Sunday Schools

Stephen Paxton, a Sunday school missionary at the West, has established 1,061 new schools, and materially aided over 1,000 more, riding his pony, “Robert Raikes,” over 63,000 miles in accomplishment of his useful work.  At a Sunday school meeting in Hartford, Ct., on Sunday evening he related the following incident:

“After talking to the people at one of his pioneer Sunday school gatherings in a back county in  Missouri, he gave an opportunity for any persons present to express their opinions.  A tall, lank, loosely jointed cadaverous man arose and said, jerking his finger at the missionary. ‘I know that chap.  I seen him afore.  I used to live down in (something) county in Illinoy, an’ he came along ‘n started a Sunday school.  Says I ‘Wife, less move away from yere.  I dono’ nothing about Sunday schools, but I hate em.  When Sunday schools come, game gets scarce.’  Well we moved over to Pike county, Missoury.  Ben thar about two year, an’ that chap came along and started another Sunday school.  Says I, “Wife, that chap’s around agin, and it’s time to start.’  We came up here to Smith county, and we haint been here a year, an’ that chap’s around agin startin’ more Sunday schools.  If I was to move to the furtherest corner of Orrygon, I’d spect to see that chap along in less ‘n a year, startin’ a Sunday school.  I give it up, and I’m going’ in for Sunday schools.  I guess they’re pooty good things, so’I’ll fetch all my boys – seven on ‘em.’”

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Friday Morning, March 7, 1862, p. 2