Isaac Taylor Tichenor, the Home Mission Statesman

p. 3mF in this democratic country genealogical tables count for anything, then the name of Isaac Taylor Tichenor is an honorable one. jMartin Tichenor, who tradition tells us was of French extraction, was among the earliest settlers of New England. The record shows that in 1644 he took the oath of allegiance at New Haven, Connecticut, but soon, under the leadership of Robert Treat, helped to form the first settlement at Newark, New Jersey. Now it happened that Ebenezer Byram, scion of a worthy Connecticut family, had settled in Morris County, New Jersey, and that his son, Ebenezer, took in marriage Abagail Alden, fifth generation from John Alden and Priscilla, and to them were born sons and daughters. In the meantime, Joseph Tich-p. 410 ISAAC TAYLOR TICHENOR enor, grandson of jMartin Tichenor, had also settled in Morris County, and there was born unto him in 1742 a son named Daniel. Now this Daniel had in him an excellent spirit, and was wise above his fellows; so it came to pass that he took unto him to wife Anna Byram, and straightway emigrated to the State of Kentucky. This event occurred in 1790, so that when Kentucky was admitted as a State in 1792, Daniel Tichenor was among its citizens. His first purchase of lands in Kentucky was on the Green River, but in this he was disappointed, as it was still a wilderness into which he could not carry his family. In 1795 he accordingly purchased three hundred acres of land on Plum Run, in Nelson County, and there resided until his death. In that early time of settlement, Daniel Tichenor made a liberal contribution to the growth of Kentucky. He obeyed the Scripture command to multiply and replenish the earth, for to him were born eight sons and six daughters. James, the youngest son of this Daniel Tichenor, was married to Margaret Bennett, descendant of the Virginia Bennetts. It was under the roof of James Tichenor, in Spencer County, where sturdy New England blood mingled with the choice graces of Virginia womanhood, that on the eleventh day p. 7THE HOME MISSION STATESMAN 11 of November, in the year 1825, Isaac Taylor Tichenor was born.

p. 7When Isaac was four years old he was sent to school. He tells us that his first distinct recollection of life was an incident at school. As a child he made his first speech in that little primitive schoolroom. It was copied from Peter Parley, and was as follows:

"This world is round and like a ball Seen swinging in the air, The sky extends around it all, And stars are shining there.

Water and land upon the face Of this great globe we see, The land is man's safe dwelling place, And ships sail on the sea."

This simple recitation was prophetic of a mind that, in the maturity of its faculties, reveled as few others in the great things of God in land and sea and air.

At the age of fifteen he entered the High School at Taylorsville. Here he had good training under two excellent teachers, Moses and David Burbank, graduates of Waterville College, in the State of Maine. He secured a good course in mathematics as high as trigonometry, and in Latin read Sallust and Virgil. Plere, too, he laid a good foundation in rhetoric and logic, and could have entered p. 812 ISAAC TAYLOR TICHENOR the junior class in college. In the second year of his high school course he had a severe illness. In this attack of measles, cold settled in the glands of his throat and affected his vocal organs for life. His physician, who might have descended from one of Job's comforters, assured him that he need not be disturbed about his throat, as he would soon die of consumption. His health was at the time too much impaired and his constitution weakened for him to go to college, so at the age of nineteen we find him teaching a neighborhood school. This gained for him universal praise, and the next year he became assistant to Davis Burbank in the Taylorsville Academy. He taught in this school three years, and the last year was its principal.

Young Tichenor professed conversion at the age of eleven, but was held back from church membership until in his thirteenth year, at which time he was baptized by Elder William Vaughn into the fellowship of Bloom-field Church. It has come down to us that William Vaughn was much discouraged by the fruitage of his ministry that year, for he had only baptized Isaac Tichenor and a very fleshy young woman who weighed over three hundred pounds. Her name was Nancy Pulliam, and her unusual size attracted to the p. 9THE HOME MISSION STATESMAN 13 scene a great concourse of people. But little attention was given to the baptism of the small boy.

p. 9Moses Burbank was a Baptist who had his heart set on the development of the religious life of his pupils. He taught school in the Baptist meeting-house. A protracted meeting was in progress and he told the boys to finish studying and they would hold a prayer-meeting before the congregation assembled. He called on Isaac Tichenor to pray, but was refused. After the congregation had assembled and they had sung the opening hymn, he again called on Tichenor to pray. This time he responded and offered his first public prayer.

While teaching with Davis Burbank at the Academy, on one Saturday morning when the church was about to convene for a business meeting, one of his young friends told him that the pastor, Uncle Billy Stout, wanted to see him. When he reported to the pastor he was greatly surprised to find that Uncle Billy wanted him. to preach for him that morning. This he refused. The pastor seemed hurt, so when others joined in urging him, he finally consented. He spoke for twenty-five minutes from the words, "Search the Scriptures." After the sermon the pastor proposed that p. 1014 ISAAC TAYLOR TICHENOR the young brother be Hcensed to preach. Under the protest of the young man, the motion was unanimously passed. The next thing he knew Uncle Billy had arranged an appointment for him to preach at Plum Creek Church, ten miles off. He yielded to the persuasion of his sister, and on this occasion preached his first prepared serm.on from the text, "How long halt ye between two opinions?" What effect the sermon had on his congregation we do not know, but from this time on he no longer halted as to his duty to preach the gospel, for we find that during that summer he is in frequent demand among the churches, and responds with such fervor, as to gain the title of the boy orator of Kentucky.