BRETHREN-L Archives

From: "A. Wayne Webb" <>
Subject: [BRE] (no subject)
Date: Fri, 22 Oct 2010 12:03:36 -0400

Morning,
   Yes, it has been a while since I have made one of my postings.  The
causes are numerous—chiefly being that there is just not enough hours in a
day to accomplish all those tasks needing my attention.  Prior to my much
needed vacation requirements were that I finalize three large format
photographic collage for reunion purposes.  This was a two week ordeal but
well worth the effort as they were each received with much gratitude and joy
by the recipients.  Using archival ink and paper ensures that they should,
with care, be around into the next Century.
   While on vacation I availed myself of, to me, the best county records
research site in America, the Reibold Building on Main St.  This is where
the records for Montgomery county, Ohio are housed.  Some may think it less
than useful, the records not being digitized, but for accessibility to
original documentation there is none better.  If you ever have the occasion,
and need, to research in the Miami Valley of Ohio (perhaps while on a visit
to the Brethren Heritage Center in Brookville), add the Reibold Building to
your must see places.  While there I digitized (to my high standards) the
marriage dockets from 1827 to 1852 which, hopefully, in the not too distant
future will be released for publication.  I and my dear wife also digitized
some twenty or so Brethren estates to add to our digital collection.  I also
finished scanning an interesting docket book concerning the laying out of
roads in the county.
   Now to the article below.  While looking though my collection of
newspaper PDFs for an obscure fact concerning the Arnold family (who I am
descended from) I came across this article penned by Elder James Quinter. 
Granted it does not cover some of the areas to which this posting is made, I
do not see any other qualitative non-abstracted postings being made so at
least it will give you something to read.  If you don’t like my “Postings”
then delete it and go on with your day.

Cordially,
Wayne Webb

OUR JOURNEY TO WATERLOO, IA.
   We made an appointment to commence a series of meetings in the South
Waterloo church, Iowa, Dec. 6, provided that no providence would hinder. We
left our home on Monday evening the 3rd, and took the Huntingdon and Broad
Top Railroad to Cumberland, and after waiting there about two hours, which
gave us ample time to get dinner, we took a fast train for Chicago, on the
Baltimore & Ohio Road.
   We had not traveled over this route for some years, and the pleasantness
of the weather, the good condition of the road, the good accommodations
afforded us in the car we occupied, and the places we passed, reminding us
of former years when we on horseback traveled through this region of
country, trying to preach the Gospel to the people, made our journey
suggestive and enjoyable.
   From 1842 until 1854 we visited some of the places along the Baltimore &
Ohio Road each year. The first place that we passed after leaving
Cumberland, that reminded us of our travels in former years, was Keyser.
Though this was not a point at which we preached, we passed through the
place where the town now is, as we visited the congregation on Patterson's
Creek. Old Bro. Daniel Arnold was living, when we first became acquainted
with the Brethren of this congregation. We were reminded of precious seasons
that we had with the Brethren when we met here for holy worship. We had some
dear Christian friends here.
   From Keyser on to Grafton there used to be quite a number of meeting
places. In company with Bro. Jacob Thomas, Bro. Jas. Kelso, and other
brethren, and often alone, we visited this country and preached to the
people, and had some of those happy seasons that it is pleasant to remember,
and as they were remembered, some of the happy feelings that we experienced
in those by-gone seasons of holy worship were brought back to the soul in
our musings.
   The little stone house, some miles east of Terra Alta, in which Bro.
Ashby lived, was brought vividly before our mind in our reflections. We did
not see it, as it probably no longer stands. Bro. Ashby had been a military
man before he became a brother. — He was in the war of 1812, and was known
by name as colonel Ashby, He was a man of some prominence and influence in
his day and in his country. He had been in the Virginia Legislature. He
married a sister whose maiden name was Polly Keyser, and a niece of Bro.
John and Bro. Joseph Leatherman. She was his third wife. He often expressed
himself as feeling thankful to the Lord that he had been blessed with three
good wives, and the one he then had, he valued the more highly, as he
regarded her as the means of his conversion. Two more happy old people than
they were, could not be easily found. That little stone house was one of our
meeting places, and it was a blessed little sanctuary, where the Savior
often met the little flock that met in his name to do honor to him.
   In the neighborhood in which Bro. Ashby lived, Bro. Hiram Messenger also
lived. He was a young man of promise, but it was his lot to experience much
affliction. He had a pious wife, but she was taken from him by death, and
left him with four small children. He married again and moved to Armstrong
Co., Pa., where he died. He lost his health before he left Virginia, and was
an invalid several years before he died. He was a pious and faithful
minister.
   As we traveled through the country and thought of former years and of
former associations with many dear brethren, we felt that we would like to
visit again those places made somewhat interesting to us because of our
visits to them in former years. But should we do so, how few we would meet
of those we formerly met! Many of them have gone from us here, but we trust
they are worshiping in the upper sanctuary. And this is a happy thought, as
are many that are awakened by the recollection of dear friends with whom we
formerly associated. But, however pleasant it might be to as to notice other
suggestive places on our journey, we must forbear.
   We arrived at Chicago the day after we left Cumberland, at about 8 P. M.
The train made good time, the accommodations afforded on the train were
good, and the journey from Cumberland was pleasant. After waiting about two
hours in Chicago, we took a train on the Chicago Sr, North-western Railway
to Freeport. This is a good road to travel over. We found the accommodations
very satisfactory. At Freeport we took the Illinois Central to Waterloo, and
arrived there about 11 o'clock, A. M. The brethren not expecting us quite so
soon, were not at the train to meet us.
   We went to a hotel for dinner, not knowing where any of the Brethren
live. Learning that Bro. Michael Reber lived in town, after dinner we went
to his house, and we were received with brotherly love. Bro. Reber then took
us out to Bro. E. K. Bueghly's in the South Waterloo church. Here we spent
the night pleasantly, having often enjoyed the hospitality of Bro. Bueghly's
family in Pennsylvania.
   On Thursday we were taken to Bro. Sam. Miller's, Bro. and sister Bueghly
accompanying us. Here we took dinner and had a pleasant visit. In the
afternoon we were taken by Bro. S. Miller to Bro. Matthias Miller's, near
the South Waterloo meeting-house, and here we made our home during the
meeting. And a pleasant home it was to us, and we appreciated and enjoyed
it. Sister Miller is a daughter of sister Sallie Berkley, who is a sister to
Bro. E. K. Bueghly.—Sister Berkley lives in the house with her son-in-law.
She is a faithful sister, and patiently waiting the Master's call to welcome
her to her heavenly home.
   Our meeting commenced on the night of Dec. 6th in the South Waterloo
church, and continued until Sunday the 16th. On Sunday morning was our last
meeting. The weather, a part of the time; was not very favorable, but the
attendance throughout was fair, considering all the surrounding
circumstances. The members attended well, and seemed to enjoy the services.
The attention to the Word spoken was good, and a considerable degree of
solemnity was manifested. Owing to the state of the weather and the roads,
we did not get to visit as many of the families as we desired to do.
   With a considerable number of the members of the South Waterloo church we
Had been acquainted in Pennsylvania many years ago, and they desired us to
visit them at their homes, and it would have afforded us pleasure to have
done so; but for the reason above given, we were denied that pleasure.—Our
closing meeting on Sunday was particularly solemn and tender. We had been
together several days, and we all enjoyed ourselves, and much brotherly love
was manifested; and we all regretted that our associations as Christian
friends must end for the time. But we tried to give comfort, and to take
comfort from the thought that those pleasant associations will be renewed in
the bright future, and be renewed to continue forever.
   We were taken to Waterloo by Bro. Reber, after our morning meeting on
Sunday, the 16th. Here our meetings commenced on that night, and continued
until Friday night, when they closed.
   The Brethren have a pleasant meeting-house in Waterloo. The weather was
cold and stormy at the commencement of our meeting, and the Brethren from.
the country could not attend, as they would have done under other
circumstances. The attendance, however, upon the whole, was good, and what
we have said in regard to our meetings in the South Waterloo church, will
apply to the meeting in the town of Waterloo. We had prayer-meeting at
several places in the afternoon. And these were very pleasant seasons.
   At South Waterloo and in the town of Waterloo, during the meetings, we
preached twice each day. On Friday evening, before the public service in the
meeting-house, we held a Love-feast in the house of sister Kelso. She was
very much afflicted, and consequently could not attend the public meetings,
and for her edification, and for the edification of several old members in
the town, the Love-feast was held. There were over twenty members present,
and the occasion was a pleasant one. Sister Kelso is a widow. Her husband,
Bro. Kelso, died about a year ago. He was the son of Bro. James Kelso, our
fellow-laborer in the ministry in the George's Creek church for several
years.—And sister Kelso is the daughter of Bro. James Long, deceased. Sister
Long, the mother of sister Kelso, lives near to her daughter. Sister Long is
old and somewhat frail, but is happy in the prospect of a complete
deliverance from every temptation, sorrow and pain. The family of Bro. James
Long formerly lived in the Patterson Creek church, Virginia. We preached in
Bro. Long's house when we formerly visited that church. The members of his
family are among those to whom we referred in the first part of this
article, when we said, we had many dear Christian friends in the Patterson
Creek church. And this being the case, it was very pleasant to visit the
families of sister Long and sister Kelso, her daughter. Our associations
were very pleas-ant indeed. And that little Communion-meeting was a precious
season of Christian enjoyment.
   During the time we spent in Waterloo, we made our home in the family of
Bro. Reber. The kindness of the family we appreciated, and we shall remember
it.
   After the Communion-meeting at sister Kelso's, we preached our last
sermon in the meeting-house. We had a good, attentive and serious
congregation, and an enjoyable meeting. Here we took our leave of many of
the dear Christian friends of Waterloo.—As at the other church, there seemed
to be a mutual regret that we must take the parting hand. After the meeting
we went to the house of Bro. Speicher. Arrangements had been made for us to
start for home from that place. As we could not leave until after midnight,
and as it was too late to retire after our meeting, a number of brethren
assembled at the house of Bro. Speicher. The brother himself was not at
home, and this we regretted. We had, a very pleasant time here together.
After enjoying ourselves together in pleasant conversation for a while, we
were called to supper; it was an excellent supper. After this we had a
season of singing and prayer. And this was a little spiritual feast to us.
Soon after this, the ringing of the doorbell indicated the presence of the
omnibus, and we prepared and took leave of the kind friends whose company we
had enjoyed so much. Sister Speicher re-marked when we gave her farewell, "I
will never forget this meeting." Well, we have not forgotten it; neither
will we soon.
   Our visit to the two churches above named was very pleasant upon the
whole to us.—While we enjoyed the friendship and hospitality of the brethren
and sisters, which we remember with grateful feelings to them for their
kindness and hospitality, we also felt the presence of the Lord with us both
in preaching and in retirement. We think of our fellowship with pleasant
feelings, and shall continue to do so. In giving this sketch of our visit,
we should like to have named many brethren and sisters, but we felt we could
not well do so, and hence we have named but few in this notice of our visit.
But we have them in our heart. We remember them and love them.
   On our way home we called at Mt. Morris. We spent the Lord's Day with the
Brethren here. We preached 4n the morning and at night to attentive
congregations. We attended the Sabbath-school and Bible Class in the
afternoon. It being the time of Holidays, the school was not in session.
This we regretted. We had a pleasant little visit here, and regretted that
we could not remain longer. With all we saw and heard, we were pleased with
the aspect of things' in regard to our publishing business, the school and
the church.
   To our Heavenly Father who has been "the guide of our youth," and our
helper and comforter in our maturer years, we give the praise and glory for
the preservation of our life during our journey, and for our safe arrival at
home.
   Owing to some circumstances, the publication of the notice of our journey
West has been deferred.    J. Q.

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• [BRE] (no subject) by "A. Wayne Webb" <>