West-Jersey pioneer., 1868-06-26
PETER CARTWRIGHTS EXPERT.
ENCE.

The venerable Methodist circuit
preacher, Peter Cartwright, now in his
eighty third year, and known through
the Southwest for thirty years as the
"Fighting Parson," was in attendance at
the Chicago general conference. He de-
livered a lecture one night during
the course of which he related the
following reminiscence of himself and his
circuit labor
The state of the country and of the
church in my early days, are necessarily
connected with myself. Therefore, you
will excuse any egotism which may ap-
pear. am Virgiuian by birth, and
the son Of revolutionary soldier. In
my sixth year my parents emigrated to
Kentucky, and | spent the greater part
of my life in that State when it was a
wilderness. Young America has out
stripped me. I cannot possibly identify
myself with the present generation; the
young people of to-day seem to pass me
with an air that | do not understand I
have been citizen Of the West seventy
seven years. l did not see newspaper,
religious or secular, for twelve years of
my life. We never heard of steamboat
or rail car, and if l had seen loco
comotive on the prairie [ would have
thought the devil was after me. Our
little cabin, about fourteen by sixteen,
was in the wilderness. Bishop Asbury,
hearing that my mother was a professor,
called and preached there, and it was
from that time date my conversion.
just about that time a gentleman from
Georgia called at our cabin who possessed
deck of cards, fiddle and race horse.
There was good deal of whisky about
the country at that time, and one even
ing | took too much, aud that was the
first and last time l was drunk. We had
an old Scotch doctor in the settlement
who was an infdel. He heard from my
friends that l was much troubled in
mind, SO he called, examined my tongue,
felt my pulse, &C., and finally determined
that | had rush of blood to my head, !,
and advised that my head be shaved and
a blister applied.
Shortly after this, I became SO i'm
pressed with the truth of religion that l
used to 60 from house to house, exhort-
ing all to turn from the errors of their
way, and embrace the gospel. One even
ing I invited the old doctor to attend
That evening young lady swooned away.
She happened to sit near the old doctor,
who attempted to revive her by the usual
means, when she, coming to, threw her
arms about his neck and cried, "Glory to
God~ which very much discomposed the
old doctor.
1t is question to me this day, how l
managed with my first sermon, but at the
close of it there came an old gentleman
to me and handed me $6-quarterage =
| There was young scape-grace in the vii
lage whom I frequently enticed into the
woods to pray;I usually pray with my
eyes shut, and when opened my eyes he
was generally absent, which mode Of pro-
cedure was very annoying to my relig-
ious flesh. Ny experience at this time
was very varied, and soon found the
avocation | had selected was no sinecure
had rode eleven or twelve circuits, and
presume | am the Oldest travelling
preacher in the United States. If there
is an older preacher should like to see
him and know who he is. When Joined
the Methodist church, sixty-seven years
ago, there was only one conference west
of the Alleghanies; there were only
twenty five ministers to cover the whole
Northwest and Southwest, and | am the
only survivor of them I have no father,
mother, sister nor brother, and sometimes
feel lonely. But although 1 have
travelled thousands of miles and brought
hundreds into the Methodist church, and
suffered many hardships, yet | say to you
that if had my life to live over again,
should choose to be Methodist travelling
preacher.
This is the thirteenth general confer
ence that | have been elected to serve.
At one of my meetings, long time ago,
there was two young ladies', very nicely
dressed, who appeared to be very much
affected. After meeting [ ascertained
chat they lived about half a mile away,
and that their mother was, according to
my informant, pretty hard case de-
termined to call on them, and did so.-
When visited them found the mother
at the door, and Immediately knew that
she was angry. / asked her if the young
ladies were her daughters, and she said
they were; but that was none of my bust
ness. said, "Madam, have come over
to talk with your daughters and pray
with them" She said I should do no
such thing, shook her fist under my
nose, told me should not pray, and that
must leave her house. | told her to
sit down, for should pray, and if she
cut up any tantrums would put her out
of doors. Then said she: "Put me out
Of doors if you dare" l then commenced
but knew that | had to watch as we'll as
pray: 30 lord, this lady wants to lead
her husband and daughters to hell She
has more devils in her than Mary Magda-
lene had. If there is any mercy for her,
show it now; if there is not, kill her in
stantly," for | was afraid she would be
after me with stool. Three weeks after
oauo udcn, duu TIC AtSb peISoH meI
was the old lady, who shouted ssGlory to
| God" and told me it was the happiest
day of her life that she met me.
As politician | am jackson man,
and am not ashamed of it. Once when
preaching at Nashville, Gen. jackson
came in and there was no room for him.
Some one pulled my coat and said, "Gen.
Jackson has come" s:Gen. jackson" !"
said /, "who is Gen. jackson? IF he is
not converted, God will damn him as soon
as he would Mailer" Next morning l
walked down the street and met Gen.
jackson. He shook hands with me, and
did not seem to be the least angry with
my freedom of the day before. He said
that Mr.. McMahon had called on him
and apologized for me, but that he had
never felt so inclined To kick anvhody in