EARLY REMINISCENCESELIZA HARTFORD.—PRISCILLA G. HAYMAKER.—ANNA E. CAMPBELL.—THE NIGHT SCHOOL.—HARDSHIPS AT OAK HILL."Books are keys to wisdom's treasures; Books are gates to lands of pleasure; Books are paths that upward lead; Books are friends. Come let us read." The following reminiscences, gleaned from letters written by these three heroic young lady teachers, will be read with interest. They discover in their own language, their feelings of hopefulness and loyalty while coping with unexpected embarrassments and unusual privations. Single handed and alone they penetrated the wilds of Indian Territory to a secluded spot, where they were a half day's ride from their nearest white friends, and thirty-five miles from the railway. Holding aloft the Bible, the true standard of the cross, they rallied the ignorant and uncivilized natives appreciatingly around it, more worthily and long before our famous explorers decorated the North Pole with the American flag. The mail was carried once a week from Clarksville to Wheelock, ten miles east, the nearest post office. TEACHING ELIZABETH WASHINGAt the end of her first year, March 19, 1887, when she was still working alone, having school, Sunday school,
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Six months later when she returned from a short visit to her mother she writes:
BETSY BOBBETA letter dated January 6, 1888, bears the stamp, "Oak Hill Industrial Academy." A change in her assistants had taken place in November previous and she writes:
MISS HAYMAKER'S EVENTFUL JOURNEY.Miss Priscilla G. Haymaker made her first journey to Oak Hill about the first of April, 1887. She passed by way of St. Louis to Texarkana, Arkansas, 50 miles east of Clarksville, over the Iron Mountain railway. This part of the journey was made during the night, and most of the time she was the only lady in the car. The crowd on the train was one of ruffians, who spent the time playing cards, drinking whiskey and showing their revolvers. The conductor said to her, "Lady you have a rough crowd to ride with to night, but I will not leave you long." He was as good as his word. He sat in the seat with her when in the car and returned promptly when required to be absent. At Clarksville she found the driver from Wheelock awaiting her arrival at the hotel. As early as four o'clock the next morning everything was in readiness for making the trip to Wheelock in a covered wagon. It soon began to rain and continued raining all day. It was 8 o'clock at night when the team arrived at Wheelock. The cordial welcome extended by Rev. John Edwards, Superintendent, and his wife and the teachers at Wheel Miss Haymaker, the first assistant of Miss Hartford, April to November 1887, was a native of Newlonsburg, Pa., daughter of George R. and Priscilla Haymaker. On October 1, 1890, she returned to Oak Hill and served as the principal teacher in the Academy the next six years. In the fall of 1892 she was joined by her brother Rev. E. G. Haymaker, who then became superintendent. On October 13, 1896, she became the wife of John Blair of Chambersburg, Pa., and they still reside there. MISS CAMPBELL'S TRIP FROM CLARKSVILLE.Miss Anna E. Campbell, the successor of Miss Haymaker arrived at Clarksville, the same day the latter passed through that place on her way home in November, 1887. The proprietor of the hotel called her very early the next morning and informed her he had secured a mule team driven by a negro to take her to Oak Hill. When she was leaving the hotel he solicitously inquired, "Do you carry a gun?" "No I haven't any weapon except a little pocket knife," she answered. He then said, "In going into Indian Territory you ought to have a gun, you may need it." Mr. Moore, the railway agent, a man from Ohio, noticing by the check of her trunk, that she came from Pennsylvania, was very courteous and gave his name. He charged the driver to protect the lady at the risk of his own life; all of which he solemnly promised to do, by promptly answering, "Yes sah, dat I will." The bell and two barrels of clothing for Oak Hill were put on the wagon and they made the load a pretty good one for the team. After driving northward all day it began to grow dark and they had not yet reached the ferry across Red River. The crossing was made however without accident. When the landing had been completed the driver remarked: "I don't reckon we will get dar, 'coz I doesn't know de way now." Fortunately there were several houses not very far away on the bluff along the river, and after a few inquiries, a white family was found that very kindly gave Miss Campbell shelter for the night. The woman at once offered her a sniff of snuff as a token of good will. When the snuff was very politely declined, she laconically remarked: "Well, some folks don't." Miss Campbell arrived at Oak Hill, ten miles distant from the ferry, the next day, after experiencing a "stuck fast" in the mud on the way. Miss Campbell was a native of Midway, Washington county. Pa. She became the assistant of Miss Hartford in November, 1887, two days after the departure of Miss Haymaker and remained until June 15, 1888. At that time she expected to return about the first of October following. But when her trunk had been packed for that purpose circumstances arose at home that made it necessary for her to remain and take care of her parents, both of whom were aged and infirm. On March 7, 1905, she became the wife of James H. McClusky and now lives on a well cultivated productive farm near Monongahela, Pa. MISS HARTFORD'S NIGHT SCHOOL.On requesting Alexander M. Reid, D. D., of Steubenville, Ohio, the early home of Eliza Hartford to obtain and send a photo of her, he reported her death at Richmond, Ohio, July 9, 1901; and stating that a photo could not be found among her relatives, sent instead the following beautiful incident, growing out of her work as a teacher of night school in that place before she came to Oak Hill. MATTHEW FINDING HIS OPPORTUNITYRev. Charles C. Beatty, D. D., a former Moderator of the General Assembly who had become almost totally blind, at the close of a prayer meeting held in the Second Presbyterian church, said to Miss Hartford, "Could you not name one of your boys here to lead me home?" She replied, "Yes, here is Matthew Rutherford; he will lead you home." On the way home Dr. Beatty asked Matthew, what he was doing: He replied, "I dig coal in the day time and go to the school of Miss Hartford at night." When near home Dr. Beatty inquired, "Matthew, how would you like to go to school and get an education?" He said, "I would like it very much." Dr. Beatty then said, "Matthew, you may quit digging coal and go through the school and High School. Then if you have a good standing, I will send you to college. If the Lord should then seem to be calling you to be a minister, I will enable you to pursue your studies at Allegheny Seminary." Matthew, who was a native of England and exceedingly grateful for this recognition and counsel, quit the mines and entered school. He graduated from Washington and This incident serves to illustrate the readiness of the friends of Christian Education to aid young people of limited means, who are trying to educate themselves; and the care they also take to know they are worthy. It also shows the importance of young people industriously and economically doing what they can to help themselves. That is their best recommendation. If young Rutherford, while working in the mines, had indulged in spending his evenings at places merely of amusement or entertainment as many do, he would have missed the golden opportunity of his life. The unexpected and gracious offer came to him, while he was attending night school and the weekly prayer meeting. It was while he was taking advantage of these opportunities for intellectual and moral improvement, within his reach, that he found the true and faithful friend, whose assistance he most needed. HARDSHIPS AT OAK HILL.Miss Hartford, before coming to Oak Hill, spent several years as a teacher among the Mormons at Silver City, Utah. This was a period when missionary work was difficult and dangerous. She resigned that work on account of the failing health of her aged mother. She patiently and hopefully endured many privations and hardships in faithfully and energetically carrying for At Oak Hill she was unable to relieve the natural conditions that produce malarial troubles. She felt very deeply the loneliness of dwelling in the wilderness, where there was no white person in the neighborhood to render assistance in time of special need, or sympathetic friend to express a word of comfort and encouragement. Then she could not avoid the incessant strain of continuous work and worry under surroundings and limitations, that could not be removed and tended to produce that nervous exhaustion, which results in complete prostration. This nervous strain was increased by every advancing step in the progress of the work. Relief from this malady is not found in the use of medicines, but in a complete change of scenes, diet and employment. She and her two faithful helpers were compelled to seek this form of relief. |