The Lambertville press. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1858-1???, 1861-08-07
Forty Years Ago.

Forty Years Ago.
Forty years ago" says q Trenton
New Jersey correspondent, :" the
Delaware River Valley, above this
place which now has railroad on the
north side of the river, and canal on
each side of the river, then had Meth
err; but the produce of the upper
country. at that time sparsely popula-
ted, was hoated down the Delaware
to the head of tide water at this place,
in Durham boats and upon RATS. In
those DAYS Lambertville was known as
Bunqtoeyn, from the number Of black
ewes carried BIZ the rough and con1ba-
bative watermen, who there Lad fire.
quent rows. Between Bungtown and
Pennington, at place called Head
quarters, there dwelt store-keeper
named John Fernoa, who was so an
ex- Methodist preacher, but ~ho then,
as lay brother, exhorted his custo-
mers on Sunday, in a room in the
rear of his country store. This Fer
non was sort Hercules In physical
strength, and with his stentorian lungs
he made the name of John Wesley
terror to evil d3ers, Among the boat
men along the river he was known as
the Methodist peace. maker, by rea-
son of his extraordinary feats at camp
meetings.. where rows with the up
river mem were not infrequent. One
Sunday afternoon, while Fernon was
reading hymn to his neighbors as
sembled to hear him preach, a stran-
ger-who had, doubtless, been sent
on his mission in the wayof expert
ment - entered the storedoor, aud
cried out,
IS" Hillo, Fernon :! some apple.jack
Quick + at the same time holding out
h flask to the horror ofths assembled
Wesleyans.
Fernon-who was Of Irish birth,
crossed with the Spania"d (his wife,
an excellent woman, was a Scotch
Irish Campbell. kirkpatrick1; and
who was ofthe type Of man who at
Donnybrook fair annually inquiries,
with bis shillalah on his back, Will
no glntleman trid upon my coat-tail =
threw down his hymn book, AMI
rushing upon the intrade, seized him
by the nap of the neck, crying ont, as
he thrust him out of the door with
fearful momentum, Here, Devil, keep
your men on your own side of the
line 4
At another time, having an en-
gagement preach upon one of The hill
tops IN his neighborhcod be lost his
way ia the dark upon the rocks, where
by he was helated But after o time
ne espied light through the dark
ness, and making his way to it, and
being saluted with, brother Fernon,
Row late you are Z he replied. True,
l am late, bur the Devil will be later
finding you among these Businesses
among the rocks. So TO home with
you, anG thank Heaven that your
lives are cast in safe places |" And
with his he dismissed the meeting.
Subsequently Fernon moved down
he river to the farm on which the
village of Titusville now stands, where
te kept ferry, a store, worked a
farm, preached, educated his dogs to
seize and hold trespassers by tho trow-
sers, and raised q family of boys, who
raised the neighborhood if any body
disputed that John Weeley was the
greatest man and the best Christian
that ever lived About the year 1880 |
Fernon moved South, since hich time
40 one OF his name hes had habita-
ton on the Upper Delaware, though |
among the old inhabitants there is
no lack of anecdotes of his militant
manner of inforcing his precepts, de-
fi1ed from the inspired volume, as he
understood it by his free translation.
NJ. Fernon had pet sheep which
follow ed him when cunning, keeping
up with the hounds, and evidently en-
j 3ying the sport Of the chase. This
pet lamb, however, finally became a
butting annoyance to the household
and converted into mutton. Of the
" family of boys" seuen, we believe,
six were born in Pennsylvania, FIVE OF
them before Mr.. F. moved into Nea
Jersey and one after he left New
Jersey; the Jersey Blue" Of the
sons, we think, was named William