rev. john s. halfaker, b.a.
on january 7, 1902, after a long and hard summer’s work on the farm i determined to enter college and prepare myself educationally for the christian ministry. i had carefully saved the earnings from my summer’s work, which was my first away from home. my accumulations amounted to one crescent bicycle, a trunk filled with the kind of clothing that a green country lad would get when making his first purchases in the average “jew store,” and one hundred and twenty dollars in cash. i felt that with this i would be able to become established and be in a position to earn my way. my intentions were good and my faith was strong.
having seen in the herald of gospel liberty the announcement that any honest industrious young man who desired a college education could attend defiance college a whole year for one hundred and ten dollars, i thought, here was my chance. surely if such a young man could go to college for the amount named above i was running no serious risk in undertaking to go from january to june on that amount. my eagerness increased. 54
now, it was almost two hundred miles from my home to defiance, ohio. this was a long journey for a lad of my makeup to take on his own initiative and under protest of many friends. but amid showers of tears and volumes of good advice my mind was made up, and no one was happier than i when the time came to start.
at eight-thirty o’clock i arrived in the historic old town of defiance, reputed far and wide for its mud and natural scenery. i shall never forget the old board walks. it was dark and the rain was coming straight down. no one met me at the train for i had sent no herald to announce my arrival. i mounted the old hack and made my way straight to the college. at that time the institution did not belong to the christian denomination. really you would have thought it didn’t belong to anyone. dr. john r. h. latchaw was the president and rev. p. w. mcreynolds was dean. dr. latchaw was out of the city and when i arrived at the college dean mcreynolds met me at the door. he received me and welcomed me in his characteristic manner and proceeded at once to enroll me as a student. i was soon enrolled, had my tuition paid, and was on my way in company with the dean to find a room. by nine o’clock i was located and had partially unpacked my trunk. that was “all glory” for me.
i was out for business, therefore it was my business to be out. my plans were laid to be regular and persistent in my work, so, no sooner were we 55 located, than i was on my way down town to purchase an alarm clock.
not only did i need the college but the college needed me, as luck would have it. the basement was full of four-foot wood (cord wood), which must be made ready for four small heaters in various rooms of the building. it was in the basement of the college building that i took my physical culture each evening and on saturdays, with a cash dividend of twenty-five cents for each cord of wood i cut. soon we had all the wood cut, and i was out of a job. but my attention was called to the fact that more wood was needed at my room, and that it was my turn to furnish the supply. i inquired and found that if i would walk out in the country about three miles i could have the privilege of chopping up the dead timber for the wood. on saturday mornings i shouldered my ax and saw and made for the woods. many was the day that i chopped entirely with the ax all day, with four cords of fine wood in the rick at night and a good supply of tired and sore muscles. we were able to get the wood hauled in at twenty-five cents a cord. i had my supply of wood for our room, and sold about ten cords to other students who had more money than desire to exercise after the woodman’s fashion. i would deliver the wood evenings at $1.50 a cord. this gave me some spending money.
june came and i was getting along well, when one day after supper at the club i engaged in a wrestling 56 match which resulted in a broken arm. all my plans were broken in a moment. my work was at an end for the summer. after commencement i returned home and spent the summer doing errands and chores with no financial income.
during the summer i was notified that the college would be removed from defiance, ohio, to muncie, indiana, about fifty miles from my home, and that the school would be known as palmer university. i was urged to come to muncie early and enroll in the new institution. no sooner did i receive the word than i mounted my bicycle and peddled my way over to muncie to see what arrangements i could make to earn my way. the president arranged for me to become advertising solicitor and business manager of the university bulletin. this was a new line of work for me, and it was with some hesitancy that i took hold of the work. but i was in no condition for physical labor; so gave myself the advantage of a doubt and went to work at once. i was very successful and cleared about forty dollars, which those in charge seemed to think was too large an income for a student and began at once to curtail the contract. this was not at all pleasing to me.
in the meanwhile the effort to remove the college from defiance to muncie had failed. the citizens of defiance arose in arms, elected dean mcreynolds president of the college, put up a considerable cash guaranty and began an enthusiastic canvass 57 for students and money. the college at defiance became the property of the christian church, and a definite campaign for funds was instituted and carried forward by president mcreynolds. all the old students were at once communicated with and urged to return. i was acquainted at defiance and was only waiting for an opportunity to return.
president mcreynolds remembered the farmer lad who could handle the saw and the ax so well. he wrote me that if i would come to defiance he would give the position of janitor at a salary of seven dollars per month and that i could room in the college building and board myself. i thought that i would be able to earn something in addition, so i sat down and answered the letter at once, stating the train on which i would arrive.
when i reached defiance i thought it the most beautiful spot in all the earth. i felt like the prodigal son when he came in sight of his father’s house. president mcreynolds met me about two blocks from the campus and with suit-case in hand we went to the college. in less time than it takes to write it we had gone over the work and i was employed as janitor of the college, a position which i held for two long school years. my arm was weak and tender, but the work was not slighted. at the close of each month i received a check for seven dollars. the smile that played over the president’s face was worth more than the check. he simply wouldn’t let a fellow get discouraged or give up. 58
of course, it was impossible to get along on seven dollars a month, even if one had no room-rent to pay and boarded himself, so i was compelled to earn something besides. i undertook the laundry agency, which the first week netted me the snug sum of ten cents. but by the following june my commissions amounted to from two and a half to three and a half dollars each week. it was a good business indeed for a student. at the same time i was college librarian and in this way earned a part of my tuition. my work was very heavy, indeed, but i had never failed to make the grade; so i felt that the only honorable way out was to go straight ahead.
in the fall of 1903 i applied to the northwestern ohio conference for a license to preach, which was granted. i began by supplying wherever opportunity afforded. i did not drop any of the work i had been doing, but during the remaining college course i supplied the pulpits of over forty different churches. sometimes they more than paid my expenses, and again i bore my own expenses. in the fall of 1904 i accepted the pastorate of two churches in connection with my college work. all the time i was compelled to do at least a part of the work at the college. in january of 1905 when i engaged in special meetings with my churches it was impossible for me to carry the work at the college. i then left school and accepted the pastorate of the third church. in july of 1905 i married and moved to wakarusa as pastor of the christian church there. 59 i served that church for a period of two years, after which i resigned to complete my course at the college. i moved to defiance and served two churches during the school year of 1907-8, and graduated in june of 1908. i am proud of my alma mater, and since my graduation i have had the honor of being president of our alumni association.
in september of 1908 i was called to serve the christian church at lima, ohio, as pastor. i continued for just four years. i then received and accepted a call to the pastorate of the first christian church of columbus, ohio.
these have been years of toil and sacrifice and joy. though much of the way seemed dark, i have been conscious of the guidance of an unseen hand all the way.
columbus, ohio.
