The early .

Quak or Church in '7-iyn--;cvlllc and its nrn^'-pnl tors,

Bnly l&st third of article ^Jiiven here; historical part omitted,
^pied ty Sfith Pumas 2-3-19^1.
The old church stood upon the bro-,7 of the hill r/hich over-
loolcod the "broad valley of the Miami River to the Saat, while
till nearer on the South was the steep narrow valley of a small
itree&ii the steeu hillsides of which v/ere densely wooded with
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. j native timber of gij?antic growth.
Immediately west of the meeting house was the graveyard,
. in which sleep so many of the former worshipers.

' Here I have seen great eongregations of men, women and

5?' children gathered together to worship God in silence or listen
to the "outpourings of the spirit" by which some friend male or
female, might be visited. Vividly can I recall the appearance
I ' of those friends as I saw and knew them in the past and now, that
time had whitened my hatr and diirumed my sight; now that so many
of those whom I once knew have gone to join "the Inniimerable host",
I I love to let memory recall those I knew in early childhood.
Among them were men who would have been prominent in any
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station of life; r.mny who were particularly fitted for usefulness
In pioneer life; and others whose exannle, advice and admonition
*er a continued beacon light along a Ciiristian*s pathway.
; In the woraens meeting on the pre^^chers ' bench, under their
plain white bonnets and kerchiefs, I recall the full round fraces
. and forms of the sisters, Charity Cook and Susanna Eolllngswortth.
, 'the first Charity Cook, was Indeed a gifted woman. She traveled
trough the states extensively, and twice visited England and
^'land. 'Then her husband drove his stasre wagon Into a streem at
^ood height, drowned two horses, and only escaped himself by riding
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a log to land, she swam to the shore and thus saved herself unaided.
The slaters l\rs, H. and Mrs. G., were the dou^'hters of Jolin Wright,
who lived to a very ripe old age, and at the time prior to his
death, he gathered around him all his descendants, including the
huahands and wives of his sona and daughters, to the fourth
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; generation, and when the enumeration was tei:en, they numbered OTt.
Where could such a family be found now?
To the infant society there was no more' useful member than
Asher Brown. Industrious, active, energetic, he was a worker in
every relation of life. There was no duty, either in the chui'ch
or out, which was left by him undischarged. He annroached his
various public duties with great diffidence, tut never failed, by
persevering industry, to make himself fully equal to the duty de
manded of him. His hospitality was unbounded, and his aid and
asalstance were always extended to the weary irnigrant, and his
home was the objective-point always enquired for by the toil worn
- traveler, as a haven of rest.
Side by aide just below the preacher's br-nch, sat the
brothers-in-law, Abljah 0'Beall and Snmiinl Kelly. These tm men
loved each other with a love that was that of Johnathan and David.
i "Even the traits of character which were dis-sirailar served to draw
them closer and to make the one more necessary for the other. The
conceived the idea, the other planned tb.e execution. One over-
ll^some the obstacles by force of character - the other removed them
diplomacy. The one was the embodiement of active, aggressive
rgy, the other of firmness tempered by conciliation. The wish of
^ one was always seconded by the action oi the other.
Abijah O'Neall was a little below the m-diuin height, with
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. V_^Bipact Well-knit frame; slightly
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round shouldered, with massive
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Pa^e is5. J.
head, close-clir:r>ed brown hair. throu.rlt wirlch cihown several '.vhtte
gleaming scars, mute testimonials of his patriotiniu duriru- the
revolution; a Roman nose, a gray eye, rather long unper lip, nnd
a strong, square jaw, all marked a man of firmness aidstrong
characteristics.
SajiTuel KeJ^y's hair was light brown almost auburn, worn
rather long and usually throivn back over the ears, displaying
the temple. In form he was above the medium height, standing a
little over six feet hi^ broad shouldered and well proportioned,
^ with a clear Irish complexion and skin whidh he inherited from
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I his father; a frank blue eye, a long, straigi'Lt nose, a broad
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\ forehead, and a well shaped mouth, all went to make up a dignified,
I manly man, whom one turned to look after asecond time.
Henry Steddom was a man above the mediiira sise, of a prepos-
I : aing countenance. Mildness and benevolence were blended together,
^ and those attractive qualities were lighted pp by a pecularily
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) soft eye. flentlen and unaffected in his manners, he was a most
I agreeable comnanion. liasy of Access and f.nmiliar in his inter-
t course, he was always a welcome visitor amongst tb> fcmiliea of
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I Friends. Unassuming and at the same time dignified in his deport-
I ment, his nresence always commanded resnect. Fe v/as free from
I "' any thing like austerity on the one "iirnd" ant^evity on the other.
He was honored and loved, alike by members of the church, and
E^vthose who were not.
I' Holloway was of medium size, rather disposed to be
g^^eshy; hair dark, hi^ forehead, sli?^htly inclined to baldness;
^|Wface well formed, rather florid, betokening good health. His
;; S^^sposition was cheerful and happy, as was seen in his pleasant
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/' Oiintenance, For quite a long time he was in the habit of keeping
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fe, toardera at his house, and his invariable ciuirge was $1.'50
||fcr week for boarding. At one time there was asharp advance in
IWthe price of eggs and the old man was much disconcerted thereby.
I WTut tut, tut." he said; "I can't keep boarders at $l.'tO a week
l-^^d price of eggs gone up three cents adozen."
Saimiel Linton was a man who would have left his mark in any
Imitation of society. Born in affluent circumstances, he received
I,:'"a liberal education, which was suuplemented by athorough business
f utraining. His family had enjoyed every advantage which wealth.
I education and acultivated society could give.
I ;ik: He was aman of rare social qualities, afluent talker, an
|',f'ea.y speaker, of graceful deportment, and scrupulously neat In his
I personal habits. It was no wonder that his home became the social
I ''center around which the pioneer society was wont to concentrate;
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and with his amiable daughters and manly sons, jt is only truth to
I Vsay that no one possessed more attraction for the young persons
I than did that of Samuel Linton. It would be a mistake to suppose
1 i that rusticity was universal among the pioneers, or that it was
I f the rule. It would be amistake to tiiink the best gowns of our
I r^grandmothers was linsey. or the breeches of grandfathers were
I made of buckskin. We ranember to have heard one who was contem-
I "poraneous with the Lintons' daughters tell how they attended
church dressed ift elegant silk govms. and how their progress up
I ithe aisle was described by one nis tictheir frocks rattled like
I'^orn fodder."
I Kie iVrnas brothers Robert and Johq were men whose oppor-
'';,y^itie8 had been in advance of their fellows, and which gave
prominent places in all church v/ork and government.
Robert was the elder and lon/^est connected with this church
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I He possessed plain, unpretending good sense, and a great deal of
i practical, useful knowledge. He was an honest, pure, good man,
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i full of mercy and good work. Blessed with an even temper, and a

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I cheerful, social and happy disposition, when these came also to

^ be purified by religion, he became worthy of the sreat love and

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respect received from all who knew hira. He was punctilious in
I the discharge of all duties to his church, attending all meetings,
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and at his death it was said that in going to and from his place
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-i of worship he had traveled farther than would have put a glrtle
around the earth.
Jehu Wilson vfas a typical Quaker, in manners simple and
I -'Unpretending as a child. Thoroughly honest and straightforward
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1^: himself, he tinsusplcious of others; conscious of his 0""m
' integrity, he was unwilling to Relieve evil of his nei_ghbors.
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Illustrative of this character we have heard this anecdote:
On going to his corn crib one morning he surprised a thief
v' stealing corn. The man had crept inside and was holding his
. sack on the outside with one hand, while he filled it with the
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'> .other from within. Friend Wilson quietly took the sack from the
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I man's hand with the remark: "Friend, I '11 hold thy sack, and tell
thee when It is full; then thee can come out and go in peace. X
^ ^/.don't want to know who thee is."
A:iiong the early Friends v;ere some characters. There was
gentleman, well ranranbered still by some of our old
^^^^^Izens, one whose characteristic v;aR great deliberation of
^^^gsech - weighing every word well and thinking before he spoke.
'^pon a time he had a large lot of corn on hand, and a trader
t.O'u.t to try and buy it. He found tiie old gentleman at home,
> ftsked If he wished to sell his corn, and received an afflrmati've
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"What do you aak?" was the queatioii. "A q-u-a-r-t-e-r
d-o-l-l-a-r" " I Will take it." And a fi-p-p-e-n-n-y b-i-t,"
eOBtinued our friend. "Aether the trade was consuinated or not,
the oldest inhabitajit doesn't say*
or him there is still Mother anecdote told: In those days,
when the country was covered with decaying vegetation and stagnant
pools were numerous, nalaria was very urevalent, and every house
hold kept its private dispensary a preparation generally consisting
of spirits of some kind with dogwood, wild cherry, or the berries
of the fever bush. When our friend was akked what kind of bitters
he preferred the reply was,
"Well, I believe I like Jolin Steddom's bitters about as well
as any I ever used." "And w>iat are they made of?" "Well, he has
' a great jtig, I reckon it will hold nearly three gallons; and he
fills that with whiskey, and then puts into it a piece of anakeroot
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about that long," (marking on his finger about an'inch and half
It now matters little whether our old Friend prefers his
straight or not his sons and grand sons are'now among our very
^ teraperahoe citizens.
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Such were the men who composed the '^^uaker Church of Waynes-
eighty five years ago.
Of all those names were enrolled on the church record in
there is now but one solitary Indivldvu'.l left - the venerable
Kelly, who occupies a seat on this stand.
This is a part of a paper written and read by George T.
L'teall at the Miami Valley Pioneers meeting 1890.
Oopied from a newsuauer cliopir.g creserved in the scrapbook
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the late Mrs. W. H. Allen. "Esquire Edwards Grove was the
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