Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1880-03-19
For the Free Press and Times.
Troy Conference.



one separate stations and circuits. The
working force contained seventy eight effec-
tive men, and ten supernumerary men, the |
latter partially disabled from labor by physl- |
cal and other causes.
Only two were on the superannuated list,
Cyprian H. Gridley and Ibri Cannon.
The membership numbered u few over
eighteen thousand. None of the original
members of the conference are now in the
effective work. Eight of them are still men,
bers of the conference and are numbered
among the superannuatcd or worn out preach
ers. Scarce 4 half century has passed since
the formation of the conference, but none of
the strong men or young men are left in the
active work who, originally, composed the
Troy Conference.
The four districts were the Troy, on the
east side of Hudson river, the Saratoga, on
the west side of the same river, the Middle
bury, embracing the south part of the Cham
plain valley, as far north as Charlotte and
Essex, and the Plattsburgh, embracing the
northern portion of the Champlain valley
living north of Charlotte, Vt, and Essex,
Ny
The danger and delay that the presiding
elders experienced in crossing the lake dur
ing some seasons of the year, made it neces-
sary to arrange the districts so that the lake
eventually became the dividing line between
the Burlington district on the east and the
Plattsburgh district on the west side of the
lake. Thus 10y natural law the Champlain
lake and the Hudson river divided the con-
ference into east and west districts.
By the same law of nature the Helderburg
and Adirondack mountains bounded the con-
ference on the west and the Greenland Hoosac
mountains formed the eastern boundary
The first decade of the conference was
one of general prosperity. The separation
of quite large number Of preachers and
members from the church under the name
of the Protestant Methodist church, affected
but few, comparatively, in the Troy Confer
encc. The only real injury, as it finally
proved, was the Millerte excitement "Old
Father Miller" as lie was Familiarity called,
was lay member of the Baptist church in
Hampton, \. Y. lie rroplicsied that the
second coming of Christ would be in 1913.
His pairiarchal appearance and plausible
Interpretation of the book of Daniel and the
Apocalypse, uniting with apparent deep re-
lisious pathos and persuasive speech soon
stirred the moral elements in the community
into religious excitement unprecedented in
the history of the region of country en-
braced by the Troy Conference. The ordinary
affairs of religion were strangely overshadow-
by jealous propagandism Of 1913, as the
time when Christ would descend from
heaven, with the sound of q trumpet and
the voice of an archangel," to cali up the
dead of all ages, and gather them with all na-
tons to judgment. All classes of people to
considerable extent were more or less ex-
ercised with fear, and the churches were
sought for by thousands, unfinished and
unprepared for so dire an event as the COM
ing of Christ to judge wicked world. The
Methodist church, broad, liberal and COM
prehensivc in its economy towards the peni-
tant, opened wide its doors to receive the
quaking ores that Millerism had infatuated
and alarmed.
The first session of Troy Conference in
B arlington in 1912 was when Millerism was
rising 10 its highest point of excitement.
Bishop Hcdding presiding and with his ac-
customed firmness and admirable executive
alb lily, gave direction to conference bust
ness The brick church that occupied the
present site of the Methodist church was
then, though quite inferior the present struct-
ure, new and imposing Methodist church.
The citizens of Burlington gave the preach
ers cordial welcome to their hearts and
homes. The season of the year, it being the
first week in June, was delightful with the
aroma of unfaded flowers, and the dense
foliage that arrayed the trees and fields in
living green. The bird songs for which
Burlington always seemed famous, were of
that free, joyous, rollicking style that marks
the natal day of many little birdie in his
leafy bower.
Troy Conference at this date was in its
golden age. The districts had increased to
six. The membership and preachers had
nearly doubled in number. Churches and
parsonages had more than doubled in num-
Der, and the support of the ministry had
kept pace with the general prosperity.
But five had died out of the Conference
during its first decade, hence the increase of
pastors, from seventy-eight to about one
hundred and fifty, shows the success that the
preachers attained in this work.
One of the elements of success that mark
ed the progress of Methodism in the Confer
ence was the camp meeting. This style of
making the woods place of worship origin
ated in the West, and hence it was at first
very unpopular IN the East. The Method
lists, however, soon became much attached
to camp meetings
Tie favorite camping grounds from 1910
To ISs0 uara -naar-p..s4- S@Ht-and Port
jackson. in New York, and in Charlotte,
Colchester and North Hero. in Vermont
The lake was the public highway through
the valley in those days, and hence the
camping ground was invariably near the
lake shore. so that the campers could land
near it from boats on the lake. Camp meet
ings were in those days characterized by
jealous efforts to awaken and convert the
ungodly. A great revival was the general
result of a camp meeting.
There was no time lost in proving the ex-
istence of God, angel devil, hell, or heaven.
Such verities were happily beyond cavil.
The main effort was TO unite in bringing
down the man of sin, and the effort was al
most invariably success The sweet sing
ers in Israel were always present, with the
shouting legion, and the hallelujah chorus,
so that with Boanerges usually for preach
er. the leafy temple undulatcd most of the
time, with the voice of penitence, mingled
with praise and prayer.
Those old primitive leafy temples are gone,
and gone with them the simplicity and
primitive style of camp meetings.
One of the peculiar features of Burlington
at this time, and that attracted the attention
of the preachers was the appearance OF the
Vermont ships" as they were called. They
were the mammoth wagons, covered with
roof of canvass, and drawn by from six to
ten spans of horses. A large feet of these
ships were continually employed at that
time, QS4a) in the the carrying trade be-
tween Burlington and the interior.
On the whole, considering the time of the
year. the beauty of Burlington, heightened
by nature the general health of the preach
ers, not death having occurred during the
year, the general prosperity everywhere, and
the courtesy and liberal hospitality of the
citizens, the Troy Conference never enjoyed
a more pleasant and satisfactory session than
its first session in Burlington, June l, 1912.
Bishop Iledding, the presiding officer, was
born in Pine Plains. y. Y, June :, 1880.
His parents moved to Starksborough in 1871.
lie joined the church in 1898. He was an
exhorter in 1899, a local preacher in 1900,
travelling preacher in 1901 presiding elder
in 1907, bishop in 1924.
In 1912 his physical powers were yielding
to his varied and exhaustive labors. In 1SO2
he travelled the Fletcher circuit in company
with Henry Ryan, a ge-ial and WARM heart
ed Irishman. The circuit extended from the
WinoOskl to the St. Lawrence river, and
from the Green Mountains TO the lake shore.
In 1903 he was on Bridsewatcr circuit in
Central New Hampshire.
On this charge. during an attack 81 iniiam-
matory rheumatism, he rode his horse and
held his reins in his teeth, being unable 10
Use his hands His salary 70. his first year
on circuit as presiding elder was four
dollars and twenty-five cents cash.
Such was the man that sent out the preachers
10 the work in Troy Conference from Bur
lington in 1872 He knew what hard, earn
est work meant. Once duringa heavy thaw
in the winter, the roads being impossible on
horseback he shouldered his saddle bags.
and travelled on foot one hundred and MY
miles in two weeks, preaching once and
twice day in order so fill his appointments.
lie had travelled over large part OF the
conference as circuit preacher in 1901 ard
1902, and there was no part of the Champaign
valley unknown TO him.
There is good degree of satisfaction TO
the average Methodist preacher in being
assigned a field of labor by such bishop.
Hence the preachers believed in his benedc-