Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1856-08-22
Peter Cartwright

49,
The following auccioto illustrates the rr.
culiariics Of Western pioneer lite, as well a,
Ola certain "prc'ilinscllsr Peter Cart
wright. when tho Stat, VI Illinois was al.
mittel into the Union as 4 free State, not
long after, the question was largely discuss
cl whether the constitution Of the State
should not b. - amended as top.rmi, slave
~. Cartwright, who then resided In Ten
nrs''o, was a strong opponent OF slavery,
ml determined g. remove % Illinois 70 takl
part in the settlement Of the question. $,
he was appointed presiding elder" ovor
= district about as lars' IS England. H.
kept his appointments, and .rcr preaching
on Sunday, was won't 10 announce, that, on
Monday, he would dcliycra "stump sTcech."
lie soon 5cclmo regarded a. q politician, anil
no littlc anger was excited against him.
one lay coming 20 fcrry across The river,
where ho was not personally known, be
heard the frryman holding forth TO a crowd
in bitter term. against that oli renegade"
prrGyius sauiry emphatic Czpletiycs TO that
Ilattcring gtcrm-pctc Cartwrisht-declarins
that he would drown him IT he ever ciml
,ha, way After while Peter engaged the
ierryman TO put him over. They were alone
in the boat, and when they had reached tic
centre Of the stream, in full sight Of tht
shore, the preacher, throwing the brillo Of
his horsc over rust, ordered tao fsrryman
to put down hi. pole "Wha! Is the mat
ter?" asked the fyrIyman. You have just
been making fr,l with my yuamc, anil THREAT
cning 70 drown me in thc river. want o.
give You q chance % 30 IT," You ar,
Pete Cartwright, ar, you'" asked he f,r.
ryman. my name is Pete Cartwright 20
replied the preacher. Tn fcrryman no,hiu:
10th, laid down hi7 pole, and the eontcs, be-
gan. Tho preacher proved The better man,
aul s,izing his antagonist by the napa u
the neck and the sat of hs gethcs garments,
plunsrl him three times under tho water.
Then, holding hi' head out Of the water, lo
..il 4" pil YOU ever rray?" No." was
the answer "Thon it j. time you should.
| will teach YOU. Do YOU rcpot after mc
.'Our father who art in heaven" Tho
icrryman refused, AMI down went his head
under water aul there it was held long
enough, IS Pete thought, to conquer his r.
luc,incc.
IIoni,,l him upanl repeated the demand.
1T me brathc," rnspl the rrryman.
., Give mc lcw minute, 90 think aboutit."
" Not moment, aud under went his head
again. The enquiry was again put, when
the frrryman's head Na. next raised, WI
you pray now ?" "Ycs, I'lId,anythius,"
and the fellow obcii,n,ly rope.,cdthc Lords
PRAYER, after the dictation ol Cartwright.
., Now 1T mc up" he added. ." 40, not
got, replied the irczorlblc P,,ar. " You
must make me thrs, promises before LEI
YOU up. First YOU must promise to pray
every night and morning You live, then you
must promise 10 putcy,ry Mc,hodistpreach-
CT who comes along, over thcriycr for notl-
Ing, anl lastly YOU must promise to attend
every meeting Of the Mathyli,ts held with
in four miles OF yoa." The whole transac-
ton took place in view Of the lcrryman's
comrades on tho shore, but the in,crcnin:
river insured " G.ir play" and the ferry
man ralt him.lr in Cartwught's hands. II,
promised faithfully TO DO all that wa. de-
mandcd Of him. The transit acruss tie
river was finished the preacher ucnton lis
way; the f,rryman kept hi- word, and be-
came shining light in the church. Che
Rev. Mr.. Milburn). Earnest men wcr. these
old preachers. Their souls were Grmly con-
yinc,l Of the truth Of what they had to say.
Rurc,I in their exterior, like those among
whom they mingled, they yet seem TO have
exhibited much Of the stern decision Of char
actcr anl deep seated pic;y, that sisnalir,l
the church in the days o. the non-c1nG0rm-
+ i.t.. Their solfdcnial and hcroism are
non, the less noble, because unchrOniclcd
and, although this typo Of the pioneer mis-
sionary is fast fading away yet the border
legends of the West preserve the memory OF
those who have lived to make the wilderness
a fruitful field, in more s.nses than one.