SCARCITY OF PHYSICIANS IN FORMER TIMES.
The services of men of their profession rarely reached this valley in former times. At Goshen was one or more regular physicians in the time of the war, and in the State of New Jersey, about 20 miles distant from this neighborhood, was another. The latter sometimes attended Peter Gumaer, my grandfather, who was stricken with palsy near the time the war commenced, and he and Doctor Sweezy, from Goshen, attended to heal the wounds which Cornelius Swartwout received when the Indians invaded this neighborhood.
In the latter part of the war, and for some years after it ended, there lived an old man by the name of Bennet, on the east side of Shawangunk mountain in the present town of Mount Hope, who in his youth had studied medicine, but abandoned it before he became qualified to practice. He, however, was sometimes called on to attend the sick. He was poor and kept no drugs or medicines, but when called on would go and see what the ailment of the sick person was, and then go out and collect such roots and herbs as he judged best to cure the disease, which he used according to the dictates of his judgment. After people in our neighborhood began to be afflicted with diseases, and when it was considered necessary to have the attendance of a physician, this Doctor Bennet was employed; and he generally was quite successful in his practice. He several times cured a young man of colic, to which he was subject. This he performed by giving him an emetic, and after it had operated he gave him a physic.
It appears that the constitutions of people become adapted to the climate in which they reside, and to such habits of life as they from generation to generation continue to pursue, and a change of these will affect persons more or less. This is evident from what is known in relation to the different races of mankind, some of whom live very different from others, and the exchange of some, whose food differs very widely, would be mortal to many of one or both of those races who should make the exchange.
Eight of us, all descendants of the four families, now all residents of the lower neighborhood, excepting myself, remain yet travelers on the last part of life's journey towards that change which all flesh has to undergo to answer the purposes of the Creator.
BIRDS, REPTILES AND ANIMALS.
Among all the changes mentioned, some of us have been spectators of nearly an extinction of birds in our valley and its vicinity, many different kinds of which formerly visited us in the spring of the year and continued with us during the summer and a part of the fall months. Their active flights from place to place and from tree to tree, and their musical voices of different sounds enlivened and cheered our lonely valley. These all had to be active to gratify their cravings of what was necessary to sustain life. Some wandered along streams of water to procure their food; some hovered high in the air of the atmosphere, from which they surveyed the lands and waters below them to discover the objects they craved for food, from which elevation the hawk would sometimes dart swiftly downward among a flock of birds and catch and make a prey of one of them, as well as of his objects on the ground. The fish-hawk hovered over the waters, the chicken-hawk over the landscapes to entrap their prey. The owl made his excursions in the night to seek his food, and each of the different tribes of birds possessed its own means of obtaining a living. Many of the worms and insects on the ground, and of those small insects which impregnated the air of the atmosphere, became a prey of birds.
Among the different tribes of birds which visited us were the following, to wit: Blackbirds of different kinds, crows, robins, swallows of different kinds, nightingales, snipe of different kinds, killdeers, cranes of different kinds, hawks of different kinds, owls of different kinds, turtle doves, whippoorwills, wrens of different kinds, bluebirds, partridges, quails, wood-peckers, eagles, snow birds, and a few other kinds.
The pleasing enjoyments of all species of birds are evidences of the goodness of their Creator; and the adaptation of all kinds of living creatures whatever to their respective modes of life, are evidences of a preexisting plan for the formation of each, and the manner in which each shall be furnished and receive whatever is necessary for its preservation during life.
Snakes have also become nearly extinguished in this valley within the last half century, previous to which there were yet some rattlesnakes, pilots, blacksnakes, sissing adders, gartersnakes, greensnakes, and milk-snakes, and toads and frogs are not as numerous now as in former times.
Now, although some of these reptiles may appear to us as unnecessary nuisances, yet they undoubtedly have answered certain good purposes in their sphere of being. A few persons of this neighborhood have suffered from the bites of poisonous snakes, but remedies were here known in former times which saved the lives of those who were bitten. Their number within my knowledge was six.
There was a singular occurrence in Rochester, in Ulster county, in former times, to wit: At an early period of the settlement of that place, a certain man in time of harvest in going with a wagon, with shelvings on it, to fetch a load of grain, and, passing near a rattlesnake in the grain field, stopped his team, and, with a fork which had a very long handle, wherewith as he stood in the wagon he reached the snake and began to tease it and soon saw that it began to swell, and being anxious to see to what size it would expand itself, he continued to tease it until its body became swollen to a very large size, when it made a spring and passed over wagon and shelvings without touching any of it and came down on the ground on the other side of the wagon, and, in passing over it, the man very narrowly escaped being bitten in his face by the snake as he stood in the wagon. Such an occurrence was a good warning against trying such experiments.
Another occurrence of anterior times will show the effect of hunger, in the last stage of life, of a certain hawk.
At a certain time when Gerardus Van Inwegen and Abraham Cuddeback were catching pigeons with a net, a hawk came and lit on a fence near them, and continued there watching the pigeons until they had made some hauls; and all the ado they made to spring the net, run to it, kill and carry the pigeons, &c., did not scare the hawk so as to drive him from his place, but from his action appeared to want a pigeon. This caused Van Inwegen to try the following experiment to catch him. He took a pigeon in his hand and held it at arm's length before him towards the hawk, and walked slowly towards him, and when the pigeon got within his reach he took hold of it to eat it, when Van Inwegen caught the hawk and found him to be old and starved, and had become unable to procure his food.
Different opinions have existed in relation to the government of the actions of animals, birds and other creatures. In respect to which, it is difficult in many cases to determine whether certain of their actions are governed by the dictates of mind, to answer certain purposes, or by an impression on their natures to cause their actions without design. The cravings of food and other bodily desires emanate from the nature created in their bodies. The way and manner of each species to procure its food are dictates of the mind, in which some, if not all, display as much tact and correctness to obtain their objects as the mind of man could direct in their respective bodily capacities. The fear of an enemy, or of danger from any cause, is a dictate of the mind and affects the body, and both will unite their efforts to defend or escape the danger the means of which the mind directs, and the body performs accordingly thereto.
The fox, the ground-hog and some other creatures dig holes in the ground, sometimes under and between rocks, in which to hide and escape from being caught by an enemy, and for a safe place to rest and sleep. The squirrels will seek places in hollow trees for their safety. The bears, which were here in former times, when cold weather commenced in November or December retired from the open woods into those which were thickly timbered with hemlock, and there sought and made places under rocks and roots of trees in which to lay up all winter, and continued in their respective places without eating all winter and remained fat. Hunters from this neighborhood sometimes went there in former times, in February or March when warm weather commenced, and found them with their dogs, and killed them in their holes, in which some were confined by the frost of the ground and were fat.
The beaver performs the greatest work of the animal species, which comprehends a more extensive source of enjoyments than what any other creatures have achieved, all of which appears to be a preconcerted plan of their own to obtain the results of their labors, but still may be, as some have thought, an instinct of their natures to do it without design. A company of beavers will unite, select the best place to build a dam across a stream of water where they can overflow the greatest extent of ground by damming the stream, and the company will all engage in the work cutting down brush and saplings with their teeth and bringing the same to the place selected for a dam, and there place them in the stream so as to form a dam, for which they make use of mud, clay and ground, to intermix with the brush, so as to confine in the dam both brush, ground, &c., and also to make it tight. After this work is all completed, a male and female will unite and dig a hole in the side of a bank, which the water will not overflow in times of freshets, and commence to dig it under water and raise gradually until they get into dry ground above the surface level of the water in times of freshets, where they make a place in which to lay, repose and sleep in safety, where wolves, dogs and enemies of every kind cannot find them. The pond also becomes a safe place for them, in which they can have their sportive exercises and furnish them with food. There was in ancient times a beaver-dam in this town near the bridge across Basha's Kill, on the land of Abraham Cuddeback, Esq., which dammed the water so as to overflow a large tract of bog meadow land above the bridge. There also was a beaver-dam across the Old Dam Brook, on the land of Abraham J. Cuddeback, Esq., which also overflowed a tract of swamp and bog meadow land. There undoubtedly have been others in ancient times in this town. These were the two best places in this part of the town for Beaver dams, and were on streams not subject to freeze much.
It appears evident that the genius and natural activity of some animals and birds is greater than that of others, and that all possess thought, memory, discernment, and many of the passions and affections like those of human beings; and have a degree of speech in which, by articulate sounds, they can inform each other of danger from an enemy, of the finding of food, calling each other to come and partake of it, or forbidding it; and no doubt a great part of the different species of animals and birds, especially the latter, have more of an extensive language, to communicate to and with each of their respective tribes, than what man can discover. When a man happens to come unawares near to a partridge with young ones, she will give immediate warning to her brood to run and hide, and if the man pursues them, or comes near to them, she will approach to him and flutter as though she was unable to get out of his way, to entice the man to follow her, but will keep at such a distance from him that he cannot catch her; and in this manner she will lead the man away from her young in pursuit of herself, until he leaves them and her fear ceases, when she will return to the brood, call them to her, and attend to them in her usual way. Other birds also have their ways and means of causing their young ones to run and hide for fear of an enemy, and to entice him away from the place where the young chickens are hid. All animals will save and defend their young offspring to the utmost of their power, in which they generally make use of the best means they possess.
FOURTH GENERATION.
The fourth and a part of the fifth generations, descendants from four of the first settlers in the Peenpack neighborhood, are now on the stage of action, and those who have remained in Deerpark now own nearly all the valuable land for agricultural purposes in it; and, like their grandfathers, have generally stuck to the soil for their living. Yet a part of these two generations are now in other pursuits of life, embracing a great part of all the occupations which are followed in this part of our country. The former generally became transactors of business between the years 1810 and 1830. These, and their contemporaries in our country, are within reach of nearly all the acquisitions which have been mentioned, and can procure such portions thereof as their means and abilities will admit, and which furnishes them with a vast amount of enjoyment of which their ancestry were destitute, and also are a source of many evils which they escaped by not having the means of their production. Now, in consequence of those changes, it requires more circumspection now than in former times to travel life's journey, from the existence of many by-roads, the worst of which are sometimes most enticing; and these have obscured our way through life, and created difficulties in selecting the best course for the enjoyment of our additional acquisitions, without burdening ourselves with the evils which emanate from an erroneous choice.
Whenmen become enabled to have a great variety of food and drink it becomes necessary to know which are of a healthy character and which are pernicious thereto, so as to enable them to make a choice for its preservation in cases where that becomes the object, in preference to risking future evil consequences. So also when men are enabled to have all the desirable enjoyments of ease and comfortable dwellings, it is necessary for them to know how to occupy these without injuring their health, and also to have a knowledge of whatever has a tendency to promote or impair it. Much information relative thereto can be acquired from the writings of those who have studied and practiced the art of healing and preserving health.
Doctor Fowler of the city of New York has for some years published a monthly water cure journal, in which he has treated extensively of the effects of water in curing diseases and preserving health, by using it in a proper manner to answer its different purposes. He has also treated on the bad effects of some of the habits of the people of our country and the consequences thereof. He also from time to time published a variety of articles relative to the causes of diseases and means of avoiding the same, &c. Doctor Nichols and wife, Mary S. Gove Nichols, formerly of the city of New York and afterwards residents of Cincinnati, also published a similar monthly journal for a few years. From such works much interesting matter for the benefit of mankind can be acquired, and more than people generally are willing to practice.
The physicians, by much study and practice, have become very skillful in overcoming and curing disease, and more dependence is now had on their services for prolonging life than on any other means for that purpose.
Important as the preservation of health is to mankind, few appear to be willing to use means for preserving it, some of which are irksome and others counteract the cravings of nature. These latter differ widely in persons, and consequently are easier overcome by some than others. Many men of strong constitutions, in healthy employments, have little need of being strictly temperate, or to use extraordinary means to preserve health.
The three first verses of the XXIII chapter of the Proverbs of Solomon are very applicable in respect to making choice of a great variety of food and drink such as Rulers of his time furnished.
Now as man is composed of both body and a comprehensive and intelligent mind, which latter is subject to pleasure and pain, happiness and misery, it is necessary to use our best means for the welfare of both; and as a large field is opened by the acquisitions mentioned, for the enjoyment of the mind as well as of the body, and also a large field for speculative objects, many of which are of a pernicious character, it becomes necessary to select such as will promote happiness and to shun those which are attended with dangerous consequences, both in respect to suffering corporeal punishment and the torments of a guilty conscience.
The most perfect course of life creates the easiest journey, but a perfect guidance in all respects is beyond the comprehension of man, and would not be fully pursued even if understood. Our country is filled with preachers to expound the laws of God and dictate the walks of life, yet men err to such a degree from a perfect life as to make it necessary to have many codes of civil law, and a great number of civil officers versed therein to prevent imposition and sustain the rights of man.
A perfect life of the mass of men in all respects would create the greatest happiness. It has been prophesied that a time will arrive when men will become blessed with a happy state of existence, when wars will cease and peace prevail. In respect of which, if we take a view of what has transpired in the world, it appears that mankind have made a great advance since the commencement of our historical revelations from a rude and barbarous state towards that of civilization, and from the numerous, cruel and terrible warfares of ancient times to a greater prevalence of peace and much less cruelty in warfare. Yet the world of mankind still remains at a vast distance from such a happy state as might exist if all men were disposed to act for the welfare of all, and had discernment to use the best means for obtaining it. But we still remain fallible in both those respects, and if ever we are to have the enjoyment of such a happy state it must be yet far in advance, and it probably is best to progress slowly and become fitted by degrees for such a change.
RELIGIOUS WORSHIP.
I have understood that there were religious reading meetings in the Peenpack neighborhood before the Rev. Fryenmoet commenced his ministerial services.
When measures were first taken by the inhabitants along the Neversink and Delaware rivers, for a distance of about 45 or 50 miles down the same, to procure a preacher for the people throughout that distance, there was not a man in its vicinity qualified to preach the Gospel, and, in consequence of this district then being sparsely inhabited, the people united and formed four congregations, to procure the services of one preacher, and agreed with John Casparus Fryenmoet, a young man from Switzerland who had previously studied for the ministry, to furnish him with money to go to Amsterdam in Holland, finish his education and become ordained, after which he was to serve them as their preacher. The sum they gave him for that purpose was 125 L. 12 s. 6 d., equal to $314.06. He went, obtained his education and became authorized to preach the gospel, returned and commenced to preach for the four congregations in June 1741; but no agreement had yet been made in relation to his salary and other matters which were necessary to be agreed on, and before any agreement was made Fryenmoet received a call from Rochester. It appears, however, that he declined that call, and an agreement was entered into between him and the church officers of Minisink and Mahackemeck congregations, the 7th of January, 1742, whereby it was stipulated that each of those congregations should pay Fryenmoet 20 L., equal to $50. A like sum paid by each of the other congregations made the amount of his salary $200; besides this he was to have 100 skipple of oats for horse feed, of which each congregation was to furnish 25 skipple. In February, 1745, the four congregations agreed to pay each 17 L. 10 s. for the purpose of building a house for Fryenmoet.
It appears from the church records that John Casparus Fryenmoet, born in Switzerland, with Eleanor Van Etten, born in Nytsfield, were married with a license from Governor Morris, in New Jersey, by Justice Abraham Van Camp, the 23d of July, 1742. The church records contain the rules and regulations of the church made at different times, which, in some respects, were different from those of the present time, among which were the two following, to wit: Church Wardens before officiating had to bind themselves in writing to remain subject to the Classis of Amsterdam. Persons intending to be married had to make out a certificate of their intended marriage and deliver it to the minister, who for three successive Sundays, at the close of service, read the certificate and at the same time gave notice that if any legal objections to the marriage existed, they should be made in due time and place.
This last continued to be practiced during Van Benschoten's services.
These records are in the Holland Dutch tongue. It appears that Fryenmoet's services ended in 1755 when his services became impracticable in consequence of the French war, whereby this frontier settlement became much exposed to Indian warfare, and he removed to Kinderhook, N. Y., where he preached for 21 years and where he died in 1778. He was represented as a man of short stature, handsome and eloquent.
One hundred and ten communicant members were received into the church whilst Fryenmoet officiated, within the congregations of Minisink and Mahackemeck, about 36 of whom resided in the present town of Deerpark. Of the latter the following from time to time alternately served as members of the Mahackemeck consistory:
In the year 1760 the Rev. Thomas Romeyn commenced his ministerial services for the congregations mentioned, and continued until the year 1772, during which time a general attendance was given to his preaching, and reading meetings were had and attended also on those Sundays when there was no preaching in this congregation. This practice continued during the time of the successive ministers, until preaching was had every Sunday in our church. (Mr. Romeyn on leaving here settled in Canghnawaga, Montgomery County, N. Y., where after 21 years of ministerial labor he died in 1794.)
Within the time of Romeyn's services a schism occurred in the Dutch church, in consequence of the subordinate state of the church to the Classis of Amsterdam, in Holland, in respect to ordaining ministers there, &c., which having become burdensome to many who had to go there to become authorized to preach the gospel, measures were taken to have a Classis established in this country for that purpose. This created two parties, one of which, termed Conferentie, was in favor of continuing according to former practice, and the other, termed Coetus, were advocates of a Classis formed in this country to examine and ordain men to preach the gospel. Of the former, Romeyn was a moderate adherent, probably in consequence of his ordination in Holland, yet the people of his congregations generally attended to his preaching and were not as violent partisans as many people were in some other parts of our country; and it is probable his services would have continued, if a few of the most influential ruling members of his church, who were of the Coetus party, had not projected means to end his services in the year mentioned.
From this time, a term of thirteen years elapsed in which these congregations had no regular preacher, but probably had a few supplies before the Revolutionary War commenced, during its continuance, and after it ended.
In the year 1785 the Rev. Elias Van Benschoten entered on his ministerial services for the three congregations of Mahackemeck, Minisink and Walpack, in each of which he preached every third Sunday, in both the Dutch and English languages and generally performed half in each tongue; and required of the young people as their duty, to commit to memory in the English tongue the Heidelberg catechism, in such portions as he directed to be answered at each time of his preaching in the congregation, either on the same Sunday or on one of the days of the same week, at which time he gave explanations of that portion of the catechism. He retired in 1795, [FN] and removed to a farm or tract of land he had purchased, situated east of the Shawangunk mountain, in the northerly part of New Jersey, on which he made great improvements and granted it to Mr. Cooper, a nephew of his by marriage, subject to payment by installments, and his money he bestowed for educating youths for the ministry, &c. ($17,000 given to the General Synod of Reformed Dutch Church for this purpose in 1814.)
[FN] Mr. V. B. moved to his farm in the Clove near Deckertown, N. J., in 1792, where he preached to the church organized under his ministry. He likewise preached occasionally to the churches in this valley until 1799. He died at the Clove in 1815.
Van Benschoten was a man well calculated for the rudeness of the time in which he officiated in those congregations.
After Van Benschoten's services were ended, a term of about four years elapsed before another regular preacher served this congregation. In, or about the winter of 1803 and 1804, the Rev. John Demarest commenced his services for the congregations mentioned and performed one-half of his preaching in the Dutch tongue, and the other half in English. He continued until about the year 1806. [FN] After this a term of about ten or eleven years elapsed in which no regular preacher officiated in this congregation, but supplies were sometimes had.
[FN] Mr. Demarest died in New York city in 1837.
On the 25th of January, 1817, the Rev. Cornelius C. Elting was installed pastor of the two congregations, Mahackemeck and Minisink, and performed his services in the English language. He died the 24th of October, 1843. [FN]
[FN] Mr. Elting is the only minister of this Church who has died during the pastorate of the Church.
All religious services have since been performed in the English tongue in our congregation. Within the term of his services a new church was built in Port Jervis, after which the name of "Mahackemeck Church" was altered by an act of the Legislature, in 1838, to that of "The Reformed Dutch Church of Deerpark." The materials of the old church were removed after the new one was finished, and the spot where the first and second churches had stood during a term of about one century, from the time the first was erected until the last was taken down, became vacant, and the ancient and latter occupants who formerly repaired to it for the worship of their Creator now generally sleep in their graves.
On the 29th of February, 1844, the Rev. George P. Van Wyck was ordained and installed pastor of the Reformed Dutch Church of Deerpark, unconnected with the congregation of Minisink, and his services were generally had every Sunday in this church, which he continued until in May, 1852. [FN-1] On February 22d, 1853, the Rev. Hiram Slauson was installed pastor, and continued his services until in October 1857. [FN-2]
[FN-1] Mr. Van Wyck is now (1889) living at Washington, D. C.
[FN-2] Mr. Slauson is still (1889) living at Whitehall, N. Y.
In the year 1853 the church edifice at Cuddebackville was built at a cost of $2,500, principally borne by the inhabitants of that place and its vicinity. A church was organized March 12th, 1854, (by a committee of the Classis of Orange) consisting of thirteen members, twelve of whom were received from the Reformed Dutch Church of Deerpark, and one from the Episcopal Church of Middletown. The Rev. Henry Morris was installed as the first pastor of this church the third Tuesday of September, 1855. [FN]
[FN] Mr. Morris remained pastor of this Church until 1861 when he removed to Port Jervis, and subsequently, in 1867, to Binghamton, N. Y., where he died, in 1881, at 78 years of age.
On the first Sabbath in February, 1858, the Rev. Samuel W. Mills commenced his pastoral services for the Dutch Reformed Church at Port Jervis. [FN]
[FN] Mr. Mills continued pastor until Nov. 1871.
As we now generally have preaching every Sabbath, our reading meetings have been discontinued. The exercises of those meetings were prayer by one of the communicant members, and singing before and after reading a sermon from a book of sermons.
The greatest supporters of those meetings were Benjamin Depuy, Esq., within his time of action, and afterwards Joel Whitlock. In the early part of Depuy's life he, and sometimes Jacob K. Dewitt, performed the reading in Dutch, but in the latter part of his life and afterwards it was done in the English language and continued to be done in that tongue.
Since the construction of the Delaware and Hudson canal and the New York and Erie railroad this town has received an additional population, who have built up the large and flourishing village of Port Jervis. These are from different parts of our country and from different countries in Europe and are of different religious denominations.
The greatest proportion of these are of English origin, and some of them are the most opulent in it. This village, commenced about the year 1828, now contains six churches, all of which are generally occupied every Sunday for religious worship, to wit: A Dutch Reformed as mentioned, and a Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Episcopalian and a Roman Catholic, (and now in 1890 a German Lutheran). The different opinions of men in religion and politics have always had a tendency to create enmity; but as men have become enlightened, those causes have gradually ceased to have such violent effects as in former times, especially in religion. The members' of the different denominations in our town now harmonize in their business transactions, and their different opinions in religion do not effect their social intercourse in other respects. But in politics we must always expect to have times of great contention, if we continue to have the liberty of speaking our respective sentiments, for people will always disagree, both honestly and dishonestly in respect to certain matters which will, from time to time be introduced for legislative action and determination; and our inability to judge correctly in relation to all the numerous matters which will continually occur for such decision, together with many selfish views, will always cause strife in our political affairs, and these will continue to have a great effect in opening the eyes of the people in relation to our political matters.
In religion it is probable that the different denominations will generally continue to become freed from that enmity which formerly existed in consequence of their religious opinions, the folly of which is now apparent to the best informed part of mankind. The use of force and arms in former times to compel men to unite or keep united with certain religious sects, had a tendency to produce hypocrisy, for self preservation, but not to alter men's opinions. Convincing proofs are the only means to alter erroneous opinions, but the great evil of ancient times consisted in organizing men to answer selfish purposes by religious and political subjugation; the most numerous and powerful of each of these becoming united, created a power to tyrannize over their opposers.
The acts of men which have emanated from the influence of serving God have been directed in many different ways, some of which have been very erroneous and contrary to the spirit of Christianity, although transacted by its professors. Such have been all the instigators of wars for selfish purposes, without a just cause, and all unjust impositions for whatever objects.
Within the present century much has been done to enlighten mankind and improve their condition, and we are under great obligations of gratitude to all the scientific men of our country for the vast improvement and discoveries they have made within my own time of life, most of which has been done by descendants of English origin, whose ancestors generally came into this country poor, to enjoy liberty in the wilds of the Eastern states, where they had to suffer the hardships of procuring a livelihood in a wilderness country, among the hazards of being exterminated by the numerous Indians who inhabited it. Now, notwithstanding their privations and all the hazards which attended their situations, they persevered, improved the country wherever they settled, defended themselves against Indian hostilities, and, as soon as practicable, introduced religious worship, literature and the study of the arts, and sciences, and became the most enlightened people in our country.
Many of their descendants have emigrated into the different States of the Union, and, wherever they have located, they have generally introduced religion, literature, and the study of the arts and sciences. They occupy the greatest part of the most important stations of life in our country, and we are indebted to them for a vast amount of improvements, and for many manufacturing establishments in different parts of our country. In religion they do not all unite. Their spirit of liberty generally dictates the individuals to join such Christian denomination as they respectively prefer, in consequence of which they have become divided generally among the different Christian denominations in our country. These different opinions in religious sentiments generally create no enmity between the most enlightened professors, who so differ in opinion where no apprehensions of evil consequences exist, but indications of these have not become wholly extinguished, and may or may not prove an injury to the welfare of our country.
ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE.
For about 60 or 70 years the inhabitants of that part of the present town of Deerpark, which formerly was in the town of Mamakating in Ulster County, had no nearer Justice of the Peace than in Rochester, in the same County, which was about 35 or 40 miles distant from the Peenpack neighborhood; and the services of that officer were unnecessary for the inhabitants of that neighborhood during that time, in which they had the honesty and prudence to adjust all matters relating to their mutual dealings. And the inhabitants of the lower neighborhood, who were in the County of Orange, and had settled there about 20 years after the settlement was made at Peenpack, must have resided there about 40 or 50 years before any Justice officiated in that neighborhood.
I presume that Jacobus (James) Van Auken was the first Justice of the Peace in the present town of Deerpark, and that he received his office from the authorities of the State of New Jersey before the line between the States became settled. He resided in the lower neighborhood. It was said that he was entirely illiterate, and that the wife of his son Daniel Van Auken, Leah Kittle, had been educated and could read and write, and did the same for her father-in-law when it became necessary for transacting his official business, in consequence of which she received the name of Justice in his time of life.
Benjamin Depuy and Philip Swartwout, Esquires, officiated as Justices of the Peace for the County of Ulster before the Revolutionary War commenced, and Anthony Van Etten and Solomon Kuykendall, Esquires, officiated as Justices of the Peace for the County of Orange, also before the commencement of the war, how long previous thereto I cannot determine, but think they must have come into office after the French war ended and before the year 1770. After the decease of Swartwout, Van Auken and Van Etten, which occurred, as has been mentioned, in the time of the war, Harmanus Van Inwegen became a Justice of the Peace of the County of Ulster and Levi Van Etten of Orange County. The former was a resident of the old town of Mamakating, and the latter of the former town of Minisink. Afterwards Peter G. Cuddeback became a Justice of the Peace of Ulster County, and officiated until he removed to Cayuga County.
After this time several individuals held the office in succession for the County of Orange, which became so altered, together with an alteration of the towns, as to include the present town of Deerpark in which Cuddeback resided. When the first and second churches of Mahackemeck congregation were built, a bench with a roof over it was made in each of those churches for a seat of such magistrates in time of divine service. [FN] When those civil officers were first introduced into this part of our country they were more highly esteemed than at present, though it did not require as good abilities and as much law knowledge to discharge their duties honorably in former times as at present, in consequence of the great increase of their business and a more general diffusion of law knowledge, also by having become familiarized among the people in a much greater degree than formerly.
[FN] This was very common in the Dutch Churches in this country at that time.
The descendants of the first settlers in the two neighborhoods mentioned have generally settled all their mutual dealings without the process of law, which has so continued to the present time; and before the Revolution the Justices must have had only a mere trifle of business. After the war ended law prosecutions and trials began, and their increase a few years thereafter made a great addition of business for the resident Justices in the towns mentioned, which rapidly augmented until the County of Sullivan was formed and became established out of a part of the old County of Ulster, and a part of the latter added to the old County of Orange, which transferred a great amount of law business from the present County of Ulster into the County of Sullivan.
After the Revolutionary War, the large forests of wild lands then in Ulster County contained a great amount of valuable pine, oak and hemlock timber, both near the Delaware river and for some miles distant from it. This valuable property became an object of enterprise for people to get and convey to market, first generally in the form of logs. Few owners of the land were in this part of the country, which gave people the opportunity to get it where they saw fit, but as the business extended owners were found and many people became engaged in manufacturing the timber into boards, scantling, &c., and into hewed timber, staves and shingles for market. Among these quite a great proportion of the residents in the former and present towns of Deerpark engaged, in which some did a small business, others on a medium scale, and some to a very great extent. This, with few exceptions, was done on a credit system, by running in debt to merchants and farmers for the necessary supplies the individuals wanted for their business, which generally was made payable every ensuing spring and fall, at which time the lumber was run down the river to market. In progressing in this manner many disappointments occurred which caused failures in making payments according to agreements, in consequence of disasters on the river, unsteady prices of lumber and of the produce necessary for that business, wages, &c., and many other causes of failures contributed to make business for justices, and constables of the old County of Ulster, who resided in the former town of Mamakating. As early as 1792 when I was constable and a resident of that town, I had to travel several times a distance of between 15 and 40 miles to serve processes for recovery of debts from persons who resided along the river between Pond Eddy and Cochecton, and who were in poor circumstances to pay debts. These lumbered under great disadvantages in getting round timber from the mountains bordering on the river, which business they had commenced after the war ended.
After the war terminated, boards and other sawed timber were much wanted for building purposes within the present town of Deerpark, where the enemy had burned the buildings of the inhabitants, and these materials were not manufactured in this vicinity at that time. It became necessary to build saw mills to furnish those articles, and three men, Capt. Abraham Cuddeback, Benjamin Cuddeback and Capt. Abraham Westfall, built a saw mill on a brook at that time termed Bush-kill, at or near the present tanning establishment of Mr. O. B. Wheeler, near the bridge across the Neversink river on the Mount Hope and Lumberland turnpike; and three other men, Benjamin Depuy, Esq., Elias Gumaer and Samuel Depuy, built a saw mill on the present premises of Abraham Cuddeback, Esq., on the same brook on which his present saw mill stands.
Near the Bush-kill saw mill at that time was much pine timber, and that mill continued to do considerable business for several years, and the same, and a few other mills west of it, manufactured the greatest part of the boards formerly used for the buildings in Orange County, and the shingles for roofing the same were generally made in the vicinity of those mills. All of which, during a certain period of time, made a great business, and some addition to that of our Justice's courts originated from it.
A great trading intercourse generally creates many causes of contention and fills our courts with a great amount of business, all of which has its bad and good effects, and while some bear the burdens of contention others receive the benefit of transacting the necessary business for adjusting matters of dispute. All the consequences resulting from such an intercourse of mankind, have a tendency to enlighten them, and, according to the old saying "It's an ill wind that blows nobody any good."
ANTERIOR PRICES OF LIVE STOCK, GRAIN AND OTHER FARMERS' PRODUCE, WAGES, &C.
For many years the prices of those productions, wages, &c., were about stationary. At what time or times these were established is uncertain, but I presume it must have been as early as 1740, when the same became regulated according to the discretion of the people throughout this valley or by the Esopus merchant, and continued until about the year 1790. The farmers generally paid mechanics and laborers with the produce of their farms, and the latter paid what they bought of the former in labor, and very little money was in circulation among them.