Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1863-07-16
THE LEEK-sEED CHAPEL.

Soon after the Methodism it spread with great
rapy the counties of Devon Cornwall and especially
among the miners orders Although very few
will dispute its beneficial tendency among those classes vet
for long period after introduction of Mehodism the erv
and higher orders Of society the Of England manifested
deeee of dislike to the doctrines which scarcely be i'm
agned in these days Of modern toeaon 1t thought by
many young gentlemen good sport to break the windows
up the doors of the Methodist chapel The robbery of
eyan preacher spree by two Young gentlemen became the
subject of judicial investigation and the ocsome young
had to pay very dearly for their practical joke
There able and eloquent preachers among the Meth
odiss The works of Wesley and Of Dr Clark and Coke
popular with large religious class There were also
found among them Wild enthusiastic local preachers
who might vie with praise God Barebones" other fanatics
of the time of Cromwell Many of these could
and very few acquainted with any books besides the Bible
and the works of Bunyan Baxter and John Wesley But the
writings these authors contained many of the most entusias
tic and energetic scouses in the English language especially
adapted to strike the imagination and capvae the attention
the lower orders The praseoogy of these was
from the Saxon and was therefore better understood by
BILE classes to whom they addressed than the language
polished preachers who had finished their education Oxford
Cambridge Indeed of the better informed classes of
cey fully Of the value Of preachers who from their
feelings and experience well understood the vices and fol-
lies of their auditors
Among these unnstrctcd preachers known by the
name of "The Old Gardener" This old common
character he quite original and by far the most
popular preacher among the lowest and least intelligent of the dis
cpes Of John Wesley He kept small nursery garden about
miles from the town of ST. A. then and the
tire of mining district rich in its products "copper"
When boy, servant to Cornish gentleman, he went
London Here he kidnapped and sent the West Indies
where he worked years slave He then entered the
army and served in the West and afterwards in the East ndes
where he fought under the great Lord Give In of the bat
ties he wounded and lay days and nights the field OF
battle amidst the dead As he lay there he heard during the
night the of lion and tiger and the howls of the hyena
and them prowng round him. but they gorgd that
they attacked nothing living.
His suerngS great from excessive pans aggravated o
burning thirst expected be manged and eaten by wild
beasts the extremity Of despair endeavored to pierce HIM
self in some with bavone but too weak to effect
his purpose He last found alive ultimately recovered his
health and England Being found on his arrival
service he discharged and finally settled near o
A., as before mentioned
Soon his return the "Od Gardener became convert to
Mehodm and afterwards local preacher working hard at MS
occupation gardener by day. and praying and preaching TO
his flowsinners he termed 1t then IN the evening ne
lived the poorest giving away all the surplus his
earnings charity distributing Bibles and promoting to the ut
most of his ability of Methodism His exterior was
rough his face strongly marked as the granite OF MS ma
tive country lbs complexion was so1 @ 0 Nothn
could possibly be homey than his preachng MS
was strong and cooqua The most awful groans usually io
lowed his denuncaton against hardened and mpeent
and many attributed their from wicked life to the
preaching of the Od Gardener In the midst OF apparently
extreme ignorance and if what have heard related respecs
some incidents of his true small degree OF cunning ne
possessed great personal courage Of this the following incident
affords ample evidence: - -
tempt at robbery He lived with his wife, counterpart OF MN
SELF small dilapdated cottage not tar from he gn t G
Three vo1ne S0ures" of large expectations, VINO hao us
shed their studies at the University ana VINO All uesp
hated Mehodsm having heard that the old man had been
making collection build Methodist chapel though IL Li
m od foc to rob him. temporarily of the proceeds OF MS
ll3;on nlan was Immediately formed and time apponeo
for carving it into execution 1t IS supposu ~ o
must have had information OF the piot rom IN %
want in the employment the mother OF one OF tne young
temen The result of the frohc is oes' fela'0o III ~ ~
one of the actors. ,:to rr;tb bacl,ened
c - = dorl, nioht little before twelve O'Clock Inc olu
ardener, was one of my fathers tenants ana he - Ia
@ of tho COTTAGE we'll We had dined late, ana all u u m nav ~
Dutch as well asCornish courage yet CONFESS 49, =
the point felt myself coward oegdd d man and his wife in
mt dastardy froic to frighten poor ou m ~ of the
the dead Of the nght was acqnanea wiz. @ ' ont Of cyosty
old man and his simple mode OF me- a tt ndescribable
had hoard him preach His preaching was ut1ei b be
I lie onnoarance IN his tubike pulpit was at ties ~;
was wrought up into fit OF enthusiasm IL the protection of
frequent expressions was, am sure am w [ mo, Those
az nv ond neither devil can nan @ , - f
eio sy - y nv, oore and although had Determined W @ m T
one of the party who had plotted toSe ~ to ren1-
ultimately compromised with conscience " b f;rbtoned
t him for the frght-if such man couio oe
The clock struck twelve to" W
of night excaneI The poor old couple out OF their WIS
said /. Ill bo ceptle robbers-gentle as Roolh
Hood and 5e d rather travel back than proceed eco fears
said I. the old fellow is an ola soioi0i :"
nothing human ,D1. shere goes He pressed the iee
Nonsense ~ in which the old man resiaeai = Dln ~
bic door OF inc aorr onen We entered, anu lu w s
oaee m 5 so Of kitchen To our gfa adn s hesitate
rht shining inner room &c nirhtg exclaimed hoarse
Who is out thei1 Iev It to be the unmlstakaoe F y
voice from within hno .,r
Old Gardener - no harm shall befall you, sa'o Ao"'
hut must have your eanee reioned the old T
The Lord VIII DC ny - from me all in the mouse = 'i0
take if you dare! ~ o;d We as entered Tue I
We must and will nave cnton of fastening the cnai''
| room, after taking the precau''0A r;l
We We soon wished we had suffered 1t 70 ''n'
/ see. tb the '0ld Gardener ~