The Oskaloosa herald., 1917-07-05
IN DAYS CONE BY
TROUBLES OF A GOOD MAN IN
TRYING TIMES.

The following brief sketch of the
lie of William II. Morgan, written by
his son, DIR. J w. Morgan, of Oska-
loosa, contains many facts of interest,
in contrast with the customs and
us ages of to-day:
81 he records show that William II.
Morgan and Catherine Peck were
urjted in marriage, according to the
ordinances of the Society of Friends,
on the 9Th day of February, 1877. in
Lost Creek meeting house, in Jeffer-
son County, Tenn.
From this marriage of 100 years
ago, today there are $50 direct de-
cerGants and forty are of the fifth
&c Grafton. There were born to them
fcl iteen children, six of them-four
solo and two daughters We're edu-
Gated at New Garden Boarding School
L. North Carolina. And to reach it
and enjoy its benefits, thew Travelled
500 miles over the mountains on
ho setback and in carriages. One son
Vas educated at Earlham College,
Richmond, Ind. All OF these became
tee cheers.
1.-THE descendants are now scatter
ed in various parts of Is states, many
of item still adhere to the doctrines
and tenets of the Society of Friends.
SCI eral have been and are, teachers,
missionaries and instructors among
the American Indians. The author OF
this sketch is the only one of the four
teen children now living, and has
passed his S0th birthday.
THE house where William II. was
born stood near, David Boards HAT
shop" in Guliford County, North Caro-
lima, and it was in this shop that he
learned to make hats. David Beard
shop and hats were. known all over
that part of the country at the time.
"The making of hats in those days
was very proment industry all done
| by hand very little machinery was
used and it was of the crudes kind)
they were made mostly from fur, all
kinds being used, from rabbit to bea-
YER. The broad-brim-beaver Quaker
hat was standard pattern.
when a young man, he moved with
his people to Jefferson County Tenn,
near New Market and here carried the
manufacture of hats employing as
many as fifteen hands, such force
in those days indicated large bust
ness
| UIJo Woo rr;doIu LrnpyyT, firm, ba
| lever and active member in the
Friends church, and q true friend OF
the Negro slaves and known as an
"Abolitionist." He was the first per
son to organize and teach a Sunday
school among the slaves in the state
and he was threatened with the law,
by some Shareholders if he did not
stop teaching the 'Niggers' to read
the Bible" but with a firm trust in di-
vine Providence and fearing no harm,
he kept on, and induced many others
to engage in the good work, and when
certain STAKEHOLDER in the neighbor-
hood died he left a will giving all his
slaves ten to twelve in number to
William II. Morgan, who set them free
and sent them to Indiana. a free state,
but he had to give bond in the sum
of $4,000 that they would never be
come paupers upon the county.
He was also known as a peace.
maker among his neighbors, and would
take his horse and ride thirty miles
to settle a dispute between two men
and bring them together. 1t was a
common saying where he lived, that
":;n disputes between neighbors could
Ger get into the courts where Uncle
Billy Morgan was"
when the clouds of the war began
to a,'Eear in 1860, he commenced to
arrange his affairs to leave the South
and assist many others TO get away.
In 1851 his household effects were