The Ottawa free trader., 1878-04-13

| tant parts OF the country lHlS sulN' i"i'hiul-
| ness of the preacher secured the implicit con
fidence of the people, Once, it IS SAID Ae ap-
polnted a meeting for a certain day and hour
and place two years IN advance in rude vii
Iaee in Virginia At the designated time and
place the people gathered and confidently
awaited his arrival. At the expiration of the
appointed hour thin, griZzICd old man, with
| long white bcarcd and dressed in shabby
black suit and Il torn straw hat, that ilappCd
its broken brim in his face drove leisurcly up
to the gathering. 1t was Dow, punctual to IA
moment. He alighted, passed through the
throng without word, mounted the platform
and announced that shy the grace Of God, the
meeting would now be begun
One morning recently | visited the old home
Of the famous preacher. 1t is in II cleft OF the
hills in the northwestern part of the town OF
Montvlle--a low, rambling, twostory country
farmhouse, uphoding cOrpulcnt stone chin
ney, and thrusting out into the stony, sterile
pasture land acqulsitve ellis and angles. Tall
sycamores on the northern green sweep the
messy roof with their mottled boughs. The
southern windows look out on the dmplcd sur
face of OXobOXo lake, not forty rods away.
capaCious barn, with extensive Outhouses, on Il
swelling knoll near by, completes the home.
stead. Between the house and barn runs
northward the open turnpike, which dcsccnds
first into the haunted depths of Witch Woods,
then trails away over the lonely hills to Col
chester village The old house is occupied by
relatives of Dow Cby marriage0 who came to
live with his widow short time before her
death, few years ago. Dow was twice mar
ried: but he died without children.
II don't suppose" said my informant, that
there's prominent spot round here that the
old man has not preached and prayed on more
IL, hole al tu 10 thp rifrl,t
kind OF country" the speaker continued Gym
ically, with sweep of the hand toward Its
stony fields and pastures, thatched with briers
and bay-berry bushes, ''to produce religion
hard enough to suit anybody. No wonder that
the preachers were tough. No nonsense about
EN- There's material lying round loose here
to turn out hell without any great strain on
the Imagination. The old man got his religion
and his mission to preach directir from here and
from God He didn't belong to no denomina~
tion, but 1T out on his owr hook. He didn't
take no pay, and went about as the apostles
did, wherever the spirit called him. Lord, |
how he used to sail into preachers that got
salaries! He had ideas Of his own, and was
of every one and everything
specially fashion He always wore his beard
long when everybody else shaved theirs of, |
and he wore an old straw hat summer and
W W Ill I'M nan tDIil VII llt was
particular to wear it in winter Everybody |
went to hear him, and when it was known that
odd Dow was going to preach, all the other
meetings were deserted The boys sometimes
put up jobs on him, though | rccolect once
that he was to preach in an orchard, and a big
crowd gathered to hear him Well, just before
the meeting begun the fellows got him great
hogshcad to stand on, and filled it about two.
thirds full of water They put IN the head
rather loosely, and waited for fun. Dow
mounted on the barrel gave out his text got
fired up and was prancing and humping
round on that barrel head in lively style and
suddenly in she went, splash, slush, boards,
Dow, straw hat and ALL The water was about
up to his neck, and he scrambled out dripping
all over. Jerusalem, how the people laughed,
lnd how Dow-welI he went right on preach
ing on the ground, but Significantly he had
on grace mercy and peace, but he
wound up on hell fire and eternal damnation
Another anecdotc, illustrating the ready wit
IF Dow, is well known, but it Is fact, and is
worth telling again. The old man was lodging
over night with certain minister whose pull.
pit he was to occupy on the following day (Sun-
day The clergyman with IL view of getting
hc best of Dow, proposed that the latter should
preach from text that should not be annOunC-
ID to him until the moment before he was to
speak. Dow accepted the proposal and the
leXt day, rs he entered the pulpit, the clergy
nan handed him IL slip Of paper bearing these
words: And Balaam saddled his asa Dow
stepped to the front ana said; My friends, !
an to speak to you tonight from the text
And Balaam saddlcd his ass And Balaam
'addled his ass he repeated in loud voice,
looking gravcly over the audience 'Balaam,
| take it, my friends he continued, IN slow,
.tln tI1 a ItniS iStn hilI
salary is his saddle, and the congregation is
his ass
TO the same point Is another story: One
cold, clustering day Dow was driving in his
sleigh along u narrow country road that was
banked high with snow. He encountered
man who was driving in an opposite direction.
There was only one path, and that was in the
center of the road; one or the other must turn
out. Dow took in the situation at u glance,
and rising erect in his seat, whip in hand and
with threatening viSagc and manner, called out
Stcrnly: Turn out, turn out | say, or I'll serve
you as | did a man just back hcrcH The
stranger, oycrawcd, neNously obeyed, and
wallowcd through the deep snow on the road.
side till he could regain the path. Then he
turned toward the retiring figure and asked
angrily: We'll, how did you serve
.hat other man" Why Dow replied com.
ID out for him
"Onc of the funniest incidents in Dow's life,
md which | shall never forget, WAS the suit
against him in which two mill owners charged
hat he had illegally applied water privileges
The outlet of ONoboXO pond is u noble stream,
hat tumblcs overa rocky bed for several miles
lntil it cmptics into the Thames river, few
niles above New London. Along It's banks are
many of the most tlourishing mill properties
n the country. Well, Dow took il into his
icad that he wanted a mill at the point where
he brook poured out of the pond. and also a
argcr reservoir than was provided 10y the old
lam. Hence he raised and extended the dam
evcral feet. The mill owners below com
blamed that the addition to the dam intcr;crrcd
With their water supply, and threatened to
prosecute Dow cody told them 10 20 ahead
nd prosecute, declaring that he held his title
o the mill site direct from the great Indian
hicf who formerly owned the country He
vent on grinding in his MILL and al length
uit WAS instituted against him i'm the Norwich