A man of great influence at that day was Domine Schuneman, whose pastorate of forty years had endeared him to the i^eople to such an extent that he was their leader in things temporal as well as spiritual. Mr. Schuneman was not of HoUandish descent, but had sprung from the German peasant blood of the Palatinate settlement. He, however, was a minister of the Dutch Church, and had been in Holland to complete at Leyden the theological education commenced under Domine Theodorus Frielinghuysen at Albany. His pastorate included Coxsackie as well as Catskill, an arrangement frequently made between neighbouring villages at that day, when congregations were small and ministers few. Schuneman was a strong supporter of the colonial cause, and there is no doubt that to his great influence was due much of the intense patriotism of his neighl)ours. In common with other great men, the Catskill Domine was the subject of many anecdotes, some of them amusing. There is a story told of an entry

The Catskill Rei'ion 495

made in his minute-book, as fohows: "Attended the funeral of ; sold my gray mare; all flesh is

ass." he went abroad to complete his studies he was grWhen engaged to the youngest daughter of the wealthy |)roprietor, Martin Van Bergen. On his return he was so pitted with smallpox that she did not know him, but love was strong enough to overlook the disfigurement and the course of their true love ran smooth. After old Martin's death, the Domine became by inheritance a rich man, and built a splendid house, where he passed the remainder of his days. His funeral was in the good old Dutch manner, a medley of grief and junketing, of piety and punch. Each comer, man or woman, was met at the outset with a glass of rum, and, after a service in Dutch and a long procession on foot (the coffin upon an open bier leading the way), the assembled company returned to the house and, amid clouds of tobacco smoke and deep potations, discussed the merits of the departed pastor and the merits of the last horse sale.