Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-03-17

farm until the time came for him to be sent
to school. In 1898 he graduated at the Uni
versity of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, of
which Rev. DR.. Ewing was then the Presi-
dent. There being no theological seminaries
in existence in this country at that time
Mr.. Scott pursued his studies privately un-
der the direction of Rev. Samuel Stanhope
Smith, D. D., and was licensed by the
Presbytery of New Brunswick, of the Pres
byterian Church, in the city of New Bruins
wick, N. j.
His health having been impaired by close
application to his studies, his physician ad-
vised him to travel and preach as a hcen-
tiate, having obtained the consent of the
Presbytery he went from place to place as
opportunity to preach offered.
MISSIONARY WORK.
During the summer of 1898 Rev. Mr.. Scott
came West and preached in the church of
Mill Greek, located in the south end of
Beaver county. The church was then under
the care of the Presbytery of Ohio. He re-
turned East in the autumn, and in Novem-
Der or that year he was ordained to the
gospel ministry, "Sine titulo," by the Pres
bytery of New Brunswick. The following
winter he spent missionating in the State Of
New York.
In the spring of 1899 call to the pastorate
was sent to him by the congregations of Mill
Greek and the Flats. The last named is
now FaIrview, W. Va, and was until re-
Gently the county seat of Hancock county.
To this call he gave an affirmative answer,
came on the field in the following July and
was duly installed pastor of both charges on
the second Saturday OF September.
Father Scott, as he was called by his peo-
pie, was one of the first preachers to locate
in the wilds of Western Pennsylvania. The
Indians had been driven out of that part of
the country, but made frequent raids across
the river, plundering and numbering and
recrossing before company of whites could
be formed to attack them. Until recently
the block house to which the settlers would
flee when the alarm was given, stood about
mile from the church, and It's walls of
heavy timbers, cross-notched to receive the
guns, many times gave shelter to this pastor
and his people.
PREPARED FOR INDIANS.
The first church edifice at Mill Creek was
built of unhewed logs, ehunked, but not
daubed; the floor was made of puncheons
(boards split out of logs, and clapboards
formed the roof. 1t was without window or
door, so that it might answer the purpose of
fort In an emergency, and the worshipeis
crept in under the sill on the lower side.
The men took their guns with them to the
meeting, loaded and ready for use, and they
were stacked in one corner where they could
be conveniently seized.
One day during the sermon some mis-
chievous person managed to explode one of
the guns during the delivery of the sermon;
instantly the women with their children
dropped fiat on the floor, and the men
snatching their arms, sprang to the port
holes. Although the true state of the case
was soon learned. the devotional spirit was
spoiled for that day..
The building was without fire, and in the
cold weather the more delicate of the women
brought heated blocks of wood with them
from their homes.
EARLY REVEALS.
Father Scott and his two churches wit
messed the great revivals of religion in
Western Pennsylvania that commenced
with the opening of the present century,
and continued for many years. These re-
markable awakenings occurred in 1902,
1916 and in 1922, the latter continuing with
unabated interest for five years.
April 18, 1926, Father Scott resigned his
charge of the Flats Church, and continued
pastor of the other branch until December
26, 1887. His request to the Presbytery for
dissolution of his relation to Mill Creek.
gave advancing age and increasing infrmi-
ties as his reasons for seeking release.
He remained among the people to whom
he had given the most of his life service.
preaching and doing pastoral work as occa-
sion offered. On the Sabbath preceding his