A few years later my oldest sister Nancy Elizabeth who lived in Oregon, passed away at the age of 62 years, 2 months and 10 days. Of her family only one son, Reuben Edgar Peyton is living. He lives at Peyton, Oregon. At this writing I have only two brothers left. One, Henry, about ten years my senior, the other, Rufus, about ten years my junior.
In the fall of 1894 I was elected a trustee of the Atchison county High School, and made secretary of the Board, and held this position for six years being elected the second time. That same fall we sold our farm, 130 acres just east of Farmington for $5,500 and bought a farm 80 acres, just east of Effingham for $4600, and moved to it on the 1st day of March, 1895. At this time only three of our children were at home, Clara, Edith and Milo. Harry, Paul and Otho were off doing for themselves. Harry had attended school at Holton and Lawrence. Paul had graduated at a Business College in Kansas City, Mo. Otho had graduated at the county High School. The girls and Milo each afterwards graduated at the County High School, and the girls attended school at Drake University, and Milo graduated from the State Agricultural College at Manhattan, Kansas.
On the night of the same day I was elected trustee, the High School burned to the ground. We could see, the next morning, from Farmington, where we then lived, the flames and smoke still ascending. The first thing after the fire was for the Board to secure a place or places to continue the school. A mass meeting was called in the Presbyterian Church. I attended the meeting and was called to the chair. Through the energy, enthusiasm and sacrifice of the citizens, especially Mr. Frank Wallack, the resident member of the board and Principal Mr. Hunter, Assistant Prin. J. W. Wilson, and the suggestion of Pres. Snow of the State University, who happened to be present, the school was running the next day in the churches and suitable vacant rooms that could be found in the town.
The new board was organized the 1st Tuesday in January, and the first business of importance was the securing the insurance money, and the building of a new house. There was some delay, caused by not being able to adjust matters with the insurance companies, and collect the money. Finally, however, every cent was collected and a new building was erected and stands to this day, and Atchison Country has a high school second to none in the state.
Our move from Farmington to Effingham was the only move we had ever made. It being only six miles, it was suggested that we move everything worth moving, which when accomplished proved to be a task of fifty-two wagon loads.
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C H A P T E R E I G H T E E N
Effingham, Church. S. S. Muscotah. 1899. Second visit back to old Indiana. The Captain. Return to Kansas. St. Louis. Return. Clara. Home. Waiting.
Our reasons for locating at Effingham were, the civility of the town, the beauty of the country, and the advantage of the High School. True, there was no congregation of Christians, nor ever had been except those with human named added, but my life up to this time, for thirty-five years had been spent in trying to persuade Christians to be one, and organize simply as Christians. So I concluded I would continue to do the same thing in Effingham. Please note that I never use the name disciple or Christian in any sectarian sense. Well, I had not been here long until I found Christians who invited me to preach in their meeting houses when not occupied by themselves. Notably among them were Uncle Ben Wallack, of the Lutheran church, and William Reece of the South M. E. Church.
Few, if any disciples in the movement for unity, had ever preached in Effingham. I had been called several times to the town to preach funerals, but that was all. So I commenced preaching in the Mr. E. Church South on Sundays and having preached a few times, I requested that at our next meeting all disciples or Christians, (I use these names as synonyms) who were not members of any congregation, to remain after the sermon. This they did, and I addressed them in the substance as follows: "Beloved disciples of Christ, for such your action proves you to be, my purpose in requesting you to remain today is to get better acquainted with you, and possibly organize ourselves into a church of Christ. In order to further carry out these purposes, I will, by you permission ask each a direct question and take your names, thus enrolling you as members of a church of Christ in Effingham. So I took paper and pencil in hand and asked each one the same question, viz: "Are you a Christian?" and took the name of each. The answer of each one to the question was simply "yes." except one lady who said, "Yes, in the Baptist church." I said, "All right, let me take your name and since there is no Baptist Church in Effingham, you go along with us, without the Baptist name." She consented, and she is to this day a member in good standing and full fellowship and nearly all her children have become Christians too.