Presentation by Patricia Hallam to the Barrett Township Historical Society – Friday  February 21, 2004

Selected readings from the journal of Harrison Sebring, 1824 - 1893 founding father of what is now Mountainhome United Methodist Church and first resident.

His father was the second John in succession in the Sebring family and was born on the old Bartonsville property in 1798. In 1822 he married and bought property in Price Twp. now Paradise along the Brodhead Creek known as Jame’s Henry’s Lower Bridge. On the 7^th of June, 1824  Harrison was born.

Some time in that same year,1824, there came a Methodist preacher to this section and began preaching in Arthur Henry’s house as there were no schools or churches.  Well do I remember hearing some of the old folks tell what an excitement it created all through the neighborhood and everybody had to go and see the Methodist preacher and hear what foolishness he had to talk about as Methodist preachers at this time were among the things they had only heard of and never seen and when they saw him, imagine their surprise when they found he looked like all other men but not withstanding it was almost an unpardonable sin to be a Methodist in those days and scarcely any went with the intention of becoming Methodists, but somehow and they could tell why they had a great desire to go and go they did and the word of the lord was a hammer in the hand of his servant to brake the hard and flinty hearts and not withstanding all their hatred of Methodists, they were soon in the folds of the Methodist Church and could not say that they were ashamed to suffer persecution for his name that had done so much for them…My father was appointed class leader and the class met every Sunday and they met every Tuesday evening for prayer…. In 1832 it was decided by the members of the Methodist Church that our house should be the place of preaching every 4 weeks. Well do I remember those good and zealous soldiers of the cross that then gathered at our house for class and prayer meeting and how they enjoyed themselves. Never will I forget how good old Michael Brown, although then an old man, frequently got to shouting and skipping through the house over benches or what might be in his way as nimble as a boy of fourteen. Those were the days that professors of religion lived in the power and enjoyment of their profession…  When those earnest followers of Jesus, Mr. John Setzer, and the Hilgerts and the Transues and Lurne Blasers from Paradise came there was always a happy time.  There was Betsey Bellis who married William Mack,  Betsey Utt afterwards married James Sebring, three of William Staples’ girls, sisters of John L. Staples, that were great shouters and I then thought and never had cause to change my mind that they lived more in the enjoyment of religion than any others that I ever became acquainted with.  At this writing, which is March 7^th, 1887, they have all gone to receive their reward on the “Evergreen Shore” except Betsey Sebring and she is standing as it were with one foot in the river waiting for her master to say come. ,My father died  on the 14^th day of April 1880. He passed away with a smile on his face and his last words were “It is hard to leave earthly friends, but those above…” we think he would have finished with, those above are waiting for me.” He had been in service to his master 56 years as a member of the Methodist Church, 47 of which he held a local Preachers License.

In the spring of 1842 me and my father were repairing the saw mill and as we were plumbing the fender posts, he being up on the fender beam and I under the mill, by some means he shoved the axe off of the beam and it fell about eight feet and struck me on the back of the head and so stunned me that I fell down in the pitman hole and my father seeing what had happened jumped down and took me out of the pitman hole and laid me in the sawdust.  By this time I began to come to and soon walked to the house.  I had on one of those olde fashion thick wool hats, almost as thick as a board and the pole of the axe struck me lengthwise across my head, so that this, no doubt, saved my life.  But it made a dent in my head almost the full length of the pole of the axe which I will carry with me to the grave.  As a witness of what I here say and if the axe had struck me in any other shape, no doubt it would have been the means of sending me to try the realities of the spirit world.  But God had a work for me to do and yet more for me to suffer for his name that he might show by me his love and care towards such rebellious mortals as I.

In 1847, I thought to mend my ways and find a wife.  At last I came across a young lady that I thought would suit me in the person of Annie Elizabeth Rhodes, daughter of Thomas Rhodes of Cherry Valley.  So after comparing ourselves one with another so as to be thoroughly and fairly understood, we concluded that we would pull together.  So on the 21^st day of December, 1848 us twain were made one by Joseph Huffman of Stoddardsville, Luzerne Co. and I thus far have had no cause to regret my choice and if she has, she knew enough to keep it to herself.

Sometime about the last of May, 1850 I went out to brake up a log pile.  We made a float of logs and cleared away the face of the pile  and had it nicely squared up; it was about noon.  After dinner we want back for to make a brake and I wanted some of them to go out on the pile and start some of the logs that lay on the skids on the top of the pile, but they were afraid to go, so I picked up a pick hand pry that we used in braking log piles, went out on the pile and started a number of logs.  But they did not make a brake, so I went back and started another lot some three or four length as they had been trailed in and lay on the skids.  This started the whole length of the pile so quick that I had no time to run back and in an instant the whole pile was in motion, all rolling, jamming and sliding in all manner of shape, such as so one can imagine that has never seen a log pile broke, composed of logs pealed as smooth as glass, piled up 20 ft high and 100 feet long, all laying as straight as it were possible to get them and then wet and slippery with the ice and snow that had melted amongst them.  In an instant I recognized my situation and knew all that I could do was to mind my feet and step from log to log as they came.

And well I knew the consequence of a misstep.  For if I missed a log I would instantly have been thrown down and carried to the bottom and mashed fine or forced under the water which was about 20 feet deep and the logs piled on top of me and while I was in this critical position I heard someone holler, “Look out for the skid.”  By this I looked up and saw one of the spruce skids that had lain on top of the pile which was about 30 feet long, standing straight up and I saw that it began to fall right where I was standing.  So I kept an eye on it as well as I could, intending that when it came to a proper distance to jump sideways and so I did, but whether I did not jump far enough or a log struck the skid and changed its course, I cannot tell.  But the skid struck the right side of my head and pealed the skin loose so that it covered my eye.  Under and down I went

amongst the rolling mass of logs.  But I was no sooner down than I was up again. Although stunned and crazed, I had sensibility enough left to recognize my situation. About this time as though God Almightys power had interfered, the logs became still in an instant.  Those on the bank saw how I was hurt and covered with blood, they started to assist me, but before they got to me I fell down with fatigue and excitement and they thought I had dropt dead.  So they carried me up on the bank and by this time I began to come to.  In a short time I was able to walk home, the distance being a little over a 1/4^th of a mile.  But when I got home there was another difficulty to contend with.  My head must be sewed up and no one could be found that had the courage to do it and no doctor within 17 miles.  At last someone thought it possible William Scureman that lived about a mile from there might do it, so he was brought post hast and when he came, he thought he could do it if I could stand it.  I told him to have no fears about that, so he cut the hair off of the right side of my head and soon had it nicely fixed up, but this was a dear $3. ( the amount he was paid for the job) as it was about three weeks before I could go to work again and it left me partly deaf in the right ear.  Some may call this an accidental escape, but I have ever looked upon it as a remarkable act of God or an interference of providence for my escape that I might have more time given me to pay my vows.

In the fall of 1851 I purchased a tract of land containing 436 acres situated in then Paradise Township, now Barrett Twp., at the place now called Mountain Home.  I concluded to move on to it. At this time the Delaware, Lackawanna Railroad was under construction. On the 1^st day of August 1853 we cut the first brush where the house now stands close to the mill now belonging to Martin Rinehart, and put op the house and on the 5^th of Sept we moved in and began preparation for the mill. [Because of snow and a bad winter they had to leave the mill go until the spring of 1854.]  On the 5^th of April the millwright commenced to mill and on the 28^th day of June, 1854, we started the mill and cut the first lumber ever cut at Mountain Home.

At this time it was a wild looking place, not a particle of clearing, no house within 2 miles, just a dam about 3/4^ths of a mile above.  In the fall I had put up a large addition to our house and some time in December, my father came to our house with a young man by the name of F.D. Eagen and my father stated that he was a Methodist preacher, sent out as a missionary and he would like to get a place some where abouts here for to preach in.  So I told him that he might make our house his home and have the new part of the house to preach in and if he conducted himself properly he might be instrumental of doing some good in that place.  So he left an appointment for the next Sunday and we let it be known around so that when the time came, there was a good congregation with the men that I had there and he preached a very good sermon and people liked him so he continued to preach there.

About May of 1856 I bought the farm belonging to Jacob Beesecker, in Price Township about 7 miles above Sprague ville…. The next spring, 1857, there was a circuit struck off including Paradise, Spruce Grove, Henryville, Mountain Home, Coveville and Sebrings.  Megee and Broadbent were sent on this circuit.

On the 4^th day of May 1864, by some means there was a fire started in the woods betwixt Mountainhome and Canadensis and the wind was blowing a perfect gale and the

woods uncommonly dry so that the fire traveled with the speed of the wind and the streams and roads were no obstacle in its way. All the people that lived about my place were sent for to meet at Edward Price’s to try to stop the fire but when we got there the fire had already passed and there was twenty or 25 people there from Canadensis and Mountainhome so we left some there to take care of Edward Price’s buildings and the rest started on a run thinking that we could get to the old Paradise Road before the fire and probably stop there, but when we got there we found another party there and the fire had passed them, they said as fast as a man could run.  So we all started for a stream known as Beaver Run but when we got there the fire had passed that, so we all started for my fields and when we came there we found that the fences were afire and the fire had already crossed the creek and was in the fences on the east side of the creek where the buildings was situated.  At this time every one saw what the consequences would be and all that could be done would be for everyone to look out for his own buildings and let the fences burn.  So I went by myself and began to state my case and the case of others to God and tell Him our inability to do anything and that all human power could not prevail against so destructive an element and to ask Him to help us if it was consistent with His will and in some way save us from so much loss and show favor and have mercy on His servants for Jesus’ sake and I would here say that I never went to the throne of grace with more faith nor with a more sensibility of my need of help from on high and there prayed as I felt and strange to tell before I had finished, the wind suddenly changed from the west to the east.  It was done so quick that everyone was surprised and made remarks of the singular occurrence.  So the east wind drove the fire back the way it had come and in about 2 hours we had everything safe.  These things can be proved by many witnesses, not of the prayer for they knew nothing of this, but for many years after this happened it would be mentioned all through the neighborhood as a singular occurrence. So I just mention the circumstance and leave everyone to form their own opinion, but I do say that it had a tendency to strengthen my faith in the promise, “that what things ye desire when ye pray believe that ye receive them and ye shall have them”.

At the quarterly conference held in May 1881, I was appointed class leader at Mountainhome in place of John Sparrey who had resigned.  At first I objected and thought that I could not serve for I well knew the responsibility resting on a class leader… but I must do it was the voice of the class and also the preacher Hobbs, so I took up my cross and a great cross it was, but I determined to do nothing in my own strength or ability, but cast all my care upon Him that is able to do for us abundantly above all that we are able to ask or think and look to Him for wisdom that I might not become a stumbling block for others to stumble over.  At this time the attendance at class was light – generally about 5 or 6 and I made it my study how to get the members to attend class and prayer meeting and I had conversations with a number of old leaders on the subject, but they could not give me any plan that I thought worth trying.  So I gave the subject my prayerful attention for some time.  One night as I lay in bed thinking over the matter, a thought came to me that if I could get the female members to take an interest and attend class regularly that the work would thrive and the numbers increase.  So I went and had a talk with them and they all said they would attend and also use their influence towards building up the class and I would here say to their credit that from this time on our numbers began to increase and it was not long before we had a goodly number and some of the members that had not attended in years soon fell in rank and we had of the old

fashioned class meetings that we read about fifty years ago.  If these few lines ever happen to fall into the hands of a class leader, placed in such circumstances get the female parts of your class to work first, then do your part and leave the rest to God.  Then if the work does not move and the numbers increase, your class is dead and all that remains is the funeral – for what the female part cannot do with God’s help, if they are united and in earnest will remain undone unless God should see fit to work a special miracle.  When I think back over those happy Sabbath afternoons, I can truly say that it was time well spent.  About three or four of those dear sisters have since gone to receive their rewards on the “Evergreen Shore.”

I have been looking back over the years that have thus far composed my unprofitable life and there has been almost 64 years gone by, oh how short.  Though I have lived out my three score years, if spared I will soon enter the last five of the ten, I must say they have been years of trials, difficulties on difficulties, sickness almost unto death, and labor continuously.  When I look at my past life in or by the light of the world and think of the sorrow and trouble I have passed through, the thought arises, “Why is man doomed to so much sorrow here?” but when we draw aside the curtain of eternity and view it by the eye of faith, taking the Bible for a foundation on which to stand, then these things look different.

When I look back how soon the years pass by.  Why it is only a few years since I was a boy.  I recently traveled to Tannersville and found that most of my old acquaintances are nearly all gone and they are sleeping in the Methodist and Lutheran Graveyards.  I then turned my steps toward Cherry Lane, the place of my boyhood days.  It is the time for Sabbath preaching.  I enter the church.  There is a large congregation. I take a seat. I cast my eye over the people. Nearly all are strangers except 4 or 5.  Yes I find all my playmates and school fellows are missing. Where are they?  Most of them are resting in their tombs.  A few have gone to other places, but the greater part of them are sleeping that sleep which none but the power of God can arouse them… May the Lord help me to so number my days that I may continually apply my heart unto wisdom so that whenever my days shall be numbered I may be permitted to enter that rest that remained for the people of God.