Early Meetings - Frank Mathews - Sept. 27, 1899

MATHEWS, FOGGY, BOX, NORRIS, KIRKPATRICK, BEERY, HAMILTON, KENNEDY, CLARK, GIVIN, MILLER, LONG, CLAY, STRANDER, NEAL, POWERS, SEE, DUKE, MCDONALD

Posted By: Debbie (email)
Date: 1/30/2008 at 21:10:33

Mt. Pleasant Weekly News
September 27, 1899

EARLY MEETINGS

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How they were carried on Fifty Years Ago

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Interesting Story of the Conversion of Mike See – How the Old Time Speaker’s Excelled

the Present

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The winter of 1843-44 myself and brothers, Jesse and David, went to school in a little log cabin at what was then called Clark’s Point, some three miles from our house. There I met the Foggy brothers, James, William, John, Andrew and Adam. Adam was a little boy just beginning to go to school and was very spry and active. There also attended the Boxes’, Norrises’, Kirkpatricks’ Beerys’, Hamiltons’ Kennedays’, Clarks’ and some others I can’t remember. Grimes Givin was the teacher, and a very good one for the time.
He and his wife, Elizabeth Beery, were the first couple that I saw married. Everybody for miles around were invited. It was warm weather, and they stood up among the tables in the door yard to be married, and amid many jokes and lots of fun and hilarity, the feast proceeded, and there was an abundance for all. He and his wife emigrated to, what was then called the New Purchase, and for many years I lost sight of my old teacher. After the order of the Patrons of Husbandry was organized I was elected a delegate to the state Grange at Des Moines. Judge Givin, a Gentleman from Van Buren county and myself, were appointed a committee to examine the secretary and treasurers’ books. I was introduced to him as the delegate from “High Henry,” and we went at once to work. Several times I noticed him looking at me, and when we finished out report, he said to me, “Did I understand you were from Henry county?” I said, “Yes sir.” He said, “ I used to live in Lee county, and I knew a Mr. Mathews there, and it seems to me that you resemble him very much.” I said, “Was it Hermon?” “Oh yes,” said he, “That is the name.” It just dawned upon me then that he was my old teacher. It was a real pleasure to me to meet him and talk over all times. I asked how it came, he being a lawyer and judge, that he belonged to the “Order of Patrons.” “Why says he, “When I left Lee county, I came here and took up land that now joins the city; improved a good farm and still live on it. I studied law while improving my farm; went into the Grange among the first, and expect to live and die in the order.” He is now probably eighty-five years old, and a man that Iowa people feel proud of; a good farmer, an able jurist, and a self made man, -one of nature’s noblemen, if there is such a thing. May the sunlight of God’s favor shine upon him, here and hereafter, is my desire.
While living in Lee county, one way and another I met many of the prominent men and some of her notorious characters. I well remember Abraham Clark, father of Thomas Clark, of Clark’s Point, Lee county. He was at that time, I should think, at least eighty years old; was a jolly old fellow and loved the company of boys. He lived not far from the school, and I often talked with him. He would take his staff and mark on the ground the position of the British and American armies; tell how many were killed, and how many were wounded, and would get so interested and animated that it was a real pleasure to be with him. He was like most other old soldiers, fond of corn juice, and like to sample other beverages when they came in his way. They told a story about him. I do not know whether it is true or not. The first quarterly meeting held at Clark’s Point, was held at the house of Wm. Kirkpatrick, near Mr. Kirkpatrick’s father of Mrs. James Miller, of Jackson township, this county; had just finished a frame farm house, and the people came in for miles around. Thomas Clark, then an old man, was one of the church officers. He with his aged father started to church, having the wine, and other things for the sacrament services. After going a little ways he found that he had forgotten something. So handing the bottle to his father, he told him to go on and he would soon overtake him. But being delayed, he did not overtake him until he was near the church, and to his chagrin, much of the wine had disappeared. It was said that in consideration of the large crowd present, it was thought best to dilute it considerably. When his son, Thomas scolded him, he cried and said “that it looked and smelled so good that he thought he would just take a little swallow. But the more he took the more he wanted.” When he died he was near ninety years old, and was buried in the Williamson grave yard, near where he lived.
I saw once or twice a Revolutionary soldier, who lived over near the southwest part of Lee county. In the early settling of this country many soldiers of the war of 1812 came to Iowa. I well remember one of our near neighbors, “Grandpa” Long, father of Louis Clay, Strander, and Samuel Long, well known citizens of early days. Samuel spends part of his time in Mt. Pleasant, and part of his time on his son’s farm in Nebraska. I often talked with him of his battles. When I was a boy he told me that he was near by and saw Tecumseh killed at the battle of the Thames. Colonel Neal of Danville, father of Mr. John Neal, of Scott township, Henry county, was a vigorous, well cultured old man. He knew all about the conditions and progress of the war of 1812, and could tell of it the most vividly and intelligently of any soldier I ever saw. But they are gone, and few are left whose patriotic blood was stirred by the recital of their interesting stories. I heard Robert Box, commonly called “Old Bobby”, tell of the hardships of the Florida campaign. He said one time his regiment had nothing to eat for two days. Then a small beef fell to them and when it was divided the hide fell to his company. He said they cut it up into strips about one inch wide, laid it on the fire, and after the hair was burned off, and it had twisted up into a cracklin so that they could chew it, it tasted very good.

QUARTERLEY MEETING AT KIRKPATRICK’S

At this meeting there came a new preacher from the east. I am not sure that I remember his name correctly, but I think it was Powers. He had on the only suit of black cloth in the congregation. His coat was of the claw hammer pattern. A Mr. Norris, a skeptical old fellow, had a blue coat of the same style, with these exemptions, all shades of the butternut prevailed. Her Michael See delivered, it was said, his first exhortation after he was licensed to exhort. It was the custom then for the exhorter to follow the preacher and comment on the sermon just delivered. Brother See had not been converted very long and was very illiterate. He could scarce speak a sentence grammatically; but the people understood him. He spoke with a wonderful power, and although the sermon that he followed was an able one, and delivered by a learned man, yet such was his ability that he took it up without notes, point, by point, in an able and feeling manner. After hearing him through, my father talking of it said, “I don’t see how he could do it.” But nature had lavished on him not only great bodily strength but great strength of mind. When young his voice was of a musical compass strong and clear and much more pleasant than it was in his old age. I have heard him preaching a mile away and could distinguish every word. Although rough and profane, when he was converted he was like Saul. It was a through job.

He had many experiences that taught him the error of his ways. One of which I never heard him speak of in church, was as follows: He had some difficulty with his brother – in – law, David Duke – about a line fence, and as Duke would not do as he wanted him to See concluded to do as the fashion then was, to whip him. So he came to Duke’s house and talking the matter over, got mad and dared Duke to fight it out. Now Mike See was known as a fighter and had never been whipped, and Duke, being a small man and being entirely opposed to fighting, entreated Mike with every argument he could think of for him to stop abusing him. He spoke of their relationship and so did his sister, Duke’s wife, but all to no purpose. See continued to abuse him. At last Duke went off to his work some eighty rods away. But soon out came Mike renewing the quarrel. The old adage of “Beware of the wrath of a patient man.” Proved true this time. Duke told him if there was no other way to settle it he would fight, and as Hudribeas put it, “The battle is not always to the strong.” Duke pulled off his coat and told Mike he was ready. Mike made a lunge at him trying to get hold of him, but David slipped past him, dealing a tremendous blow on the nose. The fashion was then to wear the hair very long and the blood running into this, and getting in two more licks on the nose and eyes he had entirely blinded Mike who tried every way to get hold of him. But David was the more supple of the two and after a long and desperate fight he had Mike down and in his power. Mrs. Duke ran out and entreated her brother to let him up. By this time he had See by the throat with both hands, and declared he would choke him for a month if he did not hollow “Enough”. Finally, amid the tears and entreaties of his sister, and repeated chokings and poundings, he finally gave up. After the fight was over it was found that Mike could not walk home, so Duke and his wife hitched up a team and hauled him home. He lay some weeks before he was well. Mr. Alexander McDonald, who was a class leader, often visited him, prayed for him and urged him to change his ways. While he was still in bed a very promising child of his died and Mike, like Saul of Tarsus, saw things in another light. He soon was converted, joined the M.E. church and he was strong in the work of the church as he had been in the way of evil. He read incessantly, learned to use good language, and his fame extended over the beautiful land, as Iowa then was called, and to other lands irrespective of his church or institutions. The people of Iowa respected, admired and were proud to claim him as an Iowa product. At an old settler’s meeting although his stories had oft been told, he could entertain and hold a crowd the longest of any man that I ever heard. At an old settler’s some years ago when called upon to talk he being present I turned to him and asked if I should tell of his exhortations at Kirkpatrick’s. He smiled and said, “Yes, tell it just as it was.” I stated that I was there and that he came here with a brand new suit of butternut. Instead of a coat he had on a wammus with a belt of the same material about two inches, fastened together with a large brass button; that during the exhortation he exercised himself considerably and the button ripped off in one of his most eloquent lights of the imagery of the gospel. A little child jumped down off his mother’s lap and picked it up. He blushed, stammered a little but went right on and in a few moments scarce one thought of it. In a talk with him says he, “Frank, you have a mighty good memory.” In taking a retrospective view of the past and remembering statesmen, lawyers, and divines that I have heard speak and looking upon the advantages of the education of today I can but think, will we see their like again? Is it because we are better informed that we were then that the present men seem so small or why is it so?

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