Third Souvenir Main Page

Excerpts from Francis 

C. Waid's Third Souvenir

Submitted by David M. Waid 

On the evening of the 26th we pay a farewell visit to Doctor and Mrs. Frank Tyler, and next day at noon, having wished Mrs. D. C. Tyler and little Frank an affectionate "good-bye," Anna and I set out, via the Rock Island & Pacific Railroad, for Topeka, Kas., arriving about 4 P. M., and we then immediately drove to the residence of Francis L. Sexton, where we met with a most cordial reception. Mr. Sexton, who is related to my wife, has been twice married, his first wife having died November 3, 1887, aged fifty-eight years, two months, nineteen days, leaving one son and two daughters, and Mr. Sexton married February 14, 1889, his present wife, a Pennsylvania lady. He is now sixty years of age, and bears his years remarkably well. Sylvester Sexton, his father, will be ninety-one years old on July 9, 1891, and his wife will be eighty-five in April, same year. Francis L. Sexton I love as a brother for his Christian walk in life, his social standing and his geniality of temperament.

February 28.--We visit the State Capitol, where there is on view Col. Goss' collection of specimens of the feathered tribe, 800 in number, which in itself is worth going a great distance to see. The Historical Department was also very interesting, being replete with many relics, such as cannon balls picked up at Harper's Ferry; one of the 500 axes carried to Virginia by John Brown [The relics and pictures and bust of John Brown very much interested me as I live only about six miles from his old home, the noted Tannery in Richmond Township, Crawford Co., Penn., built in 1826, now remodeled into a pleasant and attractive home, owned and occupied by Capt. Austin Cannon]; a dinner plate that once belonged to George Washington; a copy of every newspaper published in the United States, etc. In the State Agricultural Department there were on exhibition various products, including raw silk, millet, several kinds of grain and clover, as well as stuffed animals, sugars manufactured in Kansas, and many other things. We also visited the House of Representatives and other places of interest in the city.

LAWRENCE, KANSAS.

On Saturday morning we bade our kind friends, Mr. and Mrs. Sexton, farewell and took the train for Lawrence, Kas., only twenty miles from Norwood, where I stopped over to see some friends and spend the Sabbath, while Anna, on account of her health, proceeded homeward. At Lawrence I hunt up and find Emery F. Hobbs (partly at the request of his mother, Mrs. David Roberts, made before I left Meadville), a son of Abraham Hobbs, who died in 1876 (I think), and with whom I was well acquainted. I knew Emery as a boy, but had not seen him for twenty years, and was now pleased to find him a prosperous carriage painter and trimmer, with a comfortable home, a loving wife and a bright little three-year-old boy to cheer his hearth.

Sunday, March 2.--I attended, along with Mr. Hobbs, the M. E. Church, and heard my good old friend and brother in Christ, Rev. James Marvin (formerly of Meadville, Penn.), preach from Psalm cxxxvi: 1: O give thanks unto the Lord; for He is good; for His mercy endureth for ever. His discourse entered into my soul and refreshed me much; the more so as his familiar voice brought home to me happy reminiscences of days gone by--some fifteen or sixteen years, I think, since I last heard him preach. In the evening I again attended the M. E. Church, and as I entered the audience-room I was met by Mr. Marvin, who, in shaking hands with me remarked: "Mr. Waid, you are a good listener; I am glad you have come again." His text was from Matthew v: 14: Ye are the light of the world. The subject "light" is almost inexhaustible, and there are true and also false lights; some that lure to destruction, others that direct to harbors of safety. "Which light do you shed?" Mr. Marvin parabled his subject by speaking of the various kinds of light that are and have been from time immemorial in domestic use--of the old tallow candle, for instance, that required frequent snuffing to keep it from dying out. "Some Christians need 'snuffing' badly," continued the preacher, "for their light, through sheer neglect, has become very dim and feeble." The only way to keep one's light ever burning bright is to be always DOING GOOD. So thought I, Francis C. Waid, as I "trimmed my candle" a little, so to speak, by subscribing ten dollars toward the children's Sunday-school window in the new M. E. Church. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your father which is in Heaven.

Before leaving Lawrence I visited the Indian school, known as the Harkwell Institute. The farm in connection covers 480 acres, on which have been erected some five or six large stone buildings arranged in horse-shoe form, as well as several smaller ones, and they are all placed on a rising piece of ground; in fact it is just like a little town "set on a hill, which cannot be hid," and in the center of all stands a beautiful little park. Being shown through the Institute by one of the inmates, an Indian boy of about fourteen summers, I was not a little instructed by what I saw and heard. There is at present an attendance of about 440, both sexes, and nineteen different occupations are taught. The boys and men are for the most part put to learning trades, for which there are separate workshops. Everything is conducted in the best of order, and the whole is under the immediate superintendence of Mr. Andrew Atchison, to whom I am indebted for much information regarding this benevolent institution.

On the evening of March 3, I arrived home at Mr. Tyler's, having completed one of the most interesting, instructive and enjoyable trips I have yet made. I now found much to keep me busy indoors, considerable mail matter having accumulated during my absence, so I find that for some days there is nothing of any special moment to record in my diary.

On Sunday, March 9, I attended the M. E. Church at Chapel Valley, including Sunday-school, the lesson for the day at the latter being "The Great Physician." In the afternoon John Slaven (who is at present working at Mr. Tyler's) accompanied me to church at Oak Grove School-house, where we listened to a good sermon from the lips of Mr. Alfred Hamilton, a young student from Baldwin University, the subject of his discourse being Exodus xiv: 15: Speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward.

In the Pennsylvania Farmer I read of the death (on February 27th last) of E. B. R. Sacket, of Mead Township, Crawford County, Penn., in his seventy-fourth year. Among the last words he uttered were, so it is recorded: "My friends are exceedingly kind, and God is good." How simple, and yet how beautiful! God is good, the essence of all the teachings in the sacred book, from Genesis to Revelation, and, when uttered by a dying man, a sermon requiring no commentary. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting; and His truth endureth to all generations.

March 12.--This is the eighty-eighth birthday of my uncle Robert Morehead, the only surviving member of Grandfather Morehead's family, so I wrote him a congratulatory letter. Spring work has now fairly opened up, and everything is awakening into new life, and everybody is busy.

OTTAWA, KANSAS.

On Saturday evening, March 15, I went to the Christian Church at Ottawa, where I heard a good sermon from Rev. Reeves, the subject being: Can you be baptized with the baptism I am prepared with? On the following forenoon, there being no preaching at the M. E. Church in Ottawa, as the pastor, Rev. E. C. Boaz, had gone to Conference, I attended the Baptist Church, where I listened profitably to a good sermon delivered by a stranger whose name I did not learn. His text was selected from the gospel of St. Matthew, Chapter iii, Verse 15: Thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness. At noon I stepped over to the M. E. Church for Sunday-school, and as I was crossing Main Street I heard an aged gentleman, a Mr. Devenport, say to a friend, "I am going to Sunday-school," which attracted my attention; so I waited for him to catch up with me, and then we two children--the one aged eight-one years and the other nearly fifty-seven--went together to Sunday-school. The lesson for the day was the miraculous draft of fishes, and the subject of discourse was the text: Fear not; from henceforth thou shall catch men [Luke v: 10]. Afterward I took a ramble through Forest Park amid scenes not unfamiliar to me; the sun was shining brightly, and all nature seemed to rejoice at the advent of spring.

"I come! I come! ye have called me long!

I come o'er the mountain with light and song!

Ye may trace my step o'er the wakening earth.

By the winds which tell of the violet's birth,

By the primrose stars in the shadowy grass,

By the green leaves opening as I pass."

In the afternoon I attended the Y. M. C. A. meeting, where I found some new friends, and met some old ones. Mr. Maurice McMullen, the secretary, on shaking hands with me at the close of the meeting, asked me how I enjoyed it, to which I replied, "Very much." The subject "Investment," and several who were present spoke, giving their experiences, etc., and I fully intended to stand up and say something; but I allowed opportunities to pass, one by one, till the meeting terminated without my having opened my lips. It was a trick of Satan, and I had not made the right INVESTMENT. How prone man is to seek some excuse for neglecting duty!

Now, of this "Investment" I would here say something: When, on January 10, 1851, at the old State Road Church near Blooming Valley, Penn., I called on the name of the Lord in sincerity and truth, I made my "Investment," which has been paying me liberal interest ever since--the best investment I have made in my whole life, satisfaction in full, the security being where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through and steal. There is nothing for mortal man that is not included in this investment--our wants are all supplied. They that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing. There is another grand thing about this "Investment "--it is always "on the market," and can be made at any time during life; and the best time to invest is early in life, in the morn of youth; the sooner you invest, the sooner will you get good returns. Do you ask what they are? The Bible tells us in language that can not be misunderstood: Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. Thus by investing you have the promise of the life which now is, and that which is to come. Can we in any way make a better investment than to do right, to obey God when He says: Son, daughter, give me thy heart?

In the evening I heard another remarkably good sermon at the "Stone Church" on the west side of Main Street, the subject of the discourse being the Prodigal Son. From this interesting lecture, the best on that particular topic I think I ever heard, I learned new ideas; our faith harmonized, which makes heaven and brings peace to us. Before leaving Ottawa for home I visited the college (where I had been on a former occasion), and along with another visitor went to the top of the building whence we had, with the aid of a telescope, an excellent view of the surrounding country.

March 18.--The thermometer to-day stands at 76°, summer heat, and every farm is a hive of industry. Prairie fires were seen last night in almost every direction, at first appearing in the distance, but later in the evening our neighbors started fires where they wished the ground burned over, and the aggregation of fires lit up the sky grandly. The prairie-grass, weeds and rubbish are usually burned out here once a year, either in the fall or spring. To-day Albert Tyler had thirteen cattle dehorned. They were driven to Mr. Eeley's place, in the neighborhood, whither several other droves were taken for the same purpose. Freeman and Rouelle Tyler and myself were present to witness the operations. Three men, provided with necessary equipments and tools do the work, their charge being ten cents per head. They cut or sawed the horns off, either way to suit customers; though cutting is quicker and was preferred. This dehorning of cattle seems cruel, yet vicious or cross animals by the operation may be prevented from injuring other animals, and perhaps even taking human life.

Go to the next page