Article October 5, 1899 Issue

Miscellany

The Rev. W. Wallace Webb, D.D., recently preached a sermon (which is published in full in The Ontario Country Journal of Canadaigua) in memory of George Hickok, who was the oldest native resident of the city, and the oldest member of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Canadaigua. It is one of the most interesting of memorial discourses.

Mr. Hickok has been connected with some very remarkable persons. One day a man who had a wife and four children came over and wanted to borrow a dollar. "Chop wood with me to-day and earn it," said Mr. Hickok. He did so, and got bread for his family. That man was Brigham Young, then an independent Methodist. Brigham Young afterward contracted a bill and made a dozen chairs to meet the account, some of which are still in the family house. It was only a few miles from there that Mormonism arose. Smith professed to find the plates of his book, and to receive a revelation from angels at Mormon Hill, only a few miles from Canadaigua.

It was there that Brigham Young heard the new doctrine. and professed to be converted. The baptism took place in April, 1832. One day some men came to the farm and inquired at the house for Brigham. They were shown to the field where he and Mr. Hickok were cradling grain together. The men came up to Brigham and held a few minutes' earnest conversation with him. After the strangers had left, Brigham said, "George, I am not going to work for you any more." Mr. Hickok, in surprise, asked, "Why not?" His reply was, "I am going into better business; I am going to preach the everlasting Gospel." Mr. Hickok was afterwards accustomed to say. as long as he lived, that this was the last honest day's work Brigham ever did. He went with the Mormon missionaries to Auburn, and after four or five days returned, packed up his belongings, and with his family went to the place where the Mormons were gathering.

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