, tumbled the beds and made the raven over the study door utter his melancholy "Nevermore."
We never saw it thus in Monroe. The refinement of its people made such a scene impossible. Those who have given the world the laughable pictures from which the general impression has been formed of the rudeness of the occasions must have lived among an uncultured people. With us the gifts were generous; leaving larder, bin, barn and woodpile full.
While the large proportion of the gifts were in hard cash, it was never reckoned as an equivalent of salary. Instead of rudeness, we experienced the most tender consideration and loving ministries, not merely in seasons of joy, but much more of sorrow. When the death angel entered the parsonage, kindlier hands never came to minister in the name of Jesus, brav- ing even the deadly breath of contagion. The record of such deeds is written in the book of God's re- membrance.
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Chronicles of Monroe in the Olden Time.
A Christian lady, Mrs. Jonathan Witherbee, now gone to her rest, related the following incident : When I was a child I wanted to attend a donation visit at the manse. Her father, mother, and elder sister were going. "Why cannot I go?" she said. " Because every one carries a gift," said her mother, " and you have none prepared." Whereupon she at once sat down and secretly knit a pair of stockings for the pastor's daughter. Then, after the family had driven to the scene of festivity, she came on horseback, bringing her unique gift, doubly precious because the free-will offering of her own childish hands. Truly it could be said, "She hath done what she could."
An eye that can sweep the horizon of the past must discern a marked progress in the intellectual, moral and spiritual condition of society. We have seen how much of intemperance and immorality fol- lowed the War of the Revolution. Then, too, the atheism of the French Revolution had scattered its seeds everywhere. The Druid Society of Newburg, which so boldly profaned the most sacred things, ex- erted a baleful influence upon the growing Christian institutions. It were not strange if these winged seeds found lodgment in the fertile soil of Monroe. This will account for the slow progress of the church in early times. The ministers of that day found that while they slept "the enemy sowed tares." But they were men of faith, good deeds and full of the Holy Ghost. Their very difficulties drew out the very best that was in them. So far as we have studied them, they were men of blameless lives, judged, as they must be, by their time. Social customs were tolerated then that are tabooed now by all good
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people. Judged by the moral standards of the time, they were men of lofty purpose and high integrity, far-reaching authority and influence.
Two sermons still extant demonstrate that one at least, the Rev. Simeon Jones, who preached more than a century ago, was a man of clear intellect, logi- cal power and large acquaintance with Holy Scripture.
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These men understood their commission to be to preach the Word. The acute speculations of to-day had not eaten out their faith. They bravely asked, " What saith the Scripture ?" And so left not the flock to wander in the mazes of doubt, but pointed to heaven and led the way. Thus grew up around them many a noble character. Listen to one. When some one rudely asked, " Granny, what busi- ness have you and I to be staying here to cough and suffer ?" she meekly replied, " Because it is the will of my Heavenly Father." We congratulated one aged mother upon the bestowment of her name on a grandchild, and asked if she were not proud of it. She said, " I have nothing to be proud of, but much to be thankful for." A venerable man declined the offer of certain religious books, on the ground that they were not original, but all plagiarized from one book which he already possessed,-his Bible.
Thus while all the former ministers are gone to their rest, their works follow them. They need no letters of commendation. They could say, "Ye are our epistle."
The following is the full list of ministers who have served the church, namely :
The Reverend SILAS CONSTANT, 1783 -.
SIMEON R. JONES, served one year. DAVID BALDWIN, served four years.
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The Reverend HOWELL POWELL, 1804-1806.
66 PORTER, served 18 months.
66 JAMES H. THOMAS, 1814-1816.
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66 JOHN WHITE, 1823-1824.
66 HOSEA BALL, 1824-1826.
JOHN BOYD, 1826-1834.
66 JOHN JAY THOMPSON, 1836-1846.
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