Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-09-28
Peter Cartwright, Soldier of God.

When Peter Cartwright, breathed
his last In the village of Pleasant
fiains, Sangamon county. on Sept. %.
ls,z. there passed out of the life Of II
/ linois the most remarkable pioneer
preacher in the states history. Strong
as an OK, fearing neither man nor devil.
gifted in speech. endowed with big
Drain and obsessed with his work of
summoning men to righteousness he
rode circuits and attended conferences
in Illinois for nearly half century
his fame was over all the nation and
beyond the seas land this from a man
whose schooling WAS nil. whose boy
hood life in Kentucky was a riot Of
gambling. horse racing, card playing
and boisterous dancing.
Peter CartNr- ght was born in AM
herst county. Virginia, Sept. /. 1886
he went to kentucy with his fathers
FAMILY In a period when hostile In
dians. desperadoes and outcasts made
law in parts Of the state a mockery
and by-word. He sowed his wild oats
without hindrance from an uncouth
father, but the leaven OF God fear
IN gmother's influence working upon
MIN nnally had it's effect, and he saw
the hght and turned from his evil
ways. He was converted in 1901 and
IN 1903 was received into the Meth
odist Episcopal ministry when he was
Is years old.
twenty years later he settled in
Pleasant Plans that he might rear his
FAMILY away from the slavery that he
mated. There he made his home the
rest OF his days. riding across lonely
prallies and thru dense woods to hold
religious meetings to minister to the
SICK and dying and to call his fellows
to repentance. HIS ex1ortations were
earnest and blunt, and on occasions
ne invoked the power of his muscle to
supdue refractory brother who
sought to hinder his evangelism or be-
little his faith.
islature In 1928 and again in 1892. In
1916 he was q candidate for congress
and was beaten by Abraham Lincoln.
Thru period of half century he was
presiding elder OF his church and in
that time he saw the organization grow
In membership from 1874 TO l.756.OO0.
IN his earlier days his district extended
from kashaskia to Galena, distance
Of nearly 300 miles. No Illinois camp
meeting was complete without Peter
Cartwright as Its chief exhorter and
story teller.
once he was preaching in Nashville,
rem, when Gen. Andrew Jackson en-
tered the meeting house narishfoner
whispered to him the identity OF the
distinguished man. Weighing all hui
man souls in the same balance, Mr..
Cartwright rebuker the spirit Of toady
Ism that prompted the interruption.
Who is General Jackson 2" he
plurted out to the congregation. "If
ne don't get his soul converted God
VIII damn him as quickly as he would
Guinea niger"
In New York hotel during gem
eral conference he asked the clerk for
an AK saying he wished to blaze his
trail up the six flights of the stairs so
mat he could find his way out again.
At dinner party he once admonished
Governor Ninian Edwards to ask the
blessing when that dignitary seemed
about to omit that preliminary to the
menu. On still another occasion he
summarily busted the beligerent wife
OF brother preacher from her own
door when she raised objections to the
holding Of family devotions.
Fervor. brain, Drawn and frankness
were the handmaidens Of Peter Cart
wright's faith. He was q modern Sir
Gaiahad. knight or the cross, who
died al he had lived-.a valiant soldier
| of Cog Chicago Herald.
According 70 the, London Morning
Post, damage done by militaIits since
the beginning Of 1918 il estimated at
81 100000. They attempted to burn or
did destroy 146 public buildings,
lchurches. houses and other structures
and exploded or attempted to explode
forty three bombs. In the total OF
damage done ID not included the ruin
ing OF works OF art, which u hard to