The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-10-15


in the estimation Of all who live BY the
favor OF public opinion. There was n
time when William Lloyd Garrison was
led through tho streets Of Boston by
antl.nigger mob, with II halter
around his neck. There were times forty
years ago when the neck Of this old doc.
Tor was almost in the same predicament
in this very shire town Of the great, free,
religious, Sco,ch.Irish county Of Washing
ton. He was one Of the old pioneer AbO.
litiOnisls Of the United States, a class who
nj one time were as much hated BY the
Northern masses as ever their successors,
the Republicans, were by the Southern
flre.eaters. LeMoyne was one Of the bold
est OF them 40 much so that he was once
put M for Governor Of PENNSYLVANIA, at
the head Of their ticket lie was In his
prime when Joseph Bryant was tried in
Wheeling for abducting slaves, and John
Gilmor was called on to resign his seat
among the Ohio county Justices for sign.
ing petition for the abolition Of slavery
in the District OF Columbia. There was
enough aggressiyeness in LeMoyne to
leayen whole community with what ever
he might preach. Not that he cared a sin
Gle jot to be inside the pale Of public opin.
ion on the slavery question, any more
than he now cares 10 popularize his ere.
nation views But he was man Of
brains, well educated, a strong and reso.
Lutte thinker, who had no iavOrs ~ ask,
and like the oak grew more deep rooted
in his convictions as the winds OF Opposi
lion arose and blewaround him. He never
was orthodox in anything, politics or re.
Iigion, and is now sliding into his grave
with all his idiosyncrasies as strongly
marked as ever And this last remark re-
minds us to say that the first inquiry We
made after an introduction from our friend
Moore, was as to his health. MY health"
said the old Stole, may be called precaTi.
Gus, although lam well enough for the
time being. ain afflicted with an inCura.
bic disease which will carry me oil one Of
these days, but the fact gives
me no concern, and | am cheerful
and take lie as it comes. You see
am dropsical and get about with
difficulty. My disease is known as dia
betes, and never believed the disease
could be cured. Thanks to agood consti.
tuition, l wear out slowly under it." We
remarked that We supposed the main topic
OF interest with him nowadays was the
subject Of cremation. "Well, yes" said
me- 4 'Go'ts<t . grely interest in that
matter, because / am certain that the
world has gone wrong us to the proper
disposition to make oil the dead. In the
light OF health and economy, the argu.
ment is with cremation, and there is
nothing in reason or revelation to oppose
it. This" said he, "the preachers all
admit when ! talk with them. The
other day had a talk with one of our
ministers and l said to him, you who
oppose cremation draw q line OF distinc.
ton between your dead membership that
is most unchristian. The wealthy you
bury up there in the cemetery in costly
caskets, while the poor you bury in the
Potter's field. My plan disposes of the
whole human family alike. 1t costs Just
the same to cremate everybody, aud the
cost is next to nothing. Five dollars will
pay all the necessary expense. What Il
mOckery man has made Of this matter OF
death. 1t was never so intended. We
make pomp OF it and try to pre-.
serve the dead intact, while Nature
has let loose every species OF antago-
nism to such an idea. The earth and
air are full Of scavengers created for the
special purpose Of dispOsing Of all dead
matter in the shortest possible time.
These were organized ior the protection
Of man, but he, in his pride, resists the
humiliation that is incident to his NOR
tality, and puts his dead in costly case
work, spending enough money on Coflins
and monuments to pay the National debt"
"Why," said the doctor, "a quarter OF
million dollars have been spent and
wasted in twenty years in the cemetery OF
this town. And we go on impOverishing
many people to keep up an unnatural and
foolish custom.
The fOregoingis but small sample Of the
ready and forCible manner in which DR..
LeMoyne conyerses on all subjects. lie
possesses wonderful accuracy OF memory
for recent as well as remote events, and is
fully alive to what is passing the world.
His general phraseOlOgy is that Of strong
and educated thinker, and yet it is all
very plain and easy understood. He has
no extravaganza whatever in his style,
and is o pleasing thinker.
One might travel East or West a long
distance and not find SO remarkable n
character as this eccentric old dissen,cr
from all the Establishments and most Of
the prophecies OF life. lie is very rich,
and is noted for aCQuisitiveness, and
yet he gave $50, 900 to the College when it
was recognized, $4,000 to the town
library, and $4,000 to a colored school in
the South. lie has fouriarms near Wash.
iDgton and plenty Of bank stock and
county bonds. He does all his own
tinanCiering, even to his bookkeeping,
is a man OF wonderful method, and directs
with minuteness the carrying out of all
his projects. He knows no rest, and with
his cane in one hand and his hoe in the
other works in his large garden several
hours every day. lie sleeps about three
hours, seldom goes TO bed until one in the
morning, is up at the dawn and ont in his
grounds. He used TO read far into the
night, but latterly his eye sight having be.
como impaired he thinks more and reads
less. He believes in sun baths but nd.
lures water baths. This is one OF his hob.
bies, and accordingly he will sit at mid.
day IN the boiling sun, in order to absorb
the life.giving electricity with. which old
Soils rays arc charged. He takes them
straight, and not through blue glass. He
has made all his arrangements for being
cremated after death. II anything could
make him unhappy, it would be the pos.
sibility Of being put in fifty dollar collin,
buried in sixty dollar lot In cemetery,
and commemorated on five hundred dol.
lar shaft Of marble.