Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1863-11-06
ber. 1859. when, in new and commodious

Der, 1862, when, in new and commodious
conference room under house Of worship
built on the corner of Third street and
Chestnut, we resumed our labors; and
on January the 9th, 1856, continued the
same in the upper room of tho same building.
In a little more than two years the grade
being changed so as to injure us exceeding
ly, our comely house was taken down, and
after preaching for twelve Sabbaths at Mis-
sissippi Hail. We entered our present house Of
worshlp, October IL, 1857 And when its
conference room shall be enlarged and the
house painted inside and out, we shall be con-
tent to sojourn in it for some time to come.
We have some forcble recollection of NOV
ing about from one dwelling house to anoth-
or in Muscatine. Five or six times at least
we have taken up our beds and walked. And
as we now pass about, we recollect that at
that house such thing happened, and here,
another; there we hauled all our water for
weeks from Mad Creek There fever pros
trated one of us, and for long time the issue
was doubtful. There a son was born, and
there, in another, daughter. There we had
our stove pipe 60 out of square of glass in
the front window for want of q chimney.
There we had no cellar, and here no closet
But the life and power of the hope of a
good time coming carried us, on the whole,
very pleasantly through all these.
In 1850 we entered our present abode, and
only one house NOW Mr.. Underwood's) was
beyond us on the hill. But here where so
much of joy and comfort was expected, and
where, thanks to God, so much has been en-
joyed, the angel Of death has twice crossed
our threshold, and there is shadow in eve
ry room, and such a sorrow as only the pres
of Christ can relieve or make endurabe.
But all has been needed, and all, we hope
and pray, will rebound TO your good, my peo
pie. and to the glory of that God who never
willingly afflicts. 1t makes us walk more
gently among these pleasant oaks, and chas-
tens our whole life from day to day, and
makes us realize better the sorrow in your
hearts, and our own swift pilgrimage on earth.
We have tarried among this people long
enough to bid farewell to five or six minlste
rial brethren of the Presbyterian church ::
Stocker, Pratt, Umstead, Stewart, Baird !;
six or seven of the Baptist Seeley, johnson,
Miles, &C.; three or four of the Episcopal
Goldsmith, Ufford, &C.; at least ten of the
Methodist church, and so many of various
other churches, that their names are forgot
ten.
Of the original 90 members of the church
when it was organized, in 1913. there remain
only ten, of which three are Brothers. Sew
eral others, however, are living, and some Of
these l am glad to see present this evening.
Prominent among my recollections of men
not of my own congregation-in early
times, are Judge Williams, who, in his good
natured way, magnifying the intelligence of
Iowa as not needing any missionaries, de-
nounced US in advance for coming, twelve of
us at once) to help civilize the State, and pro-
posed giving us a farm out in the prairie to
cultivate bat who made very courteous
apo ogy when he found one of these mission
aries was to be his next door neighbor, and
was called upon to make his very first at
tempt in the way of uniting a couple in mar
riage, in the Judges own house. And, by
the way, this pleasant and yet somewhat en-
barrassing work of speaking the few words
which start, each time, man and woman in
a new way of living, and which increases
greatly the veal or woe of both, has-consid
ering the number of rivals in the ministry
among the squares, judges and clerks--been
pretty we'll cared for. We have spoken those
words to one hundred and two men and one
hundred and two women, many of whom con-
tinue to this day bearing testimony in vari-
Gus ways to their power to add greatly to the
joys and happiness of life.
Other men, prominent in our recollection,
are 'Old Red," now Hon. Judge Hastings of
California, who always complimented us as
being "Ciceronian' in our sermons, though
his knowledge of Cicero was-we always quiz
city supposed-somewhat limited. Then
there was DR.. Fitch and DR.. Blaydes, of and
for whom we often heard the grammatical
inquiry, "Rave you saac Blaydes ~ And
the always genial and hearty Judge Lowe
and Jake Butler, about whom we have some
"reminiscences we'll not tell.
Many others, both men and women, occur
to US, and often in connection with those, to
Us, wonderful social gatherings in which al
most everybody was present, and the larger
part of the company was obliged, from the
smallness Of the houses, to be out of doors,
and where frequent resort to some place on
the back porch led, we fear, more than one
to the habit, and death too sad to mention
| now.
There are many more blessed and hallowed
recollections of changes for good in heart and
| iife on the part of many upon which | would
like to dwell, but forbear.-
! | conclude by saying ttat on the whole,
making due allowance for the kind and easy
Judgment Of an affectionate people, l owe un-
der God, whatever there is good in long pas
torate and such unbroken relations, mainly to
my inherited and cherished love of liberty my
hatred Of dntemperonce and oppression, and
my indiffert nee as to saying here or any
where else unless could have the privilege
Of thinking as pleased aad speaking what
hink-responsible only to my master,
Christ. 1t has sometimes been a rough road
to walk, but in it, one by one, there have
gathered about US hearts as true as steel, and
men and women dearer than brother or Sis
ter by natural birth can possibly be. To not
few such am CAD this night to give a
fresh and warm greeting, on this the twentieth
anniversary of my pastoral and preaching
work, and congratulate you that the work Of
freedom aud tauth goes so bravely on in our
land and world and so far ahead of twenty
years ago.
The Reliable Courier.
"The report that we were going to leave
the State, was started by the abolitionists for
the purpose of preventing our increasing the
circulation of the weekly Courier.
The "rumor" was made up from whole
cloth, never having any foundation in truth. !"
- Courier of the 29th.
Is it possible? Let US see. The election
was held Tuesday, October the 18th, and the
last number of the Daily Courier appeared
on Saturday, October the 18th. On Sunday,
the 10th, Mr.. r. B. Thomas, a Democrat of
this city, informed Democratic friend that
he had been informed by E, f. ThaYer, "that