Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1870-04-15
DEATH OF BISHOP KINGsLEY,

The Methodist Church has scarcely
vet recovered from the startling intelli-
gence of Bishop Thomson's death and
it is again called upon to mourn the raw
ages of the destroyer in the death of
Bishop Kingsley. A telegraphic dis
patch received on Saturday from DR..
Bannister of the Garrett Biblical Institute,
now in Beirut, Syria, states that Bishop
Kingsley died there suddenly of heart
disease, while on his way to visit the
Mission of Bulgaria. He was returning
homeward from an episcopal tour
through India and China, and had nearly
completed the circumnavigation of the
globe. He left his home in Ohio, about
the last of May, 1869, and presided over
the western conferences in Colorado,
California, Oregon and Nevada, and set
sail across the Pacific some time in Sep
tember.
Calvin Kingsley was born in Anes-
vile, Oneida county, New York, Sep
tember 8, 1872. His parents were not
at that time members of any church, but
their leanings were, as the name of their
son would indicate, toward Calvanism.
In his fourteenth year his parents re-
moved to Chatauqua county, in the same
State, when the country was new and
the settlers subjected to the hardships of
frontier life. Here, for the first time, he
heard Methodist preaching. New
views of religion were opened to his soul,
new truths fixed themselves in his heart;
and, after mature deliberation, he re-
solved to be a Christian in a higher sense
than he had ever before known.
Immediately upon his conversion,
though with much trembling and exceed
ing difidence, he proposed to conduct
daily worship in his fathers family. In
this duty he persevered and it was not
long before he saw both his parents con-
verted and rejoicing in the Lord. 1t was
his great desire to get an education, but
difficulties surrounded him on every side.
His father had not the means to send
him to college; and, besides that, needed
his services on the farm. A school dis
tict was, however, organized in the
neighborhood, and here he obtained the
rudiments of knowledge by attending
school three winters. He worked a
sugar camp on shares, and the money
he obtained in this way he spent for
books. He afterward taught school, and
entered Allegheny College in 1886, with
only $40 in his pocket. Many stories
are told of his rustic attire when he made
his first appearance at college. He had
on a boys roundabout, low cowskin
shoes, blue stockings and short panta-
looms; but if any of the students were
disposed to laugh at his unc0uth attire,
they soon found out that beneath that ex-
terror was an aspiring soul. His pro-
gress was so great that he had not been
in college more than three terms when
he was appointed tutor in mathematics.
He supported himself by doing chores
in term time, and by leaving to teach
school at two different periods, mean
time keeping up with his class in their
studies.
In IS4I he was graduated, and the
same year was elected Professor of Math-
ematics in Allegheny College. During
this year he married Miss Della Scudder,
who still survives. He was licensed to
preach in 1897, and in I84I he joined
the Erie Conference, of which he con-
tinued member until his election as
Bishop. While Professor, his labors were
abundant, as he had to hear his classes
all the week, and preach every Sunday
in addition. In I843 he acted as 6nan-
cial agent for the college; the next two
years he was pastor ofthe church at Erie,
and in 1916 he resumed his position as
Professor. In this relation he continued
to serve the church ten years, when at
the Indianapolis General Conference of
1856, he was elected editor of the West
ern Christian Advocate of this city, in
which Office he remained eight years.
In 1864 he was made Bishop of the
| church.-CzHcisuiah Gazek1e.