"The Ligonier Echo" issue of 4 May 1892, p. 1:

OLD-TIME RECOLLECTIONS.

Sister Jane-Her Marriage to Major Nesbitt, and Her Family-A Brother in the Ministry-His Travels.

No. XXXIX.

Mr. Editor:-The next to leave home was our oldest sister, Jane, as she was married June 3, 1830, in her 20^th year, to Maj. Samuel Nesbitt, of Indiana county, Pa. No one ever left home that was more missed than she. I was then 17 and when I came home from having a lively time with a large company from her in fair and for a long time after, from my work in the fields and going into the rooms and not meeting her as usual. I had to shed tears (although I never told this before.) She was always good and kind to us. We were raised with tender care and interest for one another. In the harvest pressure or hurry in getting in hay or grain to avoid getting wet, she could handle a hayrake or fling a sheaf back to the builder in mow, as well as any one. The other girls were also good on such occasions, but not so stout. She was an excellent spinner or at any work in the house ;could spin one dozen per day, milk the cows and learn 300 to 400 verses of scripture in a week to recite on the Sabbath. I never knew her equal at committing unless it was Lettie Shaffer or my youngest sister, Melinda. She committed by laying her Testament on chair where she could look on when spinning and could and did commit when she was knitting as well as do other reading.

Maj. S. Nesbitt owned a fine farm four miles east of Saltsburg, and for a long time when I went to Conemaugh salt works, three miles from their place, I would go around that way to see them when it cost me the crossing of the river twice and Blacklick sometimes once, when I did not know how high it might be till I came to the waters with some fear and dread. Maj. Nesbitt proved to be a fair and proper man, honorable and industrious, and perhaps worked too hard in raising a large family, as he has been dead about fifteen years. They had a large family, three dying in infancy-one, a young man, of inflammatory rheumatism. He had a very amiable disposition and bright mind. One son a Presbyterian minister and the son now owning the old homestead, came through the war with five months' sickness in hospital with malarial fever and afterwards endured two gunshot wounds, the last one in the neck and afterwards left on the field for dead until he was noticed to move and was conveyed back. The ball was extracted and he is living yet, an enterprising farmer. The five daughters have been married a long time and all but two scattered over western states. The mother is living in the enjoyment of good health for one in her 84^th year, in a nicely situated home near Livermore and only three miles from the old homestead. Here they retired several years before the husband's death and near to Presbyterian church.

The next to leave home was brother to pursue a course of education for the ministry, but made the old place his home until the spring of 1842. With help from home and being good to help himself he was able to take hold of the industry without assistance from Educational Board of the church. His first charge was Bethel church in Indiana county and one of the churches of which the pioneer Rev. Jos. Henderson was pastor; but preceding brother was Rev. Robert Johnston, still living there in retirement. His objection to settlement there was the old psalms still in use and his foreseeing the introduction of new psalms and hymns would divide the church that was already weak, which indeed proved correct soon after. He came home from there with his $200 in his pocket, and half way up Chestnut Ridge and quite a distance from any house he came up with three men and one sat in the middle of the road, as he expected to grab his horse's bridle and commit robbery. He rode past with assumed coolness and a dry bow, with one hand in his pocket as if holding a pistol and they did him no harm.

That fall old Fairfield church was vacant that he might have settled in, but another candidate was before them and he did not offer himself, as he wanted to see some of the western world. We had given him a fine young bay horse and new saddle and bridle, but I am not sure of the saddle-bags, a necessity of preachers in those days. He started for Pittsburg and soon took steamboat for Cincinnati, having his nice young animal drawn on boat by rope, tackle and windlass, being too scary to be led on. At Cincinnati an old friend, a D.D., found him a place in the country in the direction of Dayton, where he visited our uncle David and family in course of winter and wrote home a full account. In the spring he took boat for New Orleans and St. Louis, but on his return not going to St. Louis came on and took a charge in Kentucky, twelve miles from Lexington, and preached three or four years, enduring two attacks of the same fever with which the young James Pollocks died in the first attack. He then came to Pennsylvania, being much broken down in health, but soon settled in old Lebanon congregation, eight miles from Pittsburg, that had run down to only a couple dozen of hearers, but he soon restored it to a full house. They built a new parsonage and cleared off some land to help him live on $400 per year and preach two sermons one hour long each every Sabbath. The second winter there he had an attack of pneumonia and was treated with antimony instead of calomel, and when I visited him from West Newton I told them it was not as good to relieve the lungs, but I was then a young man, although my opinion proved correct, for the lung was never relieved of the hepatization and he had two or three hemorrhages and had to quit preaching and engaged in various industries for awhile and finally moved to Ogle county, Ill., and put all his money into land at low figures in that very new settlement, and finally with extensive farming dealt in grain, but died in his 54^th year, his lung never being sound. He left a good estate to a family of four sons and two daughters, only the oldest remaining at the old homestead and was married to a wealthy merchant and dealer, and the oldest son, a 'squire and extensive business man. The remainder of the family are scattered from Illinois to Utah, and one son, the Hon. George M. McConaughy, lawyer and legislator, living in Denver, Col. Only this son was a graduate of college and law school, but the others are all good scholars from the best of public schools.

A NEIGHBOR.

(TO BE CONTINUED.)

"The Ligonier Echo" issue of 11 May 1892, p. 1:

OLD-TIME RECOLLECTIONS.

"A Neighbor" at Home and on the Road as Teamster-Visits Eastern Cities-Engages as a School Teacher-Quits Wagoning

No. XLI.

Mr. Editor:-I will now turn my attention to my own management of work and business at home after the two older brothers had gone off for themselves. This period extended from 1831 to 1840, the time of my leaving home to a course of education for the medical profession, I being of much the same opinion of the farming business as my brother. James was of the carpenter business-hard work and not much money in it-Prices of farm products were then very low indeed. The two younger brothers Robert and David then being 13 and 15 years old and well able to take care of the remainder of the family under father's advice and directions, as six had left and only five remained. All improvements had been made and no more land to be cleared except potato and turnip patches back over the hill at sugar camp where we raised some of the largest of these vegetables I ever saw. And not wishing to eat the "bread of Idleness" nor feed all the horses during the long winter in idleness. Receiving father's consent and approval, I took a notion early in the thirties to rig a team for the highways over the mountains to bring goods from Philadelphia and Baltimore to Pittsburg. Learning of the great cities to be seen in the east of brothers James who had been there, I was anxious to see the sights also-the big rivers a mile wide and the sea also and knew of no other way to have a chance. And under the idea that "He that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster," in the fall of 1832, in my nineteenth year I had this new wagon and team of horses on the road, everything being completed for a good country team, called by the regulars on the road, "militia." And with a load of keged butter to Abbott & Hyser in Baltimore from Hargnett and McGowan of Ligonier, I was soon on the way, and after delivering in good order, brought a load wholly of bags of coffee and on my way down stayed in Chambersburg over Sabbath, and Gettysburg and Allegheny mountains coming back and then in Pittsburg the next Sabbath and heard Dr. Henon preach. It was father's agreement that I should have all the money I could make with the team. I had hoped it should be a large sum, but the first winter not much over a hundred dollars. But the horses were well fed and strong for the spring work. This winter I made four trips to Baltimore and two to Philadelphia and on my trips to Philadelphia when I crossed the Susquehanna at Columbia one and one-fourth miles wide and at Harrisburg one mile is when I saw the big rivers, but the first sight of big water was in Baltimore the first trip on a beautiful clear day, coming in sight of the Chesapeake Bay on the rise of country five or six miles back when the Bay seemed to run up to the sky and being covered all over with vessels of all sizes, beautiful indeed was the sight! I followed this business for three winters never meeting with disaster and only upsetting once in a deep snow and snow blowing so thickly in a storm I could not see the road, but no damage was done and being near a tavern and mill and soon had any amount of help to right the wagon up and reload.

The worst I was ever cheated was by Gen. Robert Patterson and his brother in Philadelphia, the man who displayed the want of a gallant soldier and commander early in the first Bull Run battle and soon after left when he saw there was danger in the business. It may not be right to speak thus of a man but I always had my "eye on him" after the cheating.

My first trip to Philadelphia was too soon after the holidays to find loading plenty and I got a load from this firm by taking some of their groceries to trade out by the way, but they "piled upon me too heavy" and two kegs of "wine must have been poor stuff" for I failed to sell it after hauling it around much and making a good deal of effort. At last I traded one at half price. The man to whom I traded it, told me he put it into his vinegar, the same that my mother did with the other one.-both having been frozen.

After three winters of the business on the road, not saving much money but helping my brothers with their education some of which was paid back with interest, I got somewhat tired of the business and concluded I would try teaching school for a winter's work and for three or four winters I was in the business. I had traded off the wagon but rigged on another very good one by having our farm wagon repaired with broad wheels and traded for a fine 16-bed and cover and often in Summer and also in the winter when canal would dry or freeze up, there were fine chances of hauling goods from Johnstown to Pittsburg at good wages.

Frequently when wages were good from eastern cities to Pittsburg, when I was teaching school I rigged out the team and got Jacob an experienced, sober, trusty man to drive. The last winter I taught he made a trip to Philadelphia, loaded at four dollars per cwt., and nearly three tons of it just as my winter's school was out and I got another horse to add to the five and went on to Pittsburg and its being so near canal opening time, there was no down loads to Baltimore and I came home and took a load of rye for father and sold it at Chambersburg and loaded paper there and broke a wheel the same day but managed to hire another wheel to go on with while mine was repaired on my return. The hurry being I knew there were a great amount of wagons coming on and the season being nearly over for getting loads for Pittsburg which was the fact when I came, but happened to get one at a good price for wheeling which I took at once, as it only took three or four days longer and was home in good time for the plowing and brought home form Sewickley salt works of Mr. Hurst selling out cheap to quit the business, a load of salt on which I made some thirty dollars. That closed up my business of this kind, and would say those last two trips were perhaps the best ever made. Some people have an idea that wagoning is or was a low, rough business. I never found it so, as I became acquainted with many honorable, fine men in the business and never saw but one or two who were drunkards and about the same number of bad swearers, although I heard it said "could I swear like a wagoner," and for clever men the landlords were of high order and the landladies the best of cooks.

I will soon after closing our family history, which I hope to do in another number, make some observation on the highway teaming as a science of much skill and judgment. A nicely sized team of six horses is the nicest thing ever seen when well trained in transporting goods, railroad trains, nor even ships coming into harbor does not equal.

A NEIGHBOR.

(TO BE CONTINUED.)

"The Ligonier Echo" issue of 25 May 1892, p. 1:

OLD-TIME RECOLLECTIONS.

Success of the Family-Brother Robert's Death-Malinda's Marriage and Her Family-Brother David Becomes a Doctor-A Neighbor's Ups and Downs

No. XLII.

Mr. Editor:-I will now hasten to close the history of this large family, as well as my two grandfathers and then turn to some other of the valley people, lest you and your readers think I am consuming too much time and space in your interesting ECHO. I will hope in the mean time that your older readers may be able in reading this history to live over their young days again to some extent pleasantly as they think of the past and that your youthful readers may find some useful precepts and examples to guide them in after life, worthy of their notice and consideration.

I have been speaking highly of Ligonier Valley and will more fully sum up its excellencies at the end, and will now say of this family that if anyone knows of a family beginning so low and making better gradual progress, I would be glad to hear from him. There was no "oil strike" or "high streak of luck" whatever. Neither were they brought up to think it lost time to worship the Lord daily in all his fullness. All the female portion of the family had a full outfit starting in the world when they left home, and the boys with a little help from home rose to good standing and fair education; four in the medical profession and one in the ministry. Only one was a full graduate, the others partly in classical college, but all fully in medical college. It was the intention that the youngest brother should inherit the homestead and take care of our parents, their remaining days but his health gave way and he was not able to stand the work which thing proved to be the best, as he in a measure recovered and for a long time enjoyed good health which enabled him to attain to fair estate and with his wife's estate added it would require a Yankee's style of "quiz" to find out the amount, more at least than on a farm

This good success is not claimed without help from on High; for as David said, "By the help of the Lord I slew the lion and the bear and with the sling and smooth stone from the brook I killed the giant, Goliath." Those that serve the Lord can reasonably expect the blessing of the Lord in this world as well as enjoy it in the next.

I will now close with brief account of the younger portion of the family, except some personal incidents that I may bring up in discussing other family history.

Brother Robert graduated in Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia (the same college where we all did) in 1849 and settled in Saltsburg and died there of a malignent fever the 19^th of October 1851, in the 26^th year of his age. He cured six or seven cases of the same fever before taking it himself, and all that took it after his death, died which shows his good skill in the treatment. This death was the first in the family and most truly sorely lamented, as he was a very genial and talented member of the family. Mother staid with him most of the time during his sickness, also James from Mt. Pleasant, while I went twice to see him remaining over night, also from West Newton visiting brother James' patients while he was staying at Saltsburg. He was brought to the old homestead over night and buried in the old cemetery at Ligonier where he rests along side of our parents, awaiting the morning of the great Resurrection Day at the sound of the last trump.

Sister Malinda was married in 1852, and being the youngest no wonder David felt lonesome at home and did not stand the work well, as all were now gone out into the world for themselves. They rented the farm to as good advantage as if they had tried to carry on farming to disadvantage.

Malinda's husband was of the Shellenbergers, a brother of James' wife. He was trained as a merchant under the distinguished leading merchant of Mt. Pleasant, John Floyd for whom he was named by his father, they being good Baptist friends. Merchandizing has always been his business until lately he has retired from it having experienced varied successes and losses as he also reached out into other enterprises that did not prove profitable. The worst of all was going into a company for tanning in the mountains to be near the bark. After erecting works at great expense when leather was "high up" in war times, but the great fall in prices was ruinous and nearly crushed many and some totally. They have been living for some time in the town of Clarion with their son, Frank who is in good business near them, he being the only son. There are three daughters. The oldest living with her family of four or five children in Philadelphia, her husband being a merchant in the drug business. The second married an able and wealthy lawyer of Clarion. The result of this union is one bright son. The youngest is at home with her parents who think they can never suffer her to leave them.

Brother David left home early in the fifties. He studied medicine and practised his profession some with his brother in Mt. Pleasant. In 1858 or 1859 he settled in Madison where he did a very successful business for some years. He married into the Brown family, his wife's father being a merchant and her mother being of the Logan family and a sister of Gov. John W. Geary's first wife. In the sixties they moved to Latrobe where they have been living ever since and will no doubt live to the end of their days.

I will now close with a few remarks on my own history. As a one course student and for a few months after graduation, I was a partner with my brother in Mt. Pleasant. Then after getting a wife, I settled at West Newton where I did a large practice at very low prices and not able to save much money and being urged to go to Ohio and a trouble in the church there, I concluded to go there where roads were good in the Summer but bad for mud in the winter. I settled in Ashland where there already were ten or twelve doctors. I was very successful in practice in curing scarlet and other fevers. The other doctors losing about all in the dropsical sequala and I none; this was bringing me into good business and I surely would have done well to have staid in that model town but the great excitement arose in 1858 in Cashocton county of manufacturing coal. And to be satisfied, I went down to see about it with a man who was urging me to go into it. The bankers and leading men thought there was no mistake but a fortune could be made in a very years, so I concluded better go there than fight my way at Ashland for business among a dozen doctors. But it proved the greatest mistake I ever made, as when our company was well fitted to do business, the flowing oil wells were discovered and the war breaking out destroyed the business entirely and I lost all my investment, my time and added many debts for which I had to borrow money to pay. In 1860, I returned to Pennsylvania with health badly broken to commence the world again, two thousand dollars "worse than nothing." In Blairsville I secured a fine business and soon recovered my health from lying six weeks at "death's door" with the Ohio malaria fever, and secured mainly my lost money too and will, I hope have sufficient to carry me through this world of trial and trouble and in proper spirit be able to look beyond with good hope for the Better Land.

A NEIGHBOR.

(TO BE CONTINUED.)