IN ONE HUNDRED YEARS. Centennial of Methodism in the County of Luzerne A Historical Sketch of the Courch Rev. George Peck, D D, in his "Early Methodism" says: "Methodism is the name of that form of Evangelical religion which sprang up under the labors of the Wesleys and Whitfield during the former part of the eighteenth century. The first society or class was organized in the year 1739 This was the commencement of a movement which has resulted in a revival of Primitive Christianity throughout Protestant Christendom and its establishment in many pagan counties. Methodism 18 essentially aggressive and one of the laws of its being is progress. It had its origin in the University of Oxford, but the island of Great Britain could not long contain its energizing spirit and it soon passed over the Irish Channel. Having achieved miracles in Eugland and Ireland, Methodism crossed the Atlantic and commenced its operations in America. Philip Embury, an Irish local preacher, commenced preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ in the city of New York in the year 1766. A small society was organized by Embury, and their meetings were held in a "rigging loft" in William Street until John Street church was erected in the year 1768 Robert Strawbridge, another Irish local preacher, emigrated to America and opened his mis sion as a preacher of the gospel in Frederic County, Maryland, about the same time that Embury commenced his labors in New York. From these two points the work of revival spread east, west, north and south, until the whole country was in a blaze. The work in America was reinforced from time to time by missionaries of Mr. Wesley's appointment until the Revolutionary War disturbed the relations of the two countries. Francis Asbury was one of these missionsries, and although several of them returned to England upon the breaking out of hostilities, he stood at his post until the fearful struggle was over and then identified himself for life with the country of his adoption. In 1782 the independence of the United States was acknowledged by the government of Great Britain, and peace es. tablished between the two countries; and in 1784 at the "Christmas Conference," the "Methodist Episcopal Church of the United States" was duly organized The two points from which the light of Methodism radiated were in the neighborhoods of the Hudson and of the Chesapeake, but the rays soon met and commingled on the banks of the Delaware, the Susquehanna, the Mohawk, the St. Lawrence and the northern lakes. About four years after the organization of the Methodist Episcopal Church a ray of the new light fell into the Wyoming Valley. As the enterprising were crowding into the famous and beautiful valley of Wyoming, Methodism crossed the mountains and commenced its work in Kingston. Here the first Methodist meetings were held, and here it was that Methodism as a form of Christianity and an element of religious power, commenced its triumphs in Wyoming. The commencement of Methodism in Wyoming was not the fruit of missionary effort, or of the religious preachings of an authorized ministry, but the fruit of the efforts of a mere layman, and he was an humble mechanic. Anning Owen came to Wyoming from New England with the daring spirits who emigrated about the commencement of the Revolutionary war. He was one of the handful of courageous men who were defeated and scattered by an overwhelming force under the command of Col. John Butler. In the battle he was by the side of his brother-in-law, Benjamin Carpenter. He stood the fire of the enemy and answered it, shot after shot, in such quick succession that the barrel of his gun became burning hot. "My gun is so hot that I cannot bold it," exclaimed the brave patriot soldier. "Do the best you can then," was the reply of his friend. A shot or two more and the day was lost. Owen and Carpeuter fled to the river and secreted themselves under the cover of a large grape vine which hung from the branches of a tree and lay in the water. Roger Searl, a lad, followed them and the three lay in safety until the darkness of the night enabled them to gain the fort. They were a portion of the small number who escaped with their lives without having to swim the river. The place of their concealment was near the mouth of Shoemaker's Creek. While there fearful sights of barbarous cruelty in the river above pained their eyes and stung their souls to agony. They saw through the leaves Windecker, the tory, tomahawk Shoemaker and set his body afloat, and the mangled corpse of their friend and neighbor passed quietly by them carried slowly into the eddy by the current. In the account which Mr. Owen often subsequently gave of his escape, he stated that, when upon the ran he expected every moment to be shot or tomahawked and the terrible thought of being sent into eternity unprepared filled his soul with horror. He then resolved that if he should be killed he would fall on his face and, spend his last breath in prayer to God for mercy. He prayed as he ran and when he lay in the water his every breath was oocupied by the silent but earnest prayer "God have mercy on my soul!" There and then it was that he gave his heart to God and vowed to be His forever. He was spared and did not forget, as thousands do, the vows he made in the hour of his distress. Mr. Owen returned to the East with the fugitives, but he was a changed man. He considered his deliverance from death as little short short of a miracle, and that in it there was a wise and gracious design which had reference to his eternal well-being. He was now a man of prayer, possessed a tender conscience and indulged a trembling hope in Christ. In this condition Mr. Owen became acquainted with the Methodists. Their earnest and powerful preaching and the doctrines which they taught met in his heart a ready response. He was of an ardent temperament, and was never in favor of halfway measures in anything. He soon drank in the spirit of the early Methodists and 88 full of enthusiasm 88 of them. His religious experience became more deep and thorough, and his evidence of sins forgiven more clear and satisfactory. He now rejoiced greatly in the liberty wherewith Christ had made him free, and panted to be useful. In this state of mind Mr. Owen returned to Wyoming and settled among his old companions in tribulation. He was a blacksmith and commenced hammering out his fortune, as he supposed, between Kingston village and Forty Fort, at the point where the highway crosses Toby's Creek. was any Mr. Owen had no sooner become settled in Wyoming than he commenced conversation with his neighbors on the subject of religion and began with many tears to tell them what great things God had done for his soul. His words were as coals of fire upon the heads and the hearts of those he addressed and he soon found that a deep sympathy with his ideas and feelings was abroad and rapidly extending. He appointed prayer meetings in his own house. The people were melted down under his prayers, his exhortations and singing. He was invited to appoint meetings at other places in the neighborhood and he listened to the call. A revival of religion broke out at Ross Hill, about a mile from his res1dence and just across the line which separates the townships of Kingston and Plymouth. Great power attended the simple earnest efforts of the blacksmith and souls were converted to God. He studied the openings of Providence and tried in all things to follow the divine light. He was regarded by the young converts as their spiritual father and to him they looked for advice and comfort. Mr. Owen, now considering himself providentially called upon to provide, at least temporarily, for the spiritual wants of his flook, formed them into a class. This was in 1788. Most of the members of his little band residing in the neighborhood of Ross Hill, that point became the center of operations. This class was called the Ross Hill class until the old order of things passed away.' The members of the Ross Hill class were Anning Owen and wife, Mr. Gray and wife, Abram Adams, Stephen Baker and wife, Mrs. Wooley and Nancy Wooley. Subsequently came in Mrs. Ruth Pierce, Alice and Hannah Pierce, Samuel Carver and his father, and Joseph Brown, Captain Ebenezer Parrish, (who was the first Methodist olass leader in Wyoming) and wife, and Darius Williams and wife. Mr. Owens subsequently received a regular license to preach, and he spent the balance of his life in the ministry. Among those who became Methodists in the early days were Hon. Benjamin Carpenter, one of the judges of Lu zerne County, Christiana Johnson, who became the wife of William Russell, a daugh ter of Rev. Jacob Johnson; Benjamin Bidlack, who afterwards became a preacher; Calvin Wadhams, Abram Goodwin, Stephen Jenkins, who became a class leader; Colonel Nathan Denison, his wife and their daughter. (Colonel Denison and Betsey Sills were the first couple married in Wyoming, and the colonel com. manded the left wing of the patriot forces on the occasion of the Indian battle.) Ashel Waller, who became a local preacher; James Sutton, Rev. Noah Wadhams, a Congregational minister and a graduate of Princeton, who became a local preacher; Jeremiah Coleman, Azel Dana, who was the first class leader in Wilkes-Barre; Comfort Carey, who succeeded Mr Dana as a class leader; Elijah Inman, Gilbert Carpenter, who became a local preacher; Charles Harris, Reuben Williams, the wife of Capt, Ransom, the widow of Timothy Pierce, who was killed in the Indian battle; the wife of Abel Pierce, (one of her daughters married Lord Butler, son of Col. Zebulon Butler,) the wife of Putnam Catlin (who was admitted to the bar of Luzerne County, May 27, 1787, and father of Geo. Catlin, the celebrated artist,) the Widow Weeks, who had three brothers killed in the Indian battle, and many others. It may be proper to remark here that Anning Owen died at Ulysses, Cayuga Co., N. Y., in 1814 Ав showing the growth of Methodism in this county we herewith give the oburohes in Luzerne County now and the number of members in each: PHILADELPHIA, July, 1888 EDITOR RECORD: In the spring of 1768 the Moravian bishop, John Etwein, visited the Wyoming Valley. "On descending the Wayomik Mountain into the valley," he has recorded in his journal, "my Indian guide pointed out a large pile of stones, said to indicate the number of Indians who had climbed the mountain. It was the custom for each Indian to add a stone as he passed that way." Further on he states: "At 2 pm. came to Wayomik and were hospitably entertained by a trader named Ogden. The Shawanose have all left the valley and Susquehanna, and the only traces of them are their places of burial in crevices and caves in the rocks, at whose entrances stand large stones painted." Information is requested through the RECORD as to whether the pile of stones on the mountain and the painted stone entrances to the graves of the Shawanese were known to the inhabitants of the valley as late as 1810. JOHN W. JORDAN, Historical Society of Pennsylvania, 1,300 Locust Street. Nearly Forty-Four Thousand, The size of our city, as well as its growth, is well shown by an examinationof the new directory being distributed by J. E. Williams. It contains 15,824 Wilkes-Barre names, an increase of 3,075 over the directory of a year ago, and the book is 152 pages large. Mr. Williams finds that by multiplying the names in his directories by 24, it gains a very close approximation to the actual population. This would make the population of the city of Wilkes-Barre and suburbs, not including Kingston and Ashley, 43,516, a gain of eight thousand in one year. There are 5,546 new names not in last year's directory, and there have been dropped from last year's list2,471 names. In addition to Wilkes-Barre there is a directory of Ashley and Kingston and the work is out a month earlier than last year. The compiler hopes to inprove even upon this prompt result, knowing that as most of the changes take place on the first of April a directory should appear as soon as possible after that date. The book is well printed, the advertising is neatly displayed and the pages. though not entirely free from errors, are reasonably correct for so large a book. Seven Old Settlers. Seven men were gathered in front of Alderman Wesley Johnson's office on Wednesday afternoon. They were all young in action and appearance, but not so young in years. The youngest of the seven was 64 years old and the oldest was 75, and the sum of their ages was 489 years The combined weight of the seven was 1,210 pounds. The ages were 72, 70, 68, 75, 64, 69 and 71 years, and the respective weights 160, 178, 160, 156, 220, 170, 166 pounds. They were engaged in reciting the experiences and inoidents of former days with speciai reference to political campaigns, All but one were decidedly in favor of Harrison and Morton and pledged themselves to vote the Republican ticket. The gathering was purely accidental. The seven were Josiah Lewis, James D. Laird, Wesley Johnson, Adam Behee, Wm. Reith, James Henwood, Henry C. Wilson, the latter of Mt. Vernon. AN OLD WILKES-BARRE STORE. Some Bills and Letters that were Secreted by the Rats in the Old Hollenback Building, Now Undergoing Demoll tion. While the workmen were tearing down one of the stairways of the Hollenback building Tuesday, at corner of Market and River Streets, they came upon mice nest material sufficient to fill several bushel baskets. It was between the plastering and the floor and most of it was ruined by the teeth of the rodents, but handful quite 8 of almost whole papers were picked out of the wreck. They date back some 70 years, to about the time the house, one of the first brick buildings in Wilkes-Barre, was being erected. The old rat-eaten papers are interesting as showing the trade of Wilkes-Barre at an early day, and what our fathers and grandfathers had to pay for the necessaries of life. They are mostly letters from John Stoddart, of Philadelphia, to Caleb Kendall, who managed a store for the former in WilkesBarre. Mr. Stoddart, who was a Philadelphia merchant, had in 1815 erected grain mill at Stoddartsville, on the Lehigh, at 8 cost of $20,000, for the purpose of milling the surplus grain of Luzerne County and shipping it to Phil adelphia. Some of the letters from Philadelphia were brought by private messenger, others bear the postmark and the postage 18 12% cents on each. 8 One bill of lading, dated Philadelphia, March 5, 1818, is sent by Frederick Nagle, of Philadelphia, consigned to Mr. Kendall, to be sold on commission for John W. Fowler, of Bath, N. Y. The latter was in frequent correspondence with the Wilkes-Barre store, and depended on it for much of the supply of his store in Bath. Under date of February 2, 1818, he consigns Mr. Kendall 4 barrels of whisky, at 75 cents per gallon. He says, "it is really good, such as you can recommend. Be good enough to send me some tobacco-all you have to spare, also some bombazett, which is in great demand here-also some pins. If the team. sters want any loading send me Almost any article will sell here and now is the season to procure grain. Let me know where you want the arks landed so as, to accommodate you to discharge the cargoes. I am putting the wheat up in flour barrels." nails. Under date of Oct. 30, 1818, Mr. Stoddart sends Mr. Kendall an invoice of bombszett, referred to above, in black, brown, blue and crimson; a lot of fancy prints at 31 cents a yard and "plate" prints at 18 cente; also a dozen birdeye handkerchiefs at a dollar a piece. The invoice is accompanied by this letter: PHILADELPHIA, October 31, 1818.-M. 0. KENDALL,-DEAR SIR: Annexd is Invoice of a Box of Dry Goods sent by Nagle. I would advise you to Take no money for Goods unless it is such you can purchase Grain with, as very little of the country paper will be taken at any Discount. Wilmington and Brandywine will not sell at 50 per cent Discount and Elkton is about the same. So it appears as if nothing Can be got here only for Good Money. I am with respect your friend and servant JOHN STODDABT. Some further references to local trade will be given in another article. Why? In the following original lines, Mr. Ryder speaks words which ought to bring cheer to all who are weary with life's unequal struggle, and who are disheartened at the advantages of more favored individuals: Why do we sing, when others' songs Are far more sweet and tender? Why do we strive, when in the race Why do we weep, while other hearts When wealth lies in depending? If none but those who sweetest sing, If none but those of loftiest minds More favored mortals striving, If none did weep but those whose hearts A nation's tomb would hollow. -T. P. R. A Septuagenarian Harrisonian. WHITE HAVEN, July 30-EDITOR RECORD: I have been a reader of your paper ever since Wm. P. Miner printed it, and still take it. I lived in Wilkes Barre in 1840 and voted for Gen Harrison and Tyler too, and if I live till November I will vote for the grandson too. I will be 74 years old in November next. CHAS ALBERT. "An Act authorizing and requiring the county commissioners of each county in the State to appoint a sufficient number of suit able persons in each township and ward of their county, at the expense of the county, to look after, bury, and provide a headstone for the body of any honorably discharged soldier, sailor or marine who served in the army or navy of the United States during the late rebellion, or any preceding war, and shall hereafter die in their county, leaving insufficient means to defray the necessary burial expenses. Section 1 of this act provides that it shall be the duty of the county commissioners of each county in this State to appoint a sufficient number of suitable persons in each township and ward in their county, other than those prescribed by law for the care of paupers and the custody of criminals, to look after and caused to be buried, in a decent and respectable manner, in any cemetery or burial ground within the State, other than those used exclusively for the burial of the pauper dead, at an expense to their County not exceeding thirty-five dollars, the body of any honorably discharged soldier, sailor or marine who served in the army or navy of the United States during the late re bellion, or any preceding war, and shall hereafter die in their county, leaving insufficient means to defray the necessary burial expenses; and the persons so appointed shall hold their offices at the pleasure of the county commissioners, and shall serve without compensation. The persons 80 appointed are also directed to satisfy themselves 88 to the honorable discharge of each soldiers, and collect all data regarding his service, death, occupation preceding demise, etc., and report the same to the county commissioners by whom a record is to be kept. Warrants shall then be drawn upon the county treasurer for the expenses incurred in the burial of each, not in any single case to exceed thirty five dollars. It is also provided that upon the death of each soldier or sailor, a suitable beadstone shall be placed at the grave, with a proper inscription, the cost of each not to exceed fifteen dollars, and to be paid by the county. The records of the deceased veterans have been completed, up to date, and are to be found in the county commissioners' office. The provisions of the Act are so worthy of popular sympathy, and the prompt carrying out of the same is so commendatory, that the RECORD has been at some pains to col. lect as much information as possible regarding the names of those whose burial has been attended to by the county. The roll of honor is a long one, and nothing could be more eminently fitting than that a stone should be placed above the resting places of each, upon the surface of which may be recorded such facts as shall ever call out the grateful remembrance of those who read, and serve as an example of patriotism to generations who shall follow. THE BOLL. John Kearnst, private, 11th Infantry, Co. D. Honorably discharged from service Oct. 10, 1867. He met his death Oot. 27, 1885, by an explosion in the D. & H. Co. No. 2 colliery, having been employed as a mine carpenter. He is buried in Shapp's oemetery, Plymouth. Michael O. Apt, corporal N. Y. Vol. Engineers, Co. E. Discharged May 27, 1863, died May 4, 1885. Buried in West Pittston. Harman Sirles, private, 9th Pa. Cavalry, Co. D. Discharged Aug. 14, 1862, died May 12, 1885. Occupation, steamboat pilot. Geo. Laphy, private, U. 8. Artillery, Fourth Regt., Oo. O. Discharged Jan. 19, 1884, died Nov. 30, 1885. Buried in Forty Fort Cemetery. For some time preceding death he was blind. Wm. McNelis, private, Pa. Vols., 98th Regt., Oo. B. Discharged Oct. 24, 1864. Died Oct. 17, 1885. Miner. Buried in Laurytown, Carbon Co. Nov. 1885, James Wingate, private, 28 Regt., Pa. Vola., Co. N. Discharged 19, 1861, died July 26, being found in a small oreek at Beaver Brook. Supposed to have fallen in an epileptic fit. Buried in Hazleton. Samuel F. Samies, private, 7th Regt., P. V. Oavalry, Co. H Discharged Aug. 23, 1865, died Dec. 13. 1885. Buried in Plymouth Cemetery. Jacob Burke, sergeant major, 143rd Regt Pa. Infantry. Discharged June 12, 1865; died Jan. 22, 1886. Buried in Shupp's Cemetery. Wm. Duckworth, private, 21st Regt., Pa. Vols., Oo. O. Discharged March 17, 1865, died Deo. 21, 1885. Buried in Forty Fort. Thomas F. Davis, private, 17th Regt., Pa. Cavalry, Co. K. Discharged May 30, 1865, died Feb. 1, 1886. Buried in Hyde Park. Had been partially supported by Ely Post for over a year preceding death. |