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Calvin Washington Ruter - Introduction
David H. Tripp, editor
The manuscript “Sketch of the Life and Itinerant Labours” by Calvin Washington Ruter (1794 - 1859) is now among the holdings of the Archives of the Indiana Area of the United Methodist Church, which are in the care of the Archives and Special Collections Department of the Roy O. West University Library of DePauw University, Greencastle, Indiana. The “Sketch” had been preserved by its author’s family, and had then been given to the archives of Dickinson College in Pennsylvania. When that library’s archive department disposed of all materials not specifically related to the college, the “Sketch” was given to the archives of the Central Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church. That Conference presented it to the Indiana Area United Methodist archives, since most of the text relates to Indiana Methodism in its formative years. The Indiana Area Archive records thanks to the Central Pennsylvania Conference on behalf of both North and South Indiana Conferences of the United Methodist Church.
The “Sketch” consists of two lined note-books, with 24 lines to the page. There are some signs of annotation by later hands, possibly with a view to editing for publication or for other uses.
The first aim has been to present, as far as possible, exactly what Ruter wrote. His punctuation and orthography have been preserved, although they differ from what has since become standard American usage. Where Ruter apparently departs from the norm of his own time, the word or space (where a word would have been expected) is marked with an obelus: +
There are signs that Ruter’s plans allowed for possible publication, and that this hand-written material was still in the process of maturation. We see here, perhaps, a text in development; if this is so, Ruter’s adaptations have an interest of their own.
The only change has been to divide the text into paragraphs for the ease of the reader. Ruter left a continuous text, which would be suitable for his own, his family’s and close friends’ use; for the press, he would have no doubt subdivided it, instead of leaving a solid, undifferentiated block.
Ruter’s orthography represents an interesting transitional phase. Several words are still spelled in the older way (“candour,” “centre,” “favour,” “labour,” “marvellous,” “Saviour,” “enquire,” “counsellor”), while more modern American spellings often appear (“honor,” “neighborhood”). None of the older spellings are marked as mistakes in this transcription. Idiosyncratic but consistent spellings (“altho,” “tho”) are not usually marked after the first occurrence, nor are obsolete forms (“Missourie”).
Ruter’s punctuation is idiosyncratic. Very frequently, the period and the comma are virtually exchanged, even to the point of producing “U, S,” and “D, D,” where we should expect “ U. S.” and “ D. D.” This feature also has been reproduced without alteration, as has his remarkably fluctuating style of abbreviation. For example: when he refers to himself as “Brother Ruter,” he shortens “Brother” variously to “Bro” or “Bro-“ or “Bro—” or “Bro,” or “Bro..” or “Bro,,”
+ This form of a word, or apparent omission, is as in the MS
[corr] “corrected to”
[ del] The preceding word or phrase has been deleted (scored through or written over)
< > insertion, written above the text, usually with caret mark
{ } the bracketed word, phrase or sentence has been circled, apparently with a view to deletion, but not scored through.
[1 / 2] page breaks in the MS, where there is manuscript page numeration
[[12/13]] page breaks in the MS, where there is no manuscript page numeration.
[[27=”1”/28=”2”]] page breaks in the MS. where numeration has been inserted in the manuscript itself; numeration is found, starting within the text (pages 27-35 are numbered “1”- “9” for no obvious reason.)
For the purposes of this edition, the pagination of the MS is continuous, from Book 1 through Book 2. There are four loose leaves (including one small scrap of paper); these are numbered 208-211, to continue the numbering of the pages. However, the note in the text on p. 183, “Here read the preceeding [sic] loose leaves,” shows both that pp. 208-210 were at one time kept folded between pages 182 and 183, and that their entire text should be intercalated in this position. On examination, however, we find that pp. 202-207, the concluding pages of Book 2 of the MS, follow on directly from p. 210 -- so directly that the word “Annual” begins on the last line of p. 210 and ends on the first line of p. 202. For this reason, those pages are here printed, following pp. 202-207, at the indicated point on p. 183. This long interjection forms an unusually detailed chronicle of “Acts of kindness that cannot be forgotten.” Another corollary of these facts is that the chronological account -- at least as it now stands in these two books -- concludes at the foot of p. 201 (where two lines of the lined page are blank), and ends with the Conference year 1852-1853.
Underlining: Ruter usually, but not entirely consistently, underlines distinct words, separately, even when they occur in a series.
set out to do three things --
- to explain some of the unexpected features of the manuscript text, and the changes which have been made, sometimes by Ruter himself, sometimes by later hands;
- to spell out the Bible verses hinted at or referred to by chapter-and-verse citations in Ruter’s text. Ruter was effectively confined to the 1611 “King James” English translation of the Bible; since this is not now always readily available (or familiar) to present-day readers, the notes cite Bible passages fully. Note that in the “King James” translation, italicized words are those not in the underlying Hebrew or Aramaic or Greek text, but supplied by the translators for the sake of the sense; and
- to spell out Methodist administrative and other terms, and allusions to hymns in Methodist use, which Ruter took for granted.
Is in alphabetical order, and supplies some dates and other facts from other sources, particularly from the abstracts of Western Christian Advocate obituaries and from Sweet’s transcription of the Indiana Conference Minutes.
consists of Indiana Conference reports and resolutions authored by Ruter in person or as responsible writer for Conference committees. It represents only a small proportion of the material Ruter prepared for the Conference, but reflects some of the most important matters entrusted to his leadership, issues which determined the moral atmosphere of the Indiana Conference and went far to shape the subsequent history of Indiana Methodism.
The Personal and Historical Interest of Calvin Ruter’s Memoirs
Ruter’s self-portrait is of an intensely devout and conscientious man. He struggled (this is almost a classic case) with his sense of vocation, and entered the itinerant missionary work of the Methodist Episcopal Church with both zeal and misgiving. We see a man both utterly dependent on God, but also ready to take a childish delight in his own repartee. He faces people of whom he himself expects to be afraid, and is delighted when he emerges unscathed or even victorious. He suffers keenly from spiteful calumny, at the close of his Post-Mastership and during his Presiding-Eldership of the Indianapolis District. His health is a constant source of anxiety. He blames himself for having studied too intensely during his early itinerant years, to the point (he believes) of undermining his constitution. He is compelled to spend considerable amounts of time convalescing in the South – mainly, it seems, in New Orleans. The kindnesses he receives during his times of weakness are listed in affectionate detail. Of his family, we read little: Ruter is a very private person. His marriage to Mrs. H. C. Cutler is mentioned, as is her resolve to support his ministry, despite her own troubled health. His son attending the Indianapolis Medical School enters the tale momentarily. Ruter says more of his beloved brother Martin, the minister, publisher, educator and pioneer evangelist in Texas, of whom he was intensely proud. When he is obliged to make decisions about disputed matters, he is admittedly scrupulous, and finds it hard to take sides. He is torn between conflicting views, and torn between colleagues with whom he would be glad to reconcile. An unkind observer (John L. Smith, Indiana Methodism, 1897, p. 107) chides him for being unclear and indecisive -- a comment which says more of the observer!
He offers few but enlightening examples of his pastoral technique, especially in his tender dealings with Hosier J. Durbin. We read of his sermon texts, and of his moments of liberty in his preaching, but little of the substance of the sermons. He writes gently of his colleagues, and is at pains to set records straight -- as if he expected his sketch at some time to be widely read -- about ministers who have been maligned.
Ruter provides interesting personal side-lights on several significant passages in the history of Episcopal Methodism. The disputes in and around the 1844 General Conference, and the ambiguous behavior of Bishop Andrew, are described from Ruter’s own observation, and his distress at the proceedings and their outcome is powerfully conveyed. The unexpected choice made by Bishop Joshua Soule is commented on in a brief but poignant fashion. In the same year, the controversy about Methodism (especially Methodist ministers) and Freemasonry impacts the Indiana Conference. Ruter tries to pick an eirenic path through this tangled issue -- so eirenic that it is not clear whether he was essentially in favor of Freemasonry or not: though his ironic reference to the transcendent mysteries offered to initiates somewhat suggests that his view of the craft was negative.
Ruter was an especially trusted member of the Conferences he belonged to. Despite his unreliable health, and even while he was a supernumerary or superannuated, he served as Conference secretary for many years. To his embarrassment, he is called to the chair of the Annual Conference because no Bishop has yet arrived. He was given a number of other major responsibilities from time to time: the calculation of the Bishop’s “Table expenses,” that is, allowances for the maintenance of the Bishop’s family; examining candidates for Full Connexion, in the Discipline; leadership in the development of a Preachers’ Aid Society; treasurership of the newly established Missionary Society and especially the work which led to the foundation of Indiana Asbury (now DePauw) University at Greencastle, Indiana. The Minutes of the Conferences reveal that Ruter was tasked with much more, and with a wider variety of matters, than his personal reminiscences specifically mention.
Ruter reflects, mostly without comment, significant changes in the Methodism which he served. Revival services, with acute emotional scenes, some of them terrifying to those present, are frequent in the early years. Later, Ruter notes their decrease, while commenting that the church continues nonetheless to grow. The case of (hysterical?) blindness and subsequent aphasia which he describes in detail belongs to the earlier and not to the later period of his account. The agreement made secretly among some men of a town to come forward together for probationary membership, if the Presiding Elder, Mr. Ruter, will openly invite them (1840), is noted as an exceptional passage of events.
Ruter’s early ministry is in a system consisting entirely of circuits; in 1825 he is appointed to a “station charge” (Madison Station, to replace Samuel Bassett), and the appearance of a new category of appointment -- one that will alter the entire ecclesiology of Methodism! -- though reflected in the narrative, is not noticed as significant. Equally symptomatic of major change is the mention (1831) of churches asking for specific persons to be appointed (or not appointed); the autocratic system of Bishop Asbury has passed, even if the official documents do not admit this.
Ruter’s meeting with ex-Governor, now Senator, James Whitcomb, who insists that Ruter bring his family to live in the Whitcomb house, and care for his library (which is still the core of the collection at the Roy. O. West University Library at DePauw), is graphically described.
The account ends with the Conference year of 1852/3, and with the comment that Ruter’s station is well manned. It is not clear whether he intended to go further, or whether he did do so in a third note-book, now no longer available.