74 AUTOBIOGRAPHY 



speak from the pulpit except a minister, and sing- 

 ing schools were only permitted under the strictest 

 supervision. 



About 1870, this old barn-like church having 

 become dilapidated, a broader-minded pastor 

 made an attempt to interest outsiders in building 

 a new one. My uncle, Thomas Burroughs, whom 

 I had never seen at church, cooperated most cor- 

 dially and energetically in building the new church. 

 I was, by that time,. a Professor at Cornell Uni- 

 versity and was appealed to for contributions and 

 responded three times as did some other non-resi- 

 dents. At the time the church was finally dedi- 

 cated there was still a debt on it and I, thinking 

 that curiosity, if not my reputation, would draw 

 an audience, offered to deliver an address, the pro- 

 ceeds of which should go toward reducing the debt. 

 The older people of that community had known 

 me as a crude, tow-headed lad and might have been 

 willing to pay twenty-five cents to hear me, but the 

 trustees still held to the old-time narrow views 

 and refused my offer because I was not an or- 

 dained minister! 



The religion of that early day was emotional 

 rather than spiritual, and hell-fire was more 

 preached than Christian living; but in spite of 



