Page 41 - History of UB Church by A. Funkhouser Ver 1
P. 41
for those days. Horn was asked why it was not used, and was told that every preacher had been
run off by rowdies, this element having sworn there should be no more preaching in Turleytown.
Rimel asked Horn to circulate an appointment, an evening in the following week, and he would
preach on his return from the Gap. Horn at length consented, and there was a large congregation.
The services began in the regular way, and until the middle of the sermon the house was quiet.
Then a disturbance arose in the farther end of the room. In a gentlemanly way Rimel asked the
toughs to behave themselves. This only made matters worse. Then the preacher paused in his
discourse, and asked if some person would give him the names of the disturbers. The rowdies
bawled out their own names, and these were written down by Rimel. "To-morrow," said he, "I shall
see the proper officers of the law, and have you arrested and presented for your unruly conduct
here to-night." There was quiet during the remainder of the services and another appointment was
made. In the morning Rimel had to pass through the town, where a crowd of furious men were
awaiting him. The leader of the gang caught the preacher's horse by the bridle and demanded that
the paper containing the names be given up. Rimel refused and the bully then attempted to pull
him off the horse. "Hold on," said Rimel, "I can get off myself." As he dismounted he slipped off his
overcoat, and then made the following announcement: "I am not afraid of all the people in
Turleytown, and I can whip them all if they will fight fair. I can whip the whole pack of you. I shall
only need to get in one or two licks on a man, and every man I hit will never know what hurt him."
He then made a pass at the rowdy captain, who at once showed the white feather and ran. Rimel
remounted, but had gone only a little way when some one shouted for him to stop. The preacher
turned about. The spokesman said the men were sorry for what they had done, and if the matter
were dropped, they would be his friends and protect him in his meetings, for they much admired a
brave man. There were no more interruptions and Turleytown became a reformed place.
The Virginia, Maryland, and Parkersburg conferences were all one in 1848, and included only
seven circuits: Frederick, Hagerstown, Winchester, Woodstock, Rockingham, Augusta, and South
Branch. Frederick included all of Frederick (in Maryland), Carroll, parts of Baltimore and
Montgomery, and some territory in Virginia (Loudoun?). It was a four weeks circuit. Now (1899)
there are seven charges: Frederick station, Frederick circuit, Meyersville, Mechanicstown, Keys,
Littletown, and Manchester. Hagerstown circuit covered all Washington and parts of Alleghany and
Berkeley. In this territory are now Hagerstown station, Middleburg, Williamsport, Roonsboro,
Keedysville, Berkeley, and Martinsburg station. WinChester circuit included all of Frederick and
Morgan, and parts of Warren, Berkeley, and Jefferson. In 1849 it was a five weeks circuit with
thirty-two appointments. Woodstock circuit included all of Shenandoah and took in the Lost River
country, the fathers preaching at many places not now occupied by the United Brethren.
Rockingham circuit look in all Rockingham, including the Brock's Gap region. Augusta circuit was a
trip of one hundred miles, covering all of Augusta and Rockbridge, the Pastures, and part of
Highland. But the Presbyterian Church was too well planted in most of this territory for our
denomination to gain much foothold. The South Branch circuit covered Hampshire, Hardy, Grant,
Mineral, and a part of Pendleton. Traveling one of these circuits meant something: self-denial,
hardship, living from home all the year, the great danger from crossing swollen streams, and the
machinations of men who thought it a great thing if they could get the better of a preacher of the
United Brethren and Methodist churches.
In early days South Branch circuit was called "the College." When a preacher found himself
assigned to this field it went very hard to think of going there. But his comrades would come to his
rescue, saying he must go to "the College" willingly or he could not be graduated into the
itinerancy as a permanent member. So he would always go, but with a wry face and thoughts very
emphatic in their meaning. One of these men was Albert Day, himself a native of the North Fork
valley, and there converted. His first year's salary was $50, yet many years afterward he wrote that
it was his "firm conviction that no young man is fit for the ministry who would refuse to work for
$50 during his first year and the good that he could accomplish."
Writing from Minnesota in 1900, John W. Fulkerson wonders if the walnuts and locusts in front
of his childhood home are now mammoth trees, the spring a lake, the hills mountains, the narrow
valleys great plains, the sheep-nose and damson trees scattered to the winds. He was received into
conference in 1843. The preachers of that period were sterling men, competent, industrious, and
economical. Ministerial support was meager and called for economy in the home. Fulkerson was
Chapter X 41 Reminiscences of Some Early
Preachers
run off by rowdies, this element having sworn there should be no more preaching in Turleytown.
Rimel asked Horn to circulate an appointment, an evening in the following week, and he would
preach on his return from the Gap. Horn at length consented, and there was a large congregation.
The services began in the regular way, and until the middle of the sermon the house was quiet.
Then a disturbance arose in the farther end of the room. In a gentlemanly way Rimel asked the
toughs to behave themselves. This only made matters worse. Then the preacher paused in his
discourse, and asked if some person would give him the names of the disturbers. The rowdies
bawled out their own names, and these were written down by Rimel. "To-morrow," said he, "I shall
see the proper officers of the law, and have you arrested and presented for your unruly conduct
here to-night." There was quiet during the remainder of the services and another appointment was
made. In the morning Rimel had to pass through the town, where a crowd of furious men were
awaiting him. The leader of the gang caught the preacher's horse by the bridle and demanded that
the paper containing the names be given up. Rimel refused and the bully then attempted to pull
him off the horse. "Hold on," said Rimel, "I can get off myself." As he dismounted he slipped off his
overcoat, and then made the following announcement: "I am not afraid of all the people in
Turleytown, and I can whip them all if they will fight fair. I can whip the whole pack of you. I shall
only need to get in one or two licks on a man, and every man I hit will never know what hurt him."
He then made a pass at the rowdy captain, who at once showed the white feather and ran. Rimel
remounted, but had gone only a little way when some one shouted for him to stop. The preacher
turned about. The spokesman said the men were sorry for what they had done, and if the matter
were dropped, they would be his friends and protect him in his meetings, for they much admired a
brave man. There were no more interruptions and Turleytown became a reformed place.
The Virginia, Maryland, and Parkersburg conferences were all one in 1848, and included only
seven circuits: Frederick, Hagerstown, Winchester, Woodstock, Rockingham, Augusta, and South
Branch. Frederick included all of Frederick (in Maryland), Carroll, parts of Baltimore and
Montgomery, and some territory in Virginia (Loudoun?). It was a four weeks circuit. Now (1899)
there are seven charges: Frederick station, Frederick circuit, Meyersville, Mechanicstown, Keys,
Littletown, and Manchester. Hagerstown circuit covered all Washington and parts of Alleghany and
Berkeley. In this territory are now Hagerstown station, Middleburg, Williamsport, Roonsboro,
Keedysville, Berkeley, and Martinsburg station. WinChester circuit included all of Frederick and
Morgan, and parts of Warren, Berkeley, and Jefferson. In 1849 it was a five weeks circuit with
thirty-two appointments. Woodstock circuit included all of Shenandoah and took in the Lost River
country, the fathers preaching at many places not now occupied by the United Brethren.
Rockingham circuit look in all Rockingham, including the Brock's Gap region. Augusta circuit was a
trip of one hundred miles, covering all of Augusta and Rockbridge, the Pastures, and part of
Highland. But the Presbyterian Church was too well planted in most of this territory for our
denomination to gain much foothold. The South Branch circuit covered Hampshire, Hardy, Grant,
Mineral, and a part of Pendleton. Traveling one of these circuits meant something: self-denial,
hardship, living from home all the year, the great danger from crossing swollen streams, and the
machinations of men who thought it a great thing if they could get the better of a preacher of the
United Brethren and Methodist churches.
In early days South Branch circuit was called "the College." When a preacher found himself
assigned to this field it went very hard to think of going there. But his comrades would come to his
rescue, saying he must go to "the College" willingly or he could not be graduated into the
itinerancy as a permanent member. So he would always go, but with a wry face and thoughts very
emphatic in their meaning. One of these men was Albert Day, himself a native of the North Fork
valley, and there converted. His first year's salary was $50, yet many years afterward he wrote that
it was his "firm conviction that no young man is fit for the ministry who would refuse to work for
$50 during his first year and the good that he could accomplish."
Writing from Minnesota in 1900, John W. Fulkerson wonders if the walnuts and locusts in front
of his childhood home are now mammoth trees, the spring a lake, the hills mountains, the narrow
valleys great plains, the sheep-nose and damson trees scattered to the winds. He was received into
conference in 1843. The preachers of that period were sterling men, competent, industrious, and
economical. Ministerial support was meager and called for economy in the home. Fulkerson was
Chapter X 41 Reminiscences of Some Early
Preachers
