Page 42 - Cornelius Hedges Story

29 The Cornelius Hedges Story

To add to Hedges very crowded schedule, on July 10, he was
prevailed upon by Rev. A.M. Hough to become a trustee of the
Methodist Episcopal Church.85

One cannot fully-appreciate the activity and influence of
Cornelius Hedges in Helena until he realizes the schedule that
Hedges maintained. I have chosen the week of July 13 to 19, 1868
as a fairly typical week in his life. Through the years, the specific
activities might change but rarely the frequency of occurrence. On
Monday night, he attended Council meeting of York Rite Masonry,
and on Tuesday, he tried to attend a meeting of the New England
Society, but the Judge had preempted the court house for the evening.

He and Edna attended Good Templars on Wednesday. Thursday,
he attended both his Chapter of RoyalArch Masons and a Republican
caucus, but in doing so missed a meeting of the New England Society.
The meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Methodist Church
occupied his time on Friday evening. Saturday evening be again did
double duty by attending both Helena Masonic Lodge #3 and the
Republican County Convention, where he was nominated for the
legislature. Sunday, as was his custom, he attended two services,
morning and evening, with the family and spent the remainder of
the day reading. Finally on July 30, this terse entry appears in his
journal, “Spent the evening at home - my wife thinks it a rare thing.”86

In August, Hedges was elected the Chief of the Good Templars,
a temperance movement, and held the office until January 20, 1869,
When due to some sort of a conflict, he “with several others withdrew
from the Good Templars.” He, of course, resigned as Chief and
recorded in his journal “there was considerable feeling and some
improper language, but I am not sorry for what I did and said.”
There is no indication of the exact nature of the dispute. Although
Will later joined, Cornelius never returned to a Good Templars
meeting. On January 23, Hedges received a gold chain and seal in
appreciation from the seceding Good Templars.87