Pioneer history of Ingham County, compiled and arranged by Mrs. Franc L. Adams, secretary of the Ingham County pioneer and historical society.

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PIONEER HISTORY OF INGIIAM COUNTY

though there were two church societies, viz: the Methodist and
Baptist. The church was used alternate Sundays by these societies, but was burned a few years ago. We think the Presbyterians
were not then organized. The pastors were Rev. N. Mount, of
the Methodists, and Rev. 11. B. Fuller, a most excellent man,
who preached for the Baptists for the remarkable salary of $90
per year, receiving that stipend in whatever eatables, drinkables
or wearables his parishioners saw fit to bestow, and at whatever
prices their magnanimous hearts chose to set upon the payments.
But those were days when ministers were not frightened at sight
of a plow handle, or any field labor, which was Rev. Fuller's method
of getting a support for himself and family. During the many
years of his pastorate in Mason no man ever saw a frown upon his
face, or heard him utter a word of complaint because his salary
was not large and promptly paid. Ile received cheerfully what
friends saw fit to give, and preached the Word boldly and earnestly,
without fear or favor of any one. If those who sat under his
faithful ministrations were not better men and women, it is because
they let the solemn warnings and earnest admonitions of Rev.
Fuller go by unheeded.
Rev. H. Kittridge soon afterward commenced his labors with
the Presbyterian society, and his plain teaching and faithful labors, together with a stainless life, did much to improve the
morals of the place.
Speaking of the morality of the town reminds us of an incident
which we witnessed that is a fair illustration of the reverence of
one class of the citizens of Mason in 1859. One celebrated hunter
and trapper, whose name the old settlers would remember should
I give it, was not strictly orthodox, strictly speaking, in his
religious views, regarding Sunday as good as any other day, if it
gave him good weather for hunting, but manifesting no other
reverence for it. During one Sunday afternoon while the minister
was discoursing to his audience in a key audible to all within a
dozen rods of the church, this hunter emerged from the woods
with his gun at a "right shoulder shift," and a merry twinkle in
his eye. A lounger in front of the tavern suggested that he should
not go gunning on the Sabbath, but should attend the "meeting".
Just then a small bird alighted on the spire of the church, and the
hunter stepped in front of the building, took deliberate aim, shot