USA > Pennsylvania > Beaver County > History of Beaver County, Pennsylvania, and Its Centennial Celebration, Volume II > Part 65
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Far from the madding crowd's ignoble strife, His sober wishes never learned to stray; Along the cool, sequester'd vale of life He kept the noiseless tenor of his way.
Teacher of Latin and Greek, later minister and missionary, wood- chopper, fence-builder, tailor, shoemaker, blacksmith, there was almost no employment for head or hand or heart that did not find him ready to hon- estly do his part in it. A consecutive perusal of this journal can alone give the full flavor of its human interest, where humor, conscious and unconscious, abounds, and marks of genuine worth in the writer, always unconscious, are found on every page, but we venture to give the following tid-bits:
March 5, 1821. "Today attended school. Declined teaching in the afternoon and attended 'Society,' it being the order of our church to meet for prayer on the first Monday of every month."
12th. "For some time past I have employed my leisure moments in reading voyages, travels and journals and find my mind relaxed as well as improved. I am now reading Robbins' journal among the wandering Arabs, which excites sympathy and indignation, while it gratifies curiosity."
14th. "A fencing master commenced teaching a school in the acad- emy mornings and evenings." 24th. "The company of fencers spent the evening in training on horseback." 28th. "Early in the morning the fencing master having ended his term, left town, and was escorted a short distance by his pupils, who marched in military order with a violin and clarionet in front."
April 14, 1821. "Finished making a pair of shoes for Margaret " (his wife).
30th. "Yesterday was the Sabbath. Mr. Hughes [Thomas Edgar Hughes, the founder of the academy, and pastor of Mt. Pleasant Presby- terian Church .- Ed.] in the morning lectured on the 68 Psalm, and in the evening from 1 Peter 4:18. Today bought of S. H. + inch auger and 2 brooms, 35 cents paid. Father came to town and brought a horse and giers. I plowed my garden, but done nothing in it. this evening being wet." (The master is weak in spelling and grammar, but he later im- proved much .- Ed.)
May 1, 1821, he records an interview with a curmudgeon who wanted to pay for his son's tuition in produce at more than the market price. "The day becoming fair Margaret and I commenced making garden, planted a little corn and potatoes and different kinds of seeds. Brother James called, having brought a horse and giers we halled two barrels of water for making soap."
5th. "Went to work on the roads, for which I was credited So. 75."
8th. "Margaret and I went to fathers; she to shear our sheep, and I to assist father build fence."
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Muster and review days were great events in those times. There were few guns, and most of the men, in lieu of weapons, carried sticks, broom handles, and cornstalks while being drilled. An old citizen of the county, in recalling these events, has told us that they were occasions of much drunkenness and brawling, the quarrels of the previous months being then fought out. Master Dilworth confirms this statement in his entry for
May 15th. "Major Boyd's ' battalion met in this place for training. The collection of men was large. In the evening there was a little quarrel- ing and one skirmish in the street." Later in the summer, other meet- ings of the military are recorded. Several fights are noted.
July 20th. "My students all harvesting. Made a pair of shoes for myself."
August 25th. "Went with Mr. Boyd to survey a piece of land, and bought of him a dozen herin [italics are always ours .- Ed.], $0.37} on credit. G. D. borrowed of me 6} cents."
April 11, 1822. "Attended school. Several absent in the afternoon, having attended the marriage of Clarkson Freeman and Hetty Marshall. The groom's company having been joined by the bride's, passed through town." This sounds quite oriental (see Parable of the Ten Virgins). Later he describes another marriage custom of the olden time, that of holding "the infair," and his walking with a family party to one in the country side.
26th. "Went to the Falls of Beaver and sold there 11} lbs. of wool, for which we received 5 lbs. of cotton yarn and a due bill for $1.95 cts., to be paid in check. Bought fish for 18} cts. The fish were running smartly in Big Beaver and they were catching a great many."
May Ist. "Began to make a pair of shoes for Margaret. Weather warm. Planted some cucumber and watermillion seed."
Dr. Dilworth was one of the first to welcome the temperance move- ment, but at this time there was no awakening yet upon the subject, so there would be no objection in his mind to the proposition of which he now speaks. Money was scarce and both teachers and ministers were frequently paid for their services in whisky.
Aug. 2d. "Francis Chatly called and said he had thought of sending Andrew to school, and that he would pay me in whisky at 33 cts. per gallon." Later: "Francis Chatly sent me some whisky, near 8 gallons." We often hear it said that whisky was so pure in the old times that it was not so harmful as now, and that little drunkenness prevailed as com- pared with the present. This journal does not seem to support that view. Hardly a month passes with out the Doctor recording the sad ending of some drinker in his neighborhood, cither bv delirium tremens, by drown- ing, by freezing to death, or falling, or fighting, or in some other way. He records his own moderate use of spirituous liquors when occasion calls for it, and is not writing as a temperance advocate when he sets these things down. He merely records them as happenings in the community.
The "olive plants" were abundant in that congregation-he makes " Major - Boyd, grandfather of Simeon Jennings Boyd of Beaver.
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this entry on August 26th: "Yesterday was the Sabbath. Twenty-eight children were baptized."
They had also large accessions of adult members to the church: the applicants were so many that one day was not long enough for the ses- sion to examine them, but a second day was given to the work. Sixty were received on one Sabbath. In his account of their taking the sacra- ment this antiquated form of expression occurs: "Mr. Hughes then set a fence around the table, and the Supper was administered."
Preaching is often announced to be "at early candle-lighting."
Sept. 23d, he mentions Mr. Vallandigham as supplying the pulpit at Mount Pleasant. This was the father of the celebrated C. L. Vallandig- ham, of Rebellion notoriety, the story of whose tragic death is perhaps not known generally. His father being much in this county and he him- self being popularly, but erroneously, thought to have been a student at Greersburg Academy, we may relate it. After his banishment by Presi- dent Lincoln beyond the lines, he returned by way of the Bermudas and Canada to Ohio, where he resumed his practice of the law at Lebanon. In June, 1871, he was counsel for the defense in a mysterious shooting case, which he held to have been accidental. He had a theory as to how the accident occurred, and while explaining it to his colleagues in his room in a hotel, the revolver which he was holding in the position demanded by his theory was discharged, and killed him, thus giving an all too terribly practical demonstration of the correctness of his reasoning.
In October Margaret and he, in a "little waggon" of which he often speaks, and which was in great demand in the neighborhood, went to Pittsburg to "shop," and this is what they got for their money: "Bought a bonnet for Margaret and trimming, about $9.00; also crape dress $5.00; also bombazette $2.70; also dimity petticoat $1.06}; also for myself vest pattern, $1.62}; also muslin for shirt $1.75; also 3 silk handkerchiefs $3.50; also 2 scissor chains $0.50; also Andrew's Logic $o.75; also tin horn and copper kettle $1.374; also 3 knives $o.62}: also a watch chain $0.374: also wheel irons So.25; also a little bottle $o. 122: shaving soap and two awls So. 123; washing sister Peggy's bonnet $0.37}; and per- haps other articles amounting to about $30.00." On this trip they stopped at Mr. Vicary's I at Freedom, Pa., and heard "the forte piano," a novel experience apparently.
There had been an extraordinary ingathering into the church (Mt. Pleasant), and more tokens were needed for the approaching communion, so he says:
Nov. 2d. "Father and Wm. Sample called and made above 100 tokens." The tokens were small round or oval pieces of lead. with the initial letters of the name of the church on them, which were distributed by the members of the session to intending communicants, and lifted by the elders after the communicants had seated themselves at the table. They were used to exclude the supposedly unworthy. The use of the tokens prevailed until a late date in this region.
1 This was Captain William Vicary, great-grandfather of William Vicary Hetchie, of Freedom, Pa. The "forte piano" was of course the piano forte.
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Jan. 1, 1823. "Jos. Marshall assisted me to kill my hogs. In the afternoon attended sermon at the meeting-house. Mr. Right [Wright] preached from Jer. iii: 23. Cut up my hogs at night: one weighed 129 lbs., the other 121 lbs."
28th. "Mrs. Hannah died this morning about sunrise. In the evening went to the awake and staid until 3 o'clock in the morning."
He now decided to go to college, and in company with Mr. Hughes and his two sons John and Watson (the Hughes brothers afterwards became able ministers) and Eliza and Margaret, his wife, he proceeded on the 22d of May to Canonsburg. He had $7.00 and his father gave him $14.00. "Arrived at the river in the evening, and crossed, paid 50 cents ferriage. Tarried a short while in Georgetown and fed. Paid for cider 25 cents. Lodged at Mr. Moody's at Hookstown." He was now thirty- three years of age and had given hostages to fortune with a wife. But she was a helpmeet too, as we have seen; able to keep house and even to "shear sheep." He relates his manner of college life, full of earnest study, but with a little recreation mixed in, for see:
26th. "Attended college. In the evening Margaret and I went to see an elephant, for which we paid 25 cents."
Sept. 25, 1823. "The degree of A.B. was conferred on me, for which I paid 2 Dol. & 50 cents." It is to be remembered that he was a classical scholar before he went to college. This accounts for his speedy gradua- tion. He returned home and began to prepare his exercises for the Presbytery in order to receive licensure to preach.
A man and a boy lodged with them, and he says next day: "The man who lodged with us paid his reckoning in pins and pearl ash." Nearly everything was paid in barter in those days of small currency. Again he says "Margaret bought of Mrs. Harvey three geese to be paid for in wool," and shortly after, "Margaret bought of Mr. Boyd a silk handker- chief, 87 cents to be paid for in butter."
As we turn the pages we see entries of "Attended to study" alternat- ing with such as these, "Made two benches," "Built a back-wall in my house," "Halled some fire-wood." His spelling still leaves something to be desired; but then neither did Robert Louis Stevenson ever reach a point when he was sure of his ground in orthography. And so these notes of his diligence in business run on: 17th. "To day began to write a sermon." 18th. "Cut a pair of pantaloons for myself out of cloth from the Lisbon [New Lisbon] factory." 19th "Sheared James Smart's and John Marshall's hair" (even a tonsorial artist!). Dec. 2d. "Collected a few hands and raised my stable higher," and later we find him hoeing corn, cutting rye, butchering sheep, building haystacks and fences, cut- ting bee-trees, doing duty in Beaver as a juror, and what not!
October 6, 1824, he was licensed to preach by the Presbytery of Hart- ford, meeting at Westfield, and then goes back to civil and domestic duties, the former by conscientious casting of his vote at the election, and he tells us how he voted, as the record for October 12th is: "Attended the election and voted as follows: Congress, Allison and Forward; Assem- bly, Lawrence; Sheriff, Dickey; Coroner, Porter; Auditor, Harsha; Commissioner, Logan."
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In November he made a preaching tour in the Western Reserve of Ohio, and later in his ministry he made long evangelistic tours through the regions beyond in the western parts of Virginia and eastern Ohio, traveling as many as three and four hundred miles during one absence, and enduring many hardships. When he got back the record keeps on after the same manner: "Studied a little. Set up a cow rack. Begin- ning to fodder." "Studied some and chopped sausage meat. At night preached at uncle Joseph's." "Finished making my shoes." "Planted some current [currant] twigs and lumber poplers [Lombardy poplars]."
We must skip several years. Rarely in all these jottings, which must often have been made during hours of discouragement and sometimes when his spirit was provoked within him, for even in his world there were sorrow and sin and human perversity enough, does there occur a word of complaining, and never a word of bitterness. Once, August 13th, 1827, he says: "Attended to study. My mind considerably gloomy and unhappy." And no wonder, poor man! for over him began to gather a cloud that for him had no bright side that could be seen from this low earth. This was the overthrow of his beloved Margaret's reason. But for many years, like Charles and Mary Lamb, they walked hand in hand through the darkness of this valley of the shadow of death. For weeks and weeks he makes the record, "Margaret no better."
The end came at last, and, though in the nature of the case her death was a relief to her and to himself, he manifested the deepest and most reverent sense of regret. In a rather short time afterwards, however. he took to himself another wife who bore him one child, the daughter to whom reference was made at the beginning of this article, now Mrs. Jennie D. Lowry, wife of David E. Lowry of Freedom, Pa.
His second wife was Miss Eliza Sloan, of Allegheny City, Pa. She died in 1858, and hers was a loss more keenly felt. For years, at the close of each day's entry in the diary occurs some expression of the sense of her worth, and of the poignancy of his grief at losing her. Dean Stanley comments upon an epitaph in Westminster Abbey,-that of a little Yorkshire girl, who lies in the cloisters, and who died in the Revo- lution of 1688, and which is simply "Jane Lister, dear child." He speaks of this and similar ones in the Roman catacombs, such as, "My most sweet child," "My most sweet wife," "My innocent dove," etc., as manifesting the perpetual sympathy of human nature, and proving that the whole Christian world from the first century to the present "is kin." The expressions of natural affection referred to affect us in the same way as we read at the close of each day's record the words "Dear Eliza"; "My dear Eliza"; "Today dear Eliza much in my mind"; "Day was fine. Thought about my dear Eliza:" "Day wet and lowering. Dear Eliza much in my mind," and so on and on for months and years. And it is no dis- credit if the aging father should even think of seeking further matrimonial comfort and companionship for himself and for the mothering of his child, as the following language might seem to intimate: "July 29,-Wrote a short note to Anne S .- with a heavy heart. I have thoughts of visiting her on special business. May the Lord direct me what to do. My dear
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Eliza. My mind is much concerned about my little sweet daughter. I pray that I may be kept from taking any step that will be injurious to her."
We have seen none of Dr. Dilworth's sermons, save one on an his- torical subject, but a careful perusal of his diary extending over a period of forty years convinces us that he was not in his preaching the type of man that is found in such ministers as old Dr. John McMillan or Joseph Smith. We find too much human sympathy in his daily journal to be able to believe that he could have been the Boanerges that Smith was, of whom one who heard him said that when, "arrayed with divine and awful majesty, he uncovered the bottomless and wide-extending pit of wo, whose billows of fire are ever lashed into fury by the Almighty breath of an incensed, slighted Savior, the sinner lost his coat of mail, retreated in terror, or fell prostrate, imploring for mercy." The cele- brated Robert Morris, the great American financier, said he "liked that kind of preaching that drives a man into a corner of his pew, and makes him think the devil is after him." We do not think Dr. Dilworth's was that kind. Was there anything of that kind in the preaching of Him whom the common people are said to have heard gladly?
We note an absence from his journal of cant, and of the morbid pietism that makes so much of this kind of writing only less unwholesome and spiritually hurtful than the opposite kind represented by the Con- fessions of Rousseau or Cassanova. There is a simple, unaffected piety, which seems all the truer from its economy of expression, and to come direct from the heart in contact with the moving circumstances of human experience of joy and sorrow seen in the light of Divine love and goodness.
Grateful acknowledgment of recovery from sickness of himself or his dear ones, prayer to be kept humble and faithful, new consecration to the service of the Master and his little ones-these are frequent, but there is no play to the galleries, no fine writing about spiritual exercises to be edited by some one for the admiration of posterity. Even in the crises of his life, a fine reserve is maintained, and he says no more than we may easily believe that he really felt. Of his ordination on the 23d of November, 1825, we have a brief record, and he closes with the remark : "This I felt as one of the most solemn and interesting occurrences of my life."
August 14, 1850. "Got my old horse shod. . Rec'd a com- munication from the Secretary of the Board of Trustees of Jefferson College, at Canonsburg, containing a resolution of the Board conferring on me the degree of D.D., on the 6th inst. I pray the Lord that I may maintain an humble & godly frame of mind, & not feel anything like self-exaltation because of the honor bestowed on me, & that I may con- duct myself in a wise & prudent manner so that my heavenly Master will be honored by me & his cause promoted."
February 29th, 1826, a call was given him from Pleasant Valley Church, for three fourths of his time at a salary of $230, which he accepted at a meeting of the Presbytery of Hartford, at Beaver, April 19th, the same VOL. 11 .- 43.
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year. This church at New Waterford, Ohio, still flourishes. The other fourth of his time was taken by the Yellow Creek congregation, in the "Scotch settlement," not far from Wellsville, Ohio. The Presbytery of Hartford extended over a good part of Beaver County; this explains his being within its bounds, and receiving calls from Ohio churches.
We are not aiming to follow the chronological order. Here is a curiously worded entry. 25th. "Adam Hatfield returned home, and I having received information from Mr. Bar of destitute settlements went to Wooster and bo't tobacco, 6} cents paid-then proceeded to Mr. Stanley's, 9 miles N. W. of Wooster, where I lodged." A Martian visitor reading this would find himself puzzled to know if he bought the tobacco for the destitute settlements.
May 29, 1827, he went to Economy and had his wool graded. "I had 81 lbs., which was valued at $26.00-the { of which they paid in cash, the balance I took out of the store, viz., 32 yds. sheeting muslin, $4.48- 9} yds ticking $2.44-5} yds calico $1.37} and 3 yds girthing $0.372-in all $8.67."
May 15, 1828. "Furrowed my corn ground. Two pedlars called with clocks. I bot one, for which I gave 3 ewes with their fleeces and two lambs."
October 20. "Attended Synod [at Pittsburg]. Went over to Allegheny town and got a bag of yarn which I left there, that was sent by the women of Pleasant Valley to procure table linens for the meeting house [for the communion tables ?- Ed.]. Paid a cartman 6} cents to carry it over to Pittsburgh. It amounted to $8.50, for which I got 14 yards of table linen at 374 per yard-$5.25; 15 lbs. of nails at 10 cents per lb. and a thumb latch 124-$1.62; 3 y'ds muslin at 22 cents per yard; a school bible 62}; I tumbler and two stock glasses 34 cents- $1.62. Amounting to $8.50, the price of the yarn."
Oct. 31, 1828. "Raised my potatoes and buried them. Attended the election for clectors to elect a President-Voted in favor of Adams."
His marriage fees were generally small, but one which he mentioned in a previous note was very trifling, only 87} cents, but then he was consoled a few days afterwards, for a Mr. Aton, with whom he lodged, gave him "a pup and a little basket to carry it home in." and later as he remarks, "Ralph Martin, Andrew's son, brought me 1} bus. dried peaches to assist in paying stipends." For one wedding he got "a French crown, a Spanish dollar and a five franck piece."
In one of his letters James Russell Lowell speaks of a clergyman of his acquaintance receiving a present of some tobacco, and adds "he does n't smoke, but then he can give it to some of his parishioners, they will know how good it is." This parson knew how good it is. for among the varied entries of his purchases this frequently occurs "paid for tobacco 6} cents." But at last he records his "farewell to tobacco": "I this day, about noon, resolved to make the attempt to abandon the use of tobacco, and so touched it not during afternoon." It was ap- parently a vain attempt for the succeeding entries still mention the weed. Like Lamb he remained to the end "an unconquered Canaanite."
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But what heart so hard that could begrudge this faithful toiler in lonely places the solace of
Sublime tobacco! which, from east to west, Cheers the tar's labor or the Turkman's rest?
If a Puritan strictness refused the privilege just because it is a pleas- ant thing to smoke, as Macaulay says it opposed bear-baiting, not because it hurt the bears, but because it gave pleasure to the spectators, might it not with old George Wither (1620) have found an ethical value in it, the weed becoming to the preacher and moralist almost what his hair shirt was to a Kempis? Listen to the poet:
The Indian weed, withered quite, Green at noon, cut down at night, Shows thy decay; all flesh is hay. Thus thinke, then drinke tobacco.I
The pipe that is so lily-white Shows thee to be a mortal wight; And even such, gone with a touch. Thus thinke, then drinke tobacco.
And when the smoke ascends on high, Thinke thou beholdst the vanity Of worldly stuffe,-gone with a puffe. Thus thinke, then drinke tobacco.
And when the pipe grows foul within, Thinke on thy soule defil'd with sin, And then the fire it doth require. Thus thinke, then drinke tobacco.
The ashes that are left behind May serve to put thee still in mind, That unto dust return thou must. Thus thinke, then drinke tobacco.
But a later entry in the journal raises the suspicion that our parson chewed tobacco. He says: "Went to Mr. Hughes and tarried awhile- Called in town and paid Todd 56} cents postage. Bot. of Gilliland inch auger and plug tobacco-33 cents paid." There is no poetry in chewing; let us hope that it was "plug-out."
In July, 1832, he refers to the cholera seare: "Considerable alarm is now abroad respecting the Asiatic cholera, which is now in Canada and approaching us." On August 9th, he says: "This day was appointed
Old writers often used drink for amake with reference to tobacco. I did not, so you barren collants do, Fill my discourses up drinking tobacco. Chapman, All Fools, ii., 1.
By this air, the most divine tobacco that ever I drunk. 1. Johnom, livery Man in his Humor, iii., 2. Century Dictionary.
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a fast in Pennsylvania by the Governor in reference to the cholera." June 30, the following year, 1833, he says: "In evening Eliza, Oliver Shiras and Charles arrived from Pittsburgh, having fled from the cholera which is commencing there."
Woe to the preacher if Aunt Rebecca could have seen his entry for September 25th viz .: "Called to see uncle Joseph-he is ill as usual. Aunt Rebecca is also very ill with hystericks."
Oct. 30. "In evening went to Robt. Andrew's and took 2 yds. calico to make his youngest child a frock-he having called it for me."
Nov. 19, 1833. "This day closes my forty-third year." 26th. "saw a notice in the papers of the death of doctor McMillan, which occurred a few days since." This was the celebrated Dr. John McMillan, the first of the pioneer Presbyterian ministers, who came to what is now Wash- ington County, Pa., in 1776. He died Saturday, November 16, 1833; therefore the newspapers which Dr. Dilworth read must have been several days old, or else the news reached them late. But there were no telegraph and telephone facilities in those days.
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