CHAPTER XIV.

Fond du Lac District Continued.--Appleton.--Early History.--Rev. C.G. Lathrop--Lawrence University.--Incipient Stages.--Charter.--Trustees. Agent.--First Board of Instruction.--Buildings.--Faculty.--Rev. Dr. Cooke.--Rev. Dr. Cobleigh.--Rev. Dr. Mason.--Rev. Dr. Knox.--Rev. Dr. Steele.

Leaving Oneida, I next visited Appleton, where I was kindly received by Rev. C.G. Lathrop, the Pastor, and his good wife. Though three years had scarcely passed since the echoes of the woodman's axe first rang through the forests of this locality, yet I found Appleton to be a village of considerable pretensions. The location of Lawrence University at this point, and the great promise of business, given by its almost unparalleled water-power, had already drawn together an enterprising community. Good buildings had been erected, and the village was putting on an air of thrift.

The first sermon preached in Appleton, and probably in Outagamie County, was delivered by Rev. Wm. H. Sampson, Oct. 8, 1848, in a shanty occupied by Brother John F. Johnson and family. The first class was formed by Rev. A. B. Randall, the Pastor of Oshkosh circuit, whose charge included Appleton, in February, 1849. The first members were Robert R. Bateman, Leader, Robert S. Bateman, Mary Bateman, Amelia Bateman, Electa Norton, Theresa Randall, L. L. Randall, J.F. Johnson and D.W. Briggs. Brother Randall organized the first Sunday School in March, 1849, with Robert R. Bateman as Superintendent.

The meetings were held in private houses until the Chapel of the Institute was ready for use. They were held in the Chapel thereafter until the first Church was erected. In June, 1854, the corner-stone of the Church was laid by Edwin Atkinson, Dr. Edward Cooke officiating. The lecture-room was occupied during the following winter, and the Church was dedicated by Dr. N.E. Cobleigh in June, 1855.

The Quarterly Meeting, the first held in Appleton, was convened in the Institute Chapel, Sept 27, 1851. The members of the Quarterly Conference present were C.G. Lathrop, R.O. Kellogg, Jabez Brooks, D.L. Atwell, George E. Havens, Charles Levings, John Day, H.L. Blood, A.C. Darling, L.L. Randall, D.C. Weston, William Rork, and J.F. Johnson. The meeting was well attended, and the services indicated a healthy spiritual condition.

Rev. Curtis G. Lathrop entered the Rock River Conference in 1842, and his first appointment was Aztalan. Before coming to Appleton he had been stationed at Lancaster, Oneida Indian Mission, Green Lake and Fall River. After leaving Appleton his fields of labor have been Green Bay, Oneida, Indian Mission, Presiding Elder of Watertown District, Menasha, Neenah, Waupaca, Dartford, Fox Lake, Vinland and Randolph. He took a superannuated relation in 1868, but during 1870 and 1871 he was able to serve as Chaplain of the Western Seaman's Friend Society, at Washington Island. Having removed to Nebraska, he was made effective in 1874 and transferred to the Nebraska Conference.

Brother Lathrop is a man of vigorous mental endowments. He is an able Preacher, has a reliable judgment, and possesses a kind spirit. He hates shams and thoroughly detests the superficial. He never hangs out a flag to catch the popular breeze, and does not turn the prow of his craft down the stream. His convictions are strong, but Curtis G. Lathrop is the soul of integrity, and is most highly appreciated where best known.

The Lawrence University, located at Appleton, deserves special notice, it being the first, and, at the present writing, the only school of the Church within the bounds of the Conference.

In the Spring of 1846, Rev. Wm. H. Sampson received a letter from H. Eugene Eastman, Esq., of Green Bay, informing him that a gentleman in Boston, Mass., proposed to donate ten thousand dollars to found a school in the West. And as the gentleman entertained an exalted opinion of the adaptations of the Methodist Church to the work contemplated, he was authorized to give the proposition that direction. The conditions on which the trust must be accepted were, that the School should be located on the Fox River between Neenah and Green Bay, and that an additional ten thousand dollars should be contributed by other parties.

Brother Sampson submitted the proposition to the Conference, which met in August, and was instructed by that body to continue the correspondence, and, if possible, reduce the negotiations to a definite form.

In December following, Rev. Reeder Smith, who had been employed as Agent of the School at Albion, Mich., came to Fond du Lac, bearing the proposition directly from Hon. Amos A. Lawrence, the gentleman referred to. Not finding Brother Sampson at home, he went down to Brothertown and secured the co-operation of Rev. H.R. Colman in making an exploration of the Fox River. They went to Green Bay, thence to Kaukauna, and, accompanied by George W. Law, Esq., thence to Grand Chute, the present site of Appleton. After looking over the grounds now constituting the campus of the University, they passed on to Oshkosh, and thence to Fond du Lac.

Brother Sampson had now returned, and it was decided to hold a meeting in Milwaukee for consultation. The meeting was convened December 2 8th, 1846, and was composed of the following members of the Conference: Wm. H. Sampson, Henry R. Colman, Washington Wilcox, and Wm. M.D. Ryan. To these were added Reeder Smith, Geo. E.H. Day, and doubtless several others whose names I have not been able to learn. At this meeting a Charter was drafted for the Lawrence Institute, and Rev. Reeder Smith was sent to Madison to lay it before the Legislature. The Charter received the signature of Gov. Dodge, Jan. 17, 1847, and the following gentlemen were constituted the first Board of Trustees: Henry Dodge, Loyal H. Jones, Jacob L. Bean, Wm. H. Sampson, N.P. Talmadge, Henry R. Colman, H.S. Baird, Wm. Dutcher, M. C. Darling, M.L. Martin, Geo. E.H. Day, D.C. Vosburg, and Reeder Smith.

The first meeting of the Board was to have been held in Fond du Lac, June 30, 1847, but as there was not a quorum present, the meeting was adjourned to Sept. 3d. At this meeting the Board was duly organized by the election of the following officers: Hon. M.C. Darling, President; Hon. N.P. Talmadge, First Vice President; H.S. Baird, Esq., Second Vice President; Rev. Wm. H. Sampson, Secretary, and Hon. Morgan L. Martin, Treasurer. Rev. Reeder Smith was appointed Agent.

Geo. W. Law, Esq., and Hon. John F. Mead now offered a donation of thirty-one acres of land each, on condition that the Institute should be located at Grand Chute. The offer was accepted, and the location was made, the name of the place being soon after changed to Appleton. In due time the Law Tract was conveyed to the Trustees, but, by some strange mismanagement, to say the least, on the part of the Agent, the Mead land was conveyed to another party, and it was lost to the Institute.

At the Conference of 1848, Brother Sampson was appointed Principal, and was expected to serve as Agent until the building to be erected was ready for occupancy. In pursuance of this arrangement he left Fond du Lac, Sept. 7th, to enter upon his new field of operations. He took the steamer to Neenah, and then obtained an Indian "Dug-out" for the balance of the journey. As the craft carried no sail, he was compelled to put her before the "white ash breeze" across Lake Butte des Morts, and down the river to the point of destination, his craft being nearly swamped by a gale on the Lake.

On the 8th of September he began to cut a road to the grounds and clear the brush from the campus, thereby making the beginning of both the Institute and the city of Appleton. The lumber for the building of the Preparatory Department was purchased of Hon. M.L. Martin, and was delivered at Duck Creek. The timber was furnished by Col. H.L. Blood. Through the indomitable energy of Col. Blood and the co-operation of the agents, the building, seventy by thirty feet in size, and three stories high, was ready to receive students on the 12th day of November, 1849.

The Faculty with which the school opened were Rev. Wm. H. Sampson, Principal, Rev. R.O. Kellogg, Professor of Ancient Languages, Mr. James M. Phinney, Professor of Mathematics, and Miss Emeline M. Crooker, Preceptress. The first catalogue, published in the fall of 1850, showed a list of one hundred and five students, which was certainly a very creditable beginning. The name of the Institute was now changed to Lawrence University.

A record of the early years of struggle and sacrifice necessary to found the University would fill a volume, and cannot be given at length in these pages. Having been a member of the Board for nearly a quarter of a century, I could say much of the noble men who performed double service on half pay, but such a recital cannot here be given.

Rev. Dr. Edward Cooke was installed President of the University June 29, 1853. At the same time the corner stone of the College building was laid by Hon. M.C. Darling, Rev. Alfred Bronson, D.D., delivering the address. The edifice, a substantial stone structure, one hundred and twenty by sixty feet, and five stories high, was pushed forward to an early completion by the untiring energy of the agents, Rev. J.S. Prescott and Col. H.L. Blood. For college purposes the building ranked among the first in the West.

In both Students and Faculty Lawrence University has been fortunate from the beginning. As to the former, she has sent out not a few representative men to the several occupations of life, several of whom will find mention in these pages. As to the latter, she has enjoyed the labors of a class of instructors whose names have found an honorable place in both the clerical and literary circles of the Commonwealth.

Of Rev. Wm. H. Sampson, the first head of the Faculty, a record has been made in a former chapter, and it would afford me pleasure to refer at length to the several members of the first Faculty, as also to all the Professors who have followed, but I find it will be impossible to do so in these brief pages.

Rev. Edward Cooke, D.D., the first President, entered the New Jersey Conference in 1843. He was a graduate of the Wesleyan University, Middletown, Conn. His first appointment was Principal of the Pennington Male Seminary, N.J. In 1847 he was transferred to the New England Conference, and stationed at Saugus. His subsequent appointments were Union Church Charlestown, D. Street, Centenary, and Hanover, of Boston, Mass. He was transferred to the Wisconsin Conference in 1853, having been elected President of the University. As a President he was very popular, and during his administration of six years had the satisfaction to see the Institution rise from a feeble preparatory school to a full-fledged University. In addition to the ordinary duties of his position, he was largely concerned with the financial matters of the enterprise, but in every portion of the work Dr. Cooke showed great wisdom, tact and devotion. And during his term he laid the friends of education in the State under lasting obligations.

After leaving the University, he was stationed at Summerfield Church, Milwaukee, but, returning to Boston at the close of his term, he was elected Principal of the Wesleyan Academy, Wilbraham, Mass., where he has enjoyed great success in his administration. Dr. Cooke is a man of fine presence, and a good Preacher. Genial in spirit, full of anecdote and well read, he is very companionable. He has a multitude of friends in Wisconsin.

Rev. Nelson E. Cobleigh, D.D., was elected Professor in 1854. He was also a graduate of the Wesleyan University. On coming West, he was first elected Professor in the McKendree College, Ill., from which position he came to Appleton. His first visit to these "northern wilds," as Appleton was then called, was a memorable one. It was a Commencement occasion, and in connection with the other exercises, the annual Missionary Meeting was held. Under the leadership of Dr. Cooke, Brother Cobleigh was appointed to deliver one of the addresses. There were three speakers appointed as usual, and the second place was assigned to Dr. Cobleigh and the last to Dr. Cooke. The first speech, brief and to the point, was made, and as Chairman I introduced Dr. Cobleigh. The speech opened in a quiet, clear, and common-sense way, none expecting more than a good, average effort. But before the speaker had proceeded far, his sentences began to grow intense, and the blood began to shoot upward in deep, livid lines along the neck and face, and wreathe his forehead. All eyes were turned upon him, and each hearer began to feel the kindlings of a strange inspiration. But the speaker was lost to everything except his theme. He dashed on from one burning thought to another, carrying his audience with him, in such storms of eloquence as had never before enchanted the walls of the University Chapel.

At the expiration of a full hour, the great orator came to himself and resumed his seat, amid the shouts of the people. As soon as quiet intervened, I introduced Dr. Cooke. The Doctor came forward and stated that as the speakers had been limited to thirty minutes each, and as his good friend, Dr. Cobleigh, had used an hour, without any fault of his own, however, as he could not help it, he would not attempt to make a speech himself, but would adopt the last half of the last speech, which was infinitely better than he could do if he were to speak. The fine turn of the Doctor was taken with a good zest.

After serving the University several years, Dr. Cobleigh went back to McKendree College as President. He next served as Editor of Zion's Herald, in Boston, then was President of our College in Tennessee, and at the last General Conference he was elected editor of the Advocate at Atlanta, Ga. But his work was soon finished, and he passed on to join the great and good who have entered the Heavenly gates.

Dr. R.Z. Mason came to the University as a Professor in 1855, and continued to hold this position until the resignation of Dr. Cooke, when he succeeded to the Presidency. He remained at this post until the election of Dr. Steele, when he entered upon business pursuits in Appleton. The Presidency of Dr. Mason was distinguished by great anxiety and severe labor. Like the Presidents who went before, and those who have followed, he was greatly burdened with the financial management. The several schemes which had been adopted to secure an Endowment Fund for the University, had not fully met expectations, and in consequence, an indebtedness had been incurred. To lift this incumbrance became the special concern of President Mason. He traveled over the State, visiting the charges in person, and taking subscriptions wherever they could be obtained. And I am happy to say that through his great ability in this direction, and his unbounded persistence, the work was carried forward to a grand success.

Rev. Loren L. Knox, D.D., was another member of the Faculty. Brother Knox had also given the greater portion of his life to educational work. His successful administration of the interests of leading institutions of learning in the East had fully prepared the Board to expect in him a valuable accession to the Faculty, and they were not disappointed. He was found to be a thorough scholar, a wise and careful instructor, and a Christian gentleman of the highest and purest style. After leaving the University, Dr. Knox did good service in the pulpit for several years, but, finally, his health so far failed that he was compelled to take a superannuated relation. At the present writing he is residing at Evanston, where he is giving such attention to literary work as he finds himself able to perform.

Rev. Geo. M. Steele, D.D., the President of the University at this present time, is a man of fine literary attainments, an able administrator, a superior preacher, and a writer of pronounced reputation. He is also a graduate of Middletown, and has had considerable experience as an instructor. He was elected President of the University in 1865, and has more than met the highest expectations of the Board. In addition to his duties at the head of the Faculty, he has given his personal attention largely to the financial interests of the Institution. In this particular he has achieved a grand work, both in managing the current expenditures, and in increasing the Endowment Fund. The Doctor is a great acquisition to the University, and is highly esteemed by his brethren. The Conference have delighted to honor him in all appropriate ways, and especially in sending him to both General Conferences which have occurred since he became a member of the body.

Having thus paid our respects to Appleton and the University, we are prepared to pass on to other fields. To complete the round there were two charges yet to visit, but as these will claim our attention hereafter I need not refer to them now, except to give an incident that transpired at the Quarterly Meeting held on one of them.

The meeting was held in a school house. The new schoolteacher, a nice youngster, concluded to lead the singing. Gathering a few young people around him, and displaying a tuning-fork, he was ready for the services to begin. I gave the hymn commencing,

"Come, Holy Spirit, Heavenly Dove."

When I had finished the reading, the chorister arose with superlative dignity, and gave the key. Unfortunately, the choir dropped a tone or two too low, and the first verse was sung at that disadvantage. Discovering the blunder, the key was again given, but the singers were now getting nervous, and instead of rising, they went still lower, as they sang,

"Look how we grovel here below."

Certainly the chariot wheels of Pharaoh did not roll more heavily than the numbers from that orchestra. I remembered old Balerma, and felt deeply for them. But our young knight of the tuning-fork was not to be vanquished. With a dash he brought the fork down upon the desk, and gave the key again. But alas! for all human expectations! The choir dropped down to a dead monotone, as they went on with the next verse:

"In vain we tune our formal songs, In vain we strive to rise; Hosannas languish on our tongues, And our devotion dies."

Both the choir and congregation felt a relief when the Minister said, "Let us pray."

Having completed the first round of the District, I returned to Fond du Lac to begin the second. But it is not my purpose to give the details of each round or year, as the labors of a Presiding Elder are too monotonous to furnish a record that would be entertaining to the general reader.