Born: Bourbon County, Kentucky, 1825.
Died: Emden, Illinois, 1911.
David was the oldest son. He was a farmer, residing on Delavan Prairie, in Logan County. He read much, was decidedly conservative and a good public speaker. He assisted in the organization of several churches within the radius of his Christian service. March 10, 1903, from his home in Emden, Illinois, David Bowles wrote to T. T. Holton. From his communication the following is taken:
I do not know of a meeting-house in this part of the State before 1840. The people met for worship in the summer-time in the groves, in the winter-time in their dwelling-houses. The houses were nearly all log cabins eighteen feet square. Two beds in this room. A big fireplace in one end. No windows. Glass could not be had. So, you see, this left but a small meeting-house. But you would be surprised at the number of people that would get into one of these houses for worship. The young women and some married women would pull off their shoes and get up on the beds, till sometimes there would be from eight to ten on each bed. Some people may say, "This is unreasonable--the beds could not hold them up." They were not such bedsteads as we have now. Usually there was but one post to the bedstead. Holes bored into the logs of the wall with a two-inch auger and a strong rail sharpened to fit was inserted and strong rope cords made at home of hemp made them very strong. Still, once in awhile, one of these cords would break and let them to the floor. Soon everything would be quiet again. With all our glorious meetings we would sometimes have some of the ridiculous. I will only name one or two. One cold winter day we met at old Father Hall's. Bro. Walter Bowles was to preach. The house was just such as I have described, with a loft laid with large clapboards. A ladder going up in the right-hand corner by the fireplace. The door shut. A lamp lighted. Brother Walter stood right by or under the ladder that led to the loft. He was lining his hymn, when a big tomcat raised a racket up in the loft and came tearing down the ladder. Brother Walter rather dodged. But some of the older ones were able to sing the hymn. The house was so crowded that none could kneel. Everybody's face was turned toward the fire. While Brother Walter was offering prayer the cat that had got whipped came and sat down in front of the fire. The cat that had whipped came slipping through the crowd, and, seeing the one he had whipped sitting before the fire, he aimed to give him a big lick. But the other saw him in time to slip out of the way. The boss cat went right under the fore-stick into the fire and came out squalling and carried the fire and coals back through the crowd. Old Mother Hall saw it would set the house on fire. Broke in with a broom on him. Everybody in the house saw it, and Brother Walt brought his prayer to a close very quickly. Soon we were dismissed.
I will give just one more to show the inconveniences he had to labor under. We had prayer-meeting at old Bro. James Ferrice's one night. The old grease-lamp was stuck in the wall of the house just about as high as a man's shoulder. Bro. Ambrose Hall was up talking. Forgot himself and threw his head back, and the blaze was all over his head in an instant. Some of the brethren sprang to him and extinguished the flame. So that brought that meeting to a sudden close. This is enough of the ridiculous.