New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-03-10

before men could he collected 70 pursue them. The
accommodations for p1bhc worship were also rare
and unsgh.ly ~ the private dwellings Of the people.
They did not wal. unit; they able erect stone
or brek building, costing from e 900 % $40 Geo. nor
did they setd Commissioners TO atk aid from their
weal.bier brethren in the Ess.. They took their
syss, cut down tres, ard, with their own haDds,
erected log bulldog 70 protect tn m from the snow
n WINTER and nom the ram IN SKINNER. Except IN
iDcieDtn weather, they vorsh ped in the open ar,
under the shade Of The native forests.
PosteIi.y will hn6 il difficult. to conceive of the
ruieness of these primitive churches. They were
constructed entirely with the No saw, or plane,
OF even hammer 10 drive nail was used; i3r neither
MALE, iron IN any other e1spe were employed. Inc
roof Of clap board KEEP. in their places By logs
laid upon them and the doors were also ciap-boa'ds
fastened by wooden pine to cross bars projecting suf-
fcI.nily far Gt ono sde form part OF The hinge
The Windows small openings, c1t.n two adJacens
logs, and were glazed With oil paper or linen. The
fot r., when any they had were cei. logs smootned
by the AZ. These churches were OF different forns.
The most ample and common were square or parai-
elogramic having only four sides-a single log ei-
tending from corner to corner but when the copsie
cation was large and timber Of sucien' length coud
DO: be he TO make four-sided structure OF snaoie
dimensions, tie cruciform was Adopted; ana sne,e
twelve sides and twelve corners. In justice W
these old fashioned Presbyterians II must DC uhoeI
stood that the twelve sides and the twei'e colueis
we've not intended to represent the twelve Apostles
nor was the crucform adopted from reigous regard
10 the rules of ecclesiastical architecture Du 10
strer 9Th and convenience. And such pui'uings "eie
both strong and convenient. Inc Parts 1u,uay ,ep
norted each other and part OF the 'ransepI was
The nreachers stand and the other part oppos'e ac
comInodated portion of the audience.
4 string of striking anecdotes and recoLecton'
Of Dr. David Porter of Catskil is given by his
successor, the Rev. Mr.. Howard. We pick out
few of them almost at random:
When he walked abroad his personal appearance
must have arrested the eye OF every stranger Ills
head was like Napoeons; his neck was short; his
body large and fesby; his legs were unusually small,
tightly encased in shortcloth and beneath these in
black silk hose. He carried large cane, and his mo
tjons were quick nervous and awkward.
When he stood in the pulpit and became interested
in his Sermon his short dense sentences, jerked out
with nod, his strange and violent gestures, and his
stamping foot called emile upon the faces of al who
were not accustomed to them. Even cergyn'en, sit
ting with hm in the pulpit, were sometimes unable TO
control their countenances. But he was wholly I'M
conscious of these effects he absorbed in his sob
ject and soon gained entire control of his hearers
In the lecture room, his manner was stu more re-
markable. He frequently spoke with his cane In
hand, and brought 1t down with his emphatic FOOT
bending his whole body TO give force to the gesture
He would walk to and fro and becoming more excited
a. lie spoke, be would sometimes descend to the floor
of the room step over bench to arrive at an open
space walk up and down there for "a while; step
another bench opposite to the former and return
TO the desk the farther side continuing aud closing
his address without exhibiting the slightest conscious
ness of what he doing with his perpatetic body
When he called upon any one to pray, he would
sometimes add in a tone more OF command than re-
quest "Be short! His own exercises were very
brief hut they very comprehensive and inStruc-
tive He wasted no words. His thoughts were new,
fresh, and expressed in striking language. When
speaking he used periods, If may speak 50, between
the clauses OF his sentences or as though he employed
byphens for commas; and thus, though otherwise his
utterance was rapid, every word that ne delivered
told upon the listener.
Notwithstanding his eccentricities, he regarded
with unbounded reverence. No one dictated TO him;
no one demonstrated with him. He took counsel with
himself and with come difference to forms, carried
through that on which lie had determined, without
oppositiop. The children all regarded him as q
superior being. One reInembers-and tells IT with a
smile at her former self-how she thought his person
and dress the standard of ministerial appearance LOOK
ing with low esteem and some suspicion upon small and
thin men who wore loose pantaloons. Another always
associated him with the highest mountain in the
Catskil range Another had very confused and inter
changeabe ideas Of DIR. Porter and the saviour
Another for year or two, thought he was GOD
When he met them and stopped, as WAS his custom,
and took their hands between his thumb aud the tips
of his fngers and said in his kind, absent-lninded
way. How DIDO child" it awed them, and was an
event TO be remembered This reverence continued
as they grew older and began understand his ser
mons aud good degree OF 1t remained as long a. he
lived. At time he catschised the children ocoa-
sionally on Saturday afternoon. But he never :'t
much beyond the first page, they say aid he had a
pleasant habit of answering the questions hmself
WHEN there was the slightest hesitation and saying,
every well, child; very well.
A few anecdotes chosen from the many which are
told of him, may further 10 illustrate his eccen-
tiictee
He never could be induced to c0nyerse or to express
an opinion upon any subject, when he thought silence
the better course. With dull, unnterested look be
would seem unconscious OF the speakers words, and
though his eye rested upon him. almost Of his presence.
When the questioner ceased, there would follow a
dead pause. "Don't you think 40, Doctor :" No
answer-no Consciousness. Then, waking suddenly
from his apparent abstraction he would speak of
something wholly remote from the subject of the in
qury or conveying subtle reproot for meddne with
i. ''
In these times of apparent revere, he heard aud
weighed every word that ste4ed, and no, unire-
ouently quoted remark against his bated questioner
who thought at the time he uttered It, the Doctor IN
his fit Of abstraction, had not heard single word .,
In later years he was einguiarly absent minded. he
was accustomed to pray with his eyes wide open.
PRAYER drawing to conclusion, when he "a" be-
fore him young lady to whom he was gresty al
Is shed and who had returned that day from ou z
absence Suddenly TO the astonshment OF al present,
he crossed the room and extended his hand, eIclan-
ing with svoice Of hearty pleasure: so! h0T|do!'
He totally unconscious Of the irrc.uary and 40
thought of it subsequently embarrassed him.
On another occasion, somewhat later IN hte ne was
praying in the presence Of several cergymen aud y
large audience at union prayermee.ing fo- colleges.
Always interested i'll the religious welfare Of students,
lie had been excited by the statements which had ust
been made. lie pleading ierventy for the spirit
Il prayer our churches, and enforcing his petition
with arguments" when, suddenly changing from
prayer TO exhorthtion he exclaimed TO til. stapdn
assembly bringing down hand and foo, to enforce hi
words: "Yes, brethren, We must pray more. That
what we wait. More prayer more prayer
after adding few more sentences, he turned 10 the
clergyman who had been speaking, snd said, Co
on, Sir; 60 on.
To illustrate his enlargement he had much Of
the harmless wisdom useful to VINO has Ia deal
with men.