Part 5

At the close of the legislature a free excursion to the Rocky Mountains was offered to all the members, but I declined to go, for I was anxious to go home to a loved wife and four little boys whose names I remember were Harry, Paul, Otho and Wiley. I always was a great lover of home. The way it turned out I was truly glad that I did not go to the excursion, for at that time, on the 27th day of March, 1876, there fell the greatest snow-storm I ever saw in all my life. And the excursionists were snowbound in the Rocky Mountains many days. Here in Kansas the snow drifted, in many places, from fifteen to twenty feet deep, and it was almost May before the roads were passable to the city of Atchison, and many other places.

On the 21st day of this snowy month of March my youngest sister, Mrs. Charlotte Ann Sears departed this life, at her home near Logan, Kansas, aged 34 years, 9 months and 18 days. She was the sister playmate of my childhood days, being about three years younger than I. Years afterwards I visited her grave in the cemetery near Logan and the next day preached in the church building of the town, on the Christian's Hope. This was the third death of my father's family, counting father himself.

I was the first to preach at Whiting, preaching in a large upper room, until the disciples who had been called together built a house, and dedicated it to God. In this house, I continued to preach. That house stands unto this day and the disciples still worship there. Among the many that were there then whom I remember favorably and with pleasure remain but few, among them the efficient and scholarly Dr. Woodell. But the Doctor now, like the writer of these lines, is old and near the end.

Goffs too, was another place where I was the first to preach, beginning in the school house and ending in a new church building, where the disciples worship unto this day. The pleasant recollection of the names of Brockman, Springer and others will always be associated with my remembrances at Goffs. It is said that we never forget anything. I believe this only in part. I think the bad will be forgotten while the good will be remembered forever. Even the good Lord has promised that he will remember our sins no more. So I think He will let us forget the bad forever.

So, too, Pleasant Grove, a country church just south of Effingham one of the best country churches I ever knew, is where I preached from the beginning, (I mean my beginning in Kansas) regularly for many years. It was in the spring of 1868 that two brothers, John and Jacob Graves, of Pleasant Grove came to Round Prairie where I was teaching and preaching to hear me, and invited me to Pleasant Grove. I never found a better preacher's home then the home of Jacob Graves. Good man, he has gone to this reward in the skies. Brother John Graves still lives and stands among the first on the list of my old friends, and in the estimation of all as one of the best men in the world.

When I think of the fellowship, the kindness, the friendship and the love of the disciples of Christ, I think and know that His Christianity is the best thing in the world, and the only thing, as an organization, that is absolutely necessary for a man to join. In an early period of the church in Atchison I frequently preached in a small upper room which would seat about 50 people. This hall was furnished us free by Gen. W. W. Guthrie.

I remember being in the city one day and remained until evening to see the fireworks. As I was going down town I met a man who said to me, "Brother, where are you going." I told him. He said, "Well, you turn around and go with me to prayer meeting, and then we will have time to see the fireworks." I asked, "Where is the prayer meeting?" The answer was, "In the little upper room where you have preached. I turned around and went, and I still think it is a good thing to do-- to turn around and go to prayer meeting. When we got to the place of prayer, the minister, M. P. Hayden and three women were there. With our augmentation there were, in all, six. But we felt, before the service was over, that another was present, even He who said, "When two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."

Atchison has a congregation now of a hundred times six. Some of whom are my children in the gospel. I always fell especially proud of John A. Fletcher and his wife because they are so good, and because I taught them their letters, baptized them, and married them. This was at Farmington. And many others at Farmington were mine by teaching, preaching, marrying and burying. I lived, taught and preached longer at Farmington than any other place. I had in one family seven weddings, and almost as many funerals. Over in the Pleasant Grove neighborhood I had nine wedding in one family. Some, of whom at this time, are my door neighbors and seem like my own children.

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C H A P T E R S E V E N T E E N

T. B. McCleary. 1888 Sunday schools. Giants. Deaths. John. Elizabeth. Effingham, 3-1-1885. A fire.

That man I met going to prayer meeting was J. B. McCleary, with whom I am at the present time associated in the Eldership of the church at Effingham. We have known each other all these years since. Brother McCleary is my senior exactly nine years to a day. For many years we have been eating birth-day dinners together, first at his house and then at mine, until his good wife died. Since then we have always tried to have brother Mc. To eat with us. And my good wife has for nearly forty years prepared a chicken pie for my birthday dinner.

The year 1888 brought to both me and my dear wife a weight of sadness. My good old mother passed away from the home of here youngest son in Harper County at the advanced age of four score years, two months, and twenty-six days.

Zettie's beloved father departed this life at the age of three score and two years, seven months and ten days, from his home one mile east of Farmington. Why sadness? These loved parents had lived to good old ages. Aha! This sadness will work out for us an eternal weight of gladness someday.

The story of my life would not be complete if I did not add the part I have taken in the general or union Sunday School work of Atchison Co. The Atchison Country Sunday School Union Association was organized at Muscotah in the year 1870. I was present. This association has held an annual Convention each year since its organization and I have missed but two meetings. No one has been more faithful in attendance than that. Then with few exceptions I have always had a place on the programs. For five terms, or years I was secretary and for two, president. But, for leadership and faithful, untiring service in this great work, the need of praise must go to Issac Maris of the Seventh day lane. In all the work of the Bible Schools of this country I have always felt, during these four decades, that it was an honor t try to stand as a second to Issac Maris is a friend. In all my life's labor as a Sunday School worker I have associated with no one so long and pleasantly as a coworker as Isaac Maris.

I must tell you just one instance of our lives. Mr. Maris is two years older than I am, and two inches taller, he being 6 feet, 4 inches and I 6 feet and 2 inches. Well, brother Maris and I attended together a district Sunday School Convention in the city of Horton. The first evening was the children's hour. Many children were there, seated on the front seats of the large hall. E. O. Excell was leading the children in song. Brother Maris and I were seated just behind the children when one little fellow was overhead to say to another, referring to us, "Who am them two big fellows?" His seat-mate replied, "Don't you know them fellows? They are two Sunday School giants from Atchison country." We took that and still take it as a great compliment.

In the fall of 1891 the sad intelligence came to me from Indiana that my brother John A. Hastings was dead. At his death he was fifty-nine years and fourteen days old. Brother was a good man, a devout Christian. Of his family still living there are one daughter and three sons, all noble, Christian citizens of Washington, Indiana. One of the boys is a newspaper publisher, the other two are able lawyers.

A few years later my oldest sister Nancy Elizabeth who lived in Oregon, passed away at the age of 62 years, 2 months and 10 days. Of her family only one son, Reuben Edgar Peyton is living. He lives at Peyton, Oregon. At this writing I have only two brothers left. One, Henry, about ten years my senior, the other, Rufus, about ten years my junior.

In the fall of 1894 I was elected a trustee of the Atchison county High School, and made secretary of the Board, and held this position for six years being elected the second time. That same fall we sold our farm, 130 acres just east of Farmington for $5,500 and bought a farm 80 acres, just east of Effingham for $4600, and moved to it on the 1st day of March, 1895. At this time only three of our children were at home, Clara, Edith and Milo. Harry, Paul and Otho were off doing for themselves. Harry had attended school at Holton and Lawrence. Paul had graduated at a Business College in Kansas City, Mo. Otho had graduated at the county High School. The girls and Milo each afterwards graduated at the County High School, and the girls attended school at Drake University, and Milo graduated from the State Agricultural College at Manhattan, Kansas.

On the night of the same day I was elected trustee, the High School burned to the ground. We could see, the next morning, from Farmington, where we then lived, the flames and smoke still ascending. The first thing after the fire was for the Board to secure a place or places to continue the school. A mass meeting was called in the Presbyterian Church. I attended the meeting and was called to the chair. Through the energy, enthusiasm and sacrifice of the citizens, especially Mr. Frank Wallack, the resident member of the board and Principal Mr. Hunter, Assistant Prin. J. W. Wilson, and the suggestion of Pres. Snow of the State University, who happened to be present, the school was running the next day in the churches and suitable vacant rooms that could be found in the town.

The new board was organized the 1st Tuesday in January, and the first business of importance was the securing the insurance money, and the building of a new house. There was some delay, caused by not being able to adjust matters with the insurance companies, and collect the money. Finally, however, every cent was collected and a new building was erected and stands to this day, and Atchison Country has a high school second to none in the state.

Our move from Farmington to Effingham was the only move we had ever made. It being only six miles, it was suggested that we move everything worth moving, which when accomplished proved to be a task of fifty-two wagon loads.

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C H A P T E R E I G H T E E N

Effingham, Church. S. S. Muscotah. 1899. Second visit back to old Indiana. The Captain. Return to Kansas. St. Louis. Return. Clara. Home. Waiting.

Our reasons for locating at Effingham were, the civility of the town, the beauty of the country, and the advantage of the High School. True, there was no congregation of Christians, nor ever had been except those with human named added, but my life up to this time, for thirty-five years had been spent in trying to persuade Christians to be one, and organize simply as Christians. So I concluded I would continue to do the same thing in Effingham. Please note that I never use the name disciple or Christian in any sectarian sense. Well, I had not been here long until I found Christians who invited me to preach in their meeting houses when not occupied by themselves. Notably among them were Uncle Ben Wallack, of the Lutheran church, and William Reece of the South M. E. Church.

Few, if any disciples in the movement for unity, had ever preached in Effingham. I had been called several times to the town to preach funerals, but that was all. So I commenced preaching in the Mr. E. Church South on Sundays and having preached a few times, I requested that at our next meeting all disciples or Christians, (I use these names as synonyms) who were not members of any congregation, to remain after the sermon. This they did, and I addressed them in the substance as follows: "Beloved disciples of Christ, for such your action proves you to be, my purpose in requesting you to remain today is to get better acquainted with you, and possibly organize ourselves into a church of Christ. In order to further carry out these purposes, I will, by you permission ask each a direct question and take your names, thus enrolling you as members of a church of Christ in Effingham. So I took paper and pencil in hand and asked each one the same question, viz: "Are you a Christian?" and took the name of each. The answer of each one to the question was simply "yes." except one lady who said, "Yes, in the Baptist church." I said, "All right, let me take your name and since there is no Baptist Church in Effingham, you go along with us, without the Baptist name." She consented, and she is to this day a member in good standing and full fellowship and nearly all her children have become Christians too.

There was enrolled 32 names that day, and this was the beginning of the Christian church in Effingham.

From this number myself, Henry Shell, Sr., and J. W. Jones were elected Elders and brethren J. W. Wilson, J. M. Shell and C. M. Gregory were elected Deacons. This was in the month of May, 1895. I preached on for sometime, but the infirmities of the flesh and old age creeping upon me I had to give up preaching. So for about 12 or 15 years I have preached but little. Indeed for many years before I quit preaching I preached under a great weakness of the flesh.

In the meantime the observance of the Lord's Supper was kept up each Lord's Day, and a Sunday School had been organized with the M. E. South Christians and ourselves working together, by electing Prof. J. W. Wilson as Superintendent.

In the summer of 1895 Evangelist O. L. Cook held a meeting of fifteen or twenty days under an arbor on Main Street. At that meeting the number of members was increased to seventy, and the church and Sunday School were more fully organized, and have been meeting regularly on the Lord's Day, and are at this time meeting in their own brick veneered building, on Elizabeth Street. All these years I have had the honor and responsibility of being the Senior Elder.

From the beginning to the present, 1911, there have been 448 added to the church roll. At present the church owes nothing and is having preaching all the time by Frank Richard, an able and conscientious minister of the Gospel. The church, by removals, decrease almost as fast as it increases. The membership at this writing is about 150.

Muscotah is a thriving little city just west of Effingham. There are but few disciples there except those in the churches of the town. I have preached there a few times. Once the funeral of a little girl, name Clara Hastings, but she was no kin to us. At other times the funerals of a very aged man and wife named Mooney. The wife was an own niece of Alexander Campbell. She was a very good and learned woman.

In 1899 with Clara who was in her 22nd year, I made a second trip back to old Indiana. It had been eighteen years since the other trip. The eighteen years had made many wonderful changes. So much so that I felt almost like a stranger in a strange land. Had it not been for the sweet, bright, joyful, spirit of the dear daughter that accompanied me, the trip would have hardly been tolerable. O, the joy of the father whose sons and daughters rise up in his old age and bless and honor him! It was on this very visit when Captain Hastings, hearing me talk of my boys and girls, said to me, "Cousin Simpson, I see that you, like your dear old mother, love your children. I never knew a mother that loved her children more than she did." "True, Captain", I said, "I have always like the extremes of age, the young and the old, and of course I like my own children. I think when they were little about my knees was the happiest period of my life."

We returned home to dear old Kansas--to our home near Effingham, but it was not like it was at the first return eighteen years before when the buildings were in their home nest, and great blue eyes were looking out for me. But now some had already flown and others were about ready. True, your dear old mother was there, and Edith too, and Milo were there but in three short years Edith took her flight in company with the angels to the skies to return no more.

In 1904 your mother and I went to St. Louis to see the World's Fair, and to attend the National Convention of the disciples of Christ. We made our home at Harry's and so enjoyed the wonderful sights at the Fair, and feasted upon the rich spiritual things of the Convention.

Once again we, (your mother and I this time) returned to our humble home. Do you know, boys, that there is no place like home? Well, this is true, if home is home. But I declare to you when it comes to taking your place at the old dining table and all the places on each side of its full length are empty and only the two end places are occupied, it is lonesome. Only one more leaving and this was true of your father and mother's table. For when Clara on the 28th day of June, 1905 the thirty-fifth anniversary of her father and mother's marriage and the twenty first anniversary of her brother Milo's birth, was married to Mr. Charles G. Sprong, the last place of the children was vacated, and we were left alone.

But the heavier weight of sadness and sorrow did not come until, within less than a year from Clara's happy marriage, death came for her. And she was accompanied by the angels into the unseen world of Glory.

In our lonesomeness we exchanged our farm home for a home in Effingham, and moved to it September 19th, 1907. And here I rest, trusting and hoping in God.

Some day when I cannot, will you please fill out the blanks below and that will be the beginning of the end.

Z. S. HASTINGS.

Born March 15th, 1838

Died ________ ____ ______.

End of Project Gutenberg's Autobiography of Z. S. Hastings, by Z. S. Hastings