The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1875-05-28

CHAPTER XIX.
After being at Ripley six years
Mr.. Rankin deemed il not best tc
bring npa family of boys in town
and therefore he determined to pur-
chased farm on which to employ
them when not at school. There
Was piece OF wood land, sIxty-fivs
aud a half acres, adjoining town,
belonging to the heirs of Mr.. James
Posge. The soil aud timber were
excellent. One of the heirs, Mr..
John Z. Poage, Mas empowered to
10 sell IL, which It was difficult 10
40 on account OF The scarcity OF
money. Mr.. Rankin bought it for
ave hundred dOllars, payable in
seven years. He gave his note. and
received deed and gave no mort
gage. He put log hOnse on it, aud
moved into it. He fenced the land
all la. lie Gle red IL all of, all but
a small part left for fire wood. The
timber that was unfit for rails he
had chopped for cord wood. His
Oldest son, with cart and oxen,
hanled IL TO town, and sold il for q
dollar a cord.
This was too small a farm for so
large a family. After q few years
Mr.. Rankin bought from Robert
Poage = hundred and fifty acres adj
joining his sixty-five and q half
acres, for two thousand dollars,
payable in three years. He sold
forty acres of 1t to one of the heirs,
to give him a way to town. Thus he
obtained a good farm of q hundred
and seventy-five and q half acres.
On the second piece he bought
there was q log house, q good apple
orchard, and q large amount OF
cleared land.
Now, here was a debt OF twenty
seven hundred dollars, and q family
OF fifteen children to support and
educate. He had thirteen of his
own, and two orphans adopted, and
treated as If his own children. And
his salary was three hundred and
fifty dollars. Now, how could he
pay such debt? The answer is,
first, he reconstructed the church
fer eight hundred dollars-two hum
dred dollars lower than any work
man would agree to do it for. For
this the trustees paid Robert Poage
eight hundred dollars. This paid
that much of the debt due for the
farm. George POage, one of the
heirs, bought forty acres of the land
at some advance in price. That
paid him for his share as an heir
He sold TO William McNi6hie two
thirds of his house in town to pay
the ballanbs due for the land. Mr.
McNishie had previously bought
the other third, for which he bull
Mr.. Rankin q brick house on hi
farm.
1t was predicted that Mr.. Rankin
would be broken mp by reconstruct
Ing the church, which was q very
rude structure of forty-fiye fee
square, intended to have a gallery
but was too low for that purpose
and the windows were by far too
small for a church. Mr.. RankiI
employed Mr.. McNishie by the da,
to take of the roof, shingles, shee,
ing, and rafters, aud leave the joist
and girders on. This was done
Mr.. Rankin then had eighteen inch
es taken of the walls, and had tn,
timbers let down this much lower
lie then, with some of his boys
took down one wall and EXTENDED
the building twenty feet. This wa
done so carefully that no brick wa
lost by taking them down. He hal
the wall put up, the windows en-
larged, the doors changed, and thu
new part floored and seated, and
new pulpit made. The church wa
circled over head, and all was vel
plastered, and II was we'll rooted
and inside and outside 1t looked Xix,
new building, and all acknowl
edged that the work was well done
There was in 1t q donation of tive
hundred dollars to the church; Blu
Mr.. Rankin was not involved.
was merely donating his own labo
and that of his boys to the church
Thus far he was, in his secular af
fairs, successful in everything Il
which he put his hand. A kline
Providence was extended over him
His church prospered exceedingly
so that from thirty-six members i
increased to two hundred and TWEEN
ty, and largely promoted the moral
ity of the people.