Page:History of Southeast Missouri 1912 Volume 1.djvu/526

 466 HISTORY OF SOUTHEAST :IISSOURI erected. It was the first and for a long time the only Protestant house of worship in the city. "An occurence, connected with the first services held in this house, served for a long time to fix dates of events, by the habitual saying 'these things occurred before or after the floor of the church gave way.' The late Mrs. Louisa Rodney, who had a remarkable memory for dates, told me it was in 183!). Mrs. Mary La Pierre connecting the time with some items of family hi.story corroborates that date. If they are correct, I was only two and a half years old, yet some of the events were indelibly fixed in my mind. "The Cape Giarardeau Association was to hold its annual session with the church, and the workmen were very much hurried to get the house in condition to be used. Situated on a hill that sloped to the south, it was very easy, and inexpensive to arrange for a base- ment room half way under the building. The floor above was to be supported by substan- tial pillars but there was not time to finish the basement and temporary supports were arranged. A stump, that had not been re- moved served as a base for one of these im- provised pillai-s. My impression of the day is that it was very bright and beautiful and the house was crowded to its utmost capacity. The people were also dressed in their very best attire. The pews were not in, but tem- porary seats had been made of planks. "I remember very distinctly sitting by my mother, and looking at Rev. ]Ir. Edwards who was preaching the introductory sermon, when suddenly the floor seemed to sway under me, and when I looked up I saw the red-top-boots of my brother — the late C. G. Juden — go out of the window south of the pulpit. Then my father said to my mother, ' Sit here until I come back,' and took me in his arms and placed me upon the p of Uncle Thomas Juden who was sitting on the pulj^it stejis. From this safe haven 1 looked with bewilder- ment upon a panic, such as is seldom wit- nessed. "The first law of nature seemed to have as- serted itself, for every one was tr.ying to es- cape from the building regardless of every- thing and everybody else. Clothing was torn, slippers lost, bonnets crushed, jewelry torn away and broken, while many bruises and hurts were inflicted by the merciless crowd. It is strange, but true, that no one was seriously injured. "After almost every one had left the build- ing, my father, after getting my mother out unhurt, came for me. Uncle Thomas told him that I had been a good girl and did not cry. This praise was very pleasant to me, but I think it was not goodness, but the sight of that screaming, struggling mass of humanity so bewildered me that I forgot I could cry. ' ' Investigation showed that the prop placed on the stump had acted as a wedge, and so split it that the floor had sagged only a little way, but enough to produce the fright of the entire audience. The damage to the floor was easily repaired, and the length of time the build has stood, and the many, many times it has been filled by attentive worship- ers prove how substantially it was built. "The membership of the church must have increased rapidly between the time of its or- ganization and the opening of the house of worship. Besides those I have already men- tioned I recall the names of Mr. and Mrs. William Johnson, his mother, ]Irs. Johnson, Cynthia John.son, wife of Thomas Johnson, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Baldwin, Mr. and Mrs. Campster, whose stone residence still stands near the Campster schoolhouse, Mr. and ]Mrs.