USA > Ohio > Twenty-five years in the West > Part 25
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January, 1868, had another discussion with J. S. Sweeney, in Manchester, Ill., which continued four days. Mr. S. is a valiant defender of eternal woe. I admire him for his consistency. He believes in endless damna- tion, and preaches it, and defends it with all his might. He has on his tongue's end about all that can be said in favor of that terrible dogma, and he tells what he knows about as well as a man can. Large congregations at- tended, and much interest was taken in the discussion.
I also had a discussion in Farmer City, Ill., with Eld-
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In the West.
er Roberts of the Disciple church, which continued four days. He could not do much for his cause, but the occasion gave me a fine opportunity to present the gospel to the people in its fulness.
Likewise had a debate in Kirksville, Mo., with J. S. Sweeney, of Chicago, which continued four days. It was held in the Chapel of the College in that place by the re- quest of the Faculty. It attracted much attention, and large numbers attended. Some thirty ministers of differ- ent orders were present . The debate was reported, and is published, making a book of over four hundred pages. Have room for only one or two short extracts :
" Do not again charge me with misrepresenting your hell while you sing such horrid descriptions of it. La- dies and gentlemen, make hell mild as you please ; but if it is endless in duration, its horrors are PAST IMAGINA- TION. A billion of years is only one second of eternity, and so would be only one second of an endless hell. Try to count a billion - 1,000,000,000 - which is a million times a million. This is quickly spoken ; but no man can count it. If Adam had counted 200 in a min- ute, and had kept counting to the present hour, he would not have counted one billion. Counting 200 a minute, would be 12,000 an hour, 288,000 a day, 105,120,000 a year; and to count a billion would require more than 9,512 years. What a vast period, then, would be one billion of years! What a vast period then for immortal souls to suffer ! And after one billion, they must suffer another billion, and ANOTHER, and ANOTHER, and ANOTHER; aye, after suffering a MILLION OF BILLIONS OF YEARS, be no nearer the end of their damnation, than when they commenced ! And all this for the sins of THIS BRIEF LIFE! Yes, for not being
2
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Twenty-Five Years
immersed in water! My God, what a creed ! I could not believe such a monstrosity if I would; and I would not if I could. And this fathomless, boundless eternity of wretchedness for no possible good.
"I repeat, and all this wretchedness for NO GOOD to EARTH, HEAVEN Or HELL; to GOD, ANGELS, Or SPIRITS ; but only to gratify a FIENDISH SPIRIT, that even the devil of the gentleman's creed would be ashamed of.
" In the Chicago Daily Tribune of December 28, 1868, is a sermon of his reported, on Spiritualism ; and in it he discusses the locality of the hell spoken of in 2 Peter ii. 4. 'For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell,' etc. He sums up his convic- tions of the locality of this place in these words: '1 think, therefore, that by Tartarus'-the Greek word ren- dered hell in that place -' Peter meant the dark regions encompassing earth -our atmosphere-the air.' This is definite enough. Hell is 'THE DARK REGION ENCOM- PASSING THE EARTH; ' and, that we may know exactly where that 'dark region ' is located, he says it is 'OUR ATMOSPHERE - THE AIR.' We know now exactly where that famous place is situated. It is not in the center of the earth, and the volcanoes its chimneys ; it is not in a wild comet, or in the blazing sun ; it is the atmosphere all around this earth of ours. Columbus enjoys immor- tal renown for having discovered this continent; but brother Sweeney beats him - he has discovered a world -- ' the world of woe; ' and, if it was not already named, I should move that it be called - SWEENEY.
" We not only know now where hell is located, but we know its length, breadth, and depth. Wise men tell us, that the atmosphere extends forty-five miles from the earth, all around it; and knowing the dimensions of the
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In the West.
earth, we can calculate the square miles of the devil's dominions. If our friend is right, satan has actually blockaded our planet, and every soul that goes to heaven has to run the blockade ; and that must be rather danger- ous business, if the accounts we have of his industry, watchfulness and prowess are reliable. Only think of going forty-five miles right through the very center of that old rascal's kingdom ! It must be a perilous adven- ture. But then the trip must be made by every soul that reaches paradise. The only road from earth to heaven is through hell.
" But my friend tells us, that the air, hell, is ' the dark region encompassing the earth.' That is another won- derful discovery the gentleman has made. I have always supposed that the atmosphere was light, save when shaded by the earth or moon. Recently, two men in a balloon went seven miles right up into the air, and it was light up there, and light as far as they could see. But then, Mr. Sweeney says the air is a "dark region," and we must believe it, for don't he know ?
" Hell is generally supposed to be a very hot place. I once heard a preacher relate, that hell is so hot that if a soul were to be taken out of it, and put into a smelting furnace, red hot, he would freeze to death in five min- utes. True, the men just mentioned, who went seven miles into the very heart of hell, though it was August, came near freezing to death, it was so cold up there. But then, they must have mistaken their feelings - they must have come near roasting instead of freezing, for don't these preachers know all about the temperature of hell ?
" But there will hardly be any more ballooning after this astounding discovery of our second Columbus, that hell
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is in the atmosphere. Who will have the courage to venture up there after this? Who will dare climb a tree, or go to the top of the Chicago or St. Louis Court-house, after this amazing announcement ?
"But our friend has unwittingly told us the truth about his hell - it is all air - all GAS."
I was not at home when the Great Fire of October ninth and tenth, 1871, laid Chicago in ashes, but re- turned about the time it was extinguished. It was, doubtless, the most destructive conflagration that ever desolated any portion of the earth. In the West Divi- sion about one hundred and ninety-four acres were burned over, including sixteen acres swept by the fire of the previous evening. This district contained several lumber yards and planing mills, the Union Depot of the St. Louis and Pittsburgh & Fort Wayne Railroads, with a few minor hotels and factories, several boarding houses and a host of saloons. The buildings burned - about five hundred in number - were nearly all frame struct- ures, and not of much value, but were closely packed together. About two thousand two hundred and fifty persons were rendered homeless in this Division.
In the South Division the burned area comprised about four hundred acres. The southern boundary line was a diagonal, running from the corner of Michigan avenue and Congress street, west-southwest to the inter- section of Fifth avenue (Wells) and Polk street. On the other three sides the bounding lines were the lake and the river - only one block (the Lind) being left in all that area. This district contained the great majority of the most expensive structures in the city, and all the wholesale stores, all the newspaper offices, all the prin- cipal banks, and insurance and law offices, many coal
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In the West.
yards, nearly all the hotels and many factories, the Court-house, Custom-house, Chamber of Commerce, etc. The number of buildings destroyed in this Division was three thousand six hundred and fifty, which included one thousand six hundred stores, twenty-eight hotels, sixty manufacturing establishments. About twenty-one thousand eight hundred persons were rendered home- less, very many of whom were residents in the upper stories of the palatial structures devoted below to com- merce. There were, however, many poor families, and a great many human rats, resident in the western part of this territory.
In the North Division the devastation was the most wide-spread, fully one thousand four hundred and sev- enty acres being burned over out of the two thousand five hundred and thirty-three and one-half acres in that Division. And even this statement fails to convey an idea of the wholesale destruction wrought there, because the territory unburned was unoccupied. Had there been any except widely scattered structures in the un- burned portion, they, too, would have been destroyed.
The fire licked up all in its path, and paused only when there was no more food whereon to whet its insa- tiable appetite. Of the thirteen thousand eight hundred buildings in that Division, not more than five hundred were left standing, leaving thirteen thousand three hun- dred in ruins, and rendering seventy-four thousand four hundred and fifty persons homeless. The buildings burned included more than six hundred stores and one hundred manufacturing establishments, the latter being principally grouped in the southwestern part of this division. That part next the lake, as far north as Chi- cago avenue, was occupied by first-class residences, of
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which only one was left standing - that of Mahlon D. Ogden. The river banks were piled high with lumber and coal, which was destroyed, except a portion near the bend of the river, at Kinzie street. Lincoln Park lay to the northward, on the lake shore. The fire burned up the southern part of this park - the old cemetery - but left the improved part untouched, except a portion of the fencing.
The total area burned over in the city, including streets, was two thousand one hundred and twenty-four acres, or very nearly three and a half square miles. The number of buildings destroyed was seventeen thousand four hundred and fifty ; of persons rendered homeless, ninety-eight thousand five hundred. Of the latter more than two hundred and fifty paid the last debt of nature mid carnage - fell victims to the Moloch of our modern civilization. The following are the footings of the losses :
BUILDINGS.
Eighty business blocks,
$ 8,515,000
Railroad depots, warehouses and Board of Trade,
2,700,000
Hotels,
3,100,000
Theaters, etc.,
865,000
Daily newspapers (offices and buildings,)
SSS,000
One hundred other business buildings,
1,008,420
Other Taxable buildings,
2,880,000
Churches and contents.
2,989,000
Public schools and contents,
249,780
Other public buildings not taxed.
2,121,Soo
Other public property,
1,763,000
Total buildings,
$53,000,000
PRODUCE, ETC.
Flour, 15,000 barrels,
$ 97,500
Grain (1,642,000 bushels, beside private warehouse,)
1,245,000
Provisions, 4,400,Soo pounds,
340,000
Lumber, 65,000,000 feet in yards,
1,040,000
Coal, 80,000 tons,
600,000
Other produce,
1,940,000
Total produce,
$5.262,500
In the West. 369
No less than three hundred and fifty produce com- mission offices were burned out.
BUSINESS : WHOLESALE AND RETAIL 1
Dry goods
$13,500,000
Drugs,
1,000,000
Boots, shoes, leather, etc.,
1,175,000
Hardware, iron, and other metals,
4,510,000
Groceries and teas,
4,120,000
Wholesale clothing,
3,650,000
Jewelry, etc.,
1,300,000
Musical instruments, etc.,
900,000
Books on sale,
1,145,000
Millinery,
1,610,000
Hats, Caps and furs,
1,060,000
Wholesale paper stock,
700,000
Manufacturers (stock, machinery, and products.)
13,255,000
Other stocks and business furniture,
26.775,000
Total,
$78,700,000
PERSONAL EFFECTS.
Household property,
$41,000,000
Manuscript work (records, etc.,)
10,000,000
Libraries, public and private,
2,010,000
Money lost (Custom House, $2,130,000,)
5,700,000
Total,
$58,710,000
GENERAL SUMMARY.
Improvements (buildings, etc.,)
$53,000,000
Produce, etc.,
5,262,500
Manufactures,
13,255,000
Other business property,
65,455,000
Personal effects,
58,710,000
Miscellaneous,
378,000
Grand total,
$196,000,000
A few items included in the first table should really be included in the others, making loss
On buildings, about
$52,000,000
On business property,
85,000,000
Other property,
59,000,000
Total burned,
$196,000,000
Salvage
4,000,000
Real loss
$192,000,000
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Twenty-Five Years
I, and mine, suffered with others, in this dreadful calamity. Every thing in the office rooms, except the mail book, was destroyed. Miss Hawley, the clerk, fortunately, had that at her home; and though she was burned out, she clung to the precious book, and con- veyed it to our house, which fortunately was out of the fire district. The stereotype plates of my books, worth fifteen hundred dollars, were melted into a worthless mass. The day before the fire, I received from the bindery fifteen hundred dollars worth of books, which were also consumed. The other books and furniture in the office were twelve hundred more. Having no insur- ance, this all was a total loss. This is the second time I have been burned out. My residence at St. Louis was turned to ashes in the summer of 1858, but luckily I was insured that time, and the insurance money was paid without a question being asked.
But the rebuilding of Chicago is a greater wonder than the fire. One year from its destruction, seventy- two miles of side-walks were made; more than one-half of the square mile burnt over in the South Division, which was the very heart and life of the city, was rebuilt in a style far more solid, imposing, and beautiful than originally ; the tract of nearly two hundred acres which had been burned over in the West Division, was almost wholly covered with buildings; at least one-fourth of the business part of the desolated North Division was restored; and the prospect is that the second anni, er- sary of the great fire will see the entire South Division literally rebuilt, and the North Division, both in its business and extensive residence districts, well advanced in the work of reconstruction.
And not only will the entire city be speedily restored,
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In the West.
but it will be much more substantially constructed and more beautiful architecturally than it probably ever would have been if its old trade center had not been destroyed. Instead of a majority of the structures being three, four, and five stories in height, as formerly they will now be five, six, and even seven stories high.
I cannot close these statements about the great fire without a word concerning the aid the sufferers received from the whole country. Amid the general gloom, the public distress, and the wide-spread wreck of private property, the heart of the most impoverished man was warmed and lightened by the universal sympathy and aid of his fellow-countrymen. There were cities that looked upon Chicago as a rival. Her unexampled success had provoked hostility,- amounting at times to bitterness In the rank of municipalities, Chicago stood pre-eminent, and that eminence had drawn upon her the prejudices, and often the ill-natured jealousies of her supposed rivals. But the fire ended all this. Hardly had the news reached these cities before our sorrows were made theirs. The noble-hearted people did not wait for de- tails ; they suspended all other business, each man giving of his money and his property to be sent to Chicago. Before the fire had ceased it ravages, trains laden with supplies of food and clothing had actually reached the city. St. Louis, and Cincinnati, Milwaukee, Detroit, Pittsburg, and Louisville, were active, even while the fire was burning, in providing for the relief of devastated Chicago. Every semblance of rivalry had disappeared. Not an ungenerous or selfish thought was uttered - everywhere the great brotherhood of man was vindicated, and our loss was made the loss of the nation.
The national sympathy for us in our distress was shown
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Twenty-Five Years
that in the presence of human suffering there are no geo- graphical lines, no sectional boundaries, no distinction of politics or creeds. The Samaritans outlived the Levites, and there was no such thing as passing by on the other side. The wine and oil, were distributed with a lavish hand, and the pennies deposited to pay for the lodging of the bruised and homeless.
Words fail to express the grateful feelings of our peo- ple. Men who braved the perils of the dreadful Monday, who witnessed the destruction of all their worldly goods, and who with their families struggled for life upon the prairies during the awful destruction, and bravely en- dured it all, could not restrain the swelling heart or grateful tears when they read what the noble people of the country had done for Chicago; how the rich and the poor, whites and blacks,- all, men, women, and children, had done something to alleviate the distress and mitigate the suffering of fellow-beings in far-off Chicago. How true it is that " one touch of pity makes. the whole world kin." In some cities the contributions exceeded an average of a dollar for each member of the population, and in the abundance that has been given unto us the aggregate is largely made up from the- prompt offerings of the humble and the poor, as well as of the rich. Future statisticians may compute in tabular array the commercial value of the donations to Chicago; but only in the volume of the recording angel will be- known the inestimable blessings of that merciful, gener- ous, humane charity which this calamity kindled in the: hearts of the whole American people.
During the year ending December, twenty-fifth 1872. I traveled more miles, and delivered more discourses than any previous year of my life. The following are
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In the West.
some of my appointments published in the Magazine for that year; and with four or five exceptions, I filled all of them : .
FOR APRIL .- Kankakee, Ill., 3; Clifton, 4, Wapello, 5 ; Clinton, 7; School-house three miles east of Maroa, same day; Pana, 8; Nokomis, 9 : Litchfield, 10; Stan- ton, II.
Cottleville, Mo., 12 ; the Howell neighborhood, 13, 14 ; Troy same day at 3 o'clock ; Wright City. 15; Warrenton, 16; Ashley, 17; Bowling Green, 18; Louisiana, 19.
Rockport, Ill., 20, 21 ; Pleasant Vale, same day at 3 o'clock ; Barry, 22; Griggsville, 23; Perry, 24; Detroit. 25; Milton, 26; New Salem, 28; Pittsfield, same day ; Loami, 30.
FOR MAY .- Rochester, Ill., 1 ; Chatham, 2; Virden, 3 ; Pleasant Plains, 4, 5 : Near Athens, same day.
FOR JUNE .- Cromwell, Ind. 2; Ligonier, same day ; Albion, 3 ; Waterloo, 4; Auburn, 5.
Edgerton, Ohio, 6; Milford, 7; Bryan, 9; West Unity, 10.
Kendall, Ind., II.
Schoolcraft, Mich., 12; Brady, 13; Dowagiac, 14; Decatur, 16; Hartford, same day ; Benton Harbor, 18; St. Joseph, 19 ; Berrien, 20; Buchanan, 21.
FOR JULY .- Roseville, Ill., 7; Young America, 8; Dallas City, 9.
Fort Madison, Iowa, 10; Montrose, 11; Hamilton, 12.
Winchester, Mo., 14; Canton, 15; Lagrange, 16; Newark, 18; Edina, 19; Milford, 20, 21 ; Paulville, same day; Kirksville, 22; Br. Linder's neighborhood, 23; Green Castle, 24 ; Unionville, 25.
Bloomfield, Iowa, 28; Ottumwa, 29 ; Fairfield, 30.
FOR AUGUST .- Kossuth, Iowa, I ; Wapello, 2; Ains-
-
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Twenty-Five Years
worth, 4; Washington, 4; Yatton, 5; Iowa City, 6; West Liberty, 7 ; Atalissa, 8; Welton Junction, 9; Tip- ton. 11 ; Clearance, 12; Clinton, 13.
Fulton, Ill., 14; Morristown, 15; Dixon, 16.
Pierceton Ind., 25; Larwell, 25; Columbia City, 26 ; Fort Wayne, 27 ; Huntington, 28; Somerset, 29 ; Wabash, 30.
FOR SEPTEMBER .- Logansport, 1 ; Walton, 2; Tipton, 3; Frankton, 4 ; Elwood, 5 ; Anderson, 6 ; Pendleton, 8 : Oakland, 8; Cumberland, 9; Greenfield, 10; Knights- town, II; Carthage, 12; Dublin, 13; Abington, 15 ; Everton, 15; Rushville, 16; Morriston, 17; Shelbyville, 18; Moscow, 19; St. Paul, 20; Waldron, 21 ; Cicero, 22 ; Greenton, 23; Hartford, 24; Priam, 25 ; Montpelier, 25 ; Nottingham, 26; Blufton, 27.
FOR OCTOBER .- Brookfield, Mo., 13; Chillicothe, 14; Trenton, 15; Breckenridge, 16; Kingston, 17; Cameron, 18; Savannah, 19; Fillmore, 20; Oregon, 20; Mound City, 22; Craig, 23; Rockport, 24.
Hamburg, Iowa, 25 ; Sidney, 27; Plum Hollow, 28; Hanie, 29; Pacific City, 30; White Cloud, 31.
FOR NOVEMBER .- Red Oak, Iowa, 1; Valisca, 3 ; Clarinda, 3; Bedford, 5 and 6.
White Cloud, Mo., 7; Maysville, 8; Prairie Park, 9 ; Guilford, 10; Whitesville, 10; Rochester, 11.
Wathena, Kan. 12; Troy, 13; Iowa Point, 14; White Cloud 15 and 16; Hiawatha, 17; Seneca, IS, 19; Atchison, 20; Grasshopper Falls, 22; Oskaloosa, 23 ; Medina, 24; Newman, 24; Topeka, 27.
FOR DECEMBER .- Grant, Kan., I; Dover, I; Ottawa. 3 ; Peoria City, 4 ; Stanton, 5; Paola, 6; Mound City. 8; Les Cygnes. S.
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In the West.
West Point, Mo., 9; Butler, 10 11 ; Austin, 12 ; Harri- sonville, 13 ; Pleasant Hill, 14.
Olathe, Kan., 15; De Soto, 15.
Kingsville, Mo., 17; Warrensburg, 18; Knob Noster, 19 ; Sedalia, 20; Bailey's Creek, 21, 22.
To conclude : I have innumerable reasons to be grate- ful to Almighty God, that I have lived so long, enjoyed almost uninterrupted good health, had so many friends, and been permitted to labor in the Gospel Ministry. Truly, the Lord has blessed me all the days of my life. I have never had but two spells of sickness, and they were induced by hard labor in hot weather. Notwith- standing my extensive traveling, I have never met with the slightest accident, and I have journeyed by sea and land, in sailing vessels and steamboats, on railroads and on horseback, in stages and in wagons of all descriptions. Have traveled in dangerous localities by day and by night, but a penknife is the largest weapon I ever carried. One more personal remark - I never snuffed, chewed, or smoked tobacco; neither did I ever poison my body or my soul with a glass of liquor - do not know whisky from brandy, and do not covet the knowledge
CHAPTER XX.
BY MRS. MANFORD.
A year ago, when Mr. Manford announced in the Magasine that he would soon issue a new and enlarged edition of TWENTY-FIVE YEARS IN THE WEST, little did we think it would devolve upon us to complete the work. Little did we think that the brain that planned, and the hand which was to execute a work of such importance, would so soon fail, and he be numbered with those who go away never to return. It becomes now our sad duty to give the waiting friends, as best we may, a short account of the last ten years of Mr. Manford's services in his chosen vocation-publishing the glad tidings far and near. Language fails as we attempt to speak of those years of persistent toil and self-sacrifice. From his own words, written when the shadows began to cloud the bright future of his days, may be learned the motive that impelled and consecrated all his life : " I LOVED THE GOSPEL, AND I LIVED TO PREACH IT." How in accordance with the. spirit of Him who said :
" To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world."
In 1873, when the last edition of TWENTY-FIVE YEARS IN THE WEST was published, Mr. Manford had brought down the record of his travels from twenty-five years to thirty- five years, ten years later. In 1883, he intended to com- plete the record of Forty-Five Years in the West. But, after months of repeated trials, he was obliged to forego further effort. How he resisted disease and weakness, alternately rallying and sinking ; how he wrote a little,
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In the West.
and then laid the paper aside, hoping an interval of rest might bring the desired strength, is too mournful for us to dwell upon. The following brief notes were all that he was able to prepare for the final chapter of this book :
" During the two succeeding years, 1873 and ' 74, I held meetings in three hundred and ninety different places and delivered four hundred and thirty-nine discourses in Illi- nois, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Missouri, Iowa, and Kan- sas. Do not remember of failing to reach one of the places at the appointed time, and going to some of them was arranged two months in advance. This was pretty well, as they spread over a large territory, and most of them were from twenty to one hundred miles apart. Often did not reach the towns where I was to speak till the bells were ringing, and the congregations were gathering. But the people had faith I would be on hand, and so made all necessary arrangements. Was often much amused at the remarks of people going to meeting, they not knowing I was at their elbow. " He has not come yet, but Mr. G. says he never fails when he makes an appointment." Chimed in another, "I hope he will come as I never heard a Universalist sermon ; wonder how he looks, will he read the Bible, take a text, sing and pray ?" Her companion added, " Expect he looks like satan, as our minister yesterday said he was satan's preacher." "Stop such non- sense," added the first speaker, "I have heard him preach, and it was an excellent sermon, and as to his looks, he much resembles my brother John, and you know he is a handsome man." I went into the church at their heels, they took seats near the pulpit and I in it. They looked confounded, and did not at the close wait for an introduc- tion. Such journeys and so much speaking, though very laborious and often attended with discouraging circum-
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