Veteran's Cane - Page 1 |
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| Title | Veteran's Cane |
| Alternative Title | West Virginia Conference : Veteran's Cane |
| Author | Sutton, W. W. |
| Description | History of WV Methodists who have received the Conference Cane, "awarded to men of age and long years of service... almost always awarded to the oldest man who has given his life for a worthy cause." |
| Subject |
Methodist churches Clergy |
| DLA Category |
Religion and Beliefs Cultural Landscape |
| Date | 2013-05-20 |
| Place | West Virginia |
| Format | 1 pamphlet, 4 leaves, 18 x 21 cm. |
| Type | Text |
| Holding Library | West Virginia Wesleyan College |
| Identifier | wv00125p |
| Publisher | Charleston, W.V.: Pension Funds, Inc. |
| Transcript | COVER P I C T U R E ( left to right) Dr. James . Engle, the retired minister who presently holds the cane, ( see page 7,) and Dr. ' A . V:. Sutton, President of the Retired I\/! inisters' i; sso~: i- ilion c~ nd author 7 7 of "" The Veteran's C'ine ri'he W,' est V i r g i n i a C o n f e r e n c e VETERAN'S CANE R, everend MT. Mr. Sutton I have been assigned the task of trying towrite up the story of our Con-ference Veteran's Cane. In the first approach to this effort I felt consider-able trepidation. Eut soon the task took on the hue of romance, and in that I found a challenge and inspiration to the undertaking. I made a discovery, or what seems to be a very well authenticated discovery, that this story goes back to the beginning of the history of Methodism in the northern part of our state, and in Iaonongalia County. At least three persons have figured largely in the tale. Following the War of the Revolution, Francis Asbury was making trips up out of Virginia and across the Allegheny Mountains, then down The Mon-ongahela Valley preaching the " Good News" of salvation through faith in Christ Jesus in the rude homes of frontiersmen, and organizing classes everywhere. On an early t r i p he found a certain Col. Charles Martin living eight miles north of Morgantown, who had heard the Methodist preachers, and had affiliated himself with the Methodist movement. Col. Martin in-vited Asbury to preach in his house as early as 1784, or maybe earlier. This Francis ksbury did, and continued to stop there on his rounds, and Col. Martin organized a class for the community. Col. Martin sponsored the building of a log chapel not later than the first half of the year 1788: Bishop Asbury says in his Journal that after a trying experience at Morgantown where he preached July 15, he came to Martins and " took on life, love and power after preaching in a new chapel near Col. Martin's. > > This writer was once the pastor there for a term of four years and did not know the important place it held in the beginning of Methodist History for Monongalia County. This log chapel was the first church built in the Virginia end of the original Redstone Circuit. Col. Martin also built a fort near, and the church later was named Fort Martin, and is that today. It is served by the pastor of the Monongalia Charge. The old log church was still standing in the year 1840, and was referred to as a " small, old log church with a gallery." At that time it was in the bounds of the KTaynesburg Circuit. The second person in the story of the cane is nameless to this writer May have been a man; may have been one of the good women of the day, for some of the best and most fruitful thoughts have been from the women of a church community. M'hoever it was the thought was destined to bear fruit in a ma. rvelous way. After the year l84u, wnen tne r'ort lvlartln corn-munity was ready to take down the old log structure and build a new and better place for worship services, someone proposed to take a good log of the old chapel and manufacture it into canes, to give away or maybe sell to friends, to preserve the memory of the place, and remember with real gratitude the " Times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord" poured down upon the waiting, hungering audience, when men like Francis Asbury, Robert Ayers, Henry Smith, and all the others who traveled, served, and sacrificed to bring the blessings of spiritual peace and power to the early settlers of the valley. Of course a man, or men, worked at the necessary business making canes, and distributing them to all interested persons. The third. person in our story is none other than Senator Waitman Thomas TNilley of Morgantown. Mr. V,' illey was born in the Monongahela Valley some miles above Morgantown in the year 1811. After his schooling in Madison College in Pennsylvania, he settled in Morgantown and began the practice of Law. At about thirty years of age, we are informed, Willey gave himself wholly to the Lord and to becoming a useful layman in the P., lethodist Church. Vjilley got interested in the history of Methodism both in his county and in the state. Someone gave him one of tne Fort Martin csnes. He took it, polished it up and embellished it to his own liking in memory of the first Methodist Chapel built in Monongalia County and one of the first to be built in the whole valley. V! aitman T. V; illey was elected to the U. S. Senate from the State of Virginia in 1861. Then after the new State of \ Nest Virginia was formed, he was elected to the U. S. Senate from West Virginia. He had much to do with the formation of the new state and in the preparation of its Constitution. TATilley was an orator as well as a statesman, with a large influence wherever he was known. He spoke upon many topics. TA7hen his minister was absent. he would take the pulpit and deliver a lecture of fine taste and character. He was one of the finest Christian laymen in the church. He deeply reverenced the ministry. The West Virginia Conference met in Morgantown the fall of 1897 with Bishop bAallalieu presiding. Senator TA'illey ' was on the program in the opening session to give an address of welcome. The secretary reports: ( 6 Hon. Waitman T. TJJilley was introduced and made an address replete with grand thoughts and setting forth to the ministers a most hearty welcome to Morgantown. The Bishop made a very timely response." The Confer-ence Committee had prepared a program for Friday evening celebrating the first fifty years of organized acti~ rity as a Conference. Some of the Charter members of the Organizing Conference of 1848 in Wheeling were still living and present. The Rev. A. 7. Lyda gave a ' Concise History of The First Session of the West Virginia Conference and the Men Who Composed It." ( 20 mins.) Senator U'aitman T. W'illey spoke on " Eariy Methodism in Morgantown and vicinity, " ( 1 0 mins. ) , and presented to the conference a cane made from a log of the old Martin Church, built in the early part of the year 178?, eight miles north of Morgantown. Then, Hon M. A. Kendall gave a " Half Century of Progress of Methodism in West Virginia" ( 1 5 mins.). Following that " R, eminiscences of Men and Events" were given by such stalwarts as Benjamin Ison, Gideon Martin, and James L. Clark, ( each 10 mins.). The closing talk was made by Dr. A. B. Riker on " The Future Outlook for lh7est Virginia ~ e t h o d i s m " ( 15 mins.). Conference Canes are awarded to men of age and long years of service. They are emblems of a faithful service done well. Almost always awarded to the oldest man who has given his life for a worthy cause. Gf the min-isters present in the conference of 1897, Dr. A. J. Lyda, an honored preacher pastor, and one of the first Trustees of the West Virginia Con-ference Seminary, passed from us in 1900. Benjamin Ison had his trans-lation in 19Gi. Gideon Martin, brave old wheelhorse, and victor in many battles, had his crowning in 1902, and James L. Clark, the oldest of them all by just a few years, went on Home in the fall of 1903. H few words of this story should be said here. Dr. Clark, after his retirement stayed with his daughter in Tarentum, Pennsylvania. He loved to come to the con-ferences. In the formation of the conference in TATheeling, 1848, James L Clark came from the Pittsburgh contingent into the new organization. He had held pastorates in the Church in Northwestern Virginia before the Sixties. He had been pastor in the Chapline Street Church, Th'heeling, West Virginia., back years before. He had said to some friends he would like to die on West Virginia soil. It seems he got his wish. For, vrhen the confer. ence convened in Thyheeling the fall of 1903, he came down to stay with his old friend, Capt. Vi'm. H. L, ist Vlhile on the train coming, he took a severe cold, suffered : A bad fall, took his bed and pneumonia followed. He was taken to the City Hc) spita'i, best of nursing given, but died October 2, Fri-day, This was a great shock t~ the conference. which was in session. A pall spread oT. ier the conference. 11 corsmittee wzs appointed to arrange ?:? r + he funer: il ser:. rlces which we- re to be held in the Chapline Street : ' i:? ir,. 7h nn ? l.~ nd; ig c:! ? rning, C) rtoher 4 , 3 t 9130 09<: lock. And an immense -::. 3i~ nc. ncf' fy.:~ ir:{ ls1 x1 ? cqu;? intances ? t, ter~ ded. In the afternoon the body , , . , - , !- I;. - b.- . . , i I-' :-,, I Jy~ i. 12 !? Lj i~; T-~:, I, ;,, r C : - inti !": hi0 to ' T': irenturn fcr. burial ? . , -! .. 8 ,-,:.,-, I, i . r f : : l'. l. E,' k e, z! l 1 ~ l t r'L a , i:; j,;+~ x jr; c?;. ci j]:!,:; ne~~ j: i; t em , " fijerriorial I i L , ~. * , .,. . ' i! b+~~( >?: i t ~ ( ! q ,,[(~>!.{ ;! i!;:$ y t h ~ *' , ~ t~ hef? l; 3~ f~ cTapAes (-: larky , . , ' , Uk., i L . r ! . ' L '-, . I W f I C iv7iS (.; ; irr7e( j 7cj: j + tLi,- 1 :" !:~~.~: ti.: h' ! s. sj:, oi; ni T1ri. ia; ; eveni1l. g iri the / v'hai; line Street :,' hurcl- l, Sunc",:~ ys t. i),::: 2). n:. T~ .,! L., J) r. ernc? nies were the rriost im - pressive of the kind ever witriessed ii. 1 this city. 99 At almost ninty years, his spirit still young, he went on to the city where cometh no night. And we press forward to " follow in his train." The Committee on Permanent Fund was giving great concern about providing a better sustenance for retired ministers. The conference of 1904 made this committee responsible for the care of the Conference Cane. They decided to purchase a new gold- headed, ebony stock piece of property, a bit expensive for the time, and have lettered in keeping with their p u r p s The face of the head piece should bear the name of the veteran tore-ceive it, the date ( 1905), and on the side should be the wording: " The V est Virginia Conference veteran's Cane." The man oldest in years, and in service in Methodist ministry, was our very venerable and highly esteemed friend and brother Daniel H. K. Dix of Buckhannon. At the Con-ference in 1505 in > Jlorgantown, Bishop Daniel A. Goodsell called Brother Dix to the front, and making a very fitting address to him on the signifi-cance ~ f holding this emblem of a faithful ministry, and handing him the cane, said. he hoped Brother Dix might live many more years to enjoy the honor of this distinction. Mrs. French Sexton of Ruckhannon, the daughter of Brother Dix, told this writer that her father came home from conference in great joy holding the cane in his hand; he was so glad he had won the conference veteran's gold- headed cane. And he held it for seven years. Brother Dix served the church in almost every capacity. As Presiding Elder, as Delegate to the General Conference, also in the State Legislature for two terms, this scribe met him when still young in the ministry, and was inspired by his godly splrit and chaste conversation. Henry Clay Sanford was the next minister to carry the cane. He be-longed to the old school of preachers, and was one of the last of the pio-neers. He had the unusual status of servirig both stations and circuits, many times alternately. He was equally at home in either place. It was said he had a racy style and used effective illustrations which made his sermons good to listen to. He was Presiding Elder one term, and after his retirement at the end of fifty effective $ ears, he was chaplain to the P'est Virginia Penitentiary for five years, which made him fifty- five years of continuous service. He carried the veteran's cane for four years. Brother Joseph E. Feather was the next hero to hold the veteran's sign of victory. He, too, belonged to the pioneer type of preacher of the gospel. He had the hardships as well as the comforts of his day. I rem-ember this man well. He possessed a fine sense of humor, which made every one who knew him his friend. He had a characteristic expression of laughter as " HO: Ho: HO!" when something funny occurred. I served two different charges over on the Dunkard Creek waters in the northern part of the state. Some one over there near the Kent Chapel told about a pray- er meeting they were having in a log house one evening, and Brother Fea-ther came in a little late. The house being full, he sat down on the side of the bed. The bed rail gave way and the preacher went to the floor. Brother Feather got up in order and full of humor said, " HO.' HO.' HO!, that bed fell down with the weight of a Feather." I saw him at the conferences with a cane, and thought nothing of it, for then we were not interested in canes. He was one of our saintly men, with friends galore. He too carried our conference emblem for four years. The Conference Minutes of 1920 has this notation: " S. K. Arbuthnot presented the Conference Veteran's Cane to Rev. Gilbert Rogers; he being the oldest minister in years of service in the b e s t Virginia Conference. 9 9 Here we see the Committee on Permanent Fund still functioning. Brother Rogers did not succeed in giving so many years in active service, and that on account of health conditions; but, his service was very important just the same. He labored mostly on our circuits, and in the effort to bring about gracious revivals of religion. Honest men acknowledge that rural fields are of utmost importance in recruiting and building up Methodism And in this kind of field is where Brother Rogers did fine work. The most important work of Jesus was out among the country people. There is where He did the finest sowing. Brother Rogers held the cane for almost ten years. These same Conference Minutes has a further note to say: " On motion of W7. M. Shults it was ordered that a gold band be placed on the cane, on which names of those receiving it shall be placed." This order was not fulfilled until this good year of 1955. You may now see the names of eight men engraved on a band, as follows: H. C. Sanford, Toseph B. Feather, Gilbert Rogers, Clemmer TATarman, Lewis E. Leslie, Joseph Tr\ . Bedford, Flor S. Pollitt and James KT. Engle. One of the most faithful ministers of the conference was the Rev Clemmer U arman who spent the last of his life in Clarksburg with his daughter, Mrs. Redfox. He was converted in bis youth and did his minis-try in his native state of West Virginia. His Memoir states: " Brother \ ATarman was a strong, logical preacher, a careful and sympathetic pastor, a safe administrator, and through all the years of his life maintained an untarnished Christian character. He was known throughout the conference, and was universally loved." Brother bi arman9s physical powers were slip-ping; he saw the shadows, the twilight of earthly habitation approaching, and with clear mind called in Brother 0. MI. U- aters of the conference, and gave the cane to him, requesting that he carry the emblem up to conference for the next man. Here, we regard is a tender touch of one brother for another, a very real and deep respect of a Veteran for the Conference Cane, which means a life well lived, a Christ- like service gladly given, as they, the old preachers " walk on together." Brother Warman held the cane for about seven months. Then came the conference of 1930. The Minutes from that conference has this notation: " Rev. 0. W. Waters presented the cane, held by Gilbert Rogers, deceased, and given to him by the late Clemmer Warman, to L. E. Leslie, oldest member of the conference. Brother Leslie held this treasure for three months, then was called up higher. He was trans-lated on his eighty- fifth birthday. I knew Brother Leslie. He was so neat and clean in his personal appearance; and brotherly, too, among his fellows. He was a man of remarkably clear and candid intelligence, full of holy zeal for the cause of Christ, broadminded and sympathetic in his dealings with his fellowmen. The Memoir says: " It was good to have known such a man of God." Joseph TNm. Bedford was born in Fulton County, Pennsylvania, in 1850 M'hile still a young man he came to West Virginia, and at the age of twenty three was licensed to preach, and his active ministry was begun in one of the hardest fields of labor there was in the conferaence at that time, down in Logan and Wayne Counties. It has been reported that while doing his work in that field he literally walked thousands of miles. He justly earned the title of " TA'alking Joe ~ edford." With his passing there went out from us, perhaps, the last of those hardy pioneers who performed so much in Kingdom building among the mountains of our state. After several years in the pastorate he was sent from the New Martinsville church to be Pre-siding Elder of the Huntington District and still walked almost all of the time over his district. It takes heroism and courage of a fine sort to acc-omplish what Rev. Bedford achieved on these walks up the valleys across the mountains. The people of those streams and hills never forgot their spiritual leader. Just a few years before his passing from us and while he was living in Parsons, he told this writer of the time he was scared almost to death by a bear. He was on the Gujran River holding Guarterly meetings, and one evening after the service in the church a brother was lodging the Presiding Elder for the night. To get there they had to cross the river in a small boat. PThen across the stream, Mr. Hinchman told the preacher to go on up the path to the house, for he must fasten the boat, lest a rain should come in the night time and take the skiff away. - 4s the preacher came to the house and stepped upon the edge of the porch, a big bear rose before him and stretched out his pays, Brother Bedford said he was so scared he could scarcely move. The bear proved to be domesti-cated and was just giving the preacher a welcome to the place. The host was having a bit of fun at the preacher's expense. Brother Bedford was z great temperance advocate, and for several years of his declining life published a small paper called " The Mountain State Patriot." For his arduous toils and sacrifices on hard, difficult fields in V7est Virginia, Tay-lor Uni~ rersityb estowed on him the Degree of Doctor of Divinity Dr. Bed-ford was pressing on toward his ninety- seventh year when the Fath-er called him to the heavenly mansions, for a good rest and peace. " Then palms of victory, Crowns of Glory, Palms of victory, We shall wear." The Rev. Flor S. Pollitt comes next in line. He was born in Kentucky May 26, 1859. Here is where the north and south begin to meet. In his early life he began to thirst for knowledge. He attended the old National Normal School at Lebanon, Ohio, after that he attended the Kentucky U: es-leyan College, located then at Millersburg, Kentucky. He began preaching in Kentucky, and served one term as Presiding Elder there. He spent some time in the capacity of assistant to Chaplain Orville J. Nave, D. D on the project of working out the Nave Topical Reference Bible. IR the year 1913 he came to the Western Virginia Conference and served as pas-tor, then as Presiding Elder, a term on the Fairmont District, and one on the Beckley District. This writer saw him first when our Bishop holding conference at Fairmont called him to the front and introduced him to the conference. Following the demise of Brother Bedford, our conference cane got misplaced for a year or so; but was recovered and reconditioned We prepared to have the cane presented to Dr. Pollitt at the conference at Charleston in the fall of 1949. One week before Brother Pollitt was to re-ceive it he became ill, too ill to be present, and Dr. Fleming, our Pres-ident, and Brother F. V. Arnett took the cane down to him in Huntington in the afternoon following the banquet. He held the cane for over three years " Blessed are the dead who die in the L, ord, they rest from their labors and their works do follow them. 9 > James W'. Engle, a native of Viest Virginia was licensed to preach in the early nineties. He joined the Conference' in 1894, and received into membership in 1896. He has been a good preacher and pastor; and a power in the evangelistic field through the years. Brother Engle has been Dis-trict Superintendent on two districts, the IVheeling and the Charleston. To give one's life in the holy cause of the ministry, one makes a profound impression upon the life of a generation, and Dr. Engle has done just that Since his retirement he has been used by many ministers in Preaching Missions, and filling their pulpits. At conference time in Buckhannon two years ago ( 1953) Dr. S. B. Hart presented the cane to our Bishop Th- icke on Friday of Conference week, who in turn with suitable remarks presented the cane to Dr. Engle. He received it with appreciation expressed in words, and the conference rose in a body and gave him a fine ovation. Dr. Engle is very much alive at present. He lives in Clarksburg. He is called upon frequently by the city and surrounding communities for sermons, addresses, and talks on many topics. Your writer feels called upon to say a word for that vast throng of good people, many ministers in the conference, a multitude of workers in the churches, many good wives in the parsonages, and workers in the community who will never carry a Conference Cane such as we have des-- cribed above. TThen I think of the good women in homes of Methodist Preachers in the distant past, who did nothing else but sacrifice all day long, day in and day out. If children came into the homes, it was the mothers who cared for them while fathers were miles and miles away preaching, holding meetings, traveling, praying with the sick, wrestling with sinners trying to bring them to God. Hut did sickness and need ever enter the parsoriage home while the father was away? All honor to the mothers who took care of the home. And, all honor, too, to the common, ordinary minister who did his duty the best he could while others won the laurels. Someday we shall all understand, and know as we are known. Someday when love, and light and life crown all our endeavors, and burdens and crosses are transformed in-to crowns of glory, then we shall understand the depth and breadth of our redemption through Christ Jesus. " I love Thy kingdom, Lord. The house of thine abode, The church our blest Redeemer saved By His own precious blood. For her my tears shall fall: For her my prayers ascend; To her my toils and cares be given, Till toils and cares shall end. Sure as Thy truth shall last, To Zion shall be given The brightest glories earth can yield, And brighter bliss of heaven." Published in honor of the greatest grou1, oE folks in 2.1; the world - The Retired ' Ainisters, their wives arid faniilies, of ' The Methodist Church in West Virginia. June 1, 1955. PENSIONFU NDS, INCORPORATED Htrmr R. Hen. Exlcutare * Wry 1010 Hum Anrul CHARLEBTDN. WEST VlllDlNlA |
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