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LORENZO DOW, preached on the street in Steubenville in 1799 or 1800. It is known positively that Dow was in the Short Creek Valley in 1798 and preached to the pioneers. He was known to deliver eloquent discourses to an audience composed of one person. Dow arrived at Steubenville on foot, for her would not ride. A report had gained circulation that a great divine was coming, whom some were not slow to claim a second Christ, which led to 200 or 300 persons gathering under a large tree that stood at the end of the public square. Beneath this tree was a bench upon which butchers cut up their meat, and there was also an upping block. When Dow arrived he looked very seedy and travel worn, and staggered somehwat, which led to Mrs. Bickerstaff inquiring if he were drunk. Her husband replied, "Thee'll see directly." Mr. Dow mounted the "upping block" and began his sermon with these words: "Sent by my Lord, on you I call--the invitation is to all; Come all the world, come sinner, thou, All things in Christ are ready now." The audience was so delighted that a collection was taken up and the receipts handed to the preacher, who sought out the most humbly attired person in the crowd, and handed the money to him, bidding him God speed in its use. The Bickerstaff's invited the preacher to their house, but he declined, saying, "I have not the time, my Lord's work must be done and I must go."  Return to Family Tales
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