The following autobiography was written in 1842-3 and transcribed the winter of 1858-59 by Mary Ellen (Steves) Burrell while visiting her grandfather, Nathan Paddock. Burrell, a daughter of Julia Ann (Paddack) Steves, believed it to be a true and accurate copy.

The footnotes were added by Kathy Crowell and Ralph Sims in 1997. Some grammatical and punctuation changes have been made for readability. Those interested in the original transcript can acquire a copy by contacting LCrow10101@aol.com

THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF NATHAN PADDOCK

I, Nathan Paddack (1), was born April 26st 1783 in the State of New York, Dutchess (now Putnam County), in the Town of Southeast. My Grandfather Paddack was a seafaring man, and a native of Cape Cod. Before I was born he moved to Southeast where he became a Deacon of the Presbyterian Church and was esteemed a pious man. After living some years afar of religion tis said he experienced what he had so long professed. About those days the nature of conviction and conversion was little understood. Moral darkness had spread her sable clouds well nigh over their whole people. Notwithstanding this general ignorance of the nature of conviction, my Grandfather had feeling in God being merciful, strove with him by his Holy Spirit, enlightened and opened the eyes of his understanding so that he felt the burden of his sins (as he compared it) as evidently as he could a bag of grain, and when God forgave or converted his soul, he felt it as evidently fall off his shoulders - this was good experience. If he did not know what it meant he knew it had a good feeling and a good practical effect for my older sister told me that he would always on retiring to bed and rising in the morning go and stand behind his bedroom door and kneel in silent prayer and that he would pray many times a day as he walked about (ejaculations we call it) & thus continued while he lived and thus obtained a good report. It makes me feel glad when I read it now. I hope to meet him in Heaven; I should not if he had have been an Infidel--how great the contrast. My father David Paddack was a serious person from his youth up, and became a praying man in his family, his steady, uniform practice ever since I can remember was to read a chapter in the Bible, morning and evening and then pray with his assembled household and ask a blessing at table. He was the steady attendant at the public worship of God would take particular pains for his children to go and behave well in going, when there & coming home we were not allowed to pick a strawberry or huckleberry beside the road. He enjoined on me the task of reading at least one chapter in the bible every day. I well recollect how I used sometimes look for the shortest I could find in the book. He used to tell us that all he...burned with fire and brimstone. These moral lessons I have since found engraven on the table of my heart as with the pen of a diamond. I never forgot them. He also required me to commit to memory the catechism of the Presbyterian church, the ten commandments &c&c. My father was taken in the year 1793 with a swimming or dizziness in his head, then with loss of words, insomuch that in attempting to pray in his family, he could not speak the words he would. Mother went to him to not try to proceed. This was his best attempt at that duty. In common conversations he would say yarns for bushels &c. This increased upon him till no one could understand him. Before he left off labor he would stagger like a drunken man. I have known him to fall down. He would try to strive to converse with the neighbors and speak correctly, and say he could not. This strange disorder which the Doctors called the Hypochondriac increased upon him till he was pronounced crazy. From the fall of that year till March 1794 he grew worse and worse till he died not having any thing pass through him but wind and water for 8 weeks nearly all the time on his bed, speechless. He died in the evening. Deacon Young was there and prayed. When the breath had nearly left him, my Mother in the anguish of her soul cried out "Now all my comfort is gone." I was so young that I did not realize that solemn scene as I since have. Mr. Miner preached his funeral sermon. He was laid in the old burying place a little south of the meeting house. I carried home the cords with which they let the corpse down in the grave. He was a farmer and got a good honest living by his labor. Had brought up 14 children of whom I was the youngest except two. Mother continued to live in the same house and occupied her third of the farm. The other was encumbered with a small mortgage the consequence of Father being security for my uncle Nathan Paddack. Father by writing his name that once nearly beggared his family. My brother-in-law Moses Richards had the farm sold, bid it off himself for just money enough to pay the debt, then bought out Mother's third and occupied the whole, so my sister Mary one of the fourteen children was benefited by the operation. I have no doubt but there was gross fraud in this transaction. It seems hard that a large farm of 214 acres worth $40 per acre should be sold for $600,00 and benefit but one of the family only.

1794. My brother in law moved into the same house. I lived with him, worked hard for a boy eleven years old so much so that one of the neighbors told Mother I would be worked to death. Br. Aaron Paddack came up to Onondaga Co., then called Herkimer, into the Tromp township or Gore now called Deruyter took up and adjoining the village on the east. He came home in the fall, gave us a glowing description of the soil and production. Br. Isaac was already on or came soon after.

1795. In March 1795 I started with Br. Aaron and had good sleighing all the way. We came to the cleared land in Whitestown & Utica where the stumps of the trees looked odd enough. From then west we had a road rough enough all the way in a new country, tall thick woods such as I had never seen before. We passed near by and called to see the then noted deep spring in Sullivan. I suppose we turned south not far from Eagle village in Manlius, got in to Pompey Hollow after dark in a narrow woods road, the sleigh rubbing on the sides of the trees winding along till we arrived at Capt. Solomon's lands near Major Daniel Allens, where we put up, thence we proceeded up the hollow, through the woods where Delphi now stands, crossed over the gulf and found our way to Elijah Benjamins in the town of Fabius on the east side of Arab Hill. There Elias & Chester and Darius, Benjamin 4 brothers had settled and got log huts put up. When the snow was off Aaron took up a lot or two on Cooley hill where he & Isaac and myself staid all summer and cleared land. We lived in a small log shanty without a door or hearth or floor or chamber or cellar or parlor except a floor of split logs, the tall trees waving their high heads over us, we often feared they would fall and crush us. We cleared off some land so that we raised some beans & other sauce. The boys did their settling duty. We had one cow which gave us milk, and we stirred the cream in a bowl with a spoon and made some butter. We had Amos & Samuel Ackley for neighbors within about half a mile. The boys left me to stay all night alone once, while they went to Cazenovia to mill. I went to bed and tried to go to sleep before sundown greatly fearing that the bears would come in at the door way and catch me. This was rather a hard case for a boy of 13 years old, who had just come into a new country among the bears & wolves. I got to sleep and was greatly rejoiced to see daylight again. We had some codfish to eat this summer which I liked very much, but all kinds of provision were scarce and my brothers had to procure it off at a distance where the people had been one or two years. I thought of the ...my mother used to make with fowls down Country and longed for some fresh meat. One day I saw some wild pigeons light on the top of a tree. It seemed to me if I had one I could eat it raw. The difficulties attending the settling of a new country meets the newcomers at every turn, the want of sheep, the want of wool, the want of socks and all sorts of clothing, the want of shoes &c&c. Being destitute of haircombs, the boys got lousy, no mother to take care of me. Yet I felt well pleased with our situation on the whole.

1796. The next winter our boys got Elias Benjamin to board me for my work so I got wood, made fires &c. This winter Mother & Rhoda & Br. David came up from Southeast. Mother brought on some pork & cows, two essential articles for a new country. They stayed with Elijah Benjamin (2) my brother in law who married my oldest sister Elizabeth till the spring season opened so as to put up a log house on a lot. Br. Aaron took up on the east side of the village of Deruyter where Aaron & I the summer before did the first days work that any body did in that part. We carried along some fire which went out before night, then the punkus (as we called them) bit me so hard that I cried. We used to build smokes around our houses to keep the flies off our selves as well as our cattle. My brother Aaron built a log house on this lot No. 53 where he as the head of the family took Mother, Br. Daniel B., Sister Sal, Sister Rhoda & Br. David. My brother Belden was about 17 years old and my brother David about 9. Here we all lived together till my sister died with the dysentery when she was about 18 years old & myself came near dying with the same disorder.

1799. When 16 yrs old I left to learn the blacksmith business with my brother Horace at Cazenovia & Mother after living in the woods 3 or 4 years, left for her old home in Southeast, took sister Rhoda and Br. David back with her. While living in Deruyter in the woods, I was quite serious, and made a conscience of praying in secret morning & evening & reading one or more chapters in the bible daily. While I was sick with the dysentery I was taken with numbness in my lips, which soon struck all over me except my vitals. I felt just as the hand will after sleeping with it under my head. I believed I was not fit to die, so I began to pray, and promised God if he would raised me up again, I would be his servant forever. The good Lord heard me and set my blood in circulation again while my friends were rubbing me. Then my pains were all gone and I was weak as an infant, from which time I recovered fast till I was well as ever. When on the 28th day of Oct. 1799 in my 17th year, I went to Cazenovia to learn my trade, where it was noted for wickedness but I resolved never to learn their ways, but to live a sober, moral life which was all the religion I had ever known. The nature of conviction and conversion I had never heard of. Soon after I became acquainted with the boys and their new invented plays. My attention was taken with them to such a degree that my seriousness and pursuit of religion was soon over! How dangerous for serious youth to company with wild giddy boys! In consequences of such wicked company on all hands, both old & young I was led from step to step, first neglecting to read my bible daily, then restraining prayer, then Sabbath breaking, then vain & wicked words, till the word Devil was quite common, which I could soon use without remorse. Soon frolicking, dancing & card playing occupied about all my thoughts. Thus the good spirit was grieved away. In the midst of my wild and wicked career I had spells of powerful convictions, especially when I thought of those solemn words I had slighted in my distress. I knew I had not kept those promises, but had grown worse and worse instead of better till I was more wicked than ever before. The Sabbath day was often used to fish, hunt, and one time play cards on that Holy day, and I was like a Devil tormented within. About this time I procured a fish net, which I was very fond of using and selling of fish was all the means I had to get expense money. I had but 75 cts. of my Br. Horace while I lived with him which was about two years. His business was good. I felt much for his interest, worked hard, with a determination to get the trade. My plan was to get a farm with my trade, and follow farming for a living. After staying with my brother about two years, several things caused me to quit him. First I had a pain in my breast, which I feared would disqualify me for the business. Secondly he did not clothe me sufficiently. Thirdly he had become unsteady in his business, and therefore the shop was not suitable to learn the trade in. I had worn out the back(?) of the clothes my mother gave me and went away so naked, that two pair of the best trowsers I had on at once would not cover my nakedness, and my brother gave me no more. Then it was I had no home on earth - no, not so much as to lodge at night, or get the next meal! Shops were scarce in our new country about those days. I was in hopes some door might open for me to learn the trade yet, and in the mean time to get something to eat & wear. My brother seemed to be offended at my leaving him for we had but little intercourse for two years after. My naked and destitute condition demanded speedy employment. I hired my self to Elijah Risley Esq. to work at clearing land on the east side of the creeks east of the village for one month at 9 dollars, who advanced enough to buy ... cloth for a ... & trowsers, and I got Solomon Madisons wife to make them & paid her in a small hatchet she wanted for her little boy. I think I felt most pleased with this suit of clothes of any I ever had before or since, which cost me about $2,00. So I went with Solomon & Benjamin Lovejoy into a fallow of 31 acres to logging and slept on the floor at night glad enough to get a place to eat & sleep which I thought more of than I did of my wages. I got wounded in my left arm before my month was out. So I hung my hand in a handkerchief and a bag on my shoulder and with a small pick I dug Ginseng and sold it to Merritt M. Clark in the village at the rate of $2, per bushel. So in two weeks, while I was lame I got $9,00 in cash. This money I often looked at as a great sum. I then chopped old logs and trees, near where the Academy stands in Cazenovia for Elisha Farnham for one month for $7,00 in goods. I was now able to get me some comfortable winter clothes. I then hired my board on a credit with E. Risley, Esq. and went to school to Eli Hill in the upper room of a house standing on the south side of the mill pond, then belonging to Jeremiah Whipple the Sheriff. My brother had sent me to Mr. Stephens school one quarter while I lived with him. This is the second qr. schooling I have had since I was 12 yrs old, and shall never have another.

1802. I greatly respect Esq. Risleys family for their favors to me especially for trusting me for my board, so I was able to get this quarters schooling. After school was out I was in debt for board out of all kinds of business, and very lonesome. After awhile I went to work for Hiram Roberts on the north side of the green for $6,00 per month and find my clothes. They were to wash & mend but did not. I had to employ a taylor to mend. I put on a pair of linen trowsers and wore them out and had them washed but once. This was her fault. She was as ugly perhaps as the Devil wanted. He afterwards left her and lived with her no more. Went to Pennsylvania and died in a few years. He was a clever man. We lived together at odd spells about 12 months on the best terms till I could live with her no more, this I told him while tears flowed from his eyes. She manifested her ill temper by taking the victuals away from before me at the table. She accused me of stealing her eggs (which I never did). Had the headache about all the while a ...good rum lasted (for they kept tavern). She inoculated her family for the small pox in her home to drive me away (I suppose).

1803. I then hired my board with Mr. Caleb Austin a poor clever man and had the small pox quite light under the care of Dr. Moor. I was in trouble to get one dollar to pay him. I went down to the creek one clear pleasant day in April about 3 weeks sooner than usual for the fish to run and caught what I sold for $1,00 and paid the Doctor and was thankful for the Providence. I now considered myself driven out of the shops and no other that I could well get into that was fit to learn the trade in. I went to burning coal in the woods all alone where I staid night and day, for several weeks quite lonesome wishing above all things I had a fair chance to learn the trade. While I was coaling Mr. Sylvester Towsley of Manlius (3) came to see me (he was Roberts journeyman in Cazenovia while I worked for him). I hired out to him for one year for $147.50. This was the first dawn of light & prospect of realizing my greatest desire, which was to get my trade. I was now 20 yrs old. My days of sorrow, poverty, & rags were over. I now had a good home, a clever shop's crew - a good chance to learn my trade and get decent wages. With the money I earned this year I clothed my self with the first Sunday suit I ever had in my life, bought me a watch (which my poverty made me ashamed to wear), had plenty of money for all my wants. This year to me was very pleasant, comparing it with the 4 preceding, yet I was wild, full of play, loved young company, went to dancing school, began to form considerable acquaintance with young people and believed I was about as happy as boys in general of my age, for I doted on having a good trade, which I did my very best to get master of and inwardly believed I could out do them all. Absent from all my friends, from whom I had got quite weaned, having no one that cared for my morals, good or bad, I foolishly practiced card playing, with a determination to be a gambler!!! I set my self to know all the tricks I could learn. I observed that card playing was gaining an ascendancy over all other pleasures or plays. It seemed to be with me and would probably worked my ruin had not religion saved me for which I thank God and the Methodists.

1804. One day when I was about 21 years old a religious thought came into my mind shall I go to Heaven or Hell? I think there are such places - I am certain I shall die. I don't like to go to hell, and I have no assurance that I shall go to Heaven. I then thought I have always been traveling one road, behind me I can see it, before me I cannot see. I know not whether this supposed road will lead me to heaven or hell, feeling uneasy leaving it might lead me to hell. I thought I would try to get out of it. So I fancied that I turned to the right hand then looked back on my track and saw the road and beheld that it turned where I went exactly. I then supposed myself back where I turned to the right. I said I will turn short to the left, so I did and looked back & beheld the road did not proceed forward or to the right but had turned to the left where I had turned and I saw in it still. Now said I, if I am to be saved I shall be saved. If I am to be damned I shall be, there is no getting out of this path whether it leads to heaven or hell!! Then a saying of my mother came to me "It is so and was to be so and cannot be helped" so I yielded to my fate and did as I pleased without restraining myself seeing I was confined to this ... road. I have illustrated the above thoughts by drawing a map or diagram of fatality so far as it concerned myself &c below (described as a chain of Calvinistic decrees or a road of my past life from my infancy, which extends back to all eternity but I could make no visible tracks till after I was born--right hand road; left hand road) The masterpiece of Satan, John Calvin & his followers. The above pernicious and false doctrine in which I was brought up to believe and strengthened by the suggestions of the Father of lies, and glossed with false reasoning had like to have ruined my soul!!! The bible, the agency of man, the harmonious attributes of the Deity the moral fitness of things, was never once brought into the account. Solomon says "as a man thinketh so is he" in his practical life I suppose. I thought Calvin fatality was true and there was no use in trying to shun Hell or try to get to Heaven, for if "God had foreordained W-h-a-t-s-o-e-v-e-r comes to pass" the elect will be saved do what they will, and the reprobates will be damned do what they can. This is the truth and cannot successfully be denied. I now took liberty to sin as I never dared to before. And yet the good spirit strove with me, and contradicted the above doctrine, for my principles said, do what you please - it will make no difference in the end, while the good spirit, the good book, and good common sense told me better and I was often alarmed at my wickedness and powerfully convicted. Thus I was a kind of riddle to my self. I concluded Calvin fatality was the greatest lie the Devil ever told. I think it lays at the foundation of all universals and leads on to Infidelity and Atheism.

After my time was out at Mr. Sylvanus Tousley's I went a journey to Southeast my native Town where Mother, Sisters Mary, Deborah, Esther & brother David lived. I had been absent about nine years & they did not know me. I went to see sister Richards on the day of my arrival. I walked leisurely along the road through the old farm gazing on the lots, trees, stone walls, hills & brooks where I used to play, every thing now seemed huddled up together, not near so far from one place to another as they were when I was a child. All night I put up with Mr. Doolittle who kept a tavern at Milltown. The next day I made myself known, had a good visit & returned here to Manlius. But our folks never forgot the truth. I went to work a while for Mr. Tousley the same fall, went on a journey to Batavia on the Holland purchase with the view of getting assistance to set up my trade but I found none. In this journey I came in company with Moses Phillips and Abner Marsh (4) at Geneva, and went out from there and back to Manlius with them about the first of November 1804. Not finding work and price to suit me I went to Cazenovia and worked for Brother Horace Paddack a while. Here I was acquainted with the young people before I went to Manlius having lived in this village about four years. Here I was sometimes at a loss to know how to spend my Sabbaths. I agreed with Theron B. Cook, a mate of mine to meet him the next Sabbath about 3 miles north of the village up the road in the Settlement in order to play cards with some others we intended should join us. When the Sabbath came our other company was absent and we were disappointed and did not play that day with anybody. Being up in that part of the town we agreed to hear Mr. Jabez Bigelow a local Methodist preacher who had an appointment at Wm. Haights house that evening, a denomination I was entirely unacquainted with. I was told that when preaching he would holler, smite with the fist stamp with his feet, split table leaves, crush the chair that stood before him &c &c &c. All this attracted my attention. We agreed to stay and hear him. We furthermore agreed to go home with two young women that lived in the neighborhood. He being acquainted was to introduce me. This arrangement pleased me well so on the way to the place of worship Mr. Cook pointed to a house back in the lot where a young woman lived who had lately joined the society. We took our seats he on the backsides of the room & I near the fireplace. The preacher began, I paid strict attention with no better view than to make sport (afterwards) of what I saw & heard. He seemed engaged but I saw nothing like breaking chairs or tables. He sometimes brought down his foot so the floor which seemed to add weight and give a peculiar energy to his words - ... God was in the word sending it home to the conscience with alarming power. So I felt it in my soul while tears rolled down my cheeks, then for fear the people would see I clapped my handkerchief to my eyes to hide my tears - mean while I clearly saw that I was a poor wretched sinner exposed to hell!!! I saw all the convictions I ever had before and how I had lost them. I saw the darkness that had covered my soul while I lived in sin I saw time was short for so great a work. I said to myself tomorrow I will set out to serve the Lord. Just then the Preacher said "this moment set out to serve God. Delays are dangerous." Said I that is true. This moment will I set out. I will not go home with those girls strange as Mr. Cook may think of it. I now saw my ignorance and felt the want of instruction both from God and man. I was ashamed to talk with Christians because I knew so little, but wanted to hear them talk & let me alone. I then said "I would give all the world if Mr. Cook felt as I do" for I felt that I could talk freely with him. Meeting was out. I met him at the door and just said I shall not do as we agreed. He passed on & I saw no more of him that night. I watched to see who got over the fence to go to the house in the lot. I followed them to the house being an entire stranger I supposed they might think I wanted to warm me. My object was to hear something from the young person who had lately joined the society whom I supposed was as ignorant as myself. They said nothing about religion or the preaching. After a while I thought, "you know I have got warm & wonder what I was there for. I turned round & round wondering why they said nothing about the preaching. I said a word to start the subject but they did not go on with it. Then with a pained heart & hungry thirsty longing soul I left the house and made my way alone for Cazenovia Village, praying all the way viewing clearly with great distress and painful anxiety the danger of my getting asleep in sin again as I had been before. I feared if I did I should never be awakened again till I waked up in Hell. This fear lay with the greatest weight upon my mind. Before I went to bed I kneeled down in the dark on the floor to pray to God while I heard the great tears spat spat on the floor. I then laid down meditating on my condition & resolved to go to the Thursday prayer meeting which had been given out. It seemed to be a great way off but I thought I might get some good if I went. And I should not be lose my good desires & resolutions before this day came. I fell asleep while part of the hymn which had been sung that day at meeting seemed to be most melodiously sounding in my ears. I then saw myself standing on a beautiful green level field beside one of the most pleasant streams of water I ever saw which ran so swift that it threw a succession of large drops above its surface which fell again into the stream which stream appeared to be about six feet wide. I saw a large wheel like unto a sawmill wheel suspended over the brook whose buckets hung about a foot above the surface of the running water. I saw nothing that the wheel hung on. When I first looked, it was slowly turning round so slow that I expected every moment to see it stop. I wondered what had set it a moving. I then observed the drops shooting along on the surface by the rapidity of the stream which had hit the bucket that had just passed and thus set the wheel in motion. My anxiety was intense. My fears were great. I desired that it might turn till another bucket should come in contact with the flying drops which I was of reason...would give the wheel a new supply of strength to hold on its way and not stop & so it did and my painful feelings subsided. Then I said how beautifully strange this wheel would move if the buckets were let down into the strong current which I greatly desired to see. I awoke and said thank God he has made known unto me that I shall not lose my desires. The interpretation was as one thought wicked and unworthy as I knew I was. God was merciful & gave me this curious vision or dream every way applicable to my case for my encouragement for it seemed to be stamped with divine authority to my mind, the water running so beautifully and free was the grace of God - the shaft or main body of the wheel was myself - the buckets were the meetings. Then one I came from was gone by & I feared the wheel would stop or I leave my desires before the next Thursday prayer meeting. I was shown I should not for I saw the other bucket come down & receive fresh strength. The whole dream with its application to myself was great to my mind.

In a few weeks I was placed on a dream beside the same stream again and saw the wheel let down into the water as I had desired. It was turning strong and steady as could be desired. I awoke & took great courage to go on my way. I now began to read my bible with great interest, prayed without ceasing, but wished to be a Christian without having any body know it. I soon found I could not absent myself from all my former company, read my bible, go to meetings steadily, and look so solemn, and live as soberly as I felt I must without exposing myself. About two days afterwards Mr. Cook came into the shop while I was alone the first sight of him was strikingly different from his former appearance. We soon began to talk of the Sunday evening meeting. He said he was glad when I told him at the door that I should not do as we agreed, that he was saying to himself, O I would give all the world (if I had it) if Nathan felt as I do that he might have a companion to unbosom himself to. N.B. the same expression I was making about him. We never were so glad to see each other before. We fully resolved to serve God the rest of our days, let our young companions think as they would we would flee from the wrath to come and save our souls by the grace of God. We resolved to go to the next Thursday prayer meeting accordingly. We did and seated ourselves on a trunk in the backside of Mr. Wm. Haights' room while the Christians sang & prayed & talked. I saw an old man (Father Yate). I wished I was in that man's place if he was old and I was young for he was a Christian and the sooner he did the sooner he would go to heaven & to get to heaven was my greatest desire. Mr. Cook & I had frequent intercourses together when we always told our feelings freely. We went to meeting at the same place the next Sabbath and heard Br. Bigelow again. With utter astonishment I heard him tell my feelings better than I could tell them myself. After meeting a woman (Sister Nosh(?)) asked me if I would speak to the preacher. I went our door & told Mr. Cook I had an invitation to speak to the preacher and said let us go in. The man smiled and spoke tenderly to us which took off all the fear I always had of the ministers of the gospel from my childhood, having been brought up among the Presbyterians where the ministers wore a three cornered hat, and were almost worshipped by the people. I was as fearful of one as I should be of an angel of darkness. They talked of having the preacher come and hold meetings there each Sunday. I liked that & said I would give two shillings every Sabbath. I saw them smile. I was as ignorant of Methodism as if I had rained down from the clouds. Br. Cook & I went to live in that neighborhood under pretense of going to school but our object was religious privileges. I asked Br. Cook whether he had told his and my exercises & feelings. He said no. Then, said I, how does the Minister know my thoughts, feelings, desires? This was a great wonder to me. I went to school, but found my mind so exercised that I could scarcely do an old sum I was acquainted with, so my schooling was of little use. I set and prayed but this did not satisfy, so I would often go out into the woods in the deep snow, kneel down and pour out my sorrows before the Lord. I felt my heart hard as a stone. I wished I could repent as I ought to do. I was grieved that I was so hardened that I could not be sorry that I had sinned against divine goodness - not knowing that repentance implied among other things a sensibility of a hard heart. While in this exercise I visited Father Yates. The evening was spent in religious conversation & prayer. I felt the company five times that evening and went out behind a sleigh to pray. My heart felt so hard that I could not repent as I wished to. The last time I cried because I could not cry for my sins. This was hard and solemn business. To be born again is no small thing, is not to be trifled with. One day in school I wrote the following lines, descriptive of my feelings & desires. 1 Hard on my heart the burthen lies/O god remove I pray,/Those clouds of darkness from my eyes/That I may plainly say/ 2 The goodness of my blessed Lord,/Who hung upon the tree/And died without one murmuring word/For thee, my soul for thee!!!/ 3 Lord give me grace therein to grow/While I am but a youth, 'That I may serve thee here below, 'In spirit and in truth/ 4 Then bring me up to reign above,/Where saints and angels dwell,/To celebrate redeeming love,/Which saved my soul from Hell.

One evening out door I kneeled beside a tree and prayed to God that I might feel something when Br. Haight attended family prayer, which would give me some satisfaction. The time came, we were on our knees, when Br. Haight unexpectedly asked me to pray! I felt the cross so great for such a poor weak, ignorant, wicked, unworthy creature, it seemed more than I could do. I began to tremble, I strove against it, then held my breath so as not to make a noise, but when I did breathe again, the noise would come and thus my proud heart was greatly mortified! Br. Haight found I could only sob and cry & groan so he prayed for us. When I got over this so I could talk I told him the story of praying by the tree and of my feeling some satisfaction. I felt as if my hard heart was softened some, and was satisfied it was in answer to prayer, and believed I should get religion if I was faithful which I was fully determined on. We now had several meetings on week day evenings, and several others were awakened, and seeking salvation. Sister Gilson told us we had better stay in the school house & pray together after school was out. So Br Cook & I did - with great surprise at hearing our own voices for the first time in solemn prayer while I trembled and sweat greatly. I felt this was a profitable duty, which he and I often attended to in the barns and woods afterwards.

I had a good suit of clothes (besides my shop clothes) with a rich silk velvet vest that I was under the necessity of wearing for the want of a plainer suit. So the next Sabbath after I was awakened I went up stairs to dress, and looked at these clothes and wished I had some plainer, for they did not look as I felt. I tore the ruffle off my shirt instantly and resolved to give away my vest as soon as I could get a plain one (which I did afterwards). It was clear to my mind that plain clothes was far Moore suitable for serious persons, and so I think it, so Paul, Peter, and Isaiah thought, and thus God has commanded, and the proud professor cannot deny it in truth however he may plead for it at the peril of his soul!!! Br. Cook & I soon began to pray in the prayer meeting, with much trembling. One evening I placed myself close to the fire to see if it was the cold that made me tremble. I found no difference. The cross was heavy, so I tried to work out my salvation with fear & trembling while God worked in me a willing mind to do all I could to save my soul. One day I found in the bible "Where two are agreed as touching one thing &c." I believed the promise and with joy showed it to Br. Cook. Now, said I, let us agree to pray for Elijah Risley and Luther Mathews, two of our old mates in sin. It was not long before they were under such powerful conviction that they had like to have both spoke at once in letting each know how they felt - they had before this seemed to rejoice at our present course of life for said they "we shall have all the young company to ourselves." One day, while riding home together from meeting in a sleigh, Elijah said if he could believe that a person could take more comfort in serving God than in young company he would try to serve God too. We assured him that we know it to be so from experience. He said afterwards he believed us for he never knew us to tell a lie. Afterwards in the course of the winter, while I was living at Manlius village with Sylvanus Tousley, I took Sally Tousley in a cutter and went over to Cazenovia and put up with my brother Horace. The young people soon found I was there and came in to see us, Elijah & Luther among the rest. Br. Cook took me out of doors and told me the danger he saw us in. We feared to wound our consciences and did not feel strong and bold enough to turn the visit into a religious one where none of the folks professed religion so we agreed to take the consequences & invited Elijah & Luther to retire with us to Capt. Johnsons barn where we stayed perhaps about three hours. We all prayed & talked together about the salvation of our souls with great satisfaction notwithstanding the weather was stinging cold & the barn was dark. When our meeting was over we found the folks had gone to bed and the next we found as we expected that we had given great offense in leaving their company. Both of these young men experienced religion - afterwards Luther died in a few years - Elijah Risley moved with his fathers family to Fredonia and backslid because he would not preach the gospel. I saw him at one of our camp meetings. He told me with tears in his eyes that he might now have been happy with us if he had have consented to preach the gospel but the cross was so great he refused.

About this time I dreamed I had a large wart on my breast which must be dug out or it would prove fatal. I dreaded the operation but consented. I saw it taken out without any pain but did not see the instrument that did the cutting. I rejoiced that it was out but saw several small ones not far from the big one. On the outer border of these I saw quite a number of small ones just coming out through the skin. It was made known to me that all of these both great and small must be rooted out or they would prove fatal. I said it should be done. I awoke and thanked God that the greatest sin was conquered. That was young company - did not the Lord show me the doctrine of Christian perfection? At another time I dreamed I was in where was once my fathers meadow where the path led across Croton river. The water was low. I waded about half way over and looked up stream and saw the banks full of the blackest water I ever saw, rushing on towards me. I instantly retreated to the banks of the meadows, where I was safe, and saw I had narrowly escaped with my life. I fear this dream indicates that I should one day get into my old sinful path, heedlessly walking along in a backslidden state till I should enter the dark valley and shadow of death, and became alarmed at my dangerous condition. I thank a merciful God who graciously permitted me to make a safe retreat. I have now related three dreams the only ones I ever had which were stamped on my mind with divine authority, which I believe God gave me for my good in their several respects.

Quarterly meeting was coming on. Br. Jas. Haight said on such an evening he would receive from the friends what they pleased to give for the support of the gospel. I was a poor boy out of money and could not get any of my brothers where I was at work, so I took a new axe from the shop and started off for the meeting. Before I got there a man paid me $2,00 for the axe (was there a providence in this). I asked Br. Haight how the ministers were supported. He said they depend on the liberality of the people. I then gave him one dollar. He said it was too much for me to give. I thought not. I feared the hand of charity was too cold in this fallen world to afford the preachers a very liberal support. I had like to forgot to state that I joined society soon after I was awakened. When Elder Ebenezer White the circuit preacher came round to the Haight settlement about 3 miles north of Cazenovia village, he gave all the serious seeking souls in invitation to join the society and plainly told us the consequence would be that our names would be cast out as evil that the Methodists were a despised people by the world. I cared for none of these things. It was enough for me to know that I loved them better than any people I ever saw, not even excepting my own relation. I was resolved if they would take me to live & die with them so I and 8 more were received on trial. After I had been seeking the Lord 5 weeks and 6 days, with all seriousness and great anxiety and anguish of soul which wore the flesh off my bones, I was told quarterly meeting was to be held in the town of Fabius in Kinneys settlement. I asked if there was a tavern near by where I could stay all night provided I should be able to get expense money and should go. O said one brother the Methodists keep their brethren and sisters & friends at their own houses on free cost, and I will take you there and bring you back in my sleigh. I saw I was provided for at once by these strange wonderful and loving people so I went with them. All their ways were new to me. After supper the prayer meeting commenced, at which I long ... and wished to receive such a blessing as I had not yet found. Br. Jabez Bigelow a local preacher under whom I was awakened opened the meeting and told the people what he thought they ought to pray for, either awakening & conversion or soul. This I felt was right - meeting began - I was big with desire & expectation (the ingredients of hope) of experiencing some great blessing. We were not long on our knees before the people began to give Glory to God and praise his holy name in such a loud strain that quite alarmed me and filled me with severe trials. I feared they were mocking that good God who had not cut me down as a cumberer of the ground and now in mercy was drawing on to himself. I stayed on my knees a long while praying that no one would act beyond what they felt and thus avoid mocking God. After a long time it seemed to me that all good order was lost in confusion. I said to myself this is no meeting for me. I will arise and examine this strange work and see what to make of it. I strongly doubted the propriety of such doings. Some lay on the floor hollering loudly the name of Jesus, others standing or sitting, giving glory to God. Some were giving their attention to a young woman who lay helpless on a bed (this was sister Hepsy who afterwards married Br. Clark). This case I determined to examine. I said to myself if I find it can be feigned I shall believe she feigns it. After most seriously and solemnly examining her case I was utterly confounded and knew not what to do - what made my trial more severe was some of these were the very ones I had loved so well and now see how strangely they act. I turned away from this lain girl and thought I have been seeking religion several weeks - I now have lost sight of any way whereby I had expected to find it. I know not what further I can do, I am utterly confounded in all my expectations. I am confused & tried with what I now hear and see. Now for the first since I was awakened ... despair began to seize upon my troubled Soul!!! My soul ran out to God with vehement desires to know what I should do. I said to myself let this be religion or not. The Lord may take me and do with me as he pleases for time and eternity - whether my life be long or short - prosperous or adverse. At this moment I thought I was comparatively like a potato on the floor which I could turn over with the end of a cane and it would lay there then turn it on the other side and it would lay there - by this time I had walked three or four steps from the bed towards the end of the room & was in the act of turning around short when about half turned I felt - and believe I was the happiest being in the world. All my pain, anguish, distress & despair of soul was gone. I was all resignation to God even if it was to die the next moment. The fear of death was all gone. The fear of Hell was all gone & glory came running through my soul. My heart was all love - yes such love as no longer can tell it was inexpressible & full of glory. I said to myself this is religion. I am converted, this blessing has been for weeks within a hairsbreadth of me. I see now all the reason I did not find it before was for want of giving up my body my soul my life my all to God as I now have done. I then looked over the room. O said I to myself shout away yes louder yet - you cannot come up to my feelings - yes that very noise that had tried my soul to the very quick a few minutes before, was now the sweetest music to my soul I had ever heard. I lay down on the floor in my clothes and great coat beside Br. Reuben Haight without a bed this winter night - the house being full & not being beds enough for all. But I felt blessed even on the hard cold floor. Early next morning we were up got breakfast & went to Love feast in a cold house. I heard one tell how he felt & another how they felt. Yes said I to myself that is just as I feel. I was soon overpowered with this new meeting while tears of joy filled my eyes. Br. Jewel was our presiding elder, Br. Ebenezer White our Circuit preacher. Br. Timothy Dewey was at this meeting & closed it with a powerful prayer. This was the first quarter meeting I saw him at. I had told nobody yet how happy I was, but knew I had religion & said to myself if ever I become wicked again (which God forbid) I was sure I could not deny what the Lord had done in converting my soul. In going to meeting I often found myself on a trot & would have to check myself. I was unwilling to miss of a meeting or any part of one. We had them twice a week & then the time between seemed long. I often walked three miles sometimes seven, ten & twenty miles to quarterly meetings & was never sorry for the trouble. Having experienced religion in a loud storm (as some might call it) I was always pleased afterwards with loud shouting meetings although I was quite still, it not being my constitutional make to be noisy. One day as I was going from Cazenovia village to the head of the Lake to hear Elder White my mind was running on my relatives. I was thinking over what I would say to them. While thus exhorting them the whole plan of salvation broke into my mind in a wonderful manner. I never saw it so clear before. That evening for the first I felt the power of God to take away the use of my limbs. As I sat on the long bench I prayed for more & more of the same till I believed I should to be able to keep my seat. Then a thought started into my mind, "how will you look on the floor?" My heart gave way to shame in one instant the Spirit was quenched & I was left with my natural feelings - mourning that I was ashamed of the effects, and consequences of God's gracious & powerful work on my soul. One day as I was walking across the green in the village I had such a sense of the Christian warfare and the danger I was in of falling into sin that I greatly rejoiced at the thought "I shall not live here in this state of trial for ever." Seventy years will be as old as I shall probably live to be. I will by the grace of God endeavor to deny myself of the most pleasing & besetting sins, and thus fight the good fight as a good soldier to the end.

1805. I was now twenty two years of age without any steady home had a good trade which I understood in its various branches better than workmen in general. One day as I was walking from Cazenovia to Manlius, thinking of my homeless condition my poverty & the difficulty of a poor boys standing in the world I resolved to get me a wife and set out in the world for myself for I believed if I had a house & shop of my own I could get a living and take much satisfaction in praying to God in my family & entertaining the Methodist Preachers, & have their company which I esteemed above all men in the world. A few days after my birthday I was married by Esq. John Sweeting (5) the supervisor of the town of Manlius to Miss Mehitable Eaton a young woman in her seventeenth year without religion but of a Methodist family. It may seem strange that I should take a woman for my companion in life without religion. I had formed an acquaintance & attachment to her before I was converted & now found I liked her better for a wife than any other person of my acquaintance. Otherwise I would have fought for a religion person by all means beside the unbelieving wife is or shall be sanctified or converted by the believing husband & so it was afterwards, to my great joy, that spring Merrit M. Clark offered me three hundred & sixty five dollars a year to take charge of a new shop he would build in the Town of Lyden Lewis County. I accepted the offer, left my wife at her father's house & saw her but three times that year, went to New York got stock then took Cadnial Eaton my wife's brother with me to Black river & worked hard & was wronged out of about one hundred dollars by my employer. I had an abundance of trouble with him and bought his tools & scraps to get my pay as far as I could and hired Capt. Johnathan Edwards to move my tools back to Manlius, where I intended to start my trade...

1806. I was so attached to Br. Theron B. Cook and Elijah Risley that we agreed if their Father consented to live together always. They were to learn the trade with me. To this proposal their parents did not consent. I thought then and think now, their c... was a good one if it was laid by boys. I now had my tools and about $60,00 in money. Had Jason Boardman for an apprentice. Sally was born. So we had 4 in the family, and began to set a table in my father in laws house. He found us in garden... sauce. I bought pork of Joseph Goeswold for ... per lb, and wheat at $2,00 per bushel and a sheep of elder Gershom Breed that was so poor that we did not get tallow enough for one candle. I will now rest here for a while and retrospect to the past year. My greatest concern when I had agreed to go to the Black river, was whether I should find a society of Methodists. When I arrived there I found within one and a half miles a small happy society of whom Br. Stone was leader. With this society I used to meet about twice each week and we held blessed good meetings the whole year I was there. This proved a great blessing to me for which I thank God. I lived among the close Baptists & some Presbyterians, all Calvinists who met for conference meetings near by the shop where I worked, so I being fond of religious meetings attended with them. Deacon Hawley or some other would begin by asking, Mr. will you pray? He would say I would rather join with (Mr. such ...) So it was put from one to another till it came to me and I dare not refuse, ignorant and embarrassed as I was. After the meeting was thus opened they would take their seats and instead of praying, both Baptist and Presbyterians would unite together and fall on me and try to reason me out of my Methodism!! and choke on me with their doctrines of fatality. I lamented that they should take such a course with their meetings. The best I could do was to recite to them some scripture that I could remember and with the light of my experience I stood their assaults better than I expected. The Dea. told me when he first experienced religion he believed one whole year just as I did, but after that he began to see light as through a crevice of a rock and thus came into his present belief. Another Calvinist told me he was to find himself on the run going to meeting like me and now laughed at the idea. He could see through the crevice too!! At a certain meeting Dea. Hawley and others were warmly contending for unconditional perseverances. The Dea. cried out, Mr. Paddack Look at that fire. See how it blazes!! This may die away till no blaze or fire is to be seen But you rake open the ashes and you will fire!! (The seed remains within them). Dea., said I, Let it alone awhile longer and it will all go out!! Finding their efforts fruitless they let me alone. At another time a minister told me that all the Methodists who understood the doctrine and believed it would be damned. I asked him if he did not think it was sin not to be resigned to the will of God. He said Yes. I wanted to know why he opposed the Methodists, as according to his principles, there was to be just such a people and to believe just as they do. He made no reply only said we sinned in every thing to the last moment of our existence. I asked, How then can they get to Heaven? He did not pretend to show. It was believed by some that this same college-learned fatalist after he had done making merchandise of the people turned out to be a deist, but it does not surprise that a deist should be willing to read Calvinism for year to year to a congregation where the people are fools enough to pay him well for it.

I now return to my narration.

I hired of Charles Moseley a spot of ground at the lower end of the village of Manlius on the corner where the road turns off from the turnpike to go to Salt Point (6), through which a small handsome brook ran among the old cedar logs, for $5,00 per year and engaged Lewis Guth... to put thereon a shop 30 by 20 for $3,00. I was to find board & shingles &c. I got the privilege of Mr. Gershom Breed to cut what coal wood I wanted on his land so Jason Boardman & self cut enough for 3 pits. While they were burning &c Mehitable went & watched with sister. The same night her fever turned, both of us took the fever & were sick some weeks. Dr. Thayers bill was $16. I got help about the coal, had them raked out & hired Palmer Breed to draw them down to Manlius. I hired a small doctors office at $30 per year by my new shop & while I was only able to sit in a wagon moved down to the village. Then with the remains of ano. poor sheep salted down in an old churn, a baking of flour & a plate of butter & one dollar in cash we began to try to live in this place. The next day after we moved I got a qt. of brandy, put in it some orange peel and other bitters & drank of it. In one day I had gained more strength than I had in three weeks before. Jason & I began to build the forge & lay the floors. I was soon in want of provisions so I went up the road to old Mr. Benjamin Potter and offered him the last dollar I had & the rest in work after I got to work if he would sell me a fat sheep, but no, I got none of any body, so I started for home sorrowful enough having only enough in the house for one meal more. I looked over the valley on the hills all looked lonely enough. I feared I should not be able to get a living in the world yet. I thought if I could once get my shop done & get wood & get to work that I should be able to get enough to get with these reflections I walked down the hills, called in to Mr. Moseleys store saw some dressed chickens hanging on a post. I asked the price. 4 cts/lb he said he would ... me with them. I took them home, now thought we can eat a while longer. I think I never was more glad of a favor in my life - this story may appear unworthy of any notice to those who were never brought into such strates but to me it is quite otherwise. I often think of the mercy & goodness of God in raising me up from such a state of destitution & filling my heart with food & gladness. My health & strength returned so that I finished my shop & began to work on the 27 day of Oct. 1806. I now owed for about half my shop & ran in debt to Chas. B. Bristol of Eagle village for 100 lbs. of iron for which I gave my note at 30 days for $10. My old Boss Tousley & his brother Roswell were doing a heavy business, and were able to drive on largely. Sylvanus told me they would not allow me to carry on my trade in that place, that they would run me in the price of work &c. The man trembled while he talked with me. I asked if the merchants asked the liberty to set up & sell goods, as I heard their heavy threats with mildness if not with meekness. I believe the more they tried to hurt me the more friendly they made me. Their short words got back to me from different parts of the county & in a few days I had all the work I could do. I labored hard & tried to please & people brought me victuals in abundance so that in three months I had enough to last a year all paid for. Folks were surprised when they came to see me & wondered where & how I came to have such a store of provisions on hand. I laboured hard & long some nights till 11 or 12 oclock then up at 4 oclock in the morning & at it hammer and tongs, sledge, bellows & anvil thumping & blowing I used to sell great numbers of axes to the people moving on to Ohio. One evening a man put up in the village & wanted 13 axes mostly light ones for his boys. I & the boys blew ... fires all night - I never slept a wink. By thus laboring too hard I ruined a good constitution before I was thirty years of age. I was always in debt & felt a great anxiety to pay by the day it was due which I generally did & sometimes bought up my notes before hand at a discount. I laid up about eight hundred dollars per year for several years till I was worth about seven thousand dollars a far larger sum than I ever expected to possess. In order to get custom & keep it I conducted my business by the following rules, first to do my work in the best manner, 2nd to have it done by the time I agree at & not compel the man to call twice, 3rd be always at home & have every thing done under my own inspection, 4th always be as pleasant with my customers as I could be with a clear conscience. One gentleman asked another why he went so far to get Paddack to do his work? He answered he is always at home & could go 8 miles & get the work done & get home again sooner than he could at the shops near by.

While I was thus engaged in business I was also aiming to get to heaven. I united with the society two miles north of the village. We met the most at Br. Levi Bishops (7). I made rule to go twice a week & was often greatly blessed in so doing. I often saw the hand of a kind providence over me in temporal as well as in spiritual things. Sometimes men would come and say, now I have come so many miles on purpose to get you to jump my axe or axes & get so many new ones. I have known some to come on purpose from the Holland purchase to get a back load of axes. I believed that God had inclined them & I was thankful. I found myself prospering beyond all my former expectations.

1807. In the second year of my business I bought the corner lot on which I lived & built me a house (see footnote 6). Mr. Daniel Olds did the work, Saml. & Ora Parker helped him. After getting this house done, I had a great sense of the goodness of God & retired into one of the bedrooms got down on my knees & asked God to give me grace to use all the talents afforded me to his honor & glory. Bishop Francis Asbury has stayed with me in this house (8). O how many good Methodist preachers I have had the honor & comfort of entertaining in that house. When I came to keep house contrary to my former calculations I found it so great a cross to pray in my family that I omitted it for several months. One time at a prayer meeting the subject of family prayer came home to my conscience. My confidence was cut off before those whom I supposed knew I did not pray in my family. The question seemed to be will you pray in your family & go to heaven, or neglect & lose your soul? So that night I told our folks I must pray. I could not omit it with a clear conscience. So I did with much fear & trembling. & have been enabled to keep it up since. My wife & apprentices were all unconverted at this time & did not like to give their attendance to this duty. They would be off to bed quite early if I was out. In the morning it was more difficult to evade it. Their aversion was a great trial to me. Conscience bound to keep up a practice that was a great cross to me, & disliked by every one of my family. If any body came to stay with me I was in great trouble because I should have to pray before them as I had other difficulties in the performance of this duty. I was often interrupted by some one knocking at the door. My heart would flutter. I would strive to hide my embarrassment & pray as well as I could after I had done & arose from my knees, behold Esq. Wattles or somebody else was by & had heard me. At last I believed I had been caught so many times that they must all know that I prayed. I felt better & was more on my guard before them that I sinned not. One evening as I was praying I heard my wife cry. A thought struck me "Who knows but God is awakening her? After I rose from prayer, I asked her what was the matter. "I fear I shall go to hell," she soon experienced religion to the great joy of myself & her father whom she went immediately to see & they both rejoiced together. Now I had one to kneel with one and glad was I. I found in my daily experience in praying to God, in my family morning & evening before anybody that happened to stay with me (& they were not a few) that the yoke of Christ became easy & the burden light, according to his gracious & encouraging promise. So now I was broke to the custom of praying at the public meetings & in my family. But there was the sick, Oh what a cross to pray with them under new circumstances. When I had got strong enough to pray under the three former circumstances, I found a fourth mysterious enough, why should I be so fearful to be caught on my knees in ...prayer? My fears were so great that I have got up off my knees in the wood beside some old log when I fancied I heard a man stepping towards me in the leaves. In looking around I saw nobody & was filled with shame before my God for my conduct. It was nothing more than the jump of a mouse of a squirrel or rustling of a leaf, & maybe only the Devil working on my excited fears. Down I would get again on my knees with shame before the Lord, for my unwilling to confess him in the ordinance before men. I laid the matter before Br. Levi Bishop. He smiled & told me his experience on this subject & concluded by saying he thought it our privilege to get a secret place but if any one should come in our way not to rise. This was good advice. I well remember the first time I was able to stand it out. It seemed as if I could feel their eyes hit my back. I felt justified in sticking to it. Perhaps they will be awakened & converted in seeing our sincere devotion to God in secret places sooner than in our more public acts. I often wished for a reformation in our village. I saw so many advantages, firstly I should not have to go two miles to meeting as I often did after a hard days work, & being weary and some times tempted to stay at home (but never gave way to it). I often observed that I came home greatly refreshed in body & Soul. 2nd I should have the company of praying people. 3rd I greatly wished for their Salvation. To this above ends I often introduced preaching. The people would come out a few times & satisfy the curiosity & come no more. After eight or nine years had passed without much regularity in meetings of any denomination except now & then by a hireling who would stop when his wages stopped who seemed to think more of his pay than of the Souls of the people. About these days there came into the place Mr. E. who was a Presbyterian Minister who set up a conference meeting this being a new thing in our village. The people came out in great numbers. I heard of it & went to the second meeting where I found the schoolhouse full of lawyers, doctors, merchants & mechanics. The minister spoke a few words & gave a liberty for others which one ... I myself with much trembling informed. The people had a mixture of light & darkness well calculated to stagger them. I felt for them & endeavored to tell them how I felt under conviction to be ... them. "He that cometh unto God must believe that he is the new order of them that diligently... I asked the Minister if the word cometh did not mean the act of the Creature while drawing near to God? He answered Calvinistically. "I think it means one already come." The priest under the name of Conference kept his meetings up for some weeks & gave liberty for others to speak after he had read a sermon or comment to them. Br. Orrin Doolittle was there when the Minister read. Dr. Scott comment on the 8th chap of the Romans which Br. Doolittle answered effectually & to the great satisfaction of the people. Before he had done the Minister arose with his candle & hymn book & stood ready to dismiss the congregation. This act gave great umbrage to the people. One said to me afterwards, "he ought to have been knocked down." So he gave us no more liberty. Therefore, I said there will be a prayer meeting at such a place next Thursday evening. The time came & the people too. Br. John Phelps prayed. An old stocking weaver that we called Father Lewis belonged to no church but prayed with us & talked in his way. Calvinism & free grace all mixed together. Br. Phelps & my self were a couple of poor weak creatures for such a great work. I told the people all I knew so many times ...that I was sorry for them & quite ashamed of myself. One Monday after our Sunday prayer meeting I felt so mortified about my poor week talk & so sorry for the people that they did not have something better. I wanted to skulk away & hide from the people. I was strongly tempted never to try to say anything in meeting to them again, yet I felt greatly for their souls & considered it better feel like dropping into an auger hole than to be lifted up by pride. I thought it possible that they did not look on our weakness & about me as I did. This was a great day of humiliation to me. I concluded that they would come no more & I then should not appoint any more meetings, but if they came out as many as usual I should not stop so I waited with great anxiety till Thursday evening expecting it would be the last. But they began to come & kept coming till the house was crowded full. Then the spirit of the Lord with the sight of the people inspired me to do again all I could for their hungry souls & so our prayer meetings were kept up. I brought the preachers to give us a regular appointment which they did & brought the north society over to the village & thirteen of us met at my house for preaching & prayer meetings & class meeting. The people filled two rooms & stood round the house to hear. They seemed like a flock of sheep beside a fence waiting for one to jump over and the rest would follow. One day at class meeting Mrs. Nims went out with another & took courage to come back into the house where she heard us talk. She told us she wanted religion. The next Sabbath she found peace & was happy. Thus my first sheep jumped over to my first joy. I visited this sister every day & we generally had prayers together. She was in earnest to learn the will of God & felt for the souls of the people. One Sabbath noon I went back in a field to look for a lost cow I had lately bought. I saw she was not among the cattle, there is instantly felt such a weight to light on me that I dropped on my knees & reasoned thus (while ... persons were presented to me) why do I feel this weight & unusual concern for these persons? I do not know that they want religion, I have had no intimation of it. Why should I feel such a singular & powerful impression for them then. I then thought, sister Nims undoubtedly prays for her husband & sister, & Mrs. Hall... for her husband (the three persons presented to me). Then that scripture came to my mind "Where two are agreed touching one thing they shall ask for &c&c" I thought we have not agreed together to pray for them, but I will join my prayer with hers, so I now found my soul at liberty & prayed for them. I walked home pondering upon the strange exercise in my mind. They were in my house in the afternoon to hear preaching, but I felt nothing unusual for them till after meeting while our folks were getting tea as I was walking the room I suddenly felt a powerful impression to go down to sister Nims. I rejected the impression as I had been there every day & today was the Sabbath. Immediately the same powerful impression came again, what things I cannot I keep away one day the people may think I do not regard the Sabbath. if I am ... shine today I will go tomorrow. Then instantly the third impression followed "go down to that house". I consented I would go if I could make an errand. So it came into my mind that I might walk out with my wife this warm weather & just call in & perhaps no one would think strange of it. I asked my wife if she would go down to Mrs. Halls & Nims with me? She said "yes," now I felt in a great hurry to have our tea over & be going. We walked down & took our seats in Mrs. Nims' front room. Sister Nims asked me why the Methodists urged the people to talk & pray as we did. To make the matter clear I asked her "do you not feel that you ought to tell the people what great things the Lord had done for you? " She said "yes." I then asked "do you not feel bad when you reject such impressions? She said "yes." I then asked "does not God bless you when you do speak? She smiled & said "yes." This is the reason why we wish all to be faithful, thus doing they will please God. In letting their light shine they will do good & hold on their way & grow stronger & stronger. Just as we had got along with this question Miss Wells darted into the room so swift we feared a child had been scalded, or some accident happened. She stopped and went back as swift, in the time she said "Mr. Paddack, do come in and pray for us." We all stepped quickly in the room and found Mr. Wells with uplifted hands, in loud and mournful, tremulous voice, imploring us to pray for him. Now here before my eyes stood the three persons that seven hours before lit on my back up in the lot, all in deep distress on account of their sins. Now the whole mysterious riddle of the day was clear to my understanding. My soul was overjoyed insomuch that I excused myself for laughing. I told them I did not rejoice at their distress but that they were awakened, and was on their way to find happiness, that I was willing to pray with them. I wished them all to get down on their knees, and when I had done they must pray out loud if they could only say "God be merciful to me a sinner." Br. Wells prayed & groaned some. Sister Nims broke out in the fullness of her glad soul and prayed like an old saint. It seemed that God was in every word with power. Bless the Lord said I to myself what may we not expect with such a gift to help us on in the reformation which now was breaking out with power. We then arose from our knees. Mrs. White was sent for. She came and sat down in a great chair and was soon helpless. I stepped beside her and kept her from falling out. The women called for the camphor. I told them she did not need it. However they got it. After awhile when she was able to speak for their satisfaction I asked her if she was faint? She said No. There was strong cries with tears. I thought you will raise your neighbors for you have all the tokens of a good camp meeting. I suppose they never once thought of the noise they made. I was glad of it. I was glad to see and hear so deep and hearty a work. Directly some of the women said they heard Mr. Nims praying in the garden. When he came in he told us he had been out and prayed, and was surprised to have words flow to him so. I began and laid before them the nature of conviction. The general method of God's working, and showed them their privilege and duty in all those necessary points which was applicable to them in their present condition. I raised their minds on scripture authority to look for God to pardon their sons and get the witness sealed on their hearts as clear as noonday is known from midnight darkness and laid before them the means God had ordained to obtain those blessing. To the men I said you are heads of families. It belongs to you to pray morning & evening. To the women I said when your breakfast is ready give notice to your husbands if you wish to keep your victuals warm let it sit by the fire till prayer is over. Then the man must take his bible set down with his assembled household read a chapter to them, then sing a few lines then all kneel before the Lord and call on his name. Pray also in secret morning noon and night, and as many times as they please & look every moment for God to convert their souls & fill them with love joy & peace. I felt well in talking to them. It was about midnight when we left for home, on our way we called upon Br. John Phelps who rejoiced with us when he heard the good news. I went daily to see this truly rejoicing and mourning family & prayed with them. They sat in their rooms & looked like mourners indeed gave up work & attended to this solemn business. Good numbers of people called to see this. The house was filled with the neighbors & some from Pompey. On the next Wednesday evening after I had prayed with them I felt a great struggle in my soul for them while I walked the rooms. Br. Wells sat near the middle of the room with his head down trembling like a man with the ague which alarmed the women. One asked my opinion. I told her she need for not. I believed the Lord was going to convert his soul. She then took her seat again at the end of the room with Mr. Nims as I walked I saw his countenance was pleasant & heavenly; this is a strange look thought I for a man under conviction. He said nothing neither and I - my feelings for Mr. Wells were powerfully exercised. I felt that the work must be done at the longest in two minutes. I strove & exercised all the faith in prayer I possibly could that his soul might be converted now - all on a sudden I felt the power of God run from head to foot over & through me like a pail full of warm water which filled me full and then ran over and out of my mouth. I cried Glory Glory Glory three times, and it seemed I could not help it. I thought I should scare them for I made quite a ... noise. That instant the work pardon on justification was wrought in his soul & a great work in my own soul - he began to say softly "Bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, Bless the Lord." Mr. Nims started up & ran to him & was nearly to rejoice with him. This act explained his pleasant countenance. They got hold of each others hands & began "How do you do brother? how do you do brother, how do you do brother?" then "How good you do look, how good you do look, how good you do look," over & over. This was a blessed time indeed & in truth I never felt such solemn deep solid happiness in all my life before. Sister Wells saw that all had found peace but herself away she ran into another room weeping. All my care for these souls now rested on her alone. She found peace shortly while Br. Zenas Jones was preaching at the Franklin School house (9). Their house was visited by Methodist church men, Presbyterians & Baptists. All seemed to be fishing to build themselves up while God through the instrumentality of the Methodists was furnishing the materials. However they met with rather poor successes. A Baptist Elder came to me to make arrangements to preach in our village & held one meeting, but before he got fairly ready to spring his water net, the church ... (having some influence) had put some of the Converts under the water & then all the Elder's prospects vanished away. We were not troubled with this man any more. The Presbyterian Priests came next for their share & told some of the converts that if they were not willing to be damned they had no religion. The converts felt very bad. I told one if the priests ever came again to let us know it so they did. I went down to Br. Samuel Brown's house (10) and found the Presbyterian minister had brought a huge book to prove his position. I told him I wanted a free conversation with him. I told him we were not required to be willing to be damned any where in the bible, nor in reason much less from our experience. Altho a .repenting sinner saw clearly God might damn him justly, yet so far was he from being willing to go to that awful place, would cry aloud for God to save him. So doing & believing on the Lord Jesus Christ, he sooner or later found salvation. Thus by blessed experience he found that God did not want him to be damned. This was the plain fact and could not be denied. The neighbors soon gathered in and with them came the Baptist elder & the church Priest, who sat and heard us. I then drew from this learned minister of darkness his confession of the most prominent features of his peculiar creed, of fatality, secret decrees, &c which I contrasted with the bible before the people. So they heard from his own mouth, and I trust was satisfied. The Presbyterian insisted on reading his book. I thought if he would read his Calvinistic fatality, I ... it standing answer, So away I ran and got one of John Fletcher's ...and took my turn to read. Shortly one asked who was the author of that book. I told them John Fletcher. The gentlemen rose up instantly, took their hats and cleared out. We were not troubled with that hireling or his requisite damnation any more. One evening while I was in on a visit to one of the neighbors, I heard some one rap at the door. In came a Calvinistic priest. He asked me "how do you do?" I said I am happy in God!! Are you Mr. E? He seemed confounded! I asked how long since he experienced religion? He said, "I do not know, Mr. Paddack, that I ever experienced religion. I then told him he set himself up as a teacher of the people and I feared he was a blind leader of the blind. After this I thought the Calvinistic priests were as fearful to come among us as the foxes would be among the hounds. They kept themselves at a respectful distance. I was afterwards traveling west of Cayuga Lake & was asked by a Presbyterian if I knew one priest E. in Manlius. I said "yes," He has lately experienced religion. I hear how is it? I told him I had not heard any thing about it. He said Mr. __ had only told some of his confidential friends of it & then thought his pretended conversion arose out of his confession to me thinking I would spread it among the people & he would be thrown out of employ." The Lord be merciful to the unconverted men made Priests, whom I believe throng the road to ruin. The work of the Lord went on among the people for about two years slow but steady. Elder Z. Jones & Elder Burge were stationed on the circuit and labored for our good till about 100 souls were converted & were the holiest & happiest people & society I ever was acquainted with. Some enjoyed the blessing of sanctification. O the blessed meetings the happy times we saw while we walked in all the commandments blameless. But while the reformation was going on we had more formidable enemies than I have yet described namely the Church Priest & some of his members whose doctrine was so near the Methodist that young converts could hardly distinguish the difference. They proved a great ... & got away about fourteen of our converts, & starved them in a short time, so that prayer meetings & talking of the love of God & coming among us was soon over. Sister Nims & her husband & sister Wells all went off & joined that ... & ... people, the two women got away & joined us afterwards. But Lemuel C. Nims (11) is among them till this day (1842). Seeing the great dragon ready to devour the children as soon as they were born, gave me exquisite pain. I laid siege to the throne of grace, for God to plead his own cause, & cut off the influence of the man & give the people to understand the difference between the living and the dead. One day I was so distressed to see the havoc made of the young ignorant, simple, loving, converted souls I walked the room and felt I could not endure to see the destruction of the young converts by their going where they would not be fed with the sincere milk of the word and grow thereby but would drink into the spirit of the world and loathe the heavenly manna and be hedged in with a Christian profession, using a dead form & denying the power the awful consequence would be the loss of heaven, after all God had done for them. I was inclined to take my small testament out of my pocket and open it on some passage for relief, as I had heard of some doing. I attempted but feared it was presumption and stopped. I felt as if I might get relief in this way. So after awhile I opened on these words "Let not your heart be troubled," John 14th 14th. I melted down before the Lord with gratitude and found relief. The scale soon turned. The influence of the church priest was over. It was said he had to preach to the walls of the house. Our congregations were larger God had delivered us from most all our enemies, but the Devil whom we resisted steadfast in faith. The church Priest soon left the village & hired out in another place. Some of his numbers one day were wondering at it. I told them "The hireling fleeth because he is an hireling." ... not for the sheep. All through this reformation I visited the people by day and night & talked and prayed with them, a work that I once thought impossible for me to take any pleasure in but having been led into it by my strong desire for their salvation I now know not how to stay at home. The yoke had become easy and the burden light as our Lord said it would. I found it difficult to introduce Christian discourse sometimes where I was unacquainted. One of the hardest times I ever had, the effect was the most visible in tears running down their cheeks. I would ask leave to pray with them. They would appear to be thankful for the visit, and ask me to come again. So I kept a close tally of the convicted & converted ones. The wicked professors threw some of their fiery darts at me about these days, but they did not stick in me. I was a riddle to myself. My feelings were so different from what they formerly were. I was not provoked to anger or fretfulness. I was not afraid to talk and pray before the Drs., Lawyers & priests, altho I knew my weakness as well as I ever did. I was always happy in my own soul day or night, walking or talking. When I arose in the morning & kneeled down to pray, I had not that empty soul I used to feel, but was at once filled with love, joy, peace, and praise. Yes, I felt just as I wanted to feel, and this feeling did not leave me one moment for several months. It is said by some writers that the soul has its residence in the cerebellum or back part of the head or little brain. perhaps so. I know I used to lay my hand over my breast, and thank God for what I felt in my soul there. The head for calculations, the heart for feeling I felt it was well with me. My concern was for the people. However one night after I was in bed my thoughts turned on myself, and my standing before God. I said to myself, is it possible that Heaven with all the inconceivable glories thereof are mine? I said Yes, I cannot doubt it. If I should die this moment all are mine. I was so happy & felt such a divine unction and presence of my Savior dwelling in and ... upon me that I could not sleep.

1812. I had joined a rifle company before the War of 1812 with England which company had volunteered its services to Gov. D. Tompkins. So he called us out on duty at Oswego. I told the Major I was unfit for duty being broken down with hard work in my blacksmith shop. My nerves trembled so that I had to rest my elbows to read a book. He said I should not have to be called on to do duty, and I as not, till one Sunday Capt. Kellogg (12) made up a sailing frolic and ordered me with the rest of the company, to march on board of a vessel in the harbor. So I sat down by the mast thinking and praying & felt weak in my mind while they sailed round in the harbor (for the wind did not favor their going out into the Lake) and drank their grog, fired off their guns &c. Here I formed a fixed resolution that I would have no more to do with the military business so I hired Pausins(?) Parsons as a substitute & came home & from that day to this I have never trained any more but have paid my fine and feel satisfied that this is the best course for me.

1816. The war being over I had a desire to see Canada, Buffalo, & the country up lake Erie, where I never had been so I took about 25 bull ploughs, came to Oswego where I sold them to Mr. Bronson for $12,25 each, and bargained with him for 25 more to be delivered in a few days. He paid me in Spanish dollars. I then had to pack up my clothes and money & started off on foot & alone for home. I walked 21 miles that P.M. on the west side of the river without seeing any human being till dark. I came to a log house they were so filled they could not keep me, so I went on and found a house in the woods where I stayed. The road I had traveled over this P.M. was uninhabited & untrammeled from its appearance. I thought if I should break my leg I might lie here till I starved before anybody would find me. Next morning I took breakfast at Baldwinsville - the first time I ever was there. I that day passed over the nine mile creek noticed Wm. Reeds' yellow house (13), went up to Brockways tavern (14) where I had often been before, got a ride home to Manlius. I soon got the other ploughs to Oswego, got my pay & returned home & fitted out again for the west. I took along about $1000 worth of my work, was 4 days on Lake Ontario, then waited several days at Lewiston where the tavern was kept in a board shanty & victuals of fresh beef, bread and tea cost 50 cts a meal. The village had been burned in the war. At a great expense of about $160 I got my stuff over the portage up the river & up the lake to Long Point in Canada in the London district and left it with Br. Daniel Freman a Methodist preacher. Then I footed it home to Manlius with some short rides. I received a letter from Elder Freeman that somebody had made war in the night on my Yankee ploughs & cut off the handles & rings and hung them up in trees &c &c. He had charged one man privately with the deed who owned it on condition of not being made known to the rest, so they were written to, and the pay demanded, which they complied with rather than suffer the penalty of the law. This was a good sale for me. They were angry and threatened my life if I ever came there again but I found them quite harmless. They said they were glad for they now had some good ploughs & since that time the cast iron plough has superseded the bull plough. My business in Manlius had been declining for several years. I could not get cash enough to pay for stock. Axe makers had multiplied. The country had got cleared. The old Seneca turnpike road was laid out across the north end of many hills which might & ought to have been avoided. The same company made another we called the north turnpike. I was satisfied that this new road would take the travel and our village would feel the effects in the depreciation of the value of our houses & lands and so it was I sold to Guy Fox my tavern stand (which I had built) and let to Ephraim Barrett for 5 years (15) for the sum of $3,400, $1,000 down the rest on a long credit. I sold my little 50 acre farm and house & lot to Edward Boylston for $2250, took $1000 down in cash (16). Then I had about 2 acres left back from the turnpike on Pleasant st., on which I built a good house, shop, & barn, which I sold to Hezekiah Ketchum for $1,050 (17). This took all the real estate I had in Manlius. I had bought a farm in Sullivan & sold half to Elder Timothy Dewey, one-fourth to Wm. Ward and kept one fourth. The object was plaster. This farm gave me abundance of trouble. Ward paid for his part, after I entered up the mortgage. Elder Dewey made some pay and then deeded back. Then I & Ward sold to Judge Yates. Ward would not lose on this, so that I had to lost on principle & interest about $1000. The village of Chittenango is a good share built on this farm.

1818. Having sold the last lot and house to Ketchum I got Br. James Brown to move me and mine out to Parma in the Co. of Monroe, 15 miles west of Rochester on the ridge road, in the month of March (3rd) 1818 where the year before in 1817 I had bought the butternuts on 50 acres of land which cost me with what was due at Wordworths office $17,50 per acre. I was loathe to leave Manlius where I had the best of friends and loved them dearly but I believed it was best for me to go so that I might work at my trade winters & farm it summers. The country was quite new. I was not long in this place before I found myself in the midst of the greatest number of drunken unprincipled universalistic I ever saw. They were poor in soul, body & goods, full of lust & intrigue. I was so lonely that I knew not how to content myself & secretly resolved that I would embrace the first chance to cut lose from this unrighteous generation of Universalists. However bad the most were all were not so. There was some of the salt of the earth there. The reason why this part of the state were so filled with the ...ends of Creation was, the land had not been for sale till within a few years & was articled for 10 years so any body could get on them. This place became the refuge of all the refuse of the surrounding country such as runaways of all descriptions.

Apr. 1818. I went to building a house, shop & barn, garden fence, digging a well, set out an orchard & clearing of the land. I had in Decr. just got my shop 45 by 20 feet done with 2 fires & a plough factory & in it over head my corn about 200 plough frames, oil paints, grind stones, 2 set of blacksmith tools & plough making tools, joiners bench &c&c., when on the 20th of Dec. 1818 one of these wretches set fire to the shop & burned it down with nearly all that was in it, damaging me about $1,500. I felt this loss heavily. I tried to bring this creature to justice caught him twice and twice his vile keepers let him go. I bought 120 acres below the ridge & cleared about 60 acres & about 30 acres in my home lot, bought a pair of oxen for $100, a cow for $35, a pork was $8. per hundred, wheat $1.12. Produce & cattle fell very low so when I got pork to sell it was worth $2.00 per hundred. I have sold wheat for 31 cts. per bush. I have bought it for 87 1/2 cts for plough debts, kept it till it fetched me 50 cts. then sold it. While it was only 3 shillings per bushel I used to feed it to cattle in the sheaf. I had expended a great deal of money on my new place, had hired Jesse Paddack for $16. in the summer $13. in the winter. Before the year came round it took almost all he myself teams & family could earn to pay him. I found this would not do. I believed there was not much danger of shifting for the worse for worse it could not well be.

1822. I went & took a job on the canal which was about being made past our country. I took 4 sections in length about 2 miles 1 1/2 miles was east of Middleport the other section No. 259 was on John Cottons land about ten miles east of Lockport. I left my farm to be worked by Geo. Grover entered on this new business by building a long log house & horse stable digging a well &c&c. I took in Jonathan Wadhams as partner so we stuck to it winter & summer for 2 years with from 20 to 170 men strong. This job cost about $40,000 on it - we built our culvert 18 feet span & about 82 ft. long over a branch of the 18 mile creek (I think they call it).

1823. I went & took 1/2 a mile of the deep cut, 1 mile above the Tonawanda creek 32 feet above bottom on Mr. St. Johns' land.

Apr. 1824. I entered on this job & finished it off the next June 1825, this job cost of me $34000. I was paid about $31000, and lost the rest. This bad luck scared me off the public works. This canal business kept me away from most part of the time for 3 years and over my head and hands were full both night & day. One night on Sec. 219 not having here any clerk I sat up and posted books without one wink of sleep. All these three years, Sally & Marilda had fully employ in working up the wool chiefly for themselves. My wife had been rather feeble in her health for several years, but about these days she began to exercise herself in doing housework, which proved to be an advantage to her health. I had the fever & ague before I entered on the canal, which left me part healthy compared to what I was before. We had born a pair of twin boys Aug. 20th 1822 whom we named Nathan & Nathaniel. In 1824 my wife was out on Niagara river to see me and was sent for from home. Julia Ann was sick I sent her home with my team & man. The next news was Julia Ann was better & my twin boy Nathan was dead. This was heavy news. I thought much of these twins & it was the first death in the family. The little boy was laid in my garden among the peach trees. He died with a disease much like the dysentery which proved fatal this year to many children. One man who had 4 lost them all.

Jan. 1st 1825. The first day of Jan. was warm and pleasant & muddy. While I was on my way home to Parma I had left my job in care of Silas P. Collar my clerk & was going to lay in canal stores & see to my home concerns. The influenza prevailed in our country, I was attacked first in our place. I took a hemlock sweat which seemed to ... the disorder all down, then my children were taken till we were about all sick. I took a relapse while attending on them & had the disease about 4 times over. By this time I was nearly worn out & was doubtful whether I should recover. In the midst of these difficulties my wife was confined with her last child on the 8th of Feb. 1825. She was smart as usual for several days when she began to be exercised with pain and began to vomit which S. Washburne the Physician could not stop. When on the 17th at a qr. past 4 o clock she left us with composure of mind, I hope for the heavenly country. This was a new scene to me. I was at that time just able to walk, I could not attend the funeral at the school house. The next day, Br. Benajah Williams preached. Her body was laid near Elder Eli Hannibals house in the town of Clarkson. I placed a marble head & foot stone to her grave with a picket around & a plain inscription on the headstone!! This was a new scene to me lonely sorrowful & sick but Christ was precious. I found my self susceptible of feelings I had been a stranger to. I used to think I could lose all my friends without tears. But now I was unmarried and could speak on this subject without choking and tears in abundance. For several months after the different places we had visited to go thus would bring her fresh in my mind and seemed like tearing an old wound afresh. She was a woman of a rather delicate constitution having been subject to violent fits or spasms for some years, very industrious in her business a kind feeling mother to her children she was possessed of lively passions which were easily wrought upon. After the funeral was over my attention was called to myself and sick children who all got well long before I did. My constitution having been broken down years before with my present trouble I recovered quite slowly for 6 months after before I was as well as usual for the spring I was able to ride on to the Niagara about 70 miles ... Mr. Collar my clerk was conducting my job of 2 sections which included the deep cut or bluff one mile above the Tonawanda creek on land owned by Enos St. Johns where I had abundance of trouble for want of cash. The commissioner dealt it out to me so scantily that my job at one time was about fourteen thousand dollars in debt. About half in my own funds & the other hand I owed for work & provisions &c. Under these circumstances I found my property was lost. The job having cost about four times the price named in my contract. I had no legal claims for any ... I had to beg & plead hard to get what I had of Mr. Bouck the canal commissioner. Thus stood most of the contractors on the west end of the line from Rochester. The job had been conducted in the best manner while I had been sick. The winter had been open and favorable for such operations. The men were formed into companies all parties wrought at specified prices by the Yard...nine...

1825. In the month of April I went to Manlius Village among my old & best friends wishing to open the way to spend the remnant of my days with them. I hired a house of Mr. H. Moseley at one dollar per week then returned back to my family & told them I should move back to Manlius shortly. I was now about to cut loose from a people with whom I had never been at home, & where I had but few intimates. ... there was some of the right stamp. The societies were not looked to & cared for by the preachers as they ought to have been. Discipline was neglected confusion rush in till the new fashioned Methodism stank in the nostrils of good men. The year before I moved away a young man Brother Casort came on to the circuit. I heard him preach once & was convinced he would do good. He aimed at the heart brought the people into covenant to pray particularly for God to revive his work. Before the year came round the God that answers prayer began & carried on an extensive reformation in the settlement north of the ridge road. A second work broke out in my family. Sally had experienced religion all alone about a year before. Now Marilda was awakened, then Simon & Eliza. Prayer meetings were set up and kept up 23 days in succession in which time the work extended about 3 miles on the ridge. About all the young people embraced religion, then some heads of families. The place began to seem like a home to me. The free will Baptists were much enlivened, and became quite active in these meetings & useful, yet they are a people without a disciplinary law and of course almost without government. Br. Casort formed a society in my neighborhood. The next day one of their numbers with their preacher came to my house & wanted to know what we had done that for? Br. Casort being present told them he had always found it best in reformations to join the converts together in society. The Baptist preacher said he feared we should stop the reformation. Br. Casort said no harm to his knowledge had ever attended such a course. I told them if they did not hurt the reformation I would assure them we should not, for we had been acquainted with the management of reformation a great many years, and professed to understand that business as well as any people under the sun. The Baptists said "We are all one." I said it is not so. Are you not a Baptist? Are we not Methodists? Therefore we are two people. If you will take care of yourselves we will in our way take care of our selves. All this was agreed to in friendship. The next came a sort of people who make their priests at their Seminaries of learning who profess to believe that God has foreordained whatsoever comes to pass. Their first salutation was "Union, Union, Union." They made me think of the horse drops (pardon the expression) who spoke to the apples and said how pretty we apples swim. But the fifth calf had no teat to suck. This sort of profession were many of them good citizens, kind neighbors, but the standard of their religion was not raised high enough to put down pride, love of the world and various ways of serving the Devil if it was only done in a fashionable decent manner. I finished my job about the first of June 1825. I had received in several sums in all $31,000 which was nearly what my disbursements had been. I had done nearly all my own teaming, had the smith work done in my own shop, had sold about $1,800 worth of work in my shoe shop in which there was several hundred dollars profit. The above sum feel short. I also had a good store of goods which I sold at a good profit. The above sum fell short of what I believe I ought to have about $3,000 (which I have never got to this day, Jan 1843) (I received it as a cruel injustice that I should spend my time for 16 months with my team, shop shoe shop store &c with all my personal responsibility and anxiety in doing so large a job under such embarrassments for want of cash, and not be paid for it. The first job on which my partner (Mr. Wadhams) & I spent two seasons, I was paid tolerable well for to my satisfaction. The business was better than farming, for grain was low. It also gave me a chance of turning in team work beef, pork, flour, &c and it came out in cash. In the month of May I had gone down to Manlius with my family and put my children to school while Sally & Marilda kept the house I returned back finished the work, picked up my canal stuff & sent them on to Manlius. I rented my farm to Br. Johnson sold him my stock of cattle on a credit, so I was now out of all kind of business except visiting my friends. I spent the rest of this season in traveling. Br. Luther Buell, Benj. Wood & myself went to Conn. and took a look at the Farmington canal which was about to be let. We attended the celebration of the 4th of July when Gov. Wolcott broke ground on the said Farmington Canal with all their big guns & roasted pigs. Went to old Harvard back to New Haven, hired a man for $6,00 to take me to Southeast my native town. I visited my sisters Deborah, Mary & Esther once more. Went to the graveyard and visited my mother & brother David and many old acquaintances whose bodies now lie quietly slumbering under ground. I hired Floyd Richards my nephew to take me back to Granby in Conn. where I again met my companions who had been in the state of New Jersey to seek jobs on the Morris canal. Not meeting with success we now applied to Mr. Hillhouse the superintendent of the Farmington canal to know if he was ready to give us a price per yd. on the sections that were made ready, according to his promise but the board had been convened & determined to take another course and put up the sections at a public letting. We were satisfied that no jobs could be had for their worth (as it proved). We took the stage for Albany and came home to Manlius. I was satisfied the canal ... ran so high, it was a mere chance that a job could be had in any of the states for what it was worth. As I had in the course of 20 years with hard labor & economy with the blessing of God accumulated about $12,000 about $7000 cash on hand the rest in a good property, I did not dare to risk my property in taking jobs for half what work they were worth and trust luck that the officers would pay for if he only believed he had paid enough we could beg no more. The Niagara job satisfied me in full. It was now my business to lend money on a small scale. Calls were frequent and became quite wearisome. I visited, read my book, went to meeting being yet rather feeble & not fully recovered from the last winter's sickness & trouble and sorrow, which had preyed upon me I recovered quite slow. After Mehitable my wife had died I resolved in my own mind, under a sense of eternity being at hand and the necessity of being ready for so great a change also in view of the corruption of our fallen nature which made matrimonial contracts hazardous, not to marry again or enter into any perplexing business again, but on more mature reflection I found I was in error. I had a family of young children if I should not bring them up in some business of my own, I must put them out. This I could not consent to. I thought I was able to keep them together and take care of them & chose to do it. I was for the present provided with ... Sally & Marilda were old enough to keep the house & take care of the younger children that were at home. Mehitable the baby was out of the family with Mrs. Wright off at Lockport nursing at $1,00 per week. But the two eldest girls were engaged to be married to William & Zebulon Johnson before we moved, so that the winter following I would be destitute of ... if I did not provide myself with one. I furthermore considered if I broke up housekeeping I should have to hire my board. how would this seem after I had kept house so many years. What should I do with my friends when they came to see me? This thought with other consideration turned the ... I could not consent to deprive myself of that blessed independence called a home of my own. I now with great fear & almost with trembling consented to seek for another companion to fill the great blank that had been made by death in my family. I considered it to be the most hazardous business of men ever makes. Something like the prizes in the lottery very uncertain among so many blanks. As Mr. Fletcher said - It is true the scripture saith "a good wife is the gift of the Lord." It is also true there may be one in a thousand. I wanted someone who was willing to be a mother to my children who would use them well, feel a hearty interest in their welfare, who could exercise patience with humility, meekness, & perseverance therein. Not proud, passionate, haughty, ill natured, scolding & fretting from morning till night. All this I knew I was exposed to in this undertaking. Hence the old ... came to my mind "Take care for the breed." Above all those good qualifications I wanted one that loved Lord, that loved me & that I loved. Such a prize I had great occasion to fear I should not find, but without seeking by a particular providence of God I did find in Miss Cynthia Buells to whom I was married on the 29th of July 1825 at Br. Luther Buell's house in the town of Pompey by Elder George Pary in the presence of a housefly of our relatives & acquaintances. After this we visited our friends in Deruyter & Freetown. We attended a camp meeting at Ithaca. On our way back we visited Br. James Paddack in Mintz who has since lost his wife, Rachael one of the best house wives, neighbors and mothers. Poor brother James! I thought I knew how to feel for him, and we went after this to Lockport & visited Br. Johnson in Clarkson.

1825. Dec. 29th Sally & Marilda were married to William and Zebulon Johnson by Priest Edwards at my hired house in Manlius. They soon moved to Monroe Co. on the same farm I had left where they ... in doing well to this day (1843).

1826. This winter I packed some pork on which I did poorly. I also bought in about 4000 bushels of oats at 4 per bush. I sold these oats in Manlius, Albany & New York & made about $600. I also took a job at the letting at Salina on the Oswego Canal in company with Br. Luther Buell & others. He & I sold our shares to the others for $100 each. This did well for one day's work. After I was married my new wife presented me one hundred & 14 dollars in cash. I found when she came to move she had several beds & bedsteads bureau & stand with linen, bedding &c. rather surprised me as she had not told me a word about what she had. So I found I had made about as much money this year as I ever had when I worked ever so hard. A word more about the girls. According to agreement before we moved from Monroe to let the girls have wood &c to make up. They improved their time & furnished themselves abundantly. I gave each of them about 60 acres of land which I deeded to them afterwards. The land is what used to be my lower farm in Clarkson. The boys bought my home farm on the ridge road & some land of Arnold Markham, so they are well settled on about 200 acres of land greatly to my satisfaction. Zebulon & William both belong to the Methodist church.

1826. After I had enjoyed the company of my old friends in Manlius about 14 months with much comfort I moved away from there to the town of Camillus on the 10th day of July where I had bought a mill privilege for $3,600.00 with 18 acres of land paid all down in cash. I went into Mr. James Tuttles shed & room (18) at 6/ per week, and went to building a brick house 38 by 28 feet (sic). On the last day of Nov. I dismissed my masons having the cellar & lower story of my house about done. A small barn, joiner shop, blacksmith shop little house smoke trash house all done at a cost of about $2300. So quick I had laid out five thousand 9 hundred dollars. Cynthia did most all her work alone for her large family having a girl only a part of the time.

1827. The winter was very severe with a great depth of snow which made it difficult to attend to business. I began to quarry stone on Howlet hill for the under story of my mill & succeeded to get on most of them by frequently shoveling the snow out of the road. When the spring opened I bought 100 bushels of water lime delivered for 1/2 per bushel and 300 bushels quick lime for the same. I bought the hewing timber for the frame. I hired Mr. Samuel Davis for my millwright. Mr. Daniel C. Davis was my carpenter. David Meigs(?) was the master mason with their fellow helpers & our family in all about 30 souls which made Cynthia & sister Anna Cook (one of the first rate of girls) a plenty of work for all this season. I raised my mill on the 11th day of July 1827. The building was 56 by 40. It went the quickest & slickest I ever saw. So large in 3/4 of a day, without any accident or mistake. We have the best raisers I ever saw in any place beside this (19).

1828. I succeeded well with my mill so that I started two run of stones in Jan. following 1828 I bought 50 acres of pine land in the town of Van Buren part of big lot 16 (20), on the pine hill as we call it. I paid $100 down and got a credit of six years by paying $100 annually with interest on the whole. I gave old Mr. Reed of Marcellus $14 per acre for this lot and took a deed & gave the mortgage back which has since been all paid and the mortgage legally discharged from the record. My business for several winters was to get off pine logs, draw them to Canton, raft them down the canal, when it opened in the spring, saw them, boat them off in the summer to Albany. I got most of the timber off in 8 years & think I made about $3100 in the operation. My grist mill was tended by Laurence Baldwin for about 5 years. In this time he experienced religion. After he left home he tended a mill in Manlius village a while. There a big sign fell from overhead and wounded his spine so as to prove fatal in a few weeks. He was a good man. I trust he is in heaven. Simon D. Paddack (21) had learned to tend mill so he did for several years after Br. Baldwin quit. In order to make my water productive (22) as I was not able to go through with all my expenses I borrowed of Wm Jerome $2000 and mortgaged my mill with some other sums of borrowed money & pine lot debt. I owed about $4,000 to pay this interest & repair my place by buildings & build a boat & buy two span of horses to lumber with & two trux waggons & sleighs & hired help & to finish off the flouring works at about $2,000 cost. Took all that I could make on the whole premises for about 8 years. Then there came a good year for my business in which I made about $5,000 which cleared me of all my debts and paid for 45 acres of land down and had money left. I raised the mortgage on my mill property & thus got all my premises clear of all encumbrances. So much for my temporal affairs up to 1836.

Soon after I got my mill started the people began to buy lots & build houses & shops. In order to be known we got together one evening and named the place Amboy. I felt a desire to enjoy religious privileges in our place. So the preacher gave us an appointment at our school house at 10 o clock in the forenoon. In 1828 we had a camp meeting on the Geddes lot near Robert Hopkins house at which meeting we had about 60 converts. Joseph Baker was one of our ... preachers. The Circuit was called Marcellus. Our region round here was the north and down in the woods & mud. It wanted a preacher of some courage to come and see us. Br. Samuel Bibbins a local preacher who lived between Weedsport and Auburn came and preached to us once in two weeks. George Gary, Orrin Doolittle, Benj. Philips, were the circuit preachers. John Dempster presiding elder. This year our camp meeting commenced Aug 25 on the Geddes lot on the north side of the swamp brooks near a noble spring, on the high land. At this meeting or rather to make preparation for it I had abundance of trouble & had work which laid the foundation for future trouble as we shall see. I had agreed to build a preachers stand for $5,00. I afterwards offered to give $8,00 & could not get any one to take it off my land. I had agreed to build Wm. Jerome a large tent and had to do it. The day the brethren got together to prepare the ground and spring I could not go as I had to roll a raft of logs out of the canal to get them out of the way of boats, but told the preachers I would help another day. This did not suit them. I got out the raft then went with my men & team to work at the tent & preachers stand & found the spring in an unfinished condition. I hired a man for cash to dig it out & put a guard fence around it & I put some ... over it and made it as it should be. I finished off the building I had agreed to & began to think I should have no time to build my own tent. But I mustered help & got my tent on the first day of the meeting and moved my family. My wife had to work for so many friends through this meeting she was nearly worn out, while my house was occupied by others who did not like to lay in the woods. I had furnished the wood to keep lights. They drew it to the encampment. Our meeting went on with life & power. We counted off 102 converts at the close Amboy shared with other places. Nine joined us on the Sabbath. We now had on our class book 50 in our society, strong in the Lord & the power of his might. We had blessed prayer meetings. I partitioned a large room in my mill, where we held our meetings. We held our quarterly meetings there also, not having any meeting house on the circuit. In 1830 at a quarterly held at Amboy in my mill it was agreed by the conference that they would have a camp meeting. They looked about for a committee to see that all things were made ready. One brother from Geddes, J. W. Woodward, brought a complaint before the conference for my delinquency at the last camp meeting (I suppose he did not know that I had done more towards that meeting than any 10 men they could find). So I had to bear the scandal before the conference most of whom were strangers to me. Br. Orrin Doolittle was the only man that said a word in my favor. He told them they had said enough. So to punish me they appointed me all alone to be the committee to do the whole this year. I told them I would just do nothing about it. So I only made my own tent and let them help themselves. I find this far the best course. The more one does the more will be expected of him. I was willing that a camp meeting should cost me $30 if it was necessary. Now for the meeting. It so happened that Br. Lorenzo Dow came to my house & being informed & bright that Br. Dempster was the presiding Elder. Dow sat in his chair & looked up to the Elder's face & asked whether he was Joab or Joab's master? Br. Dempster smiled & gave no satisfactory answer. Dow let the preacher know when he would preach if they would let him. So on the camp ground the preachers had a conference on this subject & did not comply with the time Dow had set which was about the same as throwing his petition under the table. I heard one of the preachers say he thought it a pity that the conference should be ruled by one rich man, but so it appeared to be & the Presiding Elder showed he was only Joab in this business. The people were greatly disappointed & grieved that they could to have the privilege of hearing this celebrated man preach to them. Br. Timothy Dewey stayed with Dow at my house & Dow preached in my room & gave an appointment for preaching out door in my loggard, so away the people went from the campground by hundreds & broke up the camp meeting for the time after meeting they returned looking very solemn. I came to hear the particulars. I found they had a wonderful time. Dow preached & Dewey prayed & the people wept. Yes, I was told of some that weeped with streams running down their cheeks who were considered quite hard. This meeting proved to be a good one on the whole this was our third camp meeting on the Geddes lot. About three days at a quarterly meeting in my mill we proposed to be set off by our selves as a circuit and have the line man along on the canal, we were told by one on the other side that we could not do any thing, and wanted not do anything. We would not support a preacher, so they set us off, not withstanding and a few of the members being preached had an eye to this thing. I was told by a preacher several years after that our circuit was known in the conference and sought for by the preachers, they found we could would and do something, it was several years before we had another camp meeting, 1836-37. Br. Allen H. Tilton was appointed to labour on this circuit. He held a protracted meeting in our Amboy School-house with good success. He preached old fashioned.

1837&38. Wm. Mason came on nothing special was done. Benjamin Rider was with him. 1839&40. Isaac Hall came on with his disgusting visibles often excited. This man I considered my enemy see the reasons given in another part of my journal. He stayed the second year much to my regret. I paid him noting this second year but while he was on this circuit the second year we had another camp meeting on the Geddes lot now owned by Br. Jabez Armstrong. Nothing very extraordinary took place at this meeting. The Methodists of Warners Settlement had joined with the Presbyterians and built a house of worship in that place about the year 1830 (23) perhaps about the same time the Methodist built a house of worship up (24) to the Nine Mile Creek village (25) not far from these days. Our preachers formed a class and gave them preaching at Br. Jabez Armstrongs . All these places were helped with the composing of some of our Amboy numbers. so we were ... on three sides till we were reduced down from fifty to less than ten - some of these were worse than no body. Our society was thus nearly annihilated by the bad management of our preachers. This trying to make a circuit out of too small a territory has a bad effect. Our circuits were once large from 150 to 250 miles round, the Country new, and the roads bad, but the preachers in those days encountered the mud on horse back with their legs covered from above their knees down to their feet with cloth or leather which they untied at night and laid aside. Bishop Asbury wore black leather. Thus ... they went round and preached about 28 or 30 times in four weeks and attended to the classes. These men were literally and truly laborers in Gods vineyard. The preachers and people were poor, but rich in faith and good works, loving god and one another most dearly, and the work prospered in their hands...thousands were converted yearly. One could tell a Methodist in those days about as far off as they could see them, especially a preacher. They used to wear a low crown hat with a broad beam. A plain round breasted coat, a long and buttoned up to the collar, plain round laid boots - no fine carriages, no costly mantles in short, no marks of the beast on their fair head, or in their hand, or on their backs. Blessed people. Their women were as pious as the man unadorned. Bonnets alone gave them quite a religious appearance, no earrings, no gold ... no jewels, no curled hair &c&c. They were adorned with a much and quiet spirit which on the sight of God is of great price. They came boldly and faithfully up to the help of the land in the prayer week and were ready and capable and well qualified from every good ward and rank.

In the 26 of September 1832 we had a daughter born whom we named Rosy Jane. This child lay very near our hearts, perhaps too near...she was removed from us by dysentery ...July 24th, 1834 when she was 21 months and 24 days old. We buried her beside Doct. shed... Buell in Henry Cooks ...family burying ground on his farm in the town of Van Buren.

* * *

Grand Pa Paddack's Obituary. Pasted in his old Bible near mo's.

"Nathan Paddack died at Amboy, Onondga co. March 26, 1865, aged 81 years.

Brother Paddock was no ordinary man. His life was a beautiful one, and its incidents would form a volume of thrilling interest. He was thrown upon his own resources when a mere boy.

Oppressed by many difficulties and trials but never disheartened, he by perseverance and industry secured a competency of this world's goods. In this use, he illustrated the sentiment, "There is that s..." He was "given to hospitality." Even in old age the sin of covetnous did not overtake him. Bishop Asbury and hundreds of God's servants since his day have shared the hospitality of our venerable friend.

Brother Paddock was endowed with a generous and well-balanced intellect. His mental powers appeared unimpaired up to the very close of life. He was no second childhood. He commenced his religious career in Cazenovia where he was ...under the labors of Rev. Jabez Bigelow.

The genuineness of his conversion was evidenced by unspeakable joy, a burning zeal for the salvation of others and a cheerful obedience to God's requirements. This benevolence was world-wide in its sweep.

It overleaped all distinctions occasioned by differences in color, degrees of intelligence, church ... or the amount of property possessed.

He heartily embraced the principles of the Wesleyan reformation, and to the last remonstrated against the modern innovations of choir singing, costly churches, extravagant attire, formality in worship and slavery in the church. Justification for faith, the witness of the spirit and entire sanctification were themes ever welcome to him.

He died with most of his surviving kindred around him.

He died in peace and the assurance of hope.

He sleeps in Jesus. Aged pilgrim, precious friend, rest in peace.

D. W. Thurston

Syracuse May 6, 1865.

Footnotes

1. The original spelling of Paddock was Paddack. Nathan Paddock was not a son of John Paddock, the Revolutionary War soldier, later of Camillus.

2. "The settlement of the town of DeRuyter was commenced in 1793, by Elijah and Elias Benjamin and Eli Colegrove. The Benjamins were brothers and came from South East, Dutchess county, their native place. They located in the north-west of the town, Elijah on 150 acres...Both had families which they brought in with a horse team. Elijah's family consisted of his wife, Elizabeth Paddock, and three sons, Elias P., David and Elijah E. Five other children were born here...In 1808 Elijah sold his improvements to Benjamin Merchant and removed to Cuyler, then to Truxton, where he died in 1819, and his wife in 1822," The History of Madison County, New York by James H. Smith. Syracuse, N.Y.: D. Mason and Co., 1800, pp. 176-177.

3. Correct spelling is Tousley. Sylvanus Tousley began blacksmithing in Manlius Village in 1800, and was instrumental in the industrial development of Cold Spring Creek whose source was the Cold Spring, now commonly referred to as Perry Springs. In the 1820s, Tousley owned a saw mill in Dewitt and later moved to Syracuse.

4. Manlius residents; Marsh settled in Manlius Village in 1798 and was its first lawyer.

5. Supervisor of the town of Manlius from 1800-1808.

6. Northeast corner of Seneca & Fayette Sts. Charles Moseley was a merchant who, in addition to owning this parcel, also owned a large section of lot 87 which, according to Bruce was "laid out by him into village lots and sold at a large profit on the original purchase. Dwight C. Bruce (Ed.) Onondaga's Centennial. Boston: Boston Publishing Co., 1896, Vol. 1, p. 775.

7. Levi Bishop was one of three town of Manlius men to settle his Revolutionary War grant. He owned lot 76 east of Fayetteville. A creek flowing through his property is still called Bishop's Brook. Paddock's walk to Bishop's house was about four miles.

8. "Francis Asbury, the first American Methodist Bishop, paid three visits to Manlius in the early part of the 19th century in his general superintendency of the churches. From the pages of his carefully kept journal we learn that he 'Came to Brother Nichols in Manlius June 25, 1807, and preached in the evening. It was an open time; I ordained Ebenezer White an Elder.' His second visit was on the 14th of July 1809, and from the entry in his diary you may incline to the belief that this great Bishop was possessed of a rich vein of humor. 'The evening brought us up at Paddock's in Manlius. I lay along the floor in my clothes. There was a lady in the corner, while brother Boehm was in bed like a gentleman. The female could not possibly occasion reproach and so I was persuaded; but I wished I was somewhere else' " "Methodism in Manlius" by Harry C. Durston, Thrift News, June 2, 1938). "Drawn from an article written in 1907 by the Rev. Calvin Luther Connell, former Pastor, and a paper delivered by an unknown member of the church on April 4, 1881."

Paddock does not mention in his recollections that minutes were taken of a meeting held at his house in Manlius Village "for the purpose of a religious incorporation on Thursday the 25th day of January 1816. First by plurality of voices choose Nathan Paddock and Henry Wells as Presidents of sd. meeting. 1st voted Nathan Paddock a Trustee for sd. incorporation. 2d. Henry Wells do. Br. John Phelps do. 4th Samuel Brown do. 5th Septibah Harpham do. 6th Arnold Dexter do. 7th John B. Johnson do. 8th Denison Smith do. 9th. Sylvanus Hopkins do. 10th. Voted that the name of sd. incorporation be called Zion. We certify the above named persons were duly elected as trustees on the day above written as witness our hand and seals. Nathan Paddack (LS) Henry Wells (LS) Onondaga County. 0n the tenth day of June came before me Henry Wells & Nathan Paddock both to me well known & hereby acknowledged that they executed the within Indenture for the purposes therein mentioned. Let it be recorded. Sylvs. Tousley, Judge Onon. Com. pleas--Recorded the twenty fourth day of September Eighteen hundred & Sixteen--Ezra Foote, Dep. Clk. Judge Tousley is Sylvanus Tousley, the early Manlius Village blacksmith for whom Paddock worked.

9. The Franklin School was located on the south side of Pleasant St. midway between North and Clinton Sts.

10. Samuel Brown ran a bake shop until 1816. His house was on the north side of Seneca St. between Fayette and Wesley Sts.

11. The reformation discussed occurred before 1816. In 1816, Nims was a member of the vestry of Christ Episcopal Church, Manlius.

12. Reference to Leonard Kellogg. 1810, Lieutenant in Capt. Moseley's Co. of riflemen in Lt. Col. Thaddeus Wood's regiment; 1812, captain in 27th brigade of infantry; 1814, in Charles Moseley's riflemen; 1814, resigned. He commanded an independent rifle corps in the War of 1812 which won distinctions; most of its members were from Manlius. Was in the Battle of Queenstown. Buried in Christ Church Cemetery, Manlius. Died May 1817, age 36.

13. Amboy

14. Fairmount

15. The 1816 date may be a transcription error, and the date may be 1814: (1) Ephraigm Barrett died May 12, 1814. Prior to keeping tavern at Paddocks, he had been at Libbeus Foster's tavern in Eagle Village where he hosted Masonic meetings. (2) The property deed shows that Paddock sold Fox the tavern property in January 1814. (3) The Boylston property was sold in 1814, see next footnote.

16. An article appearing in the August 10, 1893 issue of the "Fayetteville Recorder," notes that two deeds, yellow with age and printed on a parchment like paper, were left at the County Clerk's office on Monday, to be put on file. The blanks were printed more than eighty years ago by L. Kellogg, a printer of Manlius Square, now Manlius village. The first deed was given by Charles and Charlotte Moseley, on December 3, 1811, to Nathan Paddock, and was for fifty acres of land located in what are now the village limits of Manlius...The deed given above was acknowledged upon the 4th of May, 1812, in the presence of Abijah Yelverton, junior master in chancery, a son of one of the oldest lawyers of the county...The second deed filed was made upon the 24th of May, 1814, and conveyed the same property, from Nathan Paddack and Mehitable, his wife, to Edward Boylston. It was acknowledged before Samuel L. Edwards, and describes the property somewhat differently from the earlier deed. It begins the description 'at the center of the road leading from Clark's tavern to the North turnpike.' The consideration is $1,250." (The remainder due on mortgage was $1,250, after a $2,250 sale and $1,000 downpayment.) Boylston's barn was north of the tavern, on the south side of Pleasant St. and mostly likely the acreage was near Pleasant St. The center of the road leading from Clark's tavern to the North turnpike is now known as Fayette St. and the Fayetteville-Manlius Rd. The North turnpike is Genesee St. (Rte. 5) running through Fayetteville. At the time it was known as Clark's tavern because Christopher Clark ran it following the demise of Ephraigm Barrett. Incidentally, the deeds found in 1893 were not recorded at the County Clerk's office. Also, at the rate of $450-$500 per acre at the time, it is probable that this was a five-acre piece rather than fifty.

17. In addition to the house, shop and lot, the 1817 two-acre $1,050 sale to Hezekiah Ketchum also conveyed a "small heater" on the north side of Seneca St., that probably was the original blacksmith shop, later Paddock's ax factory.

18. James Tuttle's shed and room is in reference to Tuttle's Tavern which was located south of, and adjacent to where Nathan Paddock would be building his first home in 1826.

19. Erection of Paddock's grist mill in Amboy. "The hamlet of Amboy was formerly quite a busy manufacturing place," notes Bruce. The flouring mill, now one of the interesting landmarks of the town, was built by Nathan Paddock in 1826-27; in 1861 it passed to the possession of Lafayette Burdick, who conducted it many years; it is now owned by the Paddock heirs. D. B. Paddock had a tannery there for some time, and besides these the place formerly had three or more saw mills, a stave mill, cooperage, cider mill, shops, etc. In 1836 it contained a saw mill, tavern, store and fifteen or twenty dwellings." Dwight C. Bruce, Onondaga's Centennial. Boston: Boston Publishing Co., 1896, pp. 670-671. On January 1839, Julia Ann Paddack wrote the following composition about Amboy: About 8 miles in an easterly direction from Baldwinsville, and 18 miles west of Manlius, is a small village situated nearly a hundred rods from the Grand Erie Canal by which it is bounded on one side, and on the other by a beautiful stream, which is known by the name of Nine Mile Creek, which empties itself into Onondaga Lake called by some the Salt Lake on account of the salt springs near it, a very improper name for the water is said to be as fresh as the waters of the Cazenovia Lake. The principal buildings in this village are a gristmill, several saw mills, and blacksmith shops, two stores, a tavern and other buildings of considerable importance. This place 1825 (sic) and was in a very thrifty condition for several years, when some of the principal buildings were destroyed by fire, which was a damper on the whole village, and what added still more to this distress is the State passed the resolution that they had determined to take the waters of the creek and put them into the Canal. The present calculations are to take the water and have a side cut, which will be far better, as it will increase the value of property. In accordance to this calculation the inhabitants have commenced rebuilding and it is now in a very prosperous condition. There is one building that occupies a very conspicuous Station much dearer to me than all the rest, being in front of the stores and mills at the junction of Canal and Water Streets. I would like to write much more, but I presume it is not so interesting to you as to myself, therefore you will pardon me when I inform you this is my home, the place of my childhood, the village of Amboy. Julia Ann Paddack, Casenovia (found, read and copied by Elizabeth L. Rice, great granddaughter of the writer, April 7, 1981)

20. Farm lot #16 was located in western Van Buren. Canton, where Paddock floated his pine logs down the canal, later was to be known as Memphis.

21. Simon D. Paddack is a son of Nathan. In 1868, Simon took up residence in Manlius Village and erected a strawboard (also described as a pasteboard) factory on the present Kinloch Commons lot, Seneca St. He also purchased an interest in 1876 in the paper mill at the east corner of Mill and Seneca Sts. In 1881, the paper mill came into the possession of his son, Simon Paddock, Jr. Nathaniel Paddock, Jr., another son of Nathan, preached at Belle Isle church near Camillus for a period.

22. Note Julia Ann Paddack's 1839 composition (see footnote 19 above) in reference to the first sentence in the paragraph. The high water mark of years ago leads me to believe Paddock needed an ample water supply to run his mills if, and when, the Nine Mile waters were to be directly diverted into the Erie Canal. As it was, there were times, even after the feeder was installed, that much of the Nine Mile waters were diverted for use in the canal (Ralph Sims).

23. The Methodist Church of Warners was built in 1831 and called Warners United Methodist Church. It was located on the east side of the Warners Cemetery. It was razed in 1906 and replaced with the present brick structure directly across on Canton St.

24. This house of worship was built in the Nine Mile Creek settlement in 1831. It was called the First Camillus Methodist Episcopal Church. It is located on the north side of Main St. in the village of Camillus and still a very active church.

25. Camillus

Kathy Crowell is a former archivist and trustee of the Manlius Historical Society

Ralph Sims is historian of the Camillus Historical Society

Submitted 11 January 1998