A history and record of the Protestant Episcopal church in the diocese of West Virginia, Part 67

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At Coalburgh, where I preached on Thursday, I found that a political meeting was announced for the same evening. There was, however, no conflict, for we had a house full, and several of the speakers of the evening attended service.

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At Coal Valley, where I preached on Friday night and con- firmed three persons in Calvary Church, I found all arrange- ments made to put up a school-building on the Church lot. and I regard this as.a very important work. The public- school is in session only four months, and many will be glad to avail themselves of the advantages our Church-school will afford them. It will be the means of bringing to bear upon the children of Coal Valley that greatest of all earthly powers. the influence of a good Christian woman.

(Hinton .- Consecration of Ascension Church described elsewhere.)

On Monday, Mr. Lacy and myself made an early start for Princeton, Mercer county, distant about thirty miles from Hinton. In going along the narrow parts of New River, on the railway. I have often wondered how all the water that filled the broad channel near Hinton could force its way through so narrow a passage, and my wonder was increased on this trip, when, after fording the Greenbrier, just above Hinton, and finding it a good, broad stream, we came to ford the New River some distance above the point where the Greenbrier joins it. We found the river to be about four hundred yards wide, and in some places in depth up to the saddle girth. Mr. Lacy proved to be a good pilot, and we passed safely through.

On our way to Princeton we paid several visits, stopping among other places, at Concord, and going into the Normal School, which is in charge of Captain French. Towards the close of the day my horse began to show unmistakable signs of fatigue, of which more hereafter.

At Princeton, I preached in the Union Church and con- firmed five persons. The next morning (Tuesday, the 10th,) I preached again in the same place, administered the Commun- ion and confirmed one person. During our stay in Princeton, I baptized an infant and an adult, and Mr. Lacy baptized an adult. Although we have so few services in Princeton, the two previous visits of Mr. Lacy, during the last year being

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the only visit from an Episcopal minister to the town before our joint visit, yet we deemed it expedient to organize a mis- sion. And so we have added Princeton Mission to our num- ber, with eleven communicants, and the Church in the future to be called the Church of the Heavenly Rest.

On Tuesday, the 10th, we rode about twenty miles and stopped in the neighborhood of the new mining town of Poca- hontas; we expected to preach there, although it is over the line in Virginia, but we were delayed in our day's travel by the dullness of my horse, and we found also npon our ar- rival, that a few days before the floor had been taken up in the only building available for the purpose of service. We had a cordial reception at Pocahontas from Captain Miller and Colonel Norborne Berkeley; the latter we found was an old school-mate of Bishop Whittle's, and he asked particu- larly after him. I have rarely, if ever, seen a more busy place than Pocanhontas, what, with six openings for coal, which they are working vigorously, piling up the coal in great stacks, and the building of many houses in the town, and preparing the bed for the railway, and building coke ovens, and straightening the course of a troublesome run, and driving a tunnel for the railroad, and other things going on, they seem about as busy in Pocahontas as people ever get.

From Pocahontas, we came on through the upper corner of Tazewell county, Virginia, going by the mouth of the mines, and up Flat Top Mountain till we came to the "peeled chestnuts," when our route was henceforth by bridle paths; in about thirty miles we came to Cartwright's, where we spent Wednesday night, October 11th. When Mr. Lacy rode up to Mr. Cartwright and asked him if he could take care of us for the night, he replied, in his characteristic way, "If you can stand me, I reckon I can stand you."

By the time we reached the point, which on the map re- joices in the name of Snake-Root, my horse seemed complete- ly fagged. Mr. Cartwright came in the morning with the cheering intelligence that he did not think I would ever get

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him back to the stable from which he started. As we were eighty miles from our base of supplies, and had upwards of two hundred miles or rough mountain road still before ns. the effect of this may be imagined; after full consultation, we determined to leave behind most of our baggage and the jaded beast, which we called Gilbert, and press on in two columns, consisting of equal numbers of cavalry and infantry, which we did accordingly on Thursday morning. To make a fair division of labor, we adopted the "ride and tie" plan, which I will, for the benefit of the uninitiated, explain to mean that one rides for a given time, and then ties the horse by the roadside; when the man on foot comes up he takes the horse, passes his fellow at the end of a given time, ties in turn, and goes on until the distance is accomplished.

On this occasion we were fortunate enough to secure an- other horse. after traveling as above about eight miles of the twenty, and we were also fortunate enough to dine at Mr. Beaver's, who treated ns with great kindness. I can testify to the fact that Mr. Lacy walks well and does not get tired. He was, however, greatly relieved when we secured the sec- ond horse, for he was afraid that, if we entered Peeryville (McDowell Court-House), as we set out from Cartwright's, the good people of that metropolis would think the Episco- pal Church was a one-horse kind of affair.

November. 1882.

At Peeryville, Judge Payne kindly invited us to supper, and made all the needful arrangements for service by light- . ing the Court-House; two small kerosene lamps sufficing for the purpose; and also by ringing the bell, which was a good- sized dinner bell, whose tones could be heard throughout the entire village, as the Judge stood in the door of the Court- House and swung the bell quite lustily.

At the recent session of the Court, Judge Johnson. the Circuit Judge. had kindly given notice of the appointment, and this helped to secure a good congregation. Before reach- ing Peeryville, we had taken the precaution to ask a promi-

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nent citizen of the county as to the general religious condi- tion of the community, and particularly as to what religious services were held in the Court-House. He told me that " they used to follow preaching pretty sharp up there, but they have quit it of late." However, we found that they had not altogether "quit it." The ever-active Methodist minister penetrates those wilds once a month, and other ministers oc- casionally. But, as an offset to this, we heard, to our sur- prise and grief, that Mormon missionaries have been and still are at work in the county. In eighteen months some six persons have given in adherence to their system. The good people of Peeryville have however, under the leadership of our friend, Judge Payne, informed the Mormons that their services will be dispensed with in that particular locality.

On Friday, the 13th, we started for Oceana (Wyoming Court-House), having first to return twenty miles to Cart- wright's, where I had left my horse, "Gilbert." Mr. Cart- wright called us very early to see the "blazing star" (pro- nounced "stare"), and there it was in all its glory, the comet of which we had heard so much. It will be noted that this, our experience on Saturday morning, October 14th, com- pletely upsets the argument of a late article in the New York Times. The ingenious writer of that article contended that this story of a comet visible only at an unearthly hour of the morning, is all a hoax. He says, "The ingenious inventor of what should be called the cometery hoax asserted that the comet could only be seen at half-past three in the morning. . He knew that no one except the professional burglar would ever be in a position to see comets at half-past three a. m .. and that, hence, his assertion that a splendid comet could be seen at that hour would probably escape contradiction. Who has seen the comet? If the unprejudiced truthseeker will ask every person in the range of his acquaintance. if he or she has seen the comet, the answer will uniformly he "no." The simple fact is that hardly any amount of evidence can ever satisfactorily establish the existence of a comet visible at only half-past three a. m."

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So says the writer in the New York Times, but I feel safe in saying that he never spent a night with Moses Cartwright, Esq., on Tug River, in the county of McDowell, West Vir- ginia, and had the benefit, as we did, of his astronomical ob- servations. One happy result of our vision of the "blazing stare" on that Saturday morning, was that we were able to make an unusually early start. Our breakfast this morning consisted largely of bread prepared by grating the new ears of corn on what may be called a mammoth nutmeg grater. I cordially recommend the diet as both wholesome and tooth- some.

A ride of thirty miles brought us to Wyoming Court- House, where we were most kindly received and hospitably entertained by Mr. Chambers. Here we had service morning and evening, Sunday, the 15th, and good congregations. The Valley of the Clear Fork of Guyandotte River, in which the Court-House stands is rich and beautiful.

On Monday, the 16th, we rode about thirty miles to Arra- coina, Logan Court-House, at night. Our ride this day was remarkable for the fact that we rode down Huff's Creek, almost literally down the bed of it, for fourteen miles. For- tunately, the water was low, or we could not have gotten along at all. Of course, we were not literally riding in the water all the way, but we were always where the water sometimes runs, and as often in as out of it. Mr. Lacy had heard that we had to cross a certain creek one hundred and twenty-five times, and so, after we had ridden for some miles, he thought Huff's Creek must be that particular one. He concluded to count the crossings, or, rather, the number of times we were in the water, but soon gave up in despair. After we had "monthed it out" (i. e., followed it out to its month), he asked a man we met on the road. how often we had crossed it in coming down. "Only once," was the reply; "you go in at one end of it and come out at the other."

I made some enquiries as to the origin of the name "Arra- coina," and was told that. according to tradition. this was the name of a daughter of the old Indian Chief Logan. I

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find that in West Virginia, more than in any other State of which I have any knowledge, the name of the county towns has some connection, or association, with the names of the county. as the following instances will suffice to show: I give the name of the county first, and then the name of the town in italics: Randolph, Beverley: Pocahontas, Hunters- rille: Lincoln, Hamlin; Mercer, Princeton: Barbour, Phil- lippi; Tucker, St. George; Monroe, Union; Clay, Henry; Grant, Petersburg; Logan, Arracoina.

From Logan Court-House, a ride of twenty-five miles brought us to Madison, Boone Court-House. Here a great surprise was in store for us, for our friend, Major Broun, of Charleston, was in attendance on the Court, then in session, and, receiving ns as his guests, established us in the hospita- ble home of Mrs. Hopkins-

At night we had the Court-House filled, with an attentive congregation, and, with Major Broun's help, we were able to render the service with more spirit than usual. And here I may say that, although in seven of the eight large counties which I have visited on this extended horse-back tour of about four hundred miles, there had never been before, so far as I know. an Episcopal minister; yet, with the help of our "large print" Mission Service Books, we have never fail- ed to have the Service intact, nor did we ever fail to have a reasonable response. In four years' time, I have had some little experience in new places, and I am free to say that, if you want people in the country, who know nothing about our Church or her Services, to take part in our public worship, you must have large print. Country churches, school-houses and court-houses are poorly lighted; nor have the people who assemble in such places any very remarkable facility in read- ing: therefore, I say again, have large print. Who will head a resolution in this matter, and give us prayer books with large print?

From Boone Court-House to Beckley, Raleigh Court- House. it was a long and weary road. We took two days for it, riding about thirty miles a day. By the way, Mr. Lacy.

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who does more horse-back riding than all the rest of us put together, earnestly contends that, to get at the true dis- tance of any place in the mountains, you must add about half a mile to every alleged mile of the way. There were times in our trip when I was as fully convinced that he was right as I ever was of anything in my life. Our route during these two days of travel led us through a section of country drained by the Little and Big Coal Rivers, and which is re- markable as having the largest deposits of cannel coal any- where in the whole land, perhaps in the world. The time cannot be far distant when the railroads will make these won- derful deposits avaliable to the outside world.

Persons have asked me sometimes, "How do you find your way through such a rough country, where often there are no regular roads?" The easiest way, perhaps, is to have a good woodsman along. And, my friend, clergyman or layman, whosoever you be, who reads this page, when you take this or a similar trip, you must secure whom you can for this deh- cate office. For myself, I shall stick to my friend, Mr. Lacy, who seems to know by intuition, just how far it is to any place to which you want to go, and which is the true. out of many diverging paths, and also just where you will be when you "mouth out" some creek, or "head it up." which you have been wading through for hours.

After all, it is not, however, quite so difficult a thing as one would imagine to find your way through such a country. The general direction is, "Follow the water courses up and down." The directions we received at Boone Court-House to gnide us to Raleigh Court-House will illustrate this: Go up Little Coal River until you come to the Pond Fork; then up the Pond Fork to the West Fork; then up West Fork to Brown's Creek; then up Brown's Creek till you can't go up any more,-in short, to the top of the mountain, the divide between Little and Big Coal Rivers; then down Little Elk River. "monthing it out," and such a descent! thence up Big Coal River to the junction of the Clear and the Marsh Fork: then up Clear Fork, and so on ad infinitum.

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We arrived at Raleigh Court-House, on the evening of Thursday, the 19th, after an all-day ride in the rain. but in good condition, notwithstanding. Here we had a large con- gregation, and a most cordial reception. I propose to visit Raleigh again in the spring. Among the most pleasing inci- dents of our visit here was the meeting with General Beck- ley. He settled in this county in 1836, and, through his efforts, the county organization was secured. Though sepa- rated from his Church for so long a time, I found his affec- tion for it unabated. I trust his life may be spared to see regular services in this county, with whose history he has been for so long a time identified.

On Friday, we rode about twenty-five miles to Hinton, our place of departure. The town seemed quite a city to us, as we stood on the farther bank of the New River; and when we touched the Hinton side of the river, we could not but thank God for the goodness that had brought us safely through our long trip, and take courage at the thought of the warm welcome our Church had everywhere received. We trust to see again the faces of those among whom we have gladly gone, preaching the Gospel of the grace of God.

December. 1882.

Because I have no more letters to write at present, of travels through the mountains, it must not be inferred that I have gone into winter quarters.

To speak accurately, I might say that during the summer and fall, my "headquarters" are "in the saddle," and during the winter and spring in a railroad car. The State has been pretty well canvassed during these four years past. I have been in all the counties, save five, and have held service in all save seven. Our missionaries now reach, with some de- gree of regularity, thirty-one counties out of the whole nun- ber, fifty-four.

August, 1884.

On Wednesday, August 13th, I preached in a school-house at Fort Spring. Rev. Dr. Lacy, of Lewisburg, has added to

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his other labors that of an occasional service at this point, which is on the confines of his parish. He had prepared the way for this visit of mine by preaching the Sunday night pre- vious. It was in regard to this occasion that I saw stuck up on a telegraph pole near the station the following:

NOTICE!

"The Rev. Dr. Lacy will deliver Divine Service in the School-House on Sunday, August 10th, at early candlelight."

Although the form of the announcement was rather un- usual, I feel safe in assuring the readers of the Church News that Dr. Lacy does not on these occasions indulge in any eccentricities of Ritual, or in any novelties that disturb the peace.

October, 1884.

My annual visit to Pocahontas county was made the last week in August. On Saturday, the 30th, in company with the Rev. Dr. Lacy, I drove from the railroad to Hillsboro, a distance of about forty miles, having service that night. A young man, who was travelling through the country in the interest of some Baltimore house, met us at Frankford and tried to dissuade us from venturing further into the interior. but when he came to know something of our former varied experience, and especially that I had campaigned through the country in 1861, he concluded that we knew more about it than he did.

On Sunday, August 31st, we had service both in Hillsboro and Huntersville, the distance between them being eighteen miles. In Huntersville we hope soon to have a lot, and then go on to the erection of a church. On Monday we had ser- vice at Clover Lick, in Dr. Ligon's house, eighteen miles from Huntersville, and on Tuesday at the school-house about three miles higher up the mountain, where I confirmed two. At Clover Lick we have a beautiful lot for a church, and we trust the next year to see it built.

That night we pushed on to Hillsboro, on our return, a dis- tance of about twenty-five miles. And the next day, Sep-

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tember 3d, Dr. Lacy having left me to attend a wedding, I drove on thirty-seven miles, to Mr. Church's, where I spent the night. Most of our trip thus far described was rendered notable by our most reasonable anxiety in regard to our buggy, which, after all the patching our skill could devise for it. still threatened to break utterly down. A judicious exchange on this last day relieved me of further anxiety. On Thursday, the 4th, I had service at Epiphany Chapel, Glen- coe, and on Friday administered the Communion in the same place.

Sunday, September 7th, was spent at Hinton, where I preached morning and night and confirmed one. In the after- noon, I rode down to Brook Station, about five miles distant, and preached in a grove by the roadside. As there was a big camp-meeting going on near Hinton, horses were scarce; in fact, there were none to be had. After considerable search. a little mule was found, on which I made the trip. in moder- ate comfort. The ride would have been more pleasant if the day had not been so warm, and the mule had not been so dull. As I came back to Hinton, about 6 p. m., I afforded a good deal of amusement to a party of boys, who were walking out in the suburbs of the town. One of them accosted me with, "Mister. will you sell that mule?" and another with, "Mister, is that a young mule?"

* * *

* *

Sunday, the 21st, was spent at Willow Island and at Wil- liamstown. At the latter place I confirmed one. The dis- tance between these points was made by Mr. Woods and myself in a skiff, as we have done several times before. On this occasion, the river was so low that we were once seri- ously stranded, and often had to move very cautiously in the shallow water.

We found the Ohio River Road a great comfort on this trip, and could not help comparing our fortune-when we got home-with that of Mr. Hammond, who, having no rail- road to help him, had to work his way by water down to Ravenswood. He was from Friday mid-day to Saturday mid-

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day in getting started, and then, such a start! Opon an old barge, on which all the passengers had to work like deck- hands, when they came to the shoals, and that was frequent- ly. But at last, when sixteen miles was made, it was thought best to give it up, and he then struck off through Ohio, until he reached the Baltimore and Ohio Road, and reached Parkersburg after midnight. The result of two days' work was to land just at the point from which he started. Mr. Hammond may be depended upon to vote for a railroad down the river.

September, 1885. *

My last service was held in the Court-House at Elizabeth. In the jail which forms part of the building, was one who but for want of accommodation, would have been in the Insane Asylum at Weston. To have such a one begin preaching when you do, and continue with you through your sermon. is, to say the least of it, far from helpful.

January, 1886.

On Friday, December 11th, I visited Shaw for the first time. The Rev. Mr. Gibbons and the Rev. Mr. Pearson had each previously visited the village and preached to the peo- ple. On this occasion I was accompanied by the Rev. Mr. Humphrey, of Piedmont. Mr. Humphrey resides in Piedmont (as do most of his congregation), but the church building being across the river, in the town of Western Port. he is counted as belonging to Maryland. I cannot but have a spec- ial regard for the people who live in the limits of our Diocese, and feel as if I must look in upon them occasionally even if they are reported to another Council than our own.

As Piedmont is the natural centre of Mineral county, I asked Mr. Humphrey to go with me to Shaw, hoping to in- terest him in the people there, and I am sure that whatever he may be able to do for them in time to come. he will not have anything but pleasant recollections of his first visit. We stayed with Mr. J. Woodward, whose wife, for some time

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past, has been teaching a Sunday-school and trying in other ways, to influence the children and neighbors for good. * * * * *

It was interesting to me to find that Mr. Woodward is the great-great-grandson of Bishop Seabury. I could not but feel when we came away from Shaw that we had here a most important centre for missionary work. Among the baptisms, at the services we held, was that of a little child, it was as- certained to be a distant cousin of David Livingstone. Her mother told me that she had attended Dr. McLeod's Church in Glasgow. It was interesting to find the memories of such men as Bishop Seabury, David Livingstone and Norman Mc- Leod cherished in the little mountain village.

in the midst of the sermon which was preached in the school-house, I heard a gentle tap at the door, and asked someone to answer it, not knowing the occasion of the inter- ruption. When the door was opened, in walked three little boys (none of them being higher than a yard-stick). They had come late, and, not being able to turn the knob, had been compelled to appeal to those inside by knocking. They were so little, and so grave in their demeanor as they walked up and took their seats in the front part of the room, that few could avoid smiling at them.

March, 1886.

While it is our wisdom and pleasure to dwell generally upon the bright side of our work, yet it may not be amiss sometimes to record experiences that are not very helpful or encouraging, and so I write now of what may well be called an unsuccessful trip.

Encouraged by the good weather during the latter part of February. I made an engagement to visit Hartford City and Ravenswood on the 3d and 4th of March, respectively. As I was to return to Parkersburg from another trip on Tuesday, the 2d. both Mr. Wirgman and I thought it safe to arrange that I should take the steamer Minnie Bay on Wednesday morning. preaching that night at Hartford City, sixty miles distant, and coming back to Ravenswood, twenty-five miles

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nearer Parkersburg, hold service there on Thursday evening, and return to Parkersburg during the night. When Wednes- day morning came, the river was so full of ice that the Min- nie Bay, and, indeed, all other boats, were laid up, and so I took the morning train to go around through Ohio, expect- ing to reach Pomeroy in time to cross the river and drive up to Hartford City for evening service. But here our troubles began. For some cause, not known, the Ohio Central train was late, and I had to wait a long time in the depot at Athens, and in consequence did not get to Pomeroy until after six o'clock. Still I had ample time to make my appoint- ment, but, alas for the vanity of human expectations! After my buggy was at the door, I found that the ferryman was unwilling to venture across the river again on account of the heavy ice, which was running very freely. As my offer of ad- ditional pay would not overcome his scruples, I was forced very reluctantly to give up all hope of reaching Hartford, and so the service went by default; as it turned out that Mr. Wirgman, who was in the neighborhood, was unable to get ont on account of severe neuralgia.

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A history and record of the Protestant Episcopal church in the diocese of West Virginia, Part 67

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