Thirty Years in the Itinerancy

tertown.--Church Enterprise.--Sickly Season.--Quarterly Meeting at Burnett--Rev. A.P. Allen.--Elder Sampson Ti

uits, requiring the labor of four men. In view of my impaired health, I was sent t

circuit, and as this circuit was the mother of charges in this part of t

was one of extended travels and great exposure. During the year appointments were established at Aztalan, Whitewater, Meacham's Prairie, East Troy, Spring Prairie, Elkhorn, Burlington, Round Prairie, Menomonee, Prairieville, Oconomowoc, and Watertown, and at several of them clas

Rev. Salmon Stebbins, the Presiding Elder, at A

appointed its Pastor. The western part, retaining the Rock River Valley, was now called Watertown, and Rev. H.W. Frink w

his horse as a true knight of the Itinerancy, and was away for new perils and new conquests. In his journey to what was then deemed the wilds of Wisconsin, he passed through Elk Grove, Wheeling, Indian

ur young Itinerant pushed his way through the forests, swimming the streams, when fords could not be found, and seeking shelter under the overhanging branches of the trees, in the absence of the friendly cabin. As the result of these extended journeys and herculean labors, Brother

e feet square, on the west side of the river, was secured. Here the services were held during the balance of the year. The Missionary was kindly received by all classes of people, and whe

f the first class were Jesse Roberts, Betsey Roberts, Franklin Roberts, Sarah Roberts, Martha Fellows, Anson Stone, and Mr. and Mrs. Harrison. The

r of 1840, and the members were Jacob Fellows,

eing dropped and Aztalan restored. A change was also made in t

that had been developed in Rock County, from the east and south, and out of the united parts Janesville charge was constructed. On the old Aztalan charg

sequent chapter. Both Aztalan and Janesville were now transferred from the Platteville District to

Chicago in 1839, at Rockford in 1840, and was Presiding Elder of Mt. Morris District in 1841, Rock River 1842, Ottawa 1843 and 1844, and Milwaukee in 1845. Brother Stocking was highly esteemed by his

w charge. Rev. Asa Wood was now sent to Aztalan, and remained one year, when he was succeeded by Revs. C.N. Wager and S. B. Whipple. At the Conference of 1854

rmed. The members were Mr. and Mrs. Walter Andrews, Mr., and Mrs. Heber Smith, Mr. and Mrs. Calvin Bunton, Mr. and Mrs. Wm. A. Dut

Church required a great effort. Our meetings were held in the school house until

the affliction became so flagrant that scarcely a family escaped. And in some families, so universal were its ravages, that not one member w

f sick families, where not one was able to bring a pail of water, or provide a morsel of food. In such cases I installed myself master o

eople enough to bury their dead. After performing the sacred functions of my office as a minist

ent for care mostly upon such snatches of service as others could spare from pressing demands at home. At the end of a week, believing my chances of recovery, under such circumstances, precarious, I ordered my horse and buggy, and started for Waupun, thirty miles distant. My friends remonstrated, and thought me insane; but, fortunately, they were too ill to prevent the mov

e regular labors of the charge. I now adopted a plan of systematic labor, giving the forenoons to my study and the afternoons to pastoral visiti

interest. Anticipating the time several days, I went as far as Clason's Prairie, and turned aside to assist Brother Holmes, the Pastor of the charge, for a few evenings in a protracte

is next visit, he would preach his farewell sermon. The day came, and the people, shocked at the idea of being left without meetings, came out in large numbers, leaving for once their business and sports. The services were opened in due form. On arising to announce the text, the Preacher told the people that he had come prepared to preach his farewell sermon, and he was glad that so many had come out to hear it. He presumed they knew the reason of his purpose to leave them, and hence he need not consume time over that matter, but would proceed at once to announce as his text, the following passage of Holy Writ: 'Oh, full of all subtlety and mischief, thou child of the devil, how long wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord.' Having repeated the text with emphasis, he looked over the congregation very gravely, and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, you will perceive that I have chosen a pretty hard text. Now it is not polite for people to go out of meeting during the preaching, and if any of you think that this text is too severe for you,

ing meeting was held on Sabbath evening. Before the hour of service had arrived, the school house was full, the seats even having been removed to furnish standing room. And yet crowds of people were coming from all directions. I finally propo

d me to Dr. Bowman's at Waupun, where he officiated in i

But the year was one of hard labor and small financial receipts. At its close I found my receipts from the charge were forty-four doll

11th, 1847. I passed my Conference Examination, was ordai

At the beginning of the new year we opened house-keeping in the upper rooms of a house on th

and Newhouse on the east. At several of them, during the winter, protracted meetings were held, in addition to the one held in the village. At each several conversions occurred, making a fair aggregate in all. These extensive labors taxed me severely, and finally brought on an attack of fever. I was

my own funds, and the good brethren had contributed so generously out of their scanty means, to place the Church in c

indness, added to the fact I was one of the School Commissioners of the county, naturally directed attention to me, as the person to open a select school in the village. I embraced the opportunity. The Trustees kindly consented to the use of the Church for the purpose. As the seats were only temporary, they were easily adjusted to the new order of things, and a scho

ound a note lying on the Bible. I opened it and read as follows: "Will Mr. Miller have the goodness to preach this morning from the Text, 'I have put off my coat, and how shall I put it on?'" The note was written in a d

should proceed to make the text the subject of the discourse. After giving the connection and context, I proceeded to define the subject of coats, arrange them into classes and set forth their uses. The spiritual application was not difficult, but it needed a little skill to cut the several styles so that each one could recognize his own pattern and appropriate the right garment. "Of course," I remarked, "every one has heard of the garment of self-righteousness, though it may be that none in this congregation are aware of ever having seen it. Yet, should you chance to look upon it, with its straight seams and buckram collar, I

l labor. The leading influences at the beginning, if not directly