CanÌƒon City record. [volume] (CanÌƒon City, Colo.) 1883-192?, 1903-11-19


Is To Day" wa. responded to by Mrs
l.. E. Eldred and the other two, For
Old Acquaintance sake" and "Our
Guests, by Mrs. NJ NJ. Shes,z and
Rev. John T. Thomas .Ir. respectively
The responses to the toasts were much
enjoyed by the entire company. and
were withal very instructive. cnntain-
ing a. they did great deal "f interest:
ing information in relation to the First
Presbyterian church.
IL will not be inappropriate In this
connection 4, state that it's first pastor
was Rev. John d. Bell and that his
field Of labor included large territory,
Of which Fnirplsy was in The north
west corner For some time after its
organization the congregation worship
ed in the baptist and Cumberland
Presbyterian churches, tn. first build
ing Of its own being dedicated May 30
1875. The church stood on the site of
the Carnegie Public Library and cost
- 200 and was used ns . place Of
worship until the erection OF las present
home, . few years ago.
At the conclusion OF the speechmak-
ing Mira. George Prentiss and Miss Elsie
Helm sang one OF the favorite songs OF
Elder Brewster which ws- followed by
Aud Lang Syne" in which the entire
company Joined. The celebration was
success in every particular and was
one of the most delightful Affairs of
the Kind that ever occurred in this
city The subjoined biographical
sketch will be Interesting in connection
with the commemorative service We
have attempted to describe.
John x. Brewster, who COMES from
sturdy New England stock, was born
In Chatham, Columbia county, New
York, November II, 1916. His snces-
try were iong-liv~d people, several OF
whom attained an age Of between
ninety and one hundred years. He is
lineni descendent OF Elder William
Brewster Of Boston, England. who sc-
l~sysnr~~ssAl -sise--tasigrssus so fs~yden,
Holland. and came over in the May
flower, landing at Plymouth Rock in
1870.
When but few year, old the subject
of this sketch moved with his parents
TO onondaga county. New York, the
family taking up its residence
a short distance from Syracuse.
where he lived sill is2s His father
was the proprietor OF a hotel in Syra-
cuse and when the Marquis de Lafny-
cite visited the United States he stop
ped at his fathers hostelry and Mr..
Brewster has distinct recollection of
the appearances and manner Of the dis
tinguished Frenchman as he bowed
which assembled to do him honor.
lie was nine years Of age when the
Erie canal was completed and he re-
cs.ls the trip made by Governor DE
Witt Clinton through the state when
that great public wurk was thrown
open to commerce. While still a
youth. the family removed to Court
iasd and during a visit to Glenn Falls,
ON the Hudson river, he first saw
Daniel Webster, who WAS regarded Ms
the foremost American Of that day. Ii
was in the summer time and Webster,
accompanied by his daughter, were on
their way to Lake George.
Mr. brewster says that Webster
wore hlue coat with gilt buttons, =
yellow vest and uaukeen trousers and
he thought he was the nandsomest
man he ever saw. Webster had in the
previous session Of congr-ss made his
famous reply to Senator Hayne and
was the idol OF the northern people.
which probably accounts In some
measure for Mr.. .Brewster's enthusiasm.
May 4th 1896 Mr.. Brewster left his
home in the Empire State to try his
fortune in the west. his destination be-
ing Gaiena. Illinois. which seventy
years ago WAS on the border line OF
civilization. He travelled by the Erie
Canal to Buffalo. thence by steamer to
Detroit. Michigan. walking most "f the
way from their to Galena, the trip oc-
cupying twenty -seven day.
The great industry at Galena at that
time was lead mining and he soon pro-
cured employment at one of the
furn.nces, which were primitive affairs
in comparison TO what they are now.
After he had been ther.. few months
his employer informed him that he had
decided to start store and MIR. Brew
ster was requested to go East and buy
u stock Of goods. He went to Boston
purchased the necessary merchandise
and they were shipped by steamer to
Chicago. and thence hauled one hun
tv..i and siwtv ,,,il.s hv - nm