Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1913-09-11
QUICK TELLS MANY
STORIES Of EARLY
CAREER OF TALMAGE
Jersey octogenarian Recalls
Divine Was Very Mis-
chievous Youth.
LEAD FoRAYs ON ORCHARD
FORMER sehoo'mats Of Gr..t Brooklyn
Pulpit Orator o,..f.iIy RECALL.
interesting Incidents Of
Their Yesterdays.


Jersey is big Jim, Quick. and one
Of his proudest boasts Is that he was
school-fellow of the late T. De Witt
Talmage. the famous Brooklyn pulpit
orator. big JIM" now past so. is 8
feet inches in height and of proper
tionate build: He and De Witt attend
ed school as boys at Green Knoll. lit
tie hamlet about midway between
Somerville and Pluckemin.
DE Witt was all right and q good
lad BID Jim says. but just as full OF
harmless mischief as any of US. He
was q born leader wherever he was
and whatever was IN hand. stealing
knew that as Well as we did and 1t all
ways seemed as If the old chap would
rather get De Witt alone. freed in his
old orchard, than to catch all the rest
of us put together. And De Witt was
In mortal fear of him."
"old Herod."
'-Herod" as he was called. wac a
testy old farmer who owned par
ttcularly fine orchard of sweet apples.
Besides being crusty he was lame
and carried a stout cane "Herod"
ever, any more than was "Old Goose
berry" both of which were invented
by the pupils OF Green Knoll school
His name was Stephen Herriot. and
they distorted "Herriot" into "Herod."
One night. Big Jim" says. he had
themselves at the Quick home. while
their parents went to made call
somewhere together. After the old
folks had gone De Witt inserted a
lighted tallow candle In his mouth
and then withdrew it still alight. Then
he challenged Jim to do it. Jim knew
the trick. and was doing 1t all right
hun nd
Jim's tonsils were severely burned.
"Ian's sakes! but didn't 1t hurt! Jim
says l hollered like a bull calf till the
old folks came home and hurried me to
doctor. DE Witt got a cuff on the
ears and was sent to bed. bawllng as
loud as I was"
Van Nest Garretson also we'll remem
bers Talmage's boyhood days. One
morning Mr.. Garretson's father took De
Witt and himself for ride to North
Branch in a wagon drawn by yoke of
oxen for load of wood. On their way
home, when they We're all perched on
top of the load, the bullocks took fright
and ran away. The two boys We're ter
ribly alarmed, but the elder Van Nest
only laughed and said
Never heed, boys: we can ride as
fast as they can run. Hold tight and
let them go.
Bat. az the turn n the road. the
the riders in a heap into a muddy ditch.
A Cat AZ Tool.
Talmages parents at one time kept
the tollgate on the New Brunswick's
turnpike One day when Mrs Talmage
was in charge a Mr.. Castor came
through: In his wagon he had cat
which he Intended to drop somewhere
TO get rid OF it, When Mrs Talmage
opened the gate and reached out for
the money Castor dropped the cat into
her hand and drove off, laughing. How
turned and paid his toll in coin.
The old-fashioned wooden cradle In
which Talmage was rocked in baby
hood Is still preserved in the Castor
family.
Al the age of 10 Talmage was the
his first great grief came upon him
when she died. 1t was then, in con-
sequence of his loss. that he quit the
country town for the city. to in time
become one Of the most popular pulpit
orators.
Tho Schoolmaster.
Talmages schoollnaster at Green
Knoll was Francis Hastings. AS a
young man IN 1917 Hastings was ship
wrecked off what is now Long Branch
and was the only one saved from the
SnlR. he tltO CORE from N-lellellIldtH,
England. Eventually he can to Great
Knoll and opened school.
Hastings regarded himself as the
rightfGl Baron Hastings. and sought
through the courts to be put in posses
sion OF the title and estate but failed
1t is said that he had letters from Lord
Lyons and others in the peerage sus-
tanning his claim. He died in Jersey
Cjty scme 90 years ago at the age of 81.
T,:L.,x> a. ill.,
Hastings nephew, John A. Powell
son, living near Pluckemin. Is also a
cousin of the late Dr.. Talmage. Once
MIR. Powelson. wishing to verify the
matter of Tttlmage having gone to
school to Mr.. HASTINGS, wrote him and
received the following reply. dated
Washington, April 10. 1901:
Your letter received concerning Mr.
Francis Hastings Yes. ! remember
Mr.. Hastings as my teacher in the
schoolhousc on the road between
Pluckemin and Somerville 1t was
then called Herods school, a man by
the name of Hcrod living near.
I remember Mr. castings opened
ing his foot on a chair and his elbow
on his knee and his hand before his
eyes. but often looking through his
fingers while he prayed to see II any Of
use were behaving badly, so that he
literally fulfilled the injunction. Watch
and pray.
am glad to know that he is being
held in remembrance. for he was good
man and faithful. Yours,
T. De Witt Talmage.
This is said to be the last letter Dr.
Talmage ever penned.
Pafches for R;ver Rad