The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1899-02-16

banks OF distant location and uncertain
assets and for the most part the possess
sor of Ghis currency as uneasy until
be could pass it on 20 some other person
and get in its place land or some other
form of property which gave him the
feeling of greater assurance. In letter
to Mr. Deming which find some man
enclosed draft on Boston for use in
paying a note to Mr.. Higgins. The
writer of the letter said: II don't
inclose interest down to date because
last spring when was in town / offered
TO pay the note and had the currency to
do it but Higgins said he was afraid to
take the money and hold it over night
for fear that in the morning it might
not be worth as much as the note. /
think interest ought to stop at the time
that offered to pay him."
The morning after Mr.. Deming's
arrival, as has been related, he went
out to view the surroundings of his
future home and his attention was
attracted to an abode dug out of the
banks of Pike River. Three sides of
this stately residence was a solid
embankment and the front was
sought to be made so except a
small window and very small
door. Here one of the intelligent
emigrants from ireland had burrowed.
Humble as was the abode, few years
afterwards settling upon an adjacent
prairie he was elected a member of our
Legislature" While standing there
Mr.. Deming heard hearty and CHEEKY
voice saying, Well, Bub, how do you
do9 am glad to see you. Now for
meeting next Sabbath | am going
around to inform the people you have
come and that there will be meeting
in your store next Sabbath. This was
that good man, Austin Kellogg. The
meeting was held. For seats we had
stoves, nail kegs and the short counter.
Some sat upon the floor, some stood up.
We had congregation of some seventy
to eighty out of the total number of
about one hundred persons who then
lived within an area of some four miles.
From this time forward meetings were
held each Sabbath and as general an
attendance now would crowd every
church edifce in our city,"
Mr.. Deming engaged in mercantile
business in partnership with his
brother in-law, Charles Durkee, and at
the same time, then and as later
throughout his life, whenever there was
any need for the services of a minister
of the gospel he was at the disposal of
the people. At that time he was in the
prime of life, SO years old, we'll built,
medium height, kindly blue eyes and
face marked with benevolent intelli-
gence. He was most considerate man
in all his relations, with childhood, old
age and with the poor or needy. Hewas
appreciative of the efforts of others and
his letters and the reports of those who
knew him give us many accounts OF his
praise of words and deeds of others
with comparatively rare criticisms of
them. This quality was so well known
that in his later years it became some
what of family joke. On the return
from church each Sabbath morning
one of the children would innocently
ask him: Well, father, how did you
| like the sermon this morning?" 1t.
was grand sermon; one of tho best |
ever heard, A." would be his almost in
variable answer.
He was generous to fault and with
out intention many times brought
actual burdens and temporary hard
ships upon his own family by reason of
his impulsive generosity and kindness
toward some one who had applied to
him for aid. His son, Frank Deming,
! relates now, with a smile, the wrath
and bitterness that used to fill his boy
| ish mind when, to make room in the
stable for the horses of some passerby,
perhaps an itinerant Methodist minis
ter, Frank would be directed to turn
his fathers horses out into the night. 1t
would be interesting to recall many of
the details of the early life and struggle
III the community, the contentious over
the corporate limits of Southport and
whether the city should finally be To-
Gated on the north or the south side of
the river; of the tendency toward the
south side, at which time the early
Deming home which stood near the
present site of the mattress factory was
abandoned for one built facing the
present city park, which was
donated to the city by the Durkee
brothers and other land owners sur
rounding it. Mr.. Deming at that time
owned most of the land lying east of
the park. / can only say now that he
served the people not only as volun-
tary preacher and pastor, but as a
Representative in the territorial legisla-
ture and as supervisor, school commits
sioner, alderman, justice of the peace
and city treasurer. He tried to do his
part as man and citizen.