USA > Ohio > Richland County > History of Richland County, Ohio, from 1808 to 1908, Vol. I > Part 23
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Irish lady. Gerry's eloquence was of a masterly, winsome style that was fascinating and won the hearts of his hearers.
But, notwithstanding his popularity and eloquence, certain persons doubted his sincerity. But, as the writer recalls the narratives of the pioneers, only two stories were told against the parson. One was this-that Gerry was once going to fill an appointment, and when he came to a place where men were "working the road," they assisted in getting his vehicle over a ditch. Gerry thanked the men in his most affable way for the service they had rendered him, in pulling a handkerchief out of his pocket, to add a little flourish to his speech, out came a pack of cards, also, and scattered hither and thither over the road. But Gerry was not in the least disconcerted; he smiled in his blandest manner and said: "It is not very creditable, gentle- men, for a minister to carry such things in his pocket. I had no idea these were the contents of the little package Brother B.'s children were send- ing to some of their little friends." The workmen, believing his story. assisted in gathering up the cards, but afterwards they told the incident against him.
How moral ethics have changed since then! Now card-playing is sanctioned by the "modernized morality" of today.
The other story was this: Gerry had borrowed a hundred dollars from David Coulter, and receiving a call from a town in the East, removed from Perrysville without paying Mr. Coulter. Sometime later, Coulter followed Gerry to the city where he had located, determined to collect the amount the parson owed him.
Coulter arrived in the city on Saturday night, and after a late break- fast Sunday morning, went out to see the town. People were going to church, and presently Coulter heard a familiar voice (Mr. Gerry's) say : "My dear Mr. Coulter, how happy I am to see you; I preach at ten o'clock : I am now on my way to the church. Come with me, please," and Gerry took hold of Coulter's arm, and they walked linked-arms to the place of worship. At the church door, Gerry said to Coulter, "I want to speak to you privately after the service."
Gerry's text was: "Love one another," and Coulter was affected to tears by the preacher's eloquence, and at the close of the service, Mr. Coulter sneaked out of the church, left the city, and returned home, feeling ashamed that he had gone to collect the note. So great was the power of Gerry's elo- quence, that Coulter was willing to forgive, as he hoped to be forgiven.
Writers who have been pleased to state that Parson Gerry left debts behind when he removed from Perrysville, have omitted to state that Parson Gerry's parishoners owed him double the amount that he was owing others.
The stories told of Parson Gerry are verifications of the lines that-
"The evil that men do lives after them,
The good is oft interred with their bones."
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THE "IMMORTAL J. N."
Jacob Newman Free, better known during the latter years of his life as the "Immortal J. N.," was born in Mansfield in 1826, and this city continued to be his home until he went to California as a gold seeker in about 1847. Prior to going to California he was employed for several years as a clerk in a drug store situated on the east side of Main street between Third and Fourth streets.
But little was heard from "J. N." while he was in California, except that reports came occasionally that he and some others had "struck it rich" there.
The Free and Leyman families were neighbors in Mansfield for many years. Mr. Leyman was a dry goods merchant and at one time was a mem- ber of the Ohio legislature. While "J. N." was in California, Henry Leyman disposed of his Mansfield business, removed to Shelby and opened a dry goods store there. This was in the early Fifties. In the meantime the Free family had removed to Mccutchenville. One afternoon, Mr. Leyman was surprised to see "J. N." enter his store, and was equally glad to see him. They conversed together as much as the business of the store would permit, and when closing time came Mr. Leyman invited "J. N." home and to re- main over night. "J. N." talked incessantly, and when bedtime came, "J. N." stated that he was not ready to retire, and Mr. Leyman sat up and talked with him until long after midnight. "J. N." was up early the next morn- ing and talked and talked, as he had the night before. After breakfast was over he accompanied Mr. Leyman to his store, and soon afterwards took his leave and to go to his father's at Mccutchenville.
At the dinner hour, Mrs. Leyman inquired of her husband, "What's the matter with Jake?" "J. N.'s" old neighbors familiarly called him "Jake." Mr. Leyman replied that he had noticed that "J. N.'s" talk was rather incoherent, but he attributed it to his excessive joy in getting back to the home of his boyhood again.
Although "J. N." had promised to write to Mr. Leyman, he failed to do so, and the next Mr. Leyman heard of him, was from newspaper reports that he was "lifting the veil." He had blossomed out as a philosopher and had taken to the lecture field. In his lectures he claimed he lifted the veil of error to let the people see the truth. A gentleman onee inquired of him what he meant of "lifting the veil," to which "J. N.," who was quick at repartee, replied, "I would willingly explain it to you, sir, if I thought you had intellectual capacity to understand it." "J. N." was an inch or two over six feet in height and was well-proportioned in build, with weight cor- responding to his height. He was a fluent speaker, with a good command of the English language, and during the first few years of his lecture itinerancy he drew fair audiences. His lectures were always free. One instance will be given. In a village in Ohio, noted for its being the location of an institute of learning, "J. N." lectured three evenings before even the professors caught on that his mind was somewhat unbalanced. The first time the writer heard him speak was in the state house grounds at Columbus, during a Democratic state convention, soon after the close of the Civil War. He
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stood upon a store box and hundreds of people had gathered around him. He had a fine stage appearance, was dressed in black, and his frock coat was of good length, as was the fashion at that time. He had a rich, reso- nant voice, his inflections were perfect and he euphoniously rounded his periods.
The Civil War troubled him very much. He claimed that if the people had accepted his philosophy there would have been no war. That Abraham Lincoln was right, and so also was Jefferson Davis - each from his own standpoint. In the early days of the war, "J. N." had announced a lecture in Mt. Gilead, Morrow county, and after he had closed a very eloquent dis- course, an erratic resident of that place attempted to reply to him in a speech. He was very partisan in his views and denunciatory in his statements of all who did not agree with him in his views. At the close of his remarks, "J. N." briefly replied, "My friend, your philosophy is too narrow ; your speech may do for Mt. Gilead, but it would not be received in Richmond, Virginia, nor in any other place in the South, while my philosophy is so broad that it knows no North, no South, no East, no West, nothing but the Fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man." "J. N." was above politics. He lectured in both North and South during the Civil War, and after its close, visited Jeff Davis in prison.
Early in his "career," "J. N." had himself incarcerated in the Mansfield jail as a martyr to the truth. This he did at a number of other places, to enable him to bear the pressure for others, as he put it. It cost "J. N." nothing to travel, as he had railroad passes on nearly all the railway lines in the country, and landlords extended the hospitality of their hotels to him, being flattered that he was their guest.
Mansfield being "J. N.'s" former home, he visited here frequently, and upon such occasions he invariably made my newspaper office his head- quarters. Upon one of these visits his mind seemed to clear, and he talked freely of the condition of his mind and of what he had suffered, adding that no one realized the great mental load he was carrying. But in a few min- utes his old condition returned and he talked incoherently again.
Many reasons have been given to account for "J. N.'s" mental condition, one of which was, that in practicing law, an important case upon which he was engaged, had affected his mind. In answer to this, he made a state- ment in the public room of the Hotel Southern, during his last visit to Mansfield, that he had never read a page of a law book, and had never attempted to practice law. Another story is that it was caused by a jilted love affair, but that theory is so common and old that it has moss on its back. Another theory, and seemingly a more reasonable one, is that his partners in California got away with "J. N.'s" share of the wealth they had acquired. Then, again, that he had been assaulted and injuries inflicted upon his head caused his later mental condition.
As there is no authenticity in the matter the theories must remain as visionary conjectures.
Upon the occasion of one of "J. N.'s" visits to Mansfield, he was dis- coursing to a crowd from a store box at the northwest corner of Main and
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Third street, and, it being near the Fourth of July, some wag fastened sev- eral bunches of firecrackers to the long skirt of "J. N.'s" coat. And while the speaker orated the firecrackers were set off, but "J. N." didn't flinch. While the fireworks cracked and sizzed and sputtered, the speaker seemed unmindful of it all, and continued his oration as though nothing unusual had occurred.
Upon "J. N.'s" last visit to Mansfield, his physical decline was apparent to all, and his remarkable memory of faces and events was sadly noticeable.
In the winter of 1906, "J. N.'s" condition became such that he needed more attention than his distant relatives were able to give him, and he was sent to the asylum at Toledo, and the record there shows that he was admitted to the institution on March 30, 1906, as a patient from Wyandot county, and that he died June 27, 1906, and that his remians were sent to Mccutchen- ville, Wyandot county, Ohio, for burial, Mccutchenville having been con- sidered his home. The cause of his death was organic heart disease.
THREE PECULIAR CHARACTERS.
Sixty years and more ago three peculiar characters lived in Mansfield. They were Orrin Pharris, Frederick Hable and John Jacob Foos. Hable was a German by birth and a baker by occupation. He was a quiet indus- trious man who attended to his own affairs and kept his own council. With the usual German thrift, he accumulated property, and at his death left an estate worth $5,000, and as no relative appeared to claim it, it was escheated to the county.
Foos was also a German. He came to Mansfield from Cadiz, Harrison county, and lived with Frederick Hable until the latter's death. From what can be collected concerning this strange old man, the story of his life is a sad one. He was a tailor by trade, and when he came to Richland county, purchased a lot on east Diamond street, just below the St. James alley, and also two quarter sections of land, one east and the other south of the city. He toiled industriously at his trade and made the fashionable garments for the then gentry of Mansfield. At Cadiz he had fallen deeply in love with an English maiden, who did not reciprocate his affection, and when she cast him away, his head was turned, and his heart was deeply wounded. But the smiles of another maiden healed the wound and the prospect of a home of his own, made cheerful and happy by the hand of a wife, brightened his life for a time, but when she, too, cast him away, it was too severe a blow and it left him broken-hearted and insane, so that he became a public charge. He and Hable still lived together and the home was always the picture of cleanliness and neatness, though it was the bung- ling hands of men that kept the house in order. Foos, helpless and hopeless, and harmless, long survived his friend, and his form was familiar to all who had ever stopped in the city. When, at last, he was called from what to him was a life of suffering, he was buried in the beautiful cemetery on the hill, and the authorities erected a monument to his memory.
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After Foos became deranged, he became a sort of a weather indicator, and before the approach of a storm would go along the streets calling out something that sounded like "Too for Flufter." At other times he would scold some imaginary person or thing and would often wind up his tour at the courthouse, where he would look at the buildings with considerable concern and scold vigorously.
In mentioning the name of Foos another name cannot be forgotten. It is the name Ferris, who is remembered as the "old fiddler."
In their earlier days Foos and Pharris were each well-dressed, as tailors usually are, and each was good looking. They worked for Judge David Mccullough, on Park avenue east.
Later Pharris, or "Old Ferris," as he was usually called, was severely burned, which disfigured his face so as to render it repellent. Pharris was a violinist, and at a ball at Granville, he refused to play for a certain dance, whereupon a young man of the party poured alcohol over Pharris' hair and beard, and inhumanly set fire to the same, burning the poor fiddler so severely as to disfigure him for life. It is stated that when Pharris saw in a looking glass the appearance he presented, that his mind, which had pre- viously been somewhat affected, became unbalanced, and the remainder of his life was spent as a wanderer, singing and playing for the food that would be given him. He was harmless, and it was his custom to walk along the streets, singing and playing an accompaniment upon a fiddle. He sang with deep feeling, and of his playing, one who knew him well once wrote: "Ole Bull could not draw a smoother bow, nor produce sweeter melody upon the violin than could Orrin Pharris."
It is said of Pharris that he never used profane language and that he was never a scoffer. His music was of a religious character, and his hymns were sung as though his soul went out with them in pleading and devotion. One of his favorite songs was:
"Show pity, Lord; oh, Lord forgive, Let a repenting sinner live. Are not Thy mercies large and free? May not a sinner trust in Thee? My crimes are great, but can't surpass The power and glory of Thy grace. Great God, Thy nature hath no bound, So let Thy pardoning love be found."
Pharris often made trips to neighboring villages, and upon one of these trips he was taken sick at Shelby, and from there he was conveyed to the county infirmary, where sometime later the summons, which comes alike to prince and pauper, came from the skies for poor Pharris, who met it with "Take and save a trembling sinner, Lord,"
and the earth-life which had held for him so little joy, so much of sorrow, was no more. He had been a bit of harmless driftwood, caught in an eddy, while the murky stream of time hurried on with its burden of humanity. There was a quiet funeral, and the worn-out old body of Orrin Pharris was
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laid to rest in the little cemetery by the road-side, where sleep many unfor- tunates of the county, who found life too hard a problem for them to work out. Only a plain coffin, only a pauper's grave, only a rattling of clods as they covered from sight the form of one who in life had music in his soul, and whose every song was a prayer. There were no flowers, no eulogy, no peal of organ, no chant of choir, no line of carriages, none of the trappings of wealth, nor paraphernalia of display.
Pharris was only a poor old creature, scarcely noticed by the busy world, but it was a human soul that in life dwelt within him, and now, that it is released, who shall say that it has not a higher place and a brighter crown than have some who are more fortunate in life.
THIRD ANNUAL MEETING OF THE RICHLAND COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
The third annual meeting of the Richland County Historical society was held in the G. A. R. rooms, Memorial building, Friday, June 14, 1901. The Mansfield Daily News gave a stenographic report of the meeting, which is here copied intact, being full of historical matter :
After the meeting had been called to order by President Brinkerhoff the Rev. F. S. Folke gave the invocation.
General Brinkerhoff then delivered an address entitled "The Objects and Aims of the Society," as follows:
GENERAL BRINKERHOFF'S ADDRESS.
The Richland County Historical society, under whose auspices we are assembled today, was organized November 23, 1898. By its constitution its annual meetings of members for the election of officers, the reception of reports and other necessary business, are required to be held on the first Mon- day of December, but in addition it is provided that in the month of June. each year, another meeting shall be convened, to which not only members but all others interested in historical matters shall be cordially invited.
This requirement has been complied with and today we hold our third annual meeting, and we extend a cordial welcome to all who care to honor us with their presence. We do not expect a large attendance at these meet- ings for the reason that most people are too much absorbed in the cares of the present to give much attention or thought to the events of the past, but yet we are glad to report a fair attendance at previous meetings and a grow- ing interest in our work.
The meeting last year was especially noteworthy through the presence with us of a delegation of members from the Firelands Historical society, . headed by its distinguished president, the Hon. Rush R. Sloane, of San. dusky, who delivered a very able and instructive address.
The address of Judge Sloane was followed by an exceedingly interesting talk upon Richland county history by our friend, townsman and associate member of world-wide fame, the Hon. John Sherman, who has since passed
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away. Today, again, we expect distinguished visitors, from two of whom we have the promise of addresses this afternoon.
The object of this society, as its name indicates, is to preserve for future generations an enduring record of all important matters pertaining to Rich- land county. During the past fifty years several societies have been organ- ized for this purpose, and through their efforts and the enthusiasm of a few individual historians the history of the county prior to 1880 has been fairly well preserved in a volume of nearly a thousand pages. This volume, like all others of a similar character, has numerous errors, which we are now able to correct and also to supplement with much additional history entirely new, but upon the whole this volume for accuracy and extent is creditable to our county. I am quite sure there are but few county histories in the state that are more satisfactory. Still much remains to be done to complete it and since its publication the events of twenty years and more have come and gone, and it is the duty of this generation to make record of them or they will soon pass into oblivion. This duty our historical society has been organized to dis- charge.
This society, unlike its predecessors, we hope will be permanent, and we appeal to our fellow citizens to make it such by becoming active and per- manent members. What we want to do this year and what we think ought to be done every year is to publish a report which shall contain the proceed- ings of our annual meetings and other matters of historic interest gathered during the year.
The Firelands Historical society has published such report for thirty years past, and the result has been that historic events of importance have been preserved more fully in Erie and Huron counties than anywhere else in the state. One of the features of the Firelands annual reports, which seems worthy of imitation is the publication of biographic sketches, with photogravure portraits of all members deceased during the year.
The state of Ohio next year will be a century old, and for that century no state in the Union has a nobler record, and of its eighty-eight counties the county of Richland has contributed its full share of noble achievements. In fact there are but few other counties which have contributed so many men and women of state and national reputation, and we ought to be ashamed of ourselves if we fail to preserve an adequate record of their deeds. Under these circumstances the Richland County Historical society appeals for memberships and cordial cooperation. The terms of membership are one dollar and annual assessments not exceeding that amount, sufficient to secure the publication of our annual volume, to which every member will be entitled to a copy.
The Firelands annual publications range from one to two hundred pages, and ours probably will be about the same. Our secretary, A. J. Baugh- man, will receive subscriptions and issue memberships at the close of this meeting or at any other time in the future.
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ADDRESS OF WELCOME.
Captain I. N. Thompson made the address of welcome and spoke as fol- lows :
"I come not here today to welcome the citizens of Mansfield, or of Rich- land county, to this, their meeting of the Historical society; for it is sup- posed they know their geographical latitude and longitude and altitude. But there may be many, very many, intermediate roses, and garlands, and gems, and even pearls, and jewels and diamonds hidden away or only par- tially revealed in this said latitude and longitude.
" "T'is true that the sacred desk, the public press, the public schools and colleges have polished and embellished immortal jewels, fitting them for royal diadems, and all useful avenues of life.
"The skies have been lit up by the blaze of factories and furnaces. instead of the red man's campfire. The Indian's war horse, with its uncouth and uncultured savage rider and bloody arrow and scalping knife, have been relegated to the far distant West, and the iron horse, with its skilled engineer, now traverses and bisects our country, bearing the surplus products of our farms and factories to foreign markets, and bringing back to us that which is demanded by culture and refinement.
"The willing hand of industry, the dexterous and cunning mechanic, and the enterprising capitalist have given to Richland county an exalted and honored position in the galaxy of eighty-eight counties in grand old Ohio.
"Notwithstanding our past achievements we heartily and sincerely wel- come you, our invited guests, our qualified and competent instructors from the other eighty-eight counties of Ohio. With outstretched hands and open hearts we welcome you and ask you to assist us in gathering up hidden and partially concealed roses and gems, even jewels and diamonds in this said latitude and longitude, and we ask you to help us unify our efforts with yours to establish a more accurate and correct historical basis, and we sincerely pledge ourselves to be receptive pupils at the feet of our qualified .Gamaliels.
"Had such historical societies as this been in vogue thousands and thou- sands of years ago we would not now have occasion to lament the 'prehistoric periods.'
" 'Give us the truth;' this was the stern request of the great Napoleon to his marshals when they were sent out to fight the enemy. 'Give us the truth' is our request of you, our invited guests, that we might pass it down to the youths of our land as an inheritance worthy of their guidance and emulation. 'Give us the truth' that we may ever remember this 14th day of June. 1901. as the one hundred and twenty-fourth anniversary of the adoption of the red, white and blue-the emblems of our nationality.
"Citizens of Mansfield and Richland county receive these, your invited guests with your proverbial cordiality."
Responses to the address of welcome were made by a number of mem- bers of the society who were present.
A. J. Baughman delivered an interesting address. the subject of which was "The Pre-historic Earth-works of Richland County." The address was as follows:
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A. J. BAUGIIMAN'S ADDRESS ON THE PRE-HISTORIC EARTH-WORKS OF RICHLAND COUNTY.
"Here stand mounds, erected by a race Unknown in history or in poets' songs."
"In our own county we see evidences of a pre-historic people whose origin and fate are unknown. We know of them only by the monuments they reared in the form of earth-works, and as these principally are mounds, we call the people who made them 'Mound Builders.' The term is not a distin- guishing one, for people the world over have been mound builders, more or less from generation to generation.
"In no other country are earth-works more plainly divided into classes than here in America. In some places fortified hills and eminences suggest the citadel of a tribe or people. Again, embankments, circular or square, separate and in combination, enclosing, perhaps, one or more mounds, excite our curiosity, but fail to satisfy it, and we ask, 'Are these fading embankment; the boundaries of sacred enclosures, or the fortifications of a camp, or the foundations on which were built communal houses ?'
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