New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-03-23
OBITUARY..

BISHOP EDWARD THOMSON, d. d Ii. ID.
A Geographic dispatch announces the sudden
DEATH by typhoid pneumonia. Of DIR. Edward Thouson'
ono OF the Bishops the Methodist Episcopal Church at
Wheeling. West Virginia He died at 1880 a. m, yester-
day lie bad reached Wheeling, on his way to preside
al the session the Newark Conference, which opens at
St. Pauls NJ E. Church Jersey City. this morning. Dr.
Thomson was born at Porsea. suburb of Portsmouth,
England in October 1910 His parents belonged to the
Weather middle class, and he was said TO be a
lneal descendant Of James Thomson, the poet
The circumstances Of the family secured him the advan
tages of early education but in 1919 when Edward was
IN his ninth year. father emiGrated to America and
two or three years later settled az Wooster Wayne Co..
Ohio An amusing Renaissance Of the the journey
across the Aleghanies entitled a Sketch OF other
Days" Is found In one Of the Bishops published VOL
unes Notwithstanding the scarcity Of good schools IN
country the boy Edward was vel trained I'D tue
elements OF the sciences and the classics.
and ranked as n good Latinist sci
entifc taste led him first the medical profession
He received diploma OF medicine in the University OF
Penusylyauia in 1870 The young doctor returned 10
Ohio and opened the practice Of his profession at Woo
ter AT this time he a skeptic IN religion VIII an
entire disbelief in the Bible and Christianity. WIN
several other able and skepca young men he formed
an de Club 10 meet weekly ana 70 seriously read ana
refute the Bible The experiment resulted IN
ThOmson's conviction Of the Inspiration OF Tue
SCRIPTURES and This conviction strengthened by power
FIJI sermon from geow and by the
the faith which ne had rejected He entered the Meth
Odst Episcopal Church and In 1888 at the age OF - De
gan work minister IN what was then the ONO Con-
ference In 1896 he married Maria Louisa daughter or
the Hon. MOrdecai BARLEY afterward Governor OF
Ohio The success OF Thomson as pulpit orator IN pc
troit where he was located 1885, forms one Of the
most complete and thrilling records OF the church.
cultured and Of the city thronged his ministry Al
Of Ms hrst year IN Detroit be was called 10 the
Prncipalshp Of Norwaik tOhio seminary Nhicn position
he occupied for eight years BY the General conference
of 1sit he was elected editor OF The L1dtes
Repository at Cincinnati. In l8i5 he was elected
rst President OF the newly founded ONO nGsify an
University al Delaware, Ohio the first Methodist college
in the State lie remained Is years bringing the lnsttu-
ton 10 the leading position II now holds III TIE education
OF the West He success IN the Presidency OF that COege
is in many respects without parallel in the history OF
the Methodist Church In 1900 the General 1OnieTehee
called him TO the then stormy posi- Oh NE rV Yl
ship OF The Christian AdroeGie n NeS-iot ,.
where he succeeded Dr. Abel n 7 Tsom5n w as
elected that hitherto conservative journal rs an anu.
slavery champion. by the radical majority OF he
Conference and rival sheet The Me.odtst was az once
started By the defeated party But such was the abt
| and urbauy with which The AdrocGf was conducted
that IL came OF Dr.. ThomsOns hands win larger
sulscrptop list than he found. Few religious journals
in the and l the country better service during the war
| ,or the Union than The Christian Adroeaie inc Cen
! eral Conference OF 1854 elected Dr. Thomson to
lie had been a member Of every General Conference
Hce $50 and received the doctora;e OF divinity from
Augusta College Ky in 1874. aud that ~ laws from the
Wesleyan University. Conn III 1850 No man ever elected
| 70 the Methodist Episcopacy brought TO bis place
! so high "A reputation either for learning or Flo
1uence HIS first work III his high office was
! Z. voyage around the world, the ntst ever
made b. Christian Bishop He visited the Methodist
! MISSIONS IN Germany. Bulgaria India and China Tie
India Mission he orgahEea mo eh ai -, ,i C,rc
i'm California oregon, and the Territories since
the homo work. The published volumes OF Ut; thomson
! are four VIZ: Educational Essays" Moral and
sketches" and Letters from Europe with several pre-
faces The style Of these essays does not sner IN com
parson with the best prose writers IN our ogpe ho
| OF 5Iacaulay or Addison.