The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1891-01-22
THE OLD CIRCUIT RIDER.
"REMINISCENCES OF A METHODIST
PRESIDING ELDER.

An Interestng Tyne Of Character That
Iiss All Hut Passed Away = joys and
Trials OF the Disseminating Of Religion
Forty Years Ago.
1.-THE Methodist preacher OF to-day,
standing in his costly btoadcloth In
fine church. preaching to a large and
well-dre ,sed congregation, Is far differ
ent parsonage from the Methodist cir
cuit-rlders Of forty years ago, said Rav.
+, G, Truslell, presiding elder of the
Chicago district, he leaned back in
his comfortable armchair and fell into a
reminiscent strain OF thought, to Chi
cago Evening News reporter.
when j look back to the old DAYS =
continued the divine, land recall the In
cidents that befell me when, as a young
man, was clrcuit-ridcr, il seems os
they We're terribly hard times, Yet when
/ was circuit-rider | did not much
mind it, and l suppose l endured as
many bardships as the average circu t.
rider Looking back to those days they
seem strange enough, and a listenor
he ring OF the trials OF a circuit-ri or
would naturally say that his was hord
lot. Well, perhaps IL was; but after all
hey were fulfilling their duty and their
aim was q higher one than many VINO
have easier times.
"A crcuit-rider was distinguished
from stat oned preacher by having
two or more appointments to fiji, where.
as the regular prear her was static, ed
at some place where there is n congreea-
ion sufficiently large to require all his
lime and energies in looking after it.
But circult-rider was a Met hod ST
preacher who, taking the word of Go !
under his arm, would mount his trusty
steed and ridc from place to place in his
circuit, preaching to the farmers who
gathered to hear him. He often preachc
every day in the week. and perh
three times on Sunday. 1t was no up,
common thing for Methodist circuit
riders to have a 2O0-mile circuit, with
perhaps dozen appointments. So you
see they never had moments leisure,
but made thei~ hon es where chance or
their horse b. ought them.
MY first circuit was in Iowa, and
was obliged to travel through Tama,
Marshall and Story counties. l had from
six to ten apnointn ents, and you may
rest assured 1 was kept busy. Every
Sunday in the year l preached three
times morning, aft ernoon and evening
and ofttimes during the week. l
would get up early Sunday morning and,
after eating my breakfast and seeing
that my horse was properly cared for,
start off for my first appointment, ten
or fifteen miles away. l carried my
Bible with me, and went merriiy along
over the country roads, singing to my
self and exchanging salut; tions with the
few people 1 met on the road When
arrived at my first appointment. which
was about ten o'clo- (, 1 would generally
hold services, and then take my dinner
at some farmers house. And oh. how
the people would turn out on those oc-
casions tell you, they didn't have a
chance to go to church every day in the
week, nor every Sunday, and when a
preacher did come along. no mater how
bad the weather was, they turned out to
a man, and gave him rousing welcome
that half did away with the discomforts
Of ones long journey.
After a good 81 bstantial dinner at
some farmers would set out again and
ride to my next place. l would preach
there in the afternoon, and then ride 10
the next place and preach tn re that
night. Then I'd stay all night at some
farmers, and the next morning COM
plete my circuit. The people always
used me WE'LL believe they always did
use circuit-riGers well, and whenever
stopped l was alw VS. sure of getting
the best the house could afford. Ii
was those lit tie things that made me
forget the hard and disagreeable part of
my work. Forit was hard and disagree
able, there is no use in denying that.
would like to see some of the minister's
OF to-day riding over all kinds of roads,
In all kinds of weather, travelling
through rain. snow and sleet, perhaps
with garments soaked or frozen; swim
ming creeks and putting up with harl
fare; p each ng in a miserable little
school-house, or in the open air, or in
some farmers dwell ing
"A ci cuit-l der d dnt draw princely
salary, either. The first year 1 was a
saw only TIVE nty-hve ceLts during the
entire time. But then l didn't mind
that. There were hundreds more circuit
riders not a 1t be- ter off than my SELF
very few got 500 year. Ready money
was scare article in those days but,
the lack of it never stopped circuit
rider from fulfilling his Guties. Oh, !
could go ahead and talk all night about
my exp rience as circuit rider, but
there is no use in it. Why, 1 re member
one day during rainy spell l tried to
urge my hors to sy i'm across a creek
that was swollen by recent rains, but
the horse couldn't make it, and 1 mar
rowly escaped with my life. But the far
| mer's boys wlere l was going dragged
me out and loaned me dry clothes, and
/ went ON my way r'joicirg. That was
fut one Of my incidents t ,at served to
make up my life as a circuit rider