The Iowa transcript. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1858-1866, 1866-10-12
From the Herald Of Health
Death Of Rev. John IsicrpOnt

ouI lllSAu uuu CuutElUutOr, hEv. JOl0
Pierpont, died at his home in Mcdford,
August 26, 1886, atthe ripe age Of 81 years.
Unlike most who live 50 long, he retained his
health, vigor and usefulness D to the very
day of his death. He was found dead in
his bed on Monday morning, August 9th,
although he attended church the day before,
and retired ct night in usual health and
strength.
Mr.. Pierpont was born in Litchficld, Con-
necticut, April 6, 1855. He graduated at
Yale College at the age of nineteen. OF
his life, 1t may be said, it was most use
full one He had that rare combination of
talents which, while it made him reforma-
tory, precluded the possibility of his being
"man Of one idea" His tastes led him
to occupy himself at different times with
law, trade, teaching, mechanics, poetry,
medicine, politics and divinity. His mind
was "Aospitahle to new ideas:" hence,
whatever in any branch Of human life APP
peared to claim a candid hearing was sure
to find in him a reasonable and ready listen
err. While pastor OF the Hollis Street
Church, in Boston, he made himself quite
noted as fearless advocate of the then I'M
popular Temperance cause. The following
account Of the feeling at the time is from
the pen Of one who is familiar with the
facts:
at CHANGED that several of the wealthiest
and weightiest people in his church were
distillers and spirit dealers. To these per-
sons the zeal and activity of Mr.. Pierpont
in the Temperance Reform, from its very
commencement, were highly distasteful and
they led party strong enough to prevent.
for long series of years. the payment of
his salary, after they had vainly tried other
means Of getting rid Of him A majority
of the pew owners took this position. and
held it, though a decided majority of the
congregation we're in favor OF the pastor
and his ideas. Since among these earnest
friends were some who were able to ad-
vence him money. 50 that want of the means
Of subsistence should not oblige him to quit
the field, Mr. Pierpont remained and car
ried on the war with yigor Reduced to
extremity, the rum sellers of Hollis Street
made public complaint OF their minister as
neglecting his pastoral duties, and brought
in evidence certain ingenious mechanic cal in
yentions devised and patented by him and
publicly sold in connection with his name.
The time and thought bestowed upon the
invention of these articles, they ayerred,
was SO much unjustitably Withdrawn from
their service, in violation Of his contract as
their minister; while the advertisement and
sale Of these articles, publicly connecting
the name Of reverend Clergyman with
mechanical and commercial transactions
was grievous derogation from his profess
sional dignity
1.-The published reply of Mr.. Pierpont TO
the published charge above described, was
one of the keenest specimens of sarcastic
wit ever saw. In regard to the charge of
fraudulent withdrawal of time from the
services Of the parish, he said that il came
with very i'll grace from those particular
persons, who were very slack in their at
tendance on his preaching, and still more
so in reducing to practice the truths he
taught. But in fact there had been no neg
lect on his part, either Of public duties or
pastoral attendance. He had never failed
them in either particular. But he had
chosen to employ those hours and weeks of
recreation which are admitted by all to be
essential to bodily and mental health, in
employments that combined use with recrea-
ton. He did not understand true dignity,
either that Of q man or that Of minister,
to be infringed by any sort Of useful ac-
tivity. And he had the pleasure TO fluid, by
the commercial demand for those articles in
use for daily household comfort which his
care and skill had improved, that he had
enlarged the sum of human happiness. and
aided the material as we'll as the spiritual
welfare Of his generation. lie then wittily
described each Of the articles in question,
enumerated the advantages which his i'm
provement had added to it, and mentioned
the place where the improved article was
for sale, assuring his critics that fair trial
of these things could not fail to convince
them. His wit, and the soundness Of his
argument, turned the laugh of the whole
city upon his assailants, who could revenge
themselves only by Withholding his salary
for time. The law ultimately compelled
them to pay up the whole Of it,
Mr.. Pierpont's patriotism will long be re-
membered BY all. At the age of 75, when
the war for the destruction of the Union
began, he Immediately offered his services
to Governor Andrew as chaplain Of ono of
the Massachusetts regiments, was accepted,
and marched with the Twenty second regi-
ment to the seat Of war The exposures Of
camp life, however, proved too severe 4 tax
upon his powers, and he resigned He was
subsequently appointed to clerkship in
the Treasury Department ut Washington,
which post he held at the time of his death
The following anecdote illustrates Mr..
Pierponts hOnesty-it is almost unexam-
pied:
1.-THE Rev. Mr.. Stetson, in his address on
the death Of the Rev. John Pieroont. mar
rated the circumstances connected with Mr..
Pierpont's business failure in 1861. Not
daring to make use Of money to which he
had not perfect right, he left his well-fur-
nished and well provided shouse in Balti-
more, and, with his wife and children,
rented single apartment in IN obscure
portion Of the city. His partner found him
with much difficulty, and reminded him
that there we're funds in the possession Of
the firm which the creditors would expect
them to live upon until the affairs of the
firm could be settled. Mr.. Pierpont prompt
~ replied: No, not dollar will touch
For three days he was almost without food.
and during this time he wrote his famous
Airs Of PALESTINE which he carried to 4
publisher, who purchased it for the sum of
five hundred dollars. This poem ad great
popularity, two editions beinei soon called
for. Mr.. Stetson stated that Mr. Pierpont
was induced to use his inventive powers
and to compile school books to obtain extra
funds for the payment Of his business obli-
cations. From these he was leg ally exempt;
but the honorable and highminded man re-
garded himse II as morally bound to dis
charge them"
In his will, Mr. Pierpont gives a valuable
lesson to professional men in regard to the
habit Of regular exercise as means of re-
Taxation and to preserve and educate the
body. His turning lathe, with all its fit
tings and equipments, chisels, files, etc.,
together with his tool chest, he bequeathed
to his step-son, Mr.. Fowler, in considera-
ton Of the fact that he is skilled in the use
nf mechanical t0ola tru at inc that tho,, mil