Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1876-11-09
A PIONEER PREACHER.
G.. P. Judson.I

C. P. Judson.I
More than sixty years ago, when
the settlements in the skirts of Ken.
= lucky and Ohio were new, when mis-.
M -sionaries commenced their circuits in
.sSNat quarter, Methodist preacher
Ehe name Of Bronson occasionally
at my father's-would some
\ Atwo or three days. Bron-
NY father had been boys to-
~ Ind, of course, old acquaint-
fand both from Connecticut.
>Ason on such occasions would re-
Y,te to my father his early adven-
= lures and very few had seen more of
the new, wild country than he had J,
and his travels and adventures in the
new settlements of Kentucky were
very interesting to boy like myself.
One of his circuits round through
Kentucky and Ohio, on the wild bor-
ders of civilization, Bronson called
at my fathers, and during his stay,
related some of his trials and difficult
ties during the last year or two In a
4 district in Kentucky.
Bronson was a large, well-propor-
toned man-had been raised from
boyhood to take care of himself
In early days, in Connecticut, boys
were in the habit of trying their
strength and activity in the art of
wrestling, and in this particular my
father and Bronson seemed to agree,
and my father took great interest in
Bronson's story about his adventures
in Kentucky and the Southern por-
tion of Ohio. Butt to the story l COM
menced to tell:
There was one district, in the out
skirts of Kenatcky, which had be-
come noted for what was called hard
cases. A few desperate fellows lived
there, who made tia point and busi-
ness to run out travelling missiona-
ries, especially Methodist; and sew
eral of the brethren had been driven
but of the neighborhood, and their
poor horses came in for their share |
of the abuse. l knew but little of
his section of the country at the |
be of the General Conference, and |
er much talk and alteration by |
body, the hard district was set
BE, and net exactly understand
the difficulties, at once began
parations to go on my new cir
6.
On my first visit in that quarter,
,alled at tavern within mile of
here Deacon Webster lived, and
here there was a school house.
9Methodists had held meetings
The landlord says to me: 81
live You are preacher-a
|odist." eyes," 1 said, and
\ lien I told him intended to preach
Vat the school house tomorrow at
eleven o'clock a. M, and wished
him to give notice. "Well," said the
landlord, 81 will advise you as a
lfend to go no farther. You are a
stranger, and my advice is to keep
put of that neighborhood."
There were other persons by; one
er two of them put in few words.
One man said, "Your horse is good
Hooking one; l pity him; he will
come back with his tail sheared off,
and if he does not lose more, he and
You may think yourselves well off,"
A told him / had gone SO far, be-
yieyed L would go on. On the way to
the Deacon's I passed the school
s-bdtisG and. near there l saw some
men by the roadside; they were rails
ing alog house, very common thing
in this country. / stopped and in
quired for Deacon Webster. Was
told the Deacon was there. After a
moments 8 talk with the Deacon, he
told me he lived half mile further
on, andsthat / had better go to his
house and stay till he came, which
would be as soon as they got done
raising the house. / told him II
would stay and help raise the house
and then go home with him. To
this he made objections; said there
we're perspns there who would find
4 ont my business, and after they
found ont / was Methodist, would
more thar likely be abusive. The
>Qeacos nd aftev they had drank