1878- 



GLEANmGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



34.5 



Humble yourselves in the sigbt of the Lord, and 

 he shall lift you up.-Jamee, i; 10. 



T one time, in the spring, after paying 

 all my debts, I had about $3,000 in the 

 3ank. The building I now occupy was 

 soon after sold for $4,500, so that I then'had, 

 subject to my demand, about $7.-500. Near- 

 ly all my life, I have been pretty badly in 

 debt; for, just about as soon as I saw any 

 l«.-aspe€t ahead for t^iking tilings a little 

 easier, I almost invarial)ly got hold of some 

 new si>eculation, and so it went. At this 

 time, I had been praying and striving to 

 overcome this besetting sin, and it seemed a 

 little strange to myself, that I had no dispo- 

 sition to think about this simi of money, 

 \Vliich was really a little more than I ever 

 ex]>ected to have all at one time. There 

 wtvs a strong tendency to rel ax my usual in- 

 dustry, and to grow a little imix)rtant; but, 

 as I was all this time laboring with the boys 

 in jail, and with others who needed work, 

 and who could not well be reached in any 

 other way, I kept pretty humble, consider- 

 iii,g my natural disposition, and when some 

 new hand asked for a place, and nromised 

 to lead a better life if it was given nim, and 

 tlie place came in answer to i^rayer, I could 

 but feel that all this business, and money 

 too, was a sacred tnist given into my charge, 

 f<a- whicli I would be held responsible. Tlie 

 sum mentioned above w;»s to build the fac- 

 toa'y, and to pay for the gi-ound. 



To enable you all to h;vve your goods with 

 the least iK»ssible delay, iw? well as to save 

 exi>ense, it was thought well to have the 

 factory as near the R.R. station as possible, 

 and about two acres of ground was deemed 

 necessary. After hooking at all the eligible 

 land in the vicinity, some one started the 

 idea that the county fair-ground would an- 

 swer nicely, if it could or.ly l)e had. I took 

 in at a glance, the ground, sloping gently to 

 the south and east; the i^retty patches of 

 woodland ; the stream of water ; above all, 

 the fact that one comer c^mie ri,ght close up 

 to the station, nearer than any piece of land 

 that could be purchased; and, with all the 

 re.-?t, I thought of the advantages it would 

 give for a mission work in onr town. The 

 station has seemed a favorite place of resort 

 f(»- those of a disorderly turn, and tliere is 

 nroch Sabbath breaking about there ; what 

 etfoct might the morning Bible chvss have 

 oil the \Hcinity? Already I saw, in my 

 inind's eye a neat little cha].>el, for tJiis class 

 mi the Sabbath, and a re;«ling room during 

 week days, for the hands, or whoever else 

 Height care to use it. I made a good cash 

 otter for the grounds, but, as tiiey belonged 

 to the people, a day luwl to be hxed some 

 time ahead, for the consideration of the sub- 

 ject. The matter was talked about in our 

 moniing Bible class, and I told the boys 

 that, whatever the people iniglit decide on, 

 God woidd give it to us, if we showed our- 

 selves in real earnest in carrying on His 

 work. As the time proposed for the decis- 

 ion came near, much vras the talk in regard 

 to the matter, and many were quite vehe- 



ment in declaring that I should not have 

 their fivir-ground. I prayetl that, if it was 

 bast, the ground might be given us, and not 

 only that, but that the minds of those whjo 

 objected might be changed, and that it 

 might be given with a hearty g(X)d will. 

 Tlie day ctvme, and the decision wtus inadf, 

 that I could not have it. 



I believe that answers to iirayer may al- 

 most always be explained, by those who axe 

 disposed to do so. as coming about in somj- 

 other way; and, in this civse, it might hav^ 

 been said that our people, at lust about that 

 time, began to be interested m the reforimi- 

 tions that were gradually taking pl-ace 

 among the young men, and to associate 

 I them with the Bible class, and the factwy. 

 I A sort of reaction took place ; aiiother ineet- 

 ! ing was c^jlled, and it was de^^'ided tliat I 

 ! could have the i)roi)erty at niy tirst offer. 

 t If the imiyer for this ob]e<;t had no effect oil 

 i the people, it certainly had on myself, fori 

 I felt it to be so sacred a matter, tliat I &n- 

 ! trusted it all in God's hands, and took n» 

 part in the talk myself, being i^erfectly wil- 

 ling to trust my own town's people to do 

 what was right and best. A veiy sensible 

 thing to do, say you? Well, I believe the 

 effect of earnest prayer is to make ewe 

 sensible, and that one who jrrays over his 

 work will generally do it, in a safe and sen- 

 sible manner. 



The m aci-es of land, with its buildings, 

 cost me S3..500, and I had ir4.000 left, wil^i 

 which to build the factory. (_>ur trade is 

 always dull in the fall, and I knew, frotu 

 ]jast' experience, that I shonld run short; 

 tor. with the new printing press, new en- 

 gine, and other expensive machinery, I 

 feared I could not get into any kind of work- 

 ing trim less than $8,000. Without saying 

 anything to anybody about it. I calculkteil 

 that, after I had got tlie buildmg as fjn; 

 along as I could with what money I had, J 

 could get enougli on a mortgage to tinish it, 

 and tliat the next season's trade would pay 

 it all up. I did not know but the "Growl- 

 ery'' would take off some of the ti'swle, if the 

 complaints were allowed to come out in aji 

 honest way, but I calculated to reform my- 

 self somewhiit, as v/ell as the boys. Toward 

 the hrst of Sept.. before the roof even was 

 on tlie factory, tiie money at the bank was 

 all gone; and, what was stiU worse, aj- 

 tliough I h;\d had thousiuids tliere a fet\^ 

 months before, without getting a cent of in- 

 terest for tlie use of it. I found tliat I cou5l 

 not get any more, witliout paying ten ytex 

 cent; stiU fartlier, I must have two gooil 

 signers t<i back me — signers who were owi>- 

 ei"S of real, broad acres. Oiu- friends iji 

 town, who were owneis of stores and build- 

 ings, would not do; tliey wanted sound, 

 substantial fai-mers. Would not a mort- 

 gage be security enough? They did not 

 tiike mortgages at all. 



Now, for years, I have prided myself on 

 the fact, that I never asked anybody to sign 

 with me, and therefore I have excused my- 

 self for not signing with anybody else ; and 

 I presume I had got to feeling a sort of 

 pride in my name, which was unencumbered 

 with any responsibility for other people's 

 debts. I got a little important, and declared 



