Autobiography of Lorenzo Waugh
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.^^ CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY Cornell University Library BX8495.W35 A3 1885 Autobiography of Lorenzo Waugh 3 1924 029 472 226 olin The original of tliis book is in tine Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924029472226 - / / ^/ ^'/y"l 1^^S^^<^^^^ AUTOBIOGRAPHY LORENZO WAUGH. " Wratsobver thy hand fiudeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest." THIRD AND ENLARGED EDITION. SAN FRANCISCO, CAL. S. P. Taylor & Co., Printers awd BiNDKEa. 1885. Entered aooording to Act of Congressi in the year 1885, By LORENZO WAUGH, In the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Waehii!igton,^D.^C. PREFACE. Dear Children : For some time I have been thinking very seriously of all the happy times I have enjoyed with the children. And more espe- cially have I been feeling serious under the clear conviction of my own mind that these happy times and associations with the dear children are very soon^ to close with me, and forever as far as this world is concerned, being now in the seventy-fourth year of my age. I may say to you that, through the greater portion of my life, I have been much guided and influenced in my acts and doings by the clear and abid- ing impressions made on my mind ; first having always thought closely, and prayed the Great Spirit to give me light, and if duty be clearly pointed out to give wisdom and strength to do it, to do it fully and faithfully ; and then trusting in God for all the results. I have had the impression of late, that I should try to write and pub- lish for you a little sketch of my life, so that when I am gone from this world, some of the children may possibly be helped by something I may tell them, to try and be good, and so to have the better chance for useful- ness, and for long life, and for happiness in this life and in the world to come. When I tell you, as I can in truth to-day, that I am now very happy, I am sure you will like to know something of how I have got along, and where I have been, and what I have done all along these more than seventy years of my life. Of course, I can only write you a sketch, but will try and give you a true and faithful one. And so, under my old rule of thought and prayer, and clear impression of duty, I will commence to-day, March 22, 1882. Lorenzo Waugh. San Francisco, Feb. 14., 1883 is Dear Childjien : I now rejoice that our book in type, on solid it..- leotype plates, and I realize that God has blessed me in the worfc, afford • ing me increasingly good health. To him I desire here to express hearty thanksgiving and praise. Preface, To all the good people who have kindly encouraged me, for your help I here tender most hearty thanks. As soon as the little indebtedness incurred is settled up, I shall then reduce the price of the book to the lowest possible figure, so that all can get it who wish. My purpose is to please you children, and to try to do you good ; and if I should secure something ahead from the sale of the book, this will be used in my visits among the children, and in ray plans of trying to help you, as really I have no purpose or desire now to engage in laying up treasure anywhere this side of the heavenly country. May the Heavenly Father bless you, and bless your parents,' and bless our country ; and oh, may we be so happy after awhile to meet in the heavenly home ! Your friend, affectionately, Lorenzo Waugh. My address is, Petaluma, Sonoma County, California. DEDICATION. In sincere and heartfelt love, I dedicate this shetdi of my life to yoa, children—the boys and the girls—and with the single purpose to please and to do you good. And now, children, if you will live till you are twenty-one years old, faithfully avoiding the use of the filthy tobacco weed, and all intoxicating drinks, as I have done for seventy-four years, we, :hildren, will rid our race of a scourge of evils more debasing and ruinous than have ever afflicted us from any other source since man was turned out of Eden—not even excepting that terrible habit, which is yet in some places still kept up, namely, some members'of the human family killing and eating others of the same family, and then killing themselves. And may you all be blessed and prospered in every good word and work. "May your course be full of joy to others, and when your own star shall set at life's close, may it set as sets the morning star, which goeth not down behind the darkened west, but melts away into the brightness of heaven." Your friend, affectionately, I/DRENZO WaUGH. PetcUuma, Gal., Fnh. 4, 188S "rs-s. — CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. My Birth and Early Boyhood—" Father Jacob Warwick "—He Gives Me a Fine Filly as a Reward for Beating a Big Young Man in a Foot-race —The Country but Lately an Indian Country—Saw my Father Start to the War of 1812—Hard Times after that War—My Hands Blis- tered Splitting Rails—My Little Brother Came Nigh Being Killed by a Falling Tree Page 13 CHAPTER II. My Foreparents—Grandpa Waugh a Scotchman, and McGuire an Irish- man—A Fellow-man is Rescued from the Gutter—My Grandmother's Hungry Nose^My New Preparation to Feed it Rejected 17 CHAPTER III. Early Times in West Virginia—All the Work Had to be Done by Hand Girls and Boys Have Sometimes a Good Time Husking Corn and Girl Gets Bitten Pulling Flax—A by a Copperhead , . , 23 CHAPTER IV. My School Days, and No Common School to Go To—Rich Pine for Light —No Stoves—A Yankee Trick—The Poor Deprived of Education A Law against Educating People of Color—Going off tb School—My Teacher Dismissed for Intemperance—I Put into the School to Teach, and Not Half Educated Myself. 29 CHAPTER V. Our Early Educational Matters Continued—The Cultivation of the Earth, Even the Filthy Tobacco Plant—Studies in Geography and Geology Ancient Men and Boys' Foot-prints Found in the Rocks, and Fish too—The Study of Astronomy and Astrology—The Man that Got in the Filthy Slough 36 — Contents. CHAPTER VI. My Trip in 1881 to the Home of My Childhood — Letters Written Back—On the Run East— Harper's Ferry and Intermediate Cities, to Saratoga, N. Y. The Temperance Conventions and Some of the Distinguished Assemblage 41 CHAPTER Vn. My Distress and Burden with Sin—My Pardon and Happy Change. .51 CHAPTER Vin. , , The Devils and Hell and Those Who Oo There 5^ CHAPTER IX. The Enjoyment of Religion Guards Us against Dangers in Youth—My First Sabbath-school—The Power of God Attending Early Method- ism—The Wpnderful Conversion of an Infidel , 59 CHAPTER X. My Belief in God and His Infallible Truth and Justice—Licensed to Preach, and Employed on Guyandott Circuit—A Pleasant Y'ear, and Some Success—The Same Circuit, in Part. First Traveled by Bishop Cavanaugh—The Poor Have the Gospel Preached to Them 65 CHAPTER XL Received on Trial in the Ohio Conference, and Appointed to Nicholas Circuit, W. Virginia—Sold Lots of Good Books—A Desperate Man •Converted; also a Whisky Merchant, Who Poured Out All His Liquors —A Snake in Church, and the Hornets after My Head—The Elder Alarmed, Fearing the Turtles Would Bite His Toes Off 71 CHAPTER XII. Ixing Journey from West Virginia to the North of Ohio—Kindness of the Quakers — Happy Revivals — Christian Kindness of Presbyterian People—Taken by My Elder on to the Norwalk Circuit—An Acros- tic by a Twin Sister 78 CHAPTER XIII. A Pleasant Time on the Norwalk Work—A Remarkable Meeting—A Big Sailor Converted—A Daughter Driven from Home for being Con- verted—Big Hurrah over the Lighting of a Match—An Acrostic and Response—Gathering Shells on Lake Erie—Off for Conference, . .85 CHAPTER XIV. Meeting of Conference at Springfield, Ohio, 1835—Ordained a Deacon Transferred to Missouri Conference—The Long Trip on Horseback My Main Companion Disagreeable—Sickness on the Road—Favored with an Additional, and a Good Companion—Prairies Alive with Distressing Flies—Made the Journey Safely 92 — Contents* CHAP-PER XV. Work Began in Missouri Selling Good Booivs—Two Wedding Incidents, and Another Plucky One—Saved a Ma«i From Drowning, and Several Thousand Dollars from Going Off Down the River—When On My Way to My Circuit Came Near Losing My Horse in the Quicksand in Missouri River 98 CHAPTER XVI. North Grand River Circuit—A Cold Winter—A Fur Suit— An Acrostic A Good Revival Work—The Journey to Conference Attended with Difficulty—My Fur Suit Gets Me in Trouble with Some Long-faced Preachers—^John F. Wright Defends Me—Appointed to the Indian Work 104 CHAPTER XVn. My Work in the Indian Country—I Train the Boys in Manual Labor The Girls Leam Well, and are Good Girls—My Young Indian Stands Firm with Me—Guns Ready, when Otherwise the Hungry Savages Would Have Robbed, Likely Murdered Us—This Year Our Christian Indians Had Severe Trial with Their Heathen Friends, but Christianity Conquered—Ordained Elder 117 CHAPTER XVni.