Lamy of Santa Fe by Paul Horgan Page B

population always increased the goal to be achieved. Machebeuf wrote to his brother, his sister, and his father in turn, describing the national condition. “Since the declaration of independence,” he declared, “no one ever saw here such stagnation in business affairs. Not only is this true of Ohio, but in all the States of the Union.” There was not a tenth of the money in circulation in 1842 which had been known in earlier years. Most of the banks failed; those which survived would not lend money; paper money, much mistrusted as issued by banks which later failed, destroyed confidence; employers defaulted on wages to workmen. Through the months, work was discontinued on all large enterprises. It hardly paid to raise grain crops. Food prices were depressed, but those who raised their own could not starve. Immigrants kept pouring in, not to take jobs, but to claim land and cultivate their own produce. It was obvious that support of existing churches and the construction of new ones was almost impossible. Machebeuf—and the same must have been true for Lamy—had the greatest trouble keeping up his own dwelling, and said, “I have had to sell my dear little buggy which was so useful.”
    Yet, all sharing, the pastor’s work went on, however humbly. Lamy’s rectory at Danville was “pretty well finished” in April 1841. He later said to someone else that he found it harder to furnish a house than to put it up out of rude materials.
    Even before St Luke’s at Danville was completed, Lamy was continuing work on his new church at Mt Vernon. He called it St Vincentde Paul’s, after his “favorite saint,” While it was going up, he said Mass in various private houses. Overseeing the erection of the church, Lamy had a helper in “old Squire Colopy,” who was “in such good earnest, that he has scarcely any rest, till he sees it enclosed. It will be a very handsome building, at the moment I write to you,” Lamy told Purcell, “they have employed 60000 bricks. We think that it will be an ornament to the town.”
    But people were not always as strong as bricks. Squire Colopy fell ill, and a Mr Brophy had to take time from his own work to oversee the construction. Lamy to Purcell in December 1841:
    this church in Mt Vernon would have been enclosed two months ago if it was not for the accident that happened to Mr Brophy (the little Irish tailor) he had one day a fall, and has been lame since, though he is getting better, he was the man to attend to the building, but after he had that fall, the church was little neglected; Mr Colopy has not been very well, there was only Mr Morton who has done all he could; the mecanics that had to put on the roof have also been sick, but now all that is wanting, is to have the shingles on. all the timbers for the roof are fixed on the wals that church looks very handsome.
    The church was finally roofed and plastered when fire, “by some unknown means,” on the evening of 2 March 1844, burned away all but the brick shell of St Vincent de Paul’s, and that was weakened.
    Purcell came to see the wreckage, preached in the court house to a large crowd, and the citizens subscribed six hundred dollars to rebuild the church. The rebuilding would be slow—”not so much for want of means as of materials, in the getting out whereof some unavoidable delays have occurred.”
    But Lamy was already at work on plans for his new church at Newark, twenty-four miles from Mt Vernon, thirty-six miles from Danville. He was in constant touch with Purcell, projecting hopes, reporting progress, asking permission for various moves. In December 1841, there was as yet no deed to the Newark property where he meant to build. He wanted this settled before spring, so that he could count on beginning the work when the weather broke fine. He would be able to buy windows and altar from the church at Zanesville, and he intended to