Thirty Years in the Itinerancy

by W. G. Miller

The meeting had now received such momentum that it was impossible to close it on Monday. It was put in charge of brethren who were not immediately needed at the Conference, and was continued nearly the entire week.

On this trip to the Conference, I was permitted to enjoy the companionship of Rev. N.J. Aplin, who rendered signal service in the meeting on the Sabbath.

The Conference at Baraboo was one of unusual interest. The greetings of the Preachers were cordial, as they always are where persons make sacrifices and put forth labor in a common cause. It was the first visit of Bishop Scott to the Conference, and his urbanity and self-sacrificing labors endeared him to all. The business of the Conference was done in the spirit of the Master, but an unhappy trial made the session a very protracted one. This being the second year of my Presiding Eldership, the Disciplinary limit required several removals, but I need not give them in detail, as they can be ascertained, if desirable, by consulting the Minutes.

On our return from the Conference we reached Fall River on Saturday evening, and remained there over the Sabbath. On arriving at the forks of the roads on the crown of the prairie, the several Preachers who were in company halted for a proper distribution among the good people. Rev. A.P. Allen, the inimitable joker, who had served as Pastor on the charge, installed himself master of ceremonies, and proceeded to divide up the company. After assigning the balance to their respective quarters, he said, "Now, I guess the young Presiding Elder and the old Pastor had better go to Aunt Martha's, as that is the place where they do up the chicken-fixings scientifically." We were delightfully entertained by Rev. E.J. Smith and family, with whom, it will be remembered, I became acquainted in 1845. On Sabbath morning, accompanied by Brother and Sister Smith and their daughters, now Mrs. Pedrick and Mrs. Coe, of Ripon, we attended religious services at the school house in Fall River, where the serving fell to the lot of the writer.

At the beginning of the new year, special attention was given to the finances in the several charges. And during the first round the work was planned for the winter campaign. Fixing on the localities where I could render special assistance to the Pastors, it was arranged to commence the services with the Quarterly Meetings, and if the work should require more than the following week, I could return after the succeeding Quarterly Meeting had been held.

The first meeting was held at Appleton, Rev. Elmore Yocum being the Pastor. This noble man, one of the excellent of the earth, came to the Conference in 1849 by transfer from the North Ohio Conference, and was appointed Presiding Elder of the Platteville District. At the close of his term, he was stationed at Appleton, where his family could enjoy special educational advantages. At the end of two years he was made Presiding Elder of the Appleton District, and at the close of his term went to the West Wisconsin Conference, as he had become identified with the Educational Institution at Point Bluff. Both as Pastor and Presiding Elder Brother Yocum was deservedly popular.

The meeting at Appleton awakened intense interest. The good work grew upon our hands from day to day, until the business of the village was largely suspended during the hours of religious service. All classes fell under the good influence, and both students and citizens shared in the result. One hundred and thirty souls were converted.

The next meeting was held at Sheboygan Falls. As I drove into the village, the severest storm of the winter was raging, and by Sabbath morning the snow was two feet in depth. During the following night the winds piled it into drifts that made the roads nearly impassable. What was to be done? The prospect certainly looked dubious. But it occurred to me that a little preparation for the meeting would be of service, and this could now be done before the crowd should rush in upon us. We decided to go on. Illustrating the saying, "Where there's a will there's a way," the good people opened the streets in the village, and a small congregation was brought together. The Spirit of God came down in sweet, melting influences, and, under the Divine inspiration, the faith of the Church grew strong. Before the end of the week the place was filled, and souls were being converted.

The Pastor was Rev. R.W. Barnes. And as soon as the meeting was well established, the Pastors of the other Churches, Rev. Mr. Marsh, of the Congregational, and Rev. Mr. Lull, of the Baptist, came in with their people. They were received cordially, and set at work as opportunity offered. Besides these, several of our own Laymen gave themselves almost wholly to the work. Among these, Rev. L. Cheeseman, a Local Preacher, and E.T. Bond, Esq., a merchant, deserve special mention. Too much cannot be said in praise of these lay workers and the Church generally. With their Pastor, they were instant in season and out of season. After the regular labor of the evening was concluded, it was no uncommon thing for them to organize a second meeting for such of the seekers as had not obtained a satisfactory evidence of conversion. Here, in prayer and Christian Conference, they would labor until midnight, and in some instances until the dawn of day. The shout of victory usually signalled the close of the meeting. A more thorough work than this I never witnessed. I left the meeting twice before its close to attend to my work elsewhere, and was brought back by a messenger. During the meeting one hundred and fifty souls professed conversion, and among them were both men and women, who have since shown themselves to be valiant soldiers for Prince Immanuel.

The next meeting was held in the South Ward charge, Fond du Lac. The Pastor, Rev. E.S. Grumley, who had been appointed to the charge at the recent Conference, entered the North Ohio Conference in 1842. He had been stationed at Lower Sandusky, Bucyrus, Ashland, Shanesville, Ohio City, Tiffin, Sandusky City and Norwalk. Since his transfer to the Conference in 1851, he had been two years at Council Hill. After filling his term in Fond du Lac he was, for a full term, Presiding Elder on Racine District. After leaving the District he continued to hold respectable appointments until 1871, when his health failed and he was compelled to take a superannuated relation.