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thought I could detect in her a little of the pride and vanity Taking advantage of the hostility to Masonry which then
she experienced when she was in the bloom and freshness of pervaded all classes of society, William H. Seward, John
youth and was the recipient of the atteries her beauty never Quincy Adams and other leading politicians in opposition
failed to elicit from others. to the Democrats attempted a great political coup d’etat, by
which they hoped to raise themselves to place and power, and
My mother possessed a sprightly mind, but her education to occupy all the exalted stations in the government. They
was sorely defective. This was owing to no neglect on the part organized their friends anew under the name of the “Anti-
of her parents, but because schools and institutions of learning Masonic Whig Party” and felt strong hope of overcoming the
at that early day were almost unknown in Ohio. She, however, Democrats in the approaching election, together with Andrew
had the bene t of the society and advice of her mother, who Jackson, who had never renounced, but always defended the
was not only well educated, but intelligent and digni ed in Masonic Order as an institution second only to the Christian
her deportment, and familiar with the etiquette of the day. religion.
My father continued in the mercantile business in New In politics, my father was a strong Whig, and although
Philadelphia for ve years, when he anticipated nancial he never fully renounced his Masonry, he felt he could not
di culties throughout the whole country, and determined consistently support the Anti-Masonic party and continue
to relinquish the pursuits he was then engaged in, and enter an active member of the Order. He was thought by some to
upon some other which would not be a ected by a panic in the be secretly favoring Masonry, and at one time his life was
commercial circles. His predictions proved to be well founded, threatened on account of his reticence on the subject.
and when the hard times of 1827 caused such terrible disasters
to merchants in every one of the United States, he had settled It was during the time he resided at the mill that he was
up his a airs, and escaped the nancial destruction which elected a member of the Legislature of Ohio. As an evidence
forced so many merchants, both great and small, into one of his great popularity at home, it is only necessary to say that
common area of bankruptcy. in this election he received every vote cast but one in his own
township and ran far ahead of the part ticket in the county.
He soon bought a piece of land lying on Little Sugar Creek, In the Legislature he advocated a measure increasing the pay
in the southeast corner of Stark County, Ohio, upon which of the members, which is always unpopular with the people,
he erected a saw and owering mill, and made further and in consequence he was not again placed in nomination
improvement in the way of a comfortable dwelling house. It was for the o ce.
not until after he had completed this last mentioned building
in the year of 1820 that he and my mother were married, and He also served as Justice of the Pease for several years,
it was there they began the journey of life together. On April and never forfeited the con dence and esteem of his friends
8, 1823, my eldest sister, Rebecca, was born. Her Grandfather and neighbors. His good humor, ne social qualities, great
and Grandmother Pfoutz, who resided on a farm adjoining, intelligence, honesty and probity, all combined to elevate him
at once experienced a very stong attachment for their little above all others in the district where he resided, and the love
grandchild-surpassing the love they ever evinced for their own and respect entertained for him by all who knew him was
o spring. In fact, their fondness for the child was so great that unbounded and sincere.
after she had passed the age of one year they were unwilling
she should be taken from them night or day. My grandfather The war of 1812-15 in its results had lled the people of the
slept with her in his arms for years, and in his last will and Western States with military ardor and love of martial display
testament bequeathed her the farm upon which he resided. which continued for many years after, and the Militia were
duly enrolled and o cered by men of the highest standing in
My sister Helen was born January 18, 1825. My sister Mary every community.
Stidger was born on February 12, 1827, and died at the age
of eighteen months on September 25, 1829. I was born on My father for several years occupied the position of Brigade
January 9, 1829, and my sister Cora was born at his mill on Inspector of General Joseph Augustine’s Brigade of the Ohio
December 18, 1830. Militia, with the rank of Major, which at the time was looked
upon as a station of much honor. This o ce he held for a
My father, soon after he attained his majority, was received number of years, until the people began to lose their interest
into the Masonic Fraternity and the three Symbolic degrees in the pomp and glory of military pageantry.
were conferred upon him in a Lodge in the town of Canton,
Stark County, Ohio. He served as Master of this Lodge during
the time he resided at the Mill, and although he lived twenty
miles distant, never missed attending the Lodge meetings
regularly twice a month.
The great excitement all over the country, consequent upon
the disappearance of William Morgan, who perjured himself To Be Continued In The Next Issue
in an attempt to reveal the secrets of the Order, closed Lodges
across the United States.
Montana Freemason Page 35 July 2019 Volume 95 No. 5