We didn't have things so comfortable in those
old days. The old pews were regular back break-
ers, and there were never any cushions and no
carpet on the floor. It used to be very cold in
winter, so that sometimes families would bring
strips of rag carpet to put in their pews.
The first carpet was bought in Mr. Mitchell's
time. I was on the committee to collect money
for it, though I was only a young girl then. The
others were: Miss Elizabeth Espy, later Mrs.
Samuel Sharp, Mrs. Abner Rutherford and Mrs.
Joshua Elder. It was ingrain strips with big
figures in green, brown and red. We put it down
in the aisles and on the pulpit platform and very
proud we all were of it. We also bought green
Venetian blinds for the windows.
Imagine our horror to have that fine carpet
stolen! When President Lincoln was shot, the
church was draped for him. The gallery was
hung in paper muslin, but for the front of the
89
church we bought yards and yards of black
woolen goods. To be economical, I loaned them
my best black blanket shawl to drape the pulpit.
After the first Sabbath some one got in and took
everything but the paper muslin ; even the carpet
was ripped from the floor. We never got it back ;
nor my best shawl either !
This caused great excitement. But there were
some strips under the stove, so with them and a
little we had over we carpeted the pulpit plat-
form. It wasn't more than laid when that was
stolen, too.
Not long after, in 1867, I think, we carpeted
again. There were those who were opposed to
the purchase, but we overruled them. That car-
pet was not down more than a month when one
Sabbath morning in February, 1868, we came
into church and — it was gone again ! Those who
had wanted matting couldn't help showing their
joy as they came into church. It w^as funny to
see their faces, they just looked : "I told you so !"
You may be sure after that we bought cocoa
matting and it was never disturbed until 1887,
when we bought the red ingrain carpet that was
down until after the chapel was built. As the
pews were screwed tight on this, we managed to
keep it.
Those repairs of 1887 were instigated by the
women of the church. The men said, "no
money," so the women determined to "show
them." They made preserves by the barrelful,
baked cakes by the hundreds and gave two
big fairs, one at the home of Mrs. John Elder
90
and another at the house of Silas Rutherford, at
the entrance to the Park.
I remember we had a famous quilt, at that last
fair, made of pink and white calico patches.
On the white ones were names written, each
scribe paying ten cents, and some of them much
more. It was auctioned off at the fair, and alto-
gether it netted us over f 250. I own it now, for
Mr. James Boyd bought it and presented it to
me to my great joy.
One time some wicked person stole the big old
Bible from the pulpit. They never knew who
took it, but happily it was found wrapped up in
a bag in a corn bin at Bigger' s tavern. That
was before my day, but we children often used
to wonder what God would do to that dreadful
thief who stole his Holy Word !
Page 33
Presented as published in 1913. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
We didn't have things so comfortable in those old days. The old pews were regular back breakers, and there were never any cushions and no carpet on the floor. It used to be very cold in winter, so that sometimes families would bring strips of rag carpet to put in their pews.
The first carpet was bought in Mr. Mitchell's time. I was on the committee to collect money for it, though I was only a young girl then. The others were: Miss Elizabeth Espy, later Mrs. Samuel Sharp, Mrs. Abner Rutherford and Mrs. Joshua Elder. It was ingrain strips with big figures in green, brown and red. We put it down in the aisles and on the pulpit platform and very proud we all were of it. We also bought green Venetian blinds for the windows.
Imagine our horror to have that fine carpet stolen! When President Lincoln was shot, the church was draped for him. The gallery was hung in paper muslin, but for the front of the
church we bought yards and yards of black woolen goods. To be economical, I loaned them my best black blanket shawl to drape the pulpit. After the first Sabbath some one got in and took everything but the paper muslin ; even the carpet was ripped from the floor. We never got it back ; nor my best shawl either !
This caused great excitement. But there were some strips under the stove, so with them and a little we had over we carpeted the pulpit platform. It wasn't more than laid when that was stolen, too.
Not long after, in 1867, I think, we carpeted again. There were those who were opposed to the purchase, but we overruled them. That carpet was not down more than a month when one Sabbath morning in February, 1868, we came into church and — it was gone again ! Those who had wanted matting couldn't help showing their joy as they came into church. It w^as funny to see their faces, they just looked : "I told you so !"
You may be sure after that we bought cocoa matting and it was never disturbed until 1887, when we bought the red ingrain carpet that was down until after the chapel was built. As the pews were screwed tight on this, we managed to keep it.
Those repairs of 1887 were instigated by the women of the church. The men said, "no money," so the women determined to "show them." They made preserves by the barrelful, baked cakes by the hundreds and gave two big fairs, one at the home of Mrs. John Elder
and another at the house of Silas Rutherford, at the entrance to the Park.
I remember we had a famous quilt, at that last fair, made of pink and white calico patches. On the white ones were names written, each scribe paying ten cents, and some of them much more. It was auctioned off at the fair, and altogether it netted us over f 250. I own it now, for Mr. James Boyd bought it and presented it to me to my great joy.
One time some wicked person stole the big old Bible from the pulpit. They never knew who took it, but happily it was found wrapped up in a bag in a corn bin at Bigger' s tavern. That was before my day, but we children often used to wonder what God would do to that dreadful thief who stole his Holy Word !