The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1870-09-02
CLOSE OF A PIOUS CAREER.
The Passing Away of the Rev. John T
PreSsly.

Yesterday morning at ten minutcs
rast six O'Clock, the spirit of Rev
John I. Prcssly, d. d., passed tran.
1u!.iy from time TO eternity, and as VIC
write his earthly remains arc cofiincd
and awaiiin.:; scpullurc, at his late res.
ldcncc ON Washington-strcct, this CITY,
Ills death has left vacancy in tic
ministry which it would Lc difficult af
this moment 10 fill. Genial, affection.
ale, tender, he was beloved by all who
were fortunate enough to know him,
honest, patient. mcrciiul, lie was true
TO The trust rcposcd in him by the
Master, to
WHOSE MANSION
in the skies he has ut last iournevcd
full of years and crowned with vir.
tues.
The deceased, at tho date of his
death, had entered upon his seventy.
sixth year, having been born in Able.
vile District, South Carolina. in 17C5.
Ills academic course w:s pursued un:
der the direction Of DR.. Waddcll, OF
Abtov''lc, and his collegiate under Dir.
Il. II. bishop, in tho Transylvania
University, kentucky, and institution
now among tho things that were, and
are not.
At an early age he developed q
taste Tor the ministry, and at the age
OF seventeen lc set out for the associa-
te Reformed Seminary in
NEW YORK CITY.
making the entire journey in tho sad
die. This was in 1911, and Of course.
before the era even Of stage coachin"
much less Of ofluxurious sleeping coach
cs and silver palaco cars. That stcr-
ling old thcologian DR.. John NJ. Ma
son, took charge of the young student,
and TO his careful training is due much
of the popularity he obtained during
his long and useful carccrin tho church.
On the fourth day Of July, 1916, the
dcccasca was ordained and duly in
stalled pastor Of Cedar Springs Con-
grogation South Carolina. IIe rc-
manned in this charge until invited to
assume control Of the Associated Re
formed Theological Seminary of Pitts
burgh.
This was in 1881, and although he
accepted the invitation promptly, he
did not leave his first Charge until the
fifth Of December, Of that year. It
wat q formidable task that presented
itself TO him when in company with
his very yong son, (now Rev. Joseph
Ill. Prcssly. of Eric,) he started i'm q
carriage for q tramp OF many
HUNDREDS OF MILES
through comparative wilderness.
1t was q mid-winter, and the roads
were in wretchcd condition. The
vehicle had three horses attached, on
The tormost of which young Prcssly
rode like posti|lion Of the last ccntu-
~, and several times among the
mountains it threatened to break
down and leave the travellers to cqucs-
trianagc during tho rest Of the long,
tedious and tircsomc journey. Hc az. A.
rived in Pittsburg on the fifth of Jam
uary, 1882, ono whole month having
been consumed in the trip.
Early in the following year, he took
charge of the First United Presbyte.
rian Church, then just organized. The
congregation was small and meagre.
and worsbipped in
"sEMpLE's LONG ROOM"
ut tho corner of Federal and Water
streets. The new pastor at once be.
came popular. and tho congregation
in a very short time became large ann
influential, and after some years, find
ing themselves cramped for room,
they built now edifice in the Dia.
mond, on, tho corner of Pitt Alley.
Day after day the church grew stonr-
er and in few years it was found
necessary to build another temple.
This became too small and another
was built on the East Common. and
q prettier hoase of worship is not To
be found within our corporate limits.
= In 1912, Dr. Pressly commenced
the, publication Of the Preacher. a re-
ligious paper about half the sizo Of the
Mirror. He wrote all the editorials
and many of the contributions, his
Ron being at once prolific and graphic.
Tho Preacher fourished for many
years and was finally merged into the
United Presbyterian. i]l Zen:
:; For a long time. Dr.. ,Pressiy was in
Ill healthy but though his snAerings
rust have been acute. he ,,a 80
NHxEn coMptA1Nzn. q
Three weeks since he, started for
Eries and on the etHenty fourth OF July