Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1888-05-25

1
With pretty sauciness:
"If you are tired of saying "No,"
Why don't you tell me 'Yes?"
Quaint Old Ben Stokely.
Old Ben StokeIy, the first settler oi
Mercer county. was doubtless one Of
the queereet specimens of the oldtime
pioneer that ever lived in Northwest
ern Pennsylvania. Coming within
the present limits of the county in
1896, accompanied by no one save bis
wife and small children, he settled
| far beyond the reach of even the rude
civilization of his primitive time, and,
deeply secluded from the approach OF
| any visitants except the indians and
| the animals of the forest, communed
alone with natures solitudes. endur-
| ing all the hardships of his life with
out the encouragement and sympathy
which the presence of fellow.workers
affords. As the influx of new adven.
turers and settlers, however, which
| occurred several years after his en-
trance into the county, brought neigh
bors and associates, "Old Ben," as be
| was familiarly styled. developed by
degrees into q rare social being, and
| in time became one of the foremost
promoters of the welfare of the com.
| munity, social, political and religious.
In the latter cause he was specially
| active. While yet in the manhood of
his life professed infdel, a fact which
| in later years seemed to afford the old
gentleman intense delight and salts
| faction, be was nevertheless assiduous
| in assisting the early revivalists in all
their endeavors towards carrying the
gospel into the wilderness of the great
| northwest, Methodist, Presbyterian,
Seceder were alike welcome to the
hospitality of his home. although,
through some strange anomoly in his
disposition, representatives ofthe first
named faith, fercest of all in their de-
nunciations of his unbelief, appeared
to ind special favor in his eyes
A curious incident. tending to dem,
onstrte this fact, is illustrative OF the
| sly humor with which he delighted to
manifest his appreciation of the itin-
Grant mission. A young Methodist
preacher, Brunson by name, now con
spicuous in Methodist history, whose
| field of labor included the vicinity iG
question, in the discharge of his spir-
| itual duties for q number of months
svailed himself of Uucle Stokely g
hospitality, and upon his arrival
in the neighborhood made direct way
to the door of the gay old disbeliever,
| in whose house be tarried and at
whose house he regaled himself. At
length after this thing had been re-
peatek for number of times, and
when it became necessary for the
young minister. owing to shifting Of
his appointment, to enter upon new
curcuit, the latter approached his en-
tertainer with grateful smile, ac
knowledged his obligations and bis
gratitude for the generous treatment
be had received and was preparing to
take his departure when Mr.. Stokely
told him bluntly to "hold on a mo.
ment."
| "There's one thing you've forgot
ten, young feller." said he, "and that
is a settlement of this here business
You've got to pay me for your board
an lodgin' fore you 60"
The parson, thoroughly astounded
at this apparently fragrant violation
of backwoods hospitality, and, in com
mon with his colleagues of those early
days, possessing little wealth, and
that chiefly of the spiritual kind, far
removed from the ''loaves and fishes
class, began in faint and surprised
tone to stammer forth his inability to
pay, when he Yves interrupted by his
host, who seemingly determined to
accept no excuse whatever.
Don't blubber over" said the lat.
ter. sternly, "wait till / read you yer
bill" Thereupon an account was
produced from the depths of the old
gentleman's capacious pocket, in
which a list of the meals tie former
had eaten was faithfully recorded, to.
gethsr with the number of nights
lodging be had enjoyed and the
amount of food his horse had eaten
while put up in the hosts stable. The
charges were then figured up with
the greatest accuracy and neatness,
the total amounting to something
over twelve and half dollars.
The guest, as my be readily ina
| gined, was dumbfounded at this un-
expected claim, and finally made out
to say:
"Well, Mr.. Stokely, I am at present
very poor in this worlds goods, as
you well know, all my earthly posses
| sions being contained in the saddle
bags / carry with me; but if you will
accept my note for the amount l will
give you that, and redeem it just as
soon as l can possibly get the mon
ey."
With this remark he turned to his
horse, which was standing near by.
and was about to write the paper and
depart, when old Ben for the third
time called out to him to stop.
"You haint heard the credit side
yet, young man-wait till read that
ter you," exclaimed Stokely; who
straightway began the recital of an
equally accurate account, embracing
the number of times the parsoa had
asked blessing at the table. conducted
family worships and delivered SER
mons and disquisitions on Scripture.
for each of which service definite
amount was credited. When the
whole was read and the two sides
balanced, the astonished intinerant
found that his entertainer
was indebted to him just three dol
lars and seventy five cents, which
sum the old gentleman promptly pull.
ed out from his leather purse and
handed to the minister, at the same
time seizing him by the hand and
wringing farewell. 1t is needless
to say that this was merely DELICATE