New-York tribune., 1872-09-27
OBITUARY.
REV. PETER CARTWRIGHT.


snramou County H. yesterday. at the age OF ~ years
IIo Vas tho Oldest ordained member OF the metnouSs
Cbrrc In the United States, having been IN its nih'
over co years His principal field OF laoor was .ao
ern country where he was widely known ior ",o
ing zeal homely elosueDce. and oecasohhi
The story Of his life, which Is best ioid III us ~
ranhv possesses special interest from the impress Oh S
own individuality which every page Oi IL p'''''
ing his parentage he wrote:
as horn Sent T. 1885, in Amherst County, on James
piver I'm tbe State OF Virginia MY parents weiV Po'
my war with Great Britain He served
over two years Shortly after the UnlUeu
,beir inienendepce, my parents moved 10 hentuvhJ,
Which was new country. 1t an Almost unDr9Ren
wilderness Virginia 20 Kentucky a tna' ear 3oSte
and this wilderness filled with thousanus vi ,her
Indians and many thousands Of the emgranS oet 'ne
lives by these sayages. - -, ,
Uis parents settled in Logan County Kentucky ana
ne describes as follows the state Of things IN the ruoo
district wherein his boyhood was passed:
.When my father settled in Logan County there was
not newspaper printed south Of Green RIVER no tnS
short OF 40 miles, and no schools W0rtn t9 eh horse
racing cardpaying, balls, dances, and an KINDS Vi
oty mirth We killed our meat out % OF .e aHa
mortar We stretched deer SKIN over a noop, uuI i
holes in it with the prongs OF IorS, s9o atn1 TOO
We raised gathered out OF the WOODS our 1m ,ea co..
We had sage bohea crossvine spice ana sht ever
in abnndance As for coffee, am not sure tbat ever
smeed il for ten years We made sugar out OF the
water of the maple tree ana our mOl"'Se' 'oo -H''
We ratsed our own cotton and fax. We waterrotted
fax, broke 1t by hand scucneo si PS.r nd ala
ters carded, spun, and wove IL into coth anu hey % %
and made our garments oedeiotnes, &C. A n1 aed ont
got on a new suit thus manufactured ana sanea ~
into company, thought ourselves so 0g Us u'y"'ug
He says frankly neither better mol worse tnah
the other boys In his section;
"I was naturally wild wicked boy and delighted IN
borseraeing card dpIay1ng, and dancing ay lani 10 %
strained but little, though my mother 2lCen Ia,
me- wept over me, and often drew tears from my
and though oten wept under preaching anu feooNoa
10 do better aud seek religion yet broke my Vom9, %
went into young company rode races piayeu 0Au' "
danced" -.
In 1901 when he was in his sixteenth year. there was
a religious meeting held near his home, ana ne was Gun
yerted. He says:
"To this meeting repaired guilty. wretched sinner
seeming mItitGdes and bowed before the stand and
earnestly prayed for In the midst OF solemn
Struggle OF soul an impression made my mind as
though voice SAID TO me- IDy SINS aIo an io HE
ioy sprug up in my soul. my feet, opened my
eyes, and it really seemed as II was IN neay9n tn9
trees, the leaves on them, and everything seemeu eu
really Thought were prasing God. My mother raised
the shout my Christian friends crowded around mo ana
then in many Instances unaithful yet have never Tor
one moment doubted that the Lord dd then ana thefe
| forgive my sins and give me religion"
There was great revival OF religion in 1901, and ne
attended several camp meetings OF the Methodsts and
Presbyterians and the Spring Of 1902 he was formally
permitted TO Exercise his gifts as an exhorter'' Inc
| Kentucky boy" and the "boy preacher" as he was
called entered with great ardor upon his duties IN the
Waynesve circuit and before his twentieth year was
widely known for his zeal and eloquence In lSO1 he
| and about twenty Kentucky preachers attended the
Conference in East Tennessee at Ebenezer Church. Mol
llehuckie and he was ordained deacon by Bishop AS
bury Several travelling preachers had been placed on
probation for the office OF deacon, but many fell on
owing TO the privations they had to endure lie gives
us this insight into hard times which prevailed:
think received about $40 this year rsl6 but maay
I upfra
| were hard in those Western wilds; many very
many pIous and useful preachers were LteIaJ
for want OF food for though II was fOngh yeI @ Ihe
preachers generally got enough to eat Bu tney u no %
generally receive IN whole year money enough W se'
them suit OF clothes and II people ana pIeaeers too
had not dressed In home-spun cotnlng' anu tne soV @
sisters had not made aud presented their preachers WIN
clothing, they generally must retife lrO1 Ihel
and 20 work and cothe themselves money was Wy y
scarce in the country at this early day. but some OF te
best men God made breasted inc storms endured
poverty and triumphantly planted Methodi'm III 'niS
| Western world"
When in his 23d year Peter Cartwright says he Thought
it his duty to marry, and was accordingly joined III
marriage 10 Frances Gaines the 18th Of August 1903
his wifes 10Th birthday. At the Conference at Liberty
HILL Tenn, held in october, 1905 he was elected and
ordained an elder by Bishop McKendree. In the course
of the year 1909 his father died, leaving him to settle
his little estate which, owing to tue forms Of law toot
him several months" the longest time" he lever hat
from the work of travelling preacher in so years"
| Cartwright wrote the autobiography from which W;
quote IN 1885, and makes in 1t many illusions TO Slavery
which have lost their interest from the crownng r
umph OF emancipation 1t will suffice TO say on tha
point that although lie brought Ia slave state
| he regarded human bondage =" domestic politica
and moral evil" and showed that this not merely
view Of the question the abstract by the satisfaction
with which, for instance, he tells how family In the
Breckenridge Circuit their slaves free. and thai
"the end OF that family peaee" He also says with
| Christian enthusiasm:
Il have had glorious revvals Of religion among the
| slaves and have seen thousands of them soundy con
TO God and have stood by the bedside OF the dy
ing slave, and have heard the swelling shout OK Chris
tan victory from the dying negro he entered the cold
| waters OF the river OF Jordan
In 1923. Mr.. Cartwright removed from the Cumberland
district and travelled through Illinois in quest OF home
settling the year following in sangamUn County. at that
| time peoped only by a few hardy and enterprisine
pioneers After few years he elected to the Legs
lature, wherein his readiness at reply and resoutt
spirit made him the victor in many contentious into
which he was drawn He retired from politics and
aerward devoted himself exclusively TO the duties
| OF his ministry He attended annual conferences with
almost unfailing regularity for series OF years and
was always conspicuous member. Year after year he
attend ed camp meetings. finding his greatest happiness
in the good fruits which followed his preaching
| He was delegate to numerous Genera
Conferences and retained his interest in the spread
religion the last Writing in 1885, he said that he had
travelled II circuits and u districts and received into
Methodist Episcopal Church 10000 persons" Worn on
from his laDOrs and weakened by the nrmltes OF
he awaited death calmly, and will repose tine
Western people, whom he loved and dev0tedly served.
| DIR. DAVID CAMDEN DELE0N.
| David Camden DeLeon died at Santa Fe