|
|
||
|
Samuel Tait SAMUEL
TAIT. —The subject of this memoir came into Mercer County in
the summer of 1800. He graduated from Dr. McMillan’s log cabin,
starting on a missionary tour through the northwestern counties
immediately thereafter. After preaching in various places, wherever he
could get a hearing for his messages, he accepted calls from Cool Spring
and Salem, and in November of that year was ordained pastor in each. The
town of Mercer had then no existence, and hence his churches at first
were purely backwoods institutions. Eaton’s history of the presbytery
of Erie contains a very interesting account of the construction of the
church in Cool Spring for his accommodation. Mr. Tait had said to his
hearers on Sunday: “If you will build a meeting house I will come and
preach for you.” The offer was accepted, and a day appointed for a
meeting of the people with their axes for that purpose. They attended in
sufficient numbers to effect their purpose. Some went to work at cutting
logs of the proper length for the building; others in preparing clapboards
for the roof and puncheons for the floor, and wherewith to fit up the
pulpit. When the logs were cut it was found that they were too heavy to
be brought into position by manual labor, in time to finish the building
on that day, and here was a very serious dilemma. Says Mr. Eaton:
“There was but one team in all the settlement, and that was a yoke of
oxen belonging to a professed infidel. It would not do to ask him to
bring his team for such a purpose. Just as the necessity became pressing
Mr. S. was seen approaching with his oxen, crying out with his great
merry voice, Here comes the devil with his oxen to help you build your
meeting-house.’ The work then went gaily forward. The next important
thing was the appearance of Thomas McLean, with a small, fiat keg of
whisky under his arm. This was placed in Mr. Tait’s hauls, when all
took a drink, beginning with the minister, and ending with the donor
himself. Three cheers were then given for Thomas McLean, with the
promise that when the church was organized he should be the first elder.
This promise was afterward fulfilled, and Mr. McLean was the first elder
that was elected. By sundown the church was built, covered with
clapboards, floored with puncheons, and round logs rolled in for seats.
The house was so located that a large stump answered the purpose of a
pulpit, with two puncheons Bet upright in front, and one across secured
to the uprights with pins, on which the Bible might be placed.” It
will thus be seen that Mr. Tait literally took the stump, in his
advocacy of the cross, and did not despise the means used at that time
to enliven and exhilarate social and political gatherings of the
people. In after times, a quarter of a century later, when the
temperance question had been agitated and discussed, he banished the
liquor from his own harvest field, and entered very heartily into the
crusade then commenced against the social use of intoxicating drinks. It
is related by Eaton that luxury soon began to creep into the Cool Spring
Church, threatening trouble. William McMillan placed in the
meeting-house a puncheon seat, supported with legs, for self and family
to sit on, while all the others were using the round logs originally
placed in the building for that purpose. Here was pride and innovation
that many held to be deserving of rebuke, as the innovator and family
were held to be no better than others. But McMillan was not without
friends; possibly they were of those who selfishly contemplated a
similar improvement for their own comfort. Here was division and contention
that could only be settled by the authority of the pastor, who,
doubtless after prayerful consideration, decided on the side of progress
and comfort by declaring that every one should be permitted to put in
for himself such a seat as he chose. This difficulty happily settled,
the congregation increased so rapidly that the building had to be
twice enlarged for its accommodation, which was done by cutting out logs
on the sides and adding “leantoos.” In 1806, a Presbyterian Church
having been organized in Mercer, Mr. Tait relinquished his Salem charge
to assume the duties of pastor in the county town. In 1813 the Cool
Spring people agreed to come to town, and the time previously given to
them was extended to Salem. In 1826 the church at Salem was finally
relinquished by Mr. Tait, and his time afterward wholly given to Mercer
until his death in 1841. Mr. Tait was a man of
commanding presence, being over six feet high, erect in his carriage,
and grave and determined in general demeanor. He was devoted to the
cause of Christianity, and was a very Paul in his efforts to vitalize
and gather into the church all with whom he came in contact. To his
friends, to whom he unbended, he exhibited such a warm and loving
sympathy that gratitude, confidence and veneration were all blended in
the reciprocity invited and returned. To those outside of this circle he
was deemed austere, illiberal, and a kind of Calvinistic monk, and the
result was that, while he had warm, trusting and devoted friends, his
opponents were numerous, decided and active. Along about 1809 a
difficulty occurred between William Johnson and John Bowman, both of
Cool Spring, the latter a member of Mr. Tait’s church, which caused
much excitement and a great deal of litigation afterward, Mr. Tait
becoming one of the principals. Bowman contracted to deliver sixteen
bushels of rye at the mill of Arnold & Hackney for the use of
Johnson. When Johnson applied at the mill for the rye its delivery was
denied; when he went to Bowman its delivery according to contract was
affirmed. Unable to get the rye, he brought suit against Bowman before
‘Squire Rambo. In the trial Bowman swore that he delivered the rye
according to contract, while both Arnold and Hackney swore that they had
never received it. The justice, presumably on the weight of evidence,
gave judgment for the plaintiff. The church then took up the matter, the
decision of the justice being assumed a practical charge of perjury
against one of its members. The investigation here exonerated Bowman.
This was looked upon as a whitewashing report, and a communication
published in one of the Pittsburgh papers followed, the author of which
indulged in a libelous and abusive attack on Mr. Tait. The authorship
was assumed by Johnson, although generally suspected to have been
written by his neighbor, Benjamin Stokely. Mr. Tait prosecuted and
Johnson entered a counter-prosecution---the community took sides in
nearly equal parts, and became very much excited over the matter, but
the result in the court was a complete victory to Mr. Tait, he obtaining
a verdict of over $2,000 against Johnson, and wholly defeating the
cross-prosecution. Beyond the fee of his attorney, Mr. Baldwin, and
the costs, Mr. Tait refused to allow anything more being collected from
Johnson. It was not money that he sought in the courts, but vindication
of his character. There followed this a singular series of mishaps among
several of those that were supposed or understood to have taken sides
against Mr. Tait, which a portion of his congregation and friends were
disposed to attribute to the interposition of Providence for the
punishment of their wickedness therein. The powder-mill of Arnold &
Hackney was blown up, the eldest son of the latter, named Larken, losing
his life thereby, their grist-mill afterward being destroyed by fire.
Mr. Johnson was killed by a limb falling from a dead tree while passing
under it on a load of hay. This tree was cut down, and falling across a
little swale alongside of the road, was used by foot passengers to avoid
the mud. Mr. Thomas Bingham slipped on it, and had three of his ribs
broken by the fall. The horse of Miss Sarah Beckwith, while riding past,
became frightened, and threw her against it, breaking a thigh.
Misfortunes of other families among Mr. Tait’s opponents are recited,
all as occurring within the space of two years after the legal conflict
with him. It is worthy of the passing remark, however, that most of
these afflicted families belonged to other churches, and were pious
and respectable people, while no accident happened to Benjamin Stokely,
the recognized commander-in-chief in the war against Mr. Tait, and at
that time an avowed infidel. Mr. Tait had afterward to contend with some
difficulties in his church, but his people always stood by him
faithfully. His face was always set against innovators, and his
support undeviatingly given to the orthodox side of all questions that
came up. He unquestionably did a great deal of good. --By Garvin, History of Mercer County, 1888, pages 991-993
|
