, 1876-07-08
=, ~. C. a. ATKINSON, u ..

ro..h, border people, living IN tents,
wagon. and log cabins, ready to move
whom ,...er CLASSES camc, aud wholly
Unfit 70 lay the basi, OF civil, social, in.
,e.iser. md Christian States. This is
mistake, aud rcploach to the pioneers
- vel! aa a blurdcr on the part Of our
ty.lo'y c.tizen3 Of he older States. One
.,an see ;la: the type ot the Western
States la5 ranked with that Of the East
IN sound Judgment, varied intelligence,
wise Craftsmanship and good morals, and
has suffered nothing in the comparison
i. any important point. This must be
due to the quality and character Of the
Wes:c.n pioneers, OF whom the subject
of this sketch, aud hi, family, are fair
representatives..
Rev. ". Stewart will bo 81 years OF
nge April %, 1876. 1t cannot he said Of
lin exactly as OF Moses, his eye was
not din O.: his natural force abated at
t?lr score years." but it can be said that
lr vigor OF mind in sight, hearing, pow
= 10 walk, work and speak his force eN.
-ecd5 that Of many much younger men.
i;.3 residence with his son, A. w. Stew
ny, Esq, Of Semiahmoo, dates from Nov.
q, 1874. Since then he has preached
cearly eve.y Sabbath, and often twice,
s;I frequently on week days, in all 1876
-.reo, walking many time, one or two
rc ..es to lis appointments. He has or
..aai-ad chuTch of members, now
increased TO 20. He has attended and
addressed ever 10 prayer meetings, in
Guiding about half.score of Temperance
meetings. Ee is universally beloved and
welcomed with the familiar soubriquet
of grand pa.
His life began in Brownsville, Fayette
county. Penn, April %, 1894, Very
coon bis parents moved to Washington,
Mason ccunty, Eontucky, and after re-
siding there siS yeurs, they removed TO
Adam, now Brown county, Ohio, in
1902. Ills fathers trade of spinning
wheel and chair maker, became his trade
also, TO. twenty years he resided in
that county. Having had only about
six months Of school privileges, his eager
mind sought books and knowledge from
every source. The minister Of the First
Presbyterian Church OF that county,
Rev. James Gilliland, who had left South
Carolina, on account of his love OF free.
dom and truth OF whose church his faith
er was a member took strong hold of
young Stewards mind by his fcrcible
sermons. He early in 1911 became q
member Of tho church, though he was
slow to act aad speak in public. In
1919, also before there was any agitation
on the subject Of temperance, his pastor
preached from Proverbs XXI "Wino is
mccker; strong drink is raging; and
whosoever is deceived thereby is not
wise" He set forth the vice Of wine
drinking so strongly and the curse of
drunkenness which WAS 30 common, that
young Stewart, % be says, bowed his
head in assent before the discourse was
half done. From that moment he be-
came u total abstiueuce man from all dis
titled liquors. Many Others were angry
at the sermon. His father exclaimed,
~ believe in freedom; 7 will drink
when l please" Father and son took
opposite ground Cor awhile, the latter
gaining courage and strength in bis po.
sitiUn. An aged roau, soldier iot the
revolution Of o. yesss, bearing of his
home struggles for tSe principle of TEN.
persnce, and fearirg he would give mp,
said, Hold OIL, William; you are right
It is for your life; Jc11l be lost if yon
yield" At little tstes date DR.. Beech.
tr, of Litchfeld, Coca, preached his six
famous sermons upen intenperance and
organized a society tOpromO.e that cause
aud three or four O+tur moral reform"
'ucb, as the ar+est Of rrofADe swearing
and Sabbath breaking. the idea came
oos to Ohio and Mr. &D%azt joined this
a"ciety and worked Gor it, but it was
eambrous snd at leugth it fell through,
ks. Stewart, true 10 ais habit of adler.
'hg 70 every conviC4iop OuG working il
sn', at !rSg'h thought Of simple tenn.