The Hyphen Family Lineage

See the notes for his wife, Lydia Thomas.

[Biographical article for the Rev. S.T. Mahan, from the History of the Auglaize Annual Conference from 1853 to 1891, by Rev. John Lewis Luttrell, pp151-153.]

Rev.S.T.Mahan. We now have the pleasure of introducing to our readers a man who joined the Conference in 1865. Of his origin we know nothing save that he is in the line of Adam's race, and came to us by the way of the Emerald Isle. Mr. Mahan is not a large man, nor is he small. His head is large, short, and round; and he is,intellectually, capable of much more than he ever acquired. Had he been ambitious and studious, he certainly would have achieved great things. As we knew him once he was a genial companion and full of sunshine, and many pleasant hours did we enjoy together. But when "there arose up a new king who knew not Joseph," there came a change. Mr.Mahan was always a stanch temperance man, and was never backward in opposing the drink curse. He is no longer with the Church, having felt impelled to cast his lot with the seceders; if for no better reason,then for the reason that others did. This brother possessed the rare faculty of preaching a fresh sermon from old manuscripts and sketches made venerable by age and popular by use. He could also fit an excellent sermon to different texts, and his zeal, at times, knew no bounds. His native ability was equaled by few and excelled by none. He is now well advanced in years, and if he had not ignored us we might have been able to place him in a somewhat better light before the mind; not different from what is here noted, but more extensively.

We have heard him called "the wild Irishman," but we call him the eccentric Irishman, and the following will illustrate that fact:

We were once sent to a charge where he had preached the former year, and we visited his home before he moved away; and naturally enough the conversation turned upon the changes to take place, Mr. Mahan greatly lamenting that he must leave the good people with whom he had labored the past year, and go out to form new acquaintances. To all of which we replied that it was no more than we had to do.

"Ah,yes!" said he, "that reminds me of a story. An old man said to his son, 'You must get married, you are old enough now.' The son, being bashful and afraid to approach the fair sex, said: 'Father, I can't, I don't know anybody.' Said the father: 'You fool, you can. Didn't I get married?' The boy, with a pitiful whine, said, 'Yes; but you married mamma, and I would have to marry a stranger.'"

"That," said Mr. Mahan, "is the difference between us. You are marrying mamma and I have to marry a stranger."

On another occasion during a ministerial association, he slept while we were reading an essay, and at the close of the reading, of which he perhaps had not heard a single page, a brother at his side woke him up and said: "Pitch into him"; whereupon he sprang to his feet and delivered himself in the following manner by hastily blurting out: "They once passed a law in Ireland forbidding a man to drink buttermilk after it was a year old." This had the desired effect, the Irishman had made a point, and amidst the uproar of laughter he sat down well satisfied with his effort.