Milford chronicle., 1904-12-30
l9asRRN S. PRETTYNAN,
A REFORMER IN MEDICINE, POLITICS
AND RELIGI ON.
Died December Twenty.SseOad.
- bree of POD, DR..
% res in Phil death
" INTO life. cot mot

y mtO life. est mot
He was born September Sth, 1925, on
farm near the head OF Rehehoth Bay
but spent much OF his youth and early
manhood in and around the town Of
Lewes, his father, Joel, buying the old
Tower Hill tract. For several genera.
tions this had been the family home
stead, purchased by John Prettyman
from Thomas Peterkin, in 1897. It
was owned by the deceased at the time
Of his death, thus remaining cOntinu-
Ously in the family for more than two
hundred years.
DR.. Prettyman was rugged ehaFae-
ter, of strong personality and fOreeful;
with his intimates as tender and SYM
pathetic as a child; and this phase Of
character became more manifest as age
came on, adjoining his declining years.
Always in advance of his generation,
with the courage of conviction, he was
essentially a refOrmer; a pioneer ia the
great movements Of his day. In youth,
standing by the bedside of delicate
brother, with the life blood flowing
from the veins opened by a physi-
clan, the operation repeated until death
supervened, he determined to study
medicine, that he might oppose such
murderOus quackery. With this pur.
pose in view, he entered the Reform
School of Medicine in Cincinnati, and
after completing the course settled in
Milford in IS49 He soon established,
with DR.. Palmer Johns, 1.-THE Middle
States Medical RefOrmer," continuing
the publication two years. In this he
strongly denounced existing methods
of treatment, and pointed out wiser and
better ways, incurring the eDmity of
the profession but revOlutiOnizing the
practice of the community. He educa-
ted the people until no one would bare
arm for the lance, or voluntarily
N NIT to salvation.
With the great slave question con-
sFonting the Nation, be abandoned the
Medical publication e tsks up what !
teemeUeTO hinT sven higher work, es.
tablishing the ''Peninsular News and
Advertiser" an anti-slavery paper in
decided pro.slavery community. His
editorials, powerful and convincing,
developed the hatred and violent oppo-
sitiOn Of the slave 0Wners and although
abused, ,villifed and threatened by mob
force, sustained by a few faithful friends,
he was undaunted, continuing the
great work until Cedar Greek and MA,
ford hundreds cast majority vote fer
Mr.. Lincoln.
The great anti slavery leaders of the
Nation were his personal friends, and
the influence of the paper was more
than local, the circulation extending TO
all of the States, wi h the editorials cop
led and commented upon by the great
dailies of the Nation. In recognition
of his work Mr.. Lincoln made him
Consul to Glasgow, Scotland and Gen
eral Grant subsequently appointed !
him Collector of Internal Revenue.
But many years before his death he
ceased to value worldly hOnors, and his
mind DIV, 1t upon God and eternity, with q
the Bible a light unto his pathway. :
He sa " the world away from God going a
on to destruction uBder the leadership
Of Satan, the Prince of the World, with =
christ calling out His own for an eter- 7
nity of gleTy with Himself His citi- ]
was in heaven, and down here {
be was an ambassador for Christ, point /
ng out the beauties of the heavenly \
the delights of the Fathers
house, with a joyous, unceasing testi-
nony to the Fathers love.
He Jaw, too, in sadness the failure of
he protesting church, through clerical il
SIN, ssctaiianism and Journalism going o
IN to the great apOstacy,a a world power, b
osing its spiritual nature and charae- Z
er, the little mustard-seed shrub al a
eady great tree with the fowls of the cl
ir lodging in its branches, and the al
,easts of the fields find,ns shelter under b
IS boughs. OEeourse thee- views were Il
|. popular, but % servant
;Od