Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1892-08-16
.IIo.i a, fln,. TaiLer P.ier,w


~ he was called by the mouniaincerr.
was ban In Ohio. lie was Camplellite
clergyman. aud ten year. before the war
he. with hi. wife AMI daughter. moved
into the Cumberland mountains In south.
eastern Kentucky. Only an intense re-
ligious spirit could have induced Father
Peters io leave his home In the rich
lAnls % the western reserve and to take
up his al,sle among the hills of the Cum.
l-,rland range. II would L. difficult In
the United States a. find place and q
p-,Opl. In moro violcn, contrast with his
oil associates. Wealth. or at least com.
fort ami intelligence were the rule In
northern Ohio. There was hardly an
exception 10 poverty anil ignorance In
the new home.
but Father Peters, without giving q
though, 90 the sacrifice he was making.
felt tha, he was coming As q missionary
to the hea,hcn quit. as much A u be
hal gone on, 20 the hear, % darkest
Africa. lie built q large double log
CABIN. that was quite ralatial and =
mo.lcl of home comfort In contrast with
the cabins ~ his nsighlprs. and A. he
knew that the people were too poor 10
contribuie 90 his support. he broke mp \
little farm and as,onished his nsighhor.
by introducing agricultural appliances
and methods such as they had never be-
fore heard of Or dreamed ~.
Sou after his arrival. and with no as
sis,ance from tho-e whom he hal come
% t-neh,. Father Peters built q log
meeting house Across the rough noun
tain rad from his home. and sent word
through the hills that hereafter there
would b. preaching every Sunday morn
ing at Ballcy's Crossing. as the place
was called.
AZ fir,t the people dill not take kindly
90 the missionary. These mountainccrS,
while ho-pi,able Ia passing strangers, do
not favor the coming In ~ outsiders.
tn. man who may not own an acre of
rocky hillside IL strong In the belief that
the mountains round about are the en-.
elusive property of himself and his kin.
Then. again. while there were no slaves
4. this part of Kentucky. the I-,ople hal
a bitter hatred of Abolitionists-a hatred
that grew more intense ~ the day of
strife approached. They believed that
every northern man WAS an Abolition.
is,. and at frst they were inclinei to
think that Father Peter. hal come into
the mountains 10 spread his I-nicious
political principles rather than 10 prcacl.
the Gospel.
Although young enough to b. her hrs.
bands daughter. Mr.. Peters threw her.
self heart AMI soul into his work. She
was n woman of much cultur, and force
10 character. and before she hal lecn q
year In the mountains she established a
school In the meeting house. Excepting
Bradley the blacksmith's children and
,hos 10 family namcd Burns that lived
near by. the school was not attended.
Neither ,h. moun,aineers nor their faith.
srs had had any "book larnin. and ~
they reasoned that their children could
get along without u. AMI then they hal
a dim notion that schools and abolition
Were closely related.
Gradually the meeting house became
q rendezvous for the mountainccrs for
ten miles around. II was particularly
Ippular In the summer season. Then
gruuI~ ~ lank men and women. often
accompanied 10y truoIs of ragged, tow.
headed children. would come 'lown the
mounSlin trails every sunday morning.
The women. for comfort rather than
economy. would carry their rough shoes
In their hands and wash their feet and
put on their foot covering by the little
stream that brawlc,i behind the meeting
house. The men often carried their
rife. with them 10 church. anil u was
the exception to find one who lad not a
pistol strapped about his waist II wa-
not unusual for the young men 10 In
dulge in target practice while the
seniors were listening 90 Father Peters
sermon. AMI more than once'the services
were suddenly ended by fight between
two men who had met by appointment
for that purpc-e.
But Father Peters farm. quite ~
much ~ his preaching. helped to break
up the stupid monotony Of ths noun.
taineers' methods. Heretofore they
never dreamed that anything Tut pota-
toes. oats and corn could ts raised In
the hills. hut gradually the preacher 9
young orchard of apples, plums, psar-
and peaches began 10 bear, and his veg.
etable garden was at once revelation
and show. Of which the congregation
never weaJied ON Sunday.
During the ten years that Father Pc
tiers preached and Mrs. Peters taught
they never received one dollar from the
people; the subject Of compensation was
never even hinted Mt, nor did the idea
Of donation party ever enter their dull
minds. Indeed. they felt that they had
. claim ON the proceeds of the Clergy.
mans labor. for they helped themselves
from his orchard and garden without
permission In advance or thanks after.
ward.
30 matters went on till the fall OF
eighteen hundred and sixty-one. Al.
though his ministrations hsd not been
as successful ~ he at firut expected. yet
Father Peters was confo.ted with the
belief that he had done some god for
these rude people; he certainly suffered
no pricks of conscience from . sense of
neglected duty. Since his coming his
daughter Ella had grown TO 10 . beauti-
full young woman. His life focused In
her, and In regarding her he forgot that
the heavy hand Of time was bowling his
own shoulder. and bleaching his hair
like snow.
Bradley, the blacksmith. who was Mr..
Peters nearest neighbor, was . man OF
unusual physical strength. and before
the coming Of the preacher he had been
noted ~ Q fighter; indeed, he was credit
ed with having killed moro than ons
man. He had been shockingly brutal
and rrofane. and was known far and
near a. ''Strmg Dick Bradley 10 dis-
tinguish him from . cousin Of the same
name. who was not quite 20 strong. u
the only good done By the clergyman
hsd bssn ths conversion Of the black.
smith. his wogk " The mountains might