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PROFESSOR BYRAN T.
JINKINS —We look with keenest delight on the work of the
sculptor, who with skilled hands moulds from the unsightly piece
of clay a work of art. Should we not give far greater honor to
him who can take the youthful, untrained mind and character,
disciplining them to his will and giving them strength, until
their youthful possessor, going out into the busy avenues of
life, commands the confidence and admiration of his fellows?
Such an artist is the subject of the sketch. Professor Byran
T. Jinkins, born February 24, 1855, a son of David
and Tryphena Young (Beers) Jinkins, of Morrow county.
David was the son of Thomas and Ann (Davis) Jinkins,
natives of Wales, who emigrated to the Welsh Hills of Licking
county at a very early date. David in his day was a very
successful minister of the gospel, his kindness and popularity
causing him frequently to be called upon to officiate at
funerals and weddings in addition to his regular appointments.
He officiated at over two hundred funerals and he never refused
a request of this nature, showing equal willingness in all his
ministrations at times of sorrow, no matter what the
denomination or the circumstances. He also solemnized over
eighty marriages. He and his brother made the first wagon used
on their father's farm, the wheels being made of logs, and this
rude conveyance was driven to the mill by ox team. Byran
was named after his grandfather, Byran Beers, who
was so pleased that he gave his namesake fifty dollars in gold.
Byran was the fourth in a family of six children, equally
divided as to sons and daughters and whose names. were Laura,
Zilpha, Bronson, Byran, William and Elma.
Professor Jinkins was reared and educated at his
birthplace and upon coming to man’s estate married Maria J.
Evans, their union being solemnized June 16, 1886. Mrs.
Jinkins was the daughter of Benjaimn and Hannah P.
(Howard) Evans, natives of Chester township. These worthy
people were members of the Baptist church, in which the father
held the office of deacon for a number of years. He was a man of
remarkable industry, and in addition to doing the work on his
large farm he was identified with many important interests. He
built one of the finest residences in the county, modern in
appointment and artistically frescoed interiorly. This stately
abode, erected upon the highest point on the farm and surrounded
by great shade trees, makes a charming and picturesque place of
residence. Mr. Evans was one of the martyrs of the Civil
war. When President Lincoln called for volunteers,
he was advised by friends not to go, as he was needed at home,
having in addition to his family the care of his mother. Some
one suggested his hiring a substitute, but he replied : “I am no
better than any other man.” Bidding his family farewell he went
to the front, enlisting in the One Hundred and Thirty-ninth
Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry. While stationed at Fort
Alexandria, near Washington D. C., Mr. Evans contracted
typhoid fever and died in 1865, at the age of thirty-nine years,
thus ending a brave and unselfish life, offered upon the altar
of his country that the Union might be preserved. His widow
married William Howard, of Chester township, and
two children were born: Alpa and Minnie, the
former marrying Martha Carpenter, of Shelbyville, Kentucky; and
the latter, Leslie Sears, of. Bloomfield, Ohio.
The children of Benjamin and Hannah Evans were
as follows: Moses P., who became cashier of the bank at
Valley Falls, Kansas, and died in 1879; Ella E., who
married Bronson Jinkins, a brother of Professor B. T.
Jinkins, and died in 1889; and E. Kate, who married
A. L. Ferris, of Paxton, Illinois. The latter was a
member of the Baptist church and for years was Sunday School
superintendent. She was a talented woman and wrote considerable
poetry. Some years after her marriage she lost her eye sight,
but continued interested in the study of music, in which she was
quite skillful. Maria, wife of the professor, received
her elementary education in the district school, then attended
the high school at Chesterville, then at Mt. Gilead and was
graduated from Shepardson's College at Granville, Ohio, in 1879.
She taught the Washington school for a term, but impaired health
necessitated the discontinuance of this and she assisted her
mother in the home duties. At the time of her wedding to
Professor Jinkins the old home witnessed a merry gathering,
and of the happy occasion the well preserved wedding gown of
blue satin and brocaded roses is a rare souvenir.
To revert to the history of Professor Jinkins’
family, it is noted that his father, Elder
David Jinkins, was born in the Welsh Hills settlement
near Granville, Ohio, March 7, 1824, and died in Sparta,
Wednesday morning, December 3, 1890. He was blind for several
years at the close of his life. His last words were, after
calling in the undertaker and making all arrangements for his
funeral:
“Bright angels guard me in this gloom,
They're 'round my bed, they're in my room.”
He married Tryphena Young Beers, daughter of Byram and
Elizabeth Beers, and to this union were born six children,
namely: Laura, who died in infancy; Zilpha
(Ball), Bronson, Byram, William and Elma (Salisbury). But
two of the family are now living—Byram and William.
David Jinkins was converted at the age of
sixteen years and joined the Chester Baptist church, beginning
to preach in 1860. He united with the Mt. Pisgah Primitive
Baptist church May 18, 1867, and was ordained as a minister of
the same July 26, 1867, and he continued in the ministry for
twenty years, eventually losing his sight from overwork on the
farm. After the death of his first wife he married Lovina
Shaw and purchased property in Sparta, where he lived
until his death. The Jinkins country home was noted for
its hospitality and none in need of food or lodging was ever
turned away.
The parents of David Jinkins came from
North Wales and landed in New York with only a half dollar.
Their names were Thomas and Ann Jinkins, and they
at first settled near Granville, Ohio, and united with the Welsh
Hills Baptist church. Afterward they removed to Harmony
township, Morrow county. There were seven children born to their
union: David and Thomas, both Baptist ministers,
now buried in the Chester cemetery; William, buried in
Osceola, Iowa ; John, buried at Lacona, Iowa ;
Margaret (Peterson) buried in the Chester cemetery ; Mary
Ann (Ulery) living in Cardington; and Sylvester,
living in Chesterville.
Thomas Jinkins was born November 26,
1792, in Radnorshire, South Wales. He entered the English army
in 1810 and served until 1817, and was at the battle of
Waterloo. One of his sons once asked him why he was not sent to
America in 1812 to fight the American army, and his answer was
that they would have deserted to the American army.
Ann Jinkins was born June 19, 1802, in
Montgomeryshire, North Wales, was converted when seventeen years
of age and was baptized on her nineteenth birthday, in the
Severn river, near Lanidee. Upon coming to America she united
with the Welsh Hills church in Licking county and she was
afterwards a member of the Chester, Harmony and Chesterville
churches. She died in Chesterville at the home of her son
Sylvester. She was married to Thomas Jinkins
in the Parish church, Llanidlos, December 1, 1820. They came to
America in 1821 and settled near Newark, Ohio. They afterwards
entered land in Delaware, now Morrow county in 1830. To this
union was born seven children, Thomas, John, ,William,
William, Sylvester, Mary Ann and Margaret. Thomas Jinkins
died February 14, 1871, at his home in Harmony township. Ann
Davis Jinkins died April 15, 1891, at her home in
Chesterville. Thomas Jinkins was promoted to ensign for
bravery at Waterloo.
Like all youths the Jinkins boys of
former generations enjoyed an occasional prank. Near their home
in Harmony township lived a country veterinary surgeon, one
Hiram Hilliard, who had a strain of Indian blood in
his veins. At one time Hiram had set the following day to mow a
certain meadow adjoining the Jinkins farm and had engaged
hands for the work. But it occurred to David, John, William
and Thomas to cut the hay the evening before, knowing
full well that it would enrage the “cow doctor.” Accordingly
they got their scythes in readiness and spent most of the night
cutting hay. The next morning Hilliard started to arrange
for the hay cutting, when to his surprise he found the hay all
down. Suspicious of the right quarter, he sought the Jinkins
home and engaged in conversation with the old gentleman.
Hilliard— “Where are your boys, Jinkins?”
Jinkins— “They are not up yet.”
Hilliard, (with fire in his eyes)— “Where were
they last night?”
Jinkins— “How do I know! You tell me where they
are every night?”
Getting no satisfaction, the doctor went home to finish
his haying.
At another time the Jinkins boys with
other Harmony youths went out on Hallowe'en, and inasmuch as it
would be a new experience to John Lewis and his
wife, who from their native Wales could have little idea how the
night was celebrated in America, they did not neglect to visit
them in their rounds. The Lewises lived in a small house
on lands now owned by William Baker and also near
the home of B. T. Jinkins, the former now using the old
house for a barn or shed. It happened that the Lewises
had that day sold a horse and had money in the house. The boys
had gone five miles from home for this attention, but that was
nothing, as most of the travel was on foot in those days and
long distances were traversed without much thought. It was late
at night when the Lewises heard an awful racket and
cabbages, turnips and the like were hurled against the doors and
sides of the house, which was on the middle of a large field.
The husband did not get out of bed, but Mrs. Lewis
asked their business and the reply came in Welsh; then one of
the crowd said something to her in German
Mrs. Lewis “You seem to be here from all
countries.”
The Crowd— “Yes, all nations are represented in this
band.”
At this point there was a lull in the cabbage throwing
and the boys heard the following short dialogue from within.
Mrs. Lewis— “John, ‘tis give them the
money and spare our lives!”
John— “’Tis give me my breeches and I'll give
‘em money!”
The Hallowe’eners well knew what that meant and were
soon scrambling over fences hurrying for Harmony township.
Professor Jinkins, son of David
and Tryphena Jinkins, was born in Harmony township
February 24, 1855, on the place now owned by William
George, near the Harmony church. Soon afterward his parents
removed to the farm now owned by his brother William
Jinkins in Chester township, in southeastern Morrow county.
In this place he began his early career in school work, his
first term being under Mathias Ewart, of the
Ewart Brothers of Iowa. The school house was on the
home place, for in an early day, when the board of education was
casting about for a school site, Rev. Mr.
Jinkins donated one, which has given to his children and now
his grandchildren easy access to school. Here Byram had
such excellent instructors as Mrs. Abigail (Barnes) Sprague,
J. W. Evans, Esq., Mrs. Lena (Howard) Searls and others.
Here the children from the families of the Meads, the
McVeys, the Harrises, the Shoewalters, the
Howards, the Beerses, the Thomases, the
Jinkinses, and so forth, filled the little old school house
and were a merry bevy seated around the room. It must be
remembered that a seat started at the northeast corner of the
building and extended along the sides around the room to the
southeast corner, taking up a part of the east side in fact.
Desks of beech lumber were made and put up to this long seat
with spaces between for the pupils to enter; these desks were
huge affairs some six feet long. In course of time young
Byram was sent to the Chesterville schools and there he had
as classmate the boy who was afterward to be world-renowned as
preacher and lecturer, Frank W. Gunsaulus, now president
of the Armour Institute of Chicago. Subsequently Byram
attended the Sparta school in which Judge L. K. Powell
was the principal teacher. Through Judge Powell he
was influenced to attend college at Otterbein University,
Westerville, Ohio. However, it occurred to his father, David,
that he ought to teach a few terms in the country schools before
going to college, and so he hired him out to teach his home
school, Bethel, for a term of ,three months. His salary was to
be forty dollars for the time, or thirteen and a third dollars
per month, and he was to board himself. He remembers that this,
the first money he ever earned, looked like a fortune to him.
But after teaching in the Washington district, the
Salem district and Bethel again, it was decided that he should
enter college. Accordingly he was bundled up one cold winter
morning, and arrayed in a part of two extra suits of clothes
that would not go into the suit case, and getting astride of a
large horse with the suit case on the pommel of the saddle in
front of him, he headed for Centerburg, where he was to take the
Cleveland Akron & Columbus Railroad for Westerville, the seat of
Otterbein University, the leading school of the United Brethren
denomination. As he recalls it now, he started about the middle
of one of the courses and he took what studies he thought would
be pleasant and practical, for he did not think he would ever
graduate. He attended the spring and fall of 1875 and came home
to teach in the winter, and he continued this for three years,
teaching in the winter to secure the needed funds for his
college expenses. He saw he could make little headway by missing
so much, and he finally persuaded his father to furnish the
funds to complete the classical course, with its four years of
Greek and Latin. In fact, in the seven years he took about
everything taught at the college, from a review of the common
branches on through. He was graduated in 1883, with the degree
of A. B., and in 1887 Otterbein University conferred upon him
the degree of A. M. His class had twenty-one members, the
largest in the thirty-five years of the history of the college.
Professor Jinkins was superintendent of
the schools of Galena, Delaware county, in 1833-4 and then went
to his home town of Sparta, where he was superintendent for
eight years, and under his tuition twenty-five bright young
people were graduated. He was superintendent of the Johnstown
schools from 1892 to 1897 and there thirty-seven were graduated
under him. It was his constant aim to develop his pupils in all
possible ways and to aid the town and community in which he was
located. It was in Johnstown that he inaugurated a series of
Demorest contests and several of his pupils won silver medals.
In a spirited contest in an adjoining neighborhood Miss Ethel
Pratt, now Mrs. Frank Simpson, won a
beautiful gold medal. Under him the idea of annual banquets and
class meetings came into being there and these have ever since
been held. It was while he was in the Johnstown school that one
of the great whiskey fights of Ohio began. As it was believed
that an illicit sale of liquor was being carried on, an
anti-saloon league detective was employed and with the
assistance of the Kiblers of Newark, one Joseph
Friddle, druggist, was arrested. A three days hard fought
battle resulted in the defeat of the prosecution by a jury
disagreement. Judge Hunter of Newark, was attorney
for the defense. Detective, lawyer and jury fees made this
pretty expensive for the eight or ten of the prosecution; then
by the defense damage suits were begun against them, amounting
to nearly thirty thousand dollars, Professor Jinkins
and his wife, who was president of the Women's Christian
Temperance Union, being sued for six thousand five hundred
dollars and interest. However, the prosecution shortly after
withdrew these suits. It was at this time that the fight against
he liquor traffic in old Licking county had its beginning.
During this trial a member of the board of education,
who was a great friend of Professor Jinkins and
one of his stanch supporters, came to the high school door one
morning and calling the Professor outside, said to him, “Now we
are more than friends and as a friend I want to say to you that
you must quit taking any part in this fight here or your name
will be Dennis.” After a moments thought the Professor
replied, “Well, I recognize that this whole community, drinking
men and all, pay my salary but the fight is on and every one
will be compelled to take a stand and I think I shall say that
you may count me with the temperance people.” With a smile the
other man replied, “All right, Professor, we shall know where to
find you,” and he hurried down stairs. Several years afterward
Professor Jinkins was passing through Johnstown
when this friend, who was very near death’s door, learned of his
presence in the village, and although his doctor had forbidden
him any visitors, yet he requested: “Let him in. I want to see
him.” And they had a very cordial little visit.
Professor Jinkins removed to the farm and
remained there five years, looking after repairs and resting up
for six years. Then the people of "Quakerdom," near the old
Harkness Academy, employed him to superintend a two room school
at ninety dollars a month, and he was here one year and one
pupil graduated. He severed this association to become
superintendent of the Pleasantville schools, a fine brick and
stone building heated by gas, requiring two large furnaces.
While here he made friendships that will last as long as life.
He remained here four years, graduating twenty-five pupils, who
are doing excellent work in various fields, a large proportion
being teachers in graded schools and even principals. He had had
charge of the destinies of the Pleasantville schools but a short
time when they were advanced to first grade. Here he again began
the Demorest contests, and seven silver medals, a gold and a
grand gold medal, all went to his pupils. Miss Faye N.
Daubenmire of the class of 1908 won the last two medals.
This lady a great friend of the Jinkinses and a frequent
visitor at their home, was killed in a frightful railroad wreck
at Middletown, Ohio July 4, 1910, while on her way to Cincinnati
to study elocution. This was a great shock to Professor and
Mrs. Jinkins, who for some years had been assisting Miss
Daubenmire in her excellent work. It was in the spring of
1908 that Professor Jinkins, after graduating a
fine class of seventeen, removed with his wife to their farm
near Chesterville, where they now reside. Professor and Mrs.
Jinkins had one of their pleasantest experiences in
attending the Jamestown Exposition as guests of the National
Editorial Association. The editor's boat was the one of escort
to President Roosevelt on President’s day and in
Music Hall the President made a speech to the editors alone.
They were given free passes to everything on the grounds and
were feted by different cities and organizations. The valuable
school work of Professor Jinkins is thus ended and
he and his estimable wife are now superintending their farm in
Chester township, Morrow county, the homestead being known as
“Oak Hill.”
Although Mr. and Mrs. Jinkins
never had children of their own, yet they have aided several
relatives and friends in securing an education and getting
positions. They have been married twenty-five years, and
seventeen years of that time, in addition to helping others,
they cared for a niece, Jennie Edith Jinkins,
an invalid and a great charge. They receive many letters now
thanking them for this work.
Source: History of Morrow County, Ohio by A. J. Baughman - Vol.
II - Chicago-New York: The Lewis Publishing Co. - 1911 – pp.
540-546
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