In his youth and early manhood, Andrew Edmiston seems to have had a consuming passion for athletic exercises, boxing, wrestling, and feats of muscular endurance. There was living at the time one Thomas Johnson, near the head of Stony Creek, who claimed to be the champion hard hitter of all that region. He heard of young Edmiston's exploits as an athlete, and these exploits created some doubts as to which was the "best man"; and to settle the question the ambitious Stony Creek champion sent a challenge to the champion of the Lower Levels, that if he would meet him he would find out that though he might be the best the Levels could show, that he would soon find himself nowhere on Stony Creek if he just dared to show himself up there. This fired young Edmiston, and made him as hot as a furnace we read of in Daniel. He may have sought rest but he did not find any that night, and so he set out by the light of the morning stars for West Union.
He walked from his home near Locust to John Smith's, head of Stony Creek - fifteer or more miles - before breakfast to dispute the question of "best man" with Tom Johnson on his own Stony Creek ground. Without stopping for rest or breakfast he sailed into Johnson, tooth, fist and toenail. In the first round Johnson landed a terrific blow on Edmiston's shoulder that dislocated Edmiston's arm, and yet he continued the contest until he saw his opportunity, and overpowered Johnson until he called out enough.
John Smith then took charge of the victor, and now the best man of Stony Creek and the Levels, and gave him breakfast, and by noon he was back at Locust. He felt the effects of that dislocation all of his subsequent life. Slight exertion would ever after make his injured arm fly out of place at the shoulder.
In his later years he professed a change of heart and became a member of the M.E. Church. His sincerity was respected by all that knew him best, and regarded genuine. Mr. Edmiston died April 15th, 1864, aged 87 years. When the dying day came, when he was to pass over to the bright forever, it was found that he had nothing to do but die. God had not cast him off in the time of old age, nor forsaken him when strength failed. At evening time it was light with this venerable man, and he could realize the power of words like these: "I will go in the strength of the Lord God; I will make mention of my righteousness, even of thine only."
