Third Souvenir Main Page

Excerpts from Francis 

C. Waid's Third Souvenir

Submitted by David M. Waid 

I was very much pleased at receiving a present from my honored friend, Mr. Alfred Huidekoper, a book I much value, the title of which is "Meadowside Musings and Songs of the Affections." I also received by express from my publishers, J. H. Beers & Co., Chicago, two complimentary copies of my SECOND SOUVENIR, bound in full morocco, and gilt-edged, which I highly appreciate. How true is the Bible saying: Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap! A harvest is sure to follow, the outcome of which may never be known in this life.

September 8.--To-day I called on our pastor, Rev. James Clyde, and handed him my check for fifty dollars, as quarterage at State Road Church. On his thanking me I replied that I believed I was only doing my duty, but that I would like to have, as a favor, my pastor's picture, which was granted. This reminds me of a similar incident which occurred on September 12, 1888, when I gave my check for one hundred and thirty dollars to Pastor Brother M. Miller, which paid his entire claim for salary at State Road, and left a balance of ten dollars toward the support of worn-out preachers. I understand the Society raised an equal amount, same year, to buy an organ. I would not have it thought that in the relating of this I wish to boast, for I do not so intend it; I owe the Lord, let me pay Him.

Saturday, September 13.--To-day I set out for Oil City, Penn., in order to attend the Erie Conference and spend the Sabbath there. It is about thirty miles from Meadville to Oil City, and on my journey I found the creeks flooded, with much water lying in the ditches and on the low lands, owing to the heavy fall of rain we have just had. Erie Conference never had a better day than this bright Sabbath, and there was a great gathering of ministers and laymen. My testimony in that love feast was: Let all the people praise the name of the Lord, for it is excellent in all the earth; and truly is this so now in my heart in Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church, Oil City, where the Conference is being held. Let Zion rejoice! What a good day it was for everybody, and how indulgently the Lord remembered me amid the multitude who worshiped there that day. I met one friend there whom, I believe, I would have journeyed almost anywhere to see--and that friend was Mrs. W. F. Oldham, the Christian lady missionary from Singapore, India, who, as I have already related elsewhere, once sang a beautiful hymn in our parlor, and whose husband was our pastor when he was attending Allegheny College. She told me she had heard that Brother Francis Waid, from State Road, was at Conference, so it came to pass that we were looking for each other when we casually met on the street on which she was then residing, and were formally introduced to each other by our former worthy pastor, Rev. J. F. Perry, who was at Conference along with his son, also a pastor. I met many other former pastors as well as acquaintances, old and new, and among the many "shining lights" to whom I was introduced were Bishop Thoburn, Chaplain Dr. McCabe, and Bishop J. M. Mallalieu, of New Orleans. I wish that space on these pages would admit of my speaking at length about the excellent sermons, the good songs of Zion sung by the choir and congregation, and the touching spiritual pieces played and sung by the White Brothers, occasionally assisted by Dr. McCabe. I do not know and am unable to say how much good the missionary work advocated at this Conference will do in the world, but of this I am sensible--I am like the blind man whom Christ healed, in that I can see better than I did before I went to Erie Conference. May the Lord help me to do more good, not only in this but in every other way within the limits of my ability, for I wish to be fully His, now and forever, and to serve Him out of a pure heart. O, how wonderfully the endless story of Jesus and His glory leads me to exclaim with David: O, that men would therefore praise the Lord for His goodness, and declare the wonders that He doeth toward the children of men!

Praise God from whom all blessings flow,

Praise Him, all creatures here below;

Praise Him above, angelic host;

Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost."

On Monday I again met Mrs. Oldham, when I presented her, for herself and husband, with a copy of my SECOND SOUVENIR, desiring to be remembered to Mr. Oldham. She requested me in return to remember her and her husband to the State Road and Blooming Valley Societies, where they were at one time well known, and after our interview, a too brief one, we parted, perhaps for ever on this earth. I afterward went to Rouseville to see a beloved friend, Wilson Smith, whom I had not met since boyhood days when I attended school at the Waterford Academy, Erie County, Penn., in 1852. Fourteen years ago he was converted, and he is now living a Christian life. Our hearts were glad as we talked together in his house, about four miles from Oil City, up Oil Creek, and also as we walked together to the town, in the evening, in order to attend church. After the service, which included the closing of the Conference, I returned with Brother Wilson Smith to his home, and on the following morning I bade him and his wife adieu, and proceeded by train to Franklin.

September 16.--From Franklin I went into the country in order to visit my second cousin, Fayette Goodwill (son of George A. Goodwill, who lives at Tryonville, Penn.), whom I had not met in sixteen years, and who is now living on the Miller & Sibley Stock Farm, Venango County, Penn., five miles from Franklin, in whose employ he has been, I think, over fourteen years. When I reached his place I found he had gone to Franklin, so it behooved me that I should introduce myself to the family, as I had never seen any of them before, which I did in this wise: "Is this Mrs. Goodwill?" "Yes." "Well, I suppose you do not know me." "Yes, I know you, I have seen your likeness; this is Mr. Francis Waid" [I have found on several occasions, when introducing myself to strangers, that I was identified through their having seen my picture somewhere; and this has even been the case with children, as instance, when calling on Mr. Cromwell, in Chicago, his children knew me at sight, although they had never seen me before, only my picture].

Enough! Our good visit had a pleasant, commencement, and increased in interest, especially to me, as my cousin, Fayette, presently came in from Franklin. He took me over the farm, 200 acres in extent, on which, so he informed me, there are at present thirteen producing oil wells; and I also viewed the live stock. The well-known valuable horse, "Bell," I saw on my return to Franklin, when I again visited the Miller & Sibley Stock Farm, and also had a look over the commodious buildings and the trotting course.

September 17.--I had the pleasure, to-day, of attending the second reunion of the Foster Family, held in the M. E. Church, on Bull's Hill, which is surrounded with beautiful groves where the company assembled in groups and sat down to a plentiful feast. Mr. James Foster, Sr., will be eighty-one on February 14, 1891, and his address at the banquet, coming as it did from so aged a man, was replete with interesting recollections and anecdotes of pioneer life. On this trip I distributed several copies of my SOUVENIR, some by mail, most of them personally, and I received at all hands nothing but thanks, blessings and kind words of encouragement. The evening of the seventeenth closed my visit to Franklin, and I returned to Meadville and to my home near Blooming Valley.

September 20.--Early this morning my relative, George Reeves [In company with my brother G. N., I had the pleasure of visiting Mr. Reeves at his own home, also his brother James, at Raisinville, same county, August 10, 1891], of Azalia, Monroe Co., Mich., came to see us, and by mail I received an invitation to a wedding, a copy of which invitation I know will interest my young lady readers at any rate, so I here give it:

GRANT B. BABCOCK.

KATE M. SIMMONS.

The pleasure of your company is requested at the marriage of Kate M. Simmons to Mr. Grant B. Babcock on Thursday, September 25, 1890, at 8 o'clock P. M. Residence of Henry Simmons, Busti, N.Y.

While I was absent in Oil City, my uncle, Robert Morehead, and his daughter were at our place on a visit, and I much regret not having met them, as I had been wishing to have Uncle Robert's picture taken--"to secure the shadow ere the substance fades." He is now eighty-nine years old, and I am sure it would please his family and the rest of his relatives to have a photograph of him as he now appears [This desire was subsequently gratified as will he shown farther on in my Diary]. To-day we were made more happy by a visit from Lewis M. Slocum's eldest son and his mother-in-law, from Mansfield, Ohio, Maudie, Charles C. Slocum's little girl being along with them. It is a happy thought to me, and therefore becomes natural to say that I was pleased to hear that Mr. and Mrs. Charles C. Slocum had named their little boy, Francis, after me.

Sunday, September 21.--Yesterday I walked (as is my usual custom) to Meadville, and to-day attended Sunday-school at the M. E. Chapel, Kerrtown, the services of which were very pleasant and profitable. At the close of the services I asked to be informed of the amount of collection, adding in effect the following: "I have loved Sunday-schools and been profited by them from my boyhood, and to-day I have spent a very helpful hour with you. There are different ways of manifesting our love for the Sabbath-school and the church. The little drops of rain water the whole earth; let me have the privilege of doubling your collection." This privilege, you may be sure, I was readily granted, and, rejoicing, I passed on my way to my uncle's, Robert Morehead's, place, whence I proceeded to the home of my cousin, R. A. Fergerson, where I remained over night; and this Sabbath-Day milestone, placed on the highway of life by God's own hand, was further sanctified by us in family worship and prayer. On the following day I succeeded in getting a dozen photographs (copies) of my venerable uncle, Robert Morehead, and I was glad, for I had for a long time, as already intimated, been desirous of having his likeness to distribute among a few friends as keepsakes. I have already mentioned that I had received a copy of a book, "Meadowside Musings," from the author, Hon. A. Huidekoper, of Meadville, and to-day I was the recipient of two more books from the pen of the same author, the titles being "Gathered Leaves" and "Glimpses of Europe," all of which I prize most highly. The latter came by hand, accompanied by the following letter:

MEADVILLE, September 19, 1890.

Mr. Francis C. Waid,

Dear Sir: As you seem to have been a person of correct views of life from your boyhood, bent on self-culture and the education of your family, and working your way up to a comfortable competency for yourself and those dependent upon you, while not neglecting the claims of society upon you as one of its members, may I, as a member of it, express my appreciation of such a record by asking your acceptance of two books, viz.: "Glimpses of Europe" and "Gathered Leaves," to keep, or to give to any of your family, at discretion.

Very truly, yours,

A. HUIDEKOPER.

P. S.--If you have any local library where you prefer to place the "Glimpses of Europe" for your neighbors to read, you can act as you prefer [I have read the book from beginning to end, and found it most interestingly descriptive. Scenes of travel so well portrayed I love well, and I intend to place the "Glimpses of Europe" in the Sunday-school Library, for the benefit of others [July 20, 1891.]].

In the evening (and, by the way, this is Guinnip's thirty-first birthday) I drove to Townville, on business, and back to George W. Cutshall's, where I tarried till next day.

September 24.--Going to-day to Union City, Penn., I there attended to some business, and made a number of calls on friends, including my niece, Blanche Underholt; thence, in the evening, I proceeded to Jamestown, where I remained with my cousin, Frank Colt. On the following day I attended the wedding of Henry Simmons' daughter, Kate M., and Grant B. Babcock, as already announced. Harvy Simmons accompanied me to and from the bride's home, and much did we enjoy the drive, about eight miles, it being a beautiful, placid, moonlit evening. After the marriage ceremony, performed by Rev. Lowell, a Baptist minister, and customary congratulations to the happy couple, the company, nearly one hundred in number, sat down to an excellent repast provided by the parents of the bride. The remainder of the evening was spent in a most happy manner, "and all went merry as a marriage-bell," and in peace and harmony; I should not forget to add that the bride's wedding gifts were numerous and appropriate, the best wishes of myself being accompanied by a Bible and a blue-covered copy of my SECOND SOUVENIR.

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