Page 29 - MFM Aug Sept 2019

in the most prosperous condition. Banks of issue had been his appetite for ardent spirits several times during the twenty-
established in nearly all the prominent towns and cities, and four hours, for, like St. Paul, he believed it necessary for “the
every State in the Union was fl ooded with paper money. As stomach’s sake.”
a consequence of this superabundance of money, every sort
of property acquired a fi ctitious value, while speculation How long my father continued a member of the Church I do
ran high, scattering the seeds of ruin and destruction which not know. He felt a deep interest in religious subjects, and his
inevitably follow an over-abundant and unhealthy issue of inquiring mind soon induced him to search closely after truth
paper currency. to guide him aright. But like many others who attempted to
gain knowledge from fallible writers, the more he read and
President Andrew Jackson vetoed the bill passed by thought on religious subjects, the more unsettled his mind
Congress re-chartering the United States Bank and removed became.
the deposits of specie belonging to the Government from the
vaults of the banks to the Treasury of the United States. Then Very few theologians agree in their religious theories, and
came the fi nancial crisis which all thinking men had foreseen, he who reads their respective writings with a view to acquire
and which all prudent men had guarded against. knowledge generally becomes more confused and perplexed
in his own convictions, and so it proved with my father. He
Banks were unable to redeem their notes with gold and also procured the works of Thomas Paine, Voltaire, Taylor
silver; their paper at once became worthless, and the business and other skeptical authors, and their plausible and erudite
of the country was prostrated. arguments still further increased the uncertainty of his belief
until at last he became in religion what is known as a Free
Before these disastrous results began to be felt by Thinker - that is, one who does not deny the existence of a
businessmen generally, my father had removed to Mt. Eaton, First Great Cause, or a Being who controls and governs the
in Wayne County, where he bought a suitable dwelling house universe and all things therein contained, but doubts the
for his family, intending to abstain from all business pursuits divine origin of the Christian religion as practiced in more
until after the country should recover from its fi nancial modern days. Whatever may have been his religious opinions,
prostration and trade and commerce, directed in their proper he adhered strictly to the Golden Rule, and his walk-in life and
channels, assume a sound and healthy condition. But he was his intercourse with his fellow man were without reproach.
not one of those who could long remain idle and bat a few
weeks after he took up his abode in Mt. Eaton, he purchased My father continued to reside at the tannery until autumn
land adjoining the town and commenced the erection of of 1836. On January 2 in that year, my brother, Hector Smith,
a tannery. He lived in Mt. Eaton only long enough to build was drowned in one of the vats in the tan yard, at the age of
a neat and commodious dwelling upon his farm to which three years and two months. He was a favorite child of my
removed his family, I think in the autumn of 1834. It was in father, and his death was greatly lamented.
the year 1833 that the cholera prevailed so alarmingly all over
the country, and the little town of Mt. Eaton did not escape its This induced my father to sell the tannery, and he again
terrible ravages. My father was attacked with the disease, but purchased a stock of goods and commenced merchandising
owing to the timely administration of remedies, and careful in Mt. Eaton. There my sister Anne was born on December
nursing and attention, he narrowly escaped the clutches of the 11, 1836. My father, in engaging in the mercantile business
grim monster, Death. at this time, acted contrary to the sure dictates of his own
better judgment, for he thought the country would soon be
I think it was in the year 1834 that the “Great Revival” in fi nancially prostrated, but believed he could make some money
the Methodist Church extended all over the Western Country. on the adventure. He, however, soon became convinced to the
two very noted and powerful preachers, the Reverends contrary opinion, and in the spring of 1837, he was again out
William Swazy and Mr. Smith, were sent to Mt. Eaton to of business.
disseminate Divine Truth, who soon succeeded in making
darkness light to many of the most prominent citizens in and My father now removed with his family to New Philadelphia.
around the village. In making this change I do not believe he had any settled policy
in view but was prepared to take advantage of circumstances
My grandfather Clark was then residing in Mt. Eaton - had as they presented themselves. He resided in New Philadelphia
been a member of the Church for several years - and his house only about six months, I think, when he purchased a farm
was thrown open for the accommodation of the ministers and containing three hundred and twenty acres of land, laying
elders, who made it their home while engaged in the “labors of contiguous to Mt. Eaton, and at once proceeded to occupy it
love.” My father and mother, together with all the members of with his family.
my Grandfather Clark’s family, were admitted within the folds
of the Church, and led into “paths that they had not known.” The farm was almost entirely unimproved and the only
building upon it was a log cabin, with one room below and a
Father Swazy and Mr. Smith were frequent guests at my loft above. I attended school in Mt. Eaton during the winter
father’s house, their visits often extended for days and weeks. and we lived in that cabin.
Ministers of the Gospel at that day were not quite as abstemious
as they are at the present time , for Father Swazy indulged With his accustomed energy, my father at once entered
3
---- upon the improvement of his farm, the most important part of
3. Again 1868. which was the erection of a more comfortable dwelling house,
Montana Freemason Page 29 Aug/Sept 2019 Volume 95 No .6