Michigan historical collections. [Vol. 17]

REMINISCENCES O PIONEER MINISTERS.
REMHINISCENCES OF PIONEER MINISTERS.

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hint that a collection to defray traveling expenses, would be acceptable.
I could not understand it then, but I have since learned the secret,
and it is no longer a mystery to me. "The love of Christ constraineth
us." I know it has constrained me.
Mr. Cadle was transferred to Green bay and placed in charge of a
mission among the Indians, and his successor was a man by the name
of Searle, a portly Scotchman of large physical proportions, and he
made a few pastoral visits to our neighborhood, one of which I deem
worthy of mention, as it was the occasion of a degree of merriment
during his stay and has often brought forth a right hearty laugh when
repeated to those who were not present to join in the merry laugh at
the time of the incident. He was accompanied at that time by Bishop
Mcllvaine of Ohio, and Judge Campbell of Detroit, father of the late
lamented judge of our Supreme Court.
They had a light wagon with two seats. Mr. Searle and the bishop
occupying the back seat, while the judge sat in front, acting the part
of driver. Just before reaching my grandfather's they plunged into one
of those mud holes that seemed to have no bottom, and when nearing
the farther shore by some strange freak their wagon tipped to one
side sufficient to roll the two clergymen out into the mud, the horses
making a leap for dry land, took the wagon with the judge safely out,
leaving Mr. Searle nearly out of sight with the bishop on top not
daring to move least he, too, should be buried as deeply as the foundation upon which he was resting. The judge managed to get the
bishop out without serious damage to his clothing; but poor Mr. Searle
was a sorry looking specimen, feeling that he had experienced one
peril that St. Paul had not been in.
The bishop and Judge C. enjoyed the joke hugely, better than they
probably would have done if the wagon had tipped on the other side
bringing the portly Scotchman on top of the bishop, who was rather
light in his physical proportions, as compared with his colleague, the
rector.
Mr. Searle was succeeded by Mr. Berry, whose face and form I
remember, but of his preaching ability, I am not prepared to express
an opinion, as I remember so little I heard him say.
Meantime the ever present circuit rider, as the Methodist itinerant
was called in those days, put in his appearance, and the log cabin of
Calvin Perrin was his meeting house, occasionally changing, and occupying my grandfather's Episcopal pulpit, %which was open to all ministers of evangelical churches, as grandfather was by no means a bigoted
Episcopalian, and -always welcomed the messengers of Christ whose