Metuchen Edison History Features

Recollections of

Boyhood Days

In Old Metuchen

By

David Trumbull Marshall

Published by The Case Publishing Co., Flushing NY 1930

(Second Edition)- (c) 1930

Mr. A. W. Kellogg.

Some time in 1839 Mr. A. W. Kellogg came from Vermont to Metuchen.

He was to lead the singing in the Presbyterian Church and teach the Public School.

When at a meeting of the officers of the Church the question as to where Mr. Kellogg could find board came up, Mr. William Ross, a wealthy farmer living out toward Oak Tree, said to him, "You may come and stay at my house until you can find a place." Mr. Kellogg stayed forty years.

About 1880 Mr. Kellogg came to live with us.

He stayed ten years until he died in 1895, aged 84. How little we know of those whose inner life we think we know as a book! I often wondered as a young man why Mr. Kellogg walked so carefully and so slowly.

The grand old Spartan never complained nor did he confide in me, a medical student, and the best friend he had in the world, that he suffered with a most distressing physical disability.

We never knew it until he was dead.

Mr. Kellogg had a keen sense of humor and used to tell us the humorous incidents in connection with most of the old Metuchenites.

One could tell just as certainly as one could tell what sound would issue from a certain bell when it was struck, just what story would be told when the name of Sank or Henry or Bill was mentioned.

His deliberate way of telling a story and his ability to mimic the speech of his characters made up for the frequent repetition.

When I was about thirteen years old we lived at the parsonage at Metuchen.

We were having a new cistern built.

An old stone mason by the name of Talmage was doing the work.

Our minister, Mr. Mason, stood talking to Mr. Talmage. Mr. Mason was telling of a certain stone as large as a freight car which he had seen on the slopes of Mount Lebanon, which stone had been abandoned on its way from the quarries some hundreds of years ago.

From that the conversation drifted to the question what would make the lightest load.

Mr. Talmage said, "I allow that a load of blowed bladders would be about as light as anything."

It would if the bladders were "blowed" full of hydrogen.

Mr. Talmage had a son Zeke. Zeke used to ring the bell for the Sunday School and had charge of the Sunday School library.

I don't think anyone ever took any books from the library, but every Sunday for years and years and years Zeke was always there, Johnny-on-the-Spot to give them out.

I never remember seeing Zeke inside the Sunday School nor do I know of his ever participating in any of the activities of the School save ringing that bell and holding down the library job.

With his neat Prince Albert coat and his red full beard, he was there as long as I can remember.

I recollect Mr. Kellogg coming home one day bursting with the information that Zeke Talmage had sold a load of salt hay for the whole of fourteen dollars. Let us hope that he did not spend the whole fourteen dollars in one place.