The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1868-12-30
Death of William Garvin. ESQ.

William Garvin, a ruling elder in the First
Church Of Louisville, was one Of the lost in
the dreadful steamboat disaster, which occur
red the other day on the Ohio River We
had only slight personal acquaintance with
this venerable Cbri tian gentleman, but the
SAVIOR of his good name had long ago reached
us and thousands Of others, who must sor-
row over this irreparable loss to his family
and to the church, and who can join in the
following high, but truthful and tender tri.
butte, from the pen of DR.. Stuart Robinson
Among the victims of the catastrophe was
the loved and venerated William Garvin, thus
suddenly called to his rest in the I'D year of
his age. And what is remarkable in the case
of this aged and infrm servantof Christ, is, that
though thus aged and inGrm, his death causes
a sense of loss throughout the whole commu
nifty, which could not be greater had it been
the death of our most prominent citizen, in
the very prime and vigor of life
We leave it to others to record the social,
commercial and civil virtues of William Gar
yin-his genial kindness of heart ever she'd
ding its warmth around him; his noble acts of
generosity as the young mans friend and the
poor mans friend and his lofty public spirit
and his incorruptibe integrity. We desire
simply to pay our tribute to the William Gar
vim as we know him best, the noble hearted
Christian and Presbyterian ruling elder. In
this view of him we can but exclaim in refer
ence to his sad DEATH "How unsearchable are
His judgments and His ways past finding out. "
And the whole church in this region will feel,
as the news of his death comes a sense OF
deep personal bereavement, and in wonder ask
why the Lord should have allowed such man
to be stricken down at such time as this.
when the calls for Christian activity, and the
demands upon Christian charity, are so urgent.
We know of no man in the Western Church
whose loss will come closely home to more
Christian hearts, not only in the Presbyterian
but in other Christian Churches Thousands
will say. as David said on the death of Abner,
Know ye not that there is Prince and a
great man fallen this day in Israel" For il
nature ever made prince with mind and
heart endowed with all the clements of noble,
large hearted, self-forgetting generosity, that
man was William Garvin. Since ever we had
any acquaintance with the Western Presbyte
ran Church, that name has stood foremost
among her laymen and eldership But more
especially since we have had occasion to know
something of the cause of Christ in the West
ern Church, and the necessities and suffering
of Christs people in the Southern Churches,
have we learned to love and reverence this
aged servant of Christ, as indeed among the
noblest hearted Christians of them all. We
desire to record it as a tribute to his memory,
that TO no one to whom we ever presented any
object of Christian charity and benevolence
was the Saviours eulogy more appropriate,
"Ue hath done what he could" He never
failed in any expectation we had formed of
him-large as was our expectations never,
that we heard of, turned away any worthy ap-
ncation for Christian aid without substantial
tokens of his sympathies. or else with such
reasons for declining, and reasons so kindly
presented, as to cheer and comfort rather than
to discourage his applicant.
Mr.. Gavin, though modestly shrinking