Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1871-04-08

Father Taylor, the venerable pastor of the
Bethel Church u North square, died at his
residence on Prince street yesterday morning
at the age of seventy-seven years. Sailors
have superstition that when man dies nat
urally his spirit goes out with the ebb tide,
and it is interesting to know that Father Tay-
Tor breathed his last at twenty minutes past
midnight, during the first quarter of the ebb.
Father Taylor was native of Richmond,
Va, but, being left an orphan at an early age
went to New Orleans, shipped in the Spanish
navy, and served in South America against
the French. He left this service in 1910,
came to this city and shipped on board the
privateer Curley, which was captured by the
English. While prisoner at Halifax he ex-
perienced religion, and on getting back to
Boston was sent to Newmarket Seminary by
Amos Binney. His first pastoral charge was
feeble church at Marblehead; but with his
marvellous energy and rude power he soon
achieved extraordinary success and a high
reputation as preacher. When the Sea-
mems Bethel was established in 1888 he was
installed as pastor, in which position he la
bored faithfully and actively until a few DAYS
before his death. He leaves four daughters
and son, 4. T. Taylor, Jr., who is in the
naval service. One of his daughters is the
wife of Collector Russell and another the
wife of Paymaster Bradford of the navy.
sailors, whom he loved fervently. His lang
uage to them was strikingly eloquent despite
its roughness. and Charles Dickens deemed
one of his sermons worthy of being set down
among his American Notes. The following
| extract from one of his addresses will be read
with deep interest now:
''Death, shipmates, there is no such thing
as death to him that is born again in Christ
Jesus. The laying down of this frail body is
only one of the events of an endless life, but
the unregenerated don't know this. This
change, SO full of hope and eternal joy to the
Christian, is terrible to the sinner. To him,
indeed, death is the king of terrors. Oh, how
l long to lay my weary body down to rest,
among my dear shipmates, somewhere near
the seashore, that the waves may be in sight
of the friends who shall point out to others
the last resting-place of the sailors friend
| should like better still to be buried in the
depths of the ocean, SO that when the sea
gives up its dead, l, too, may be there among
my children. o blessed Jesus. thou who
knowest all things, thou knowest how we'll l
love seamen ashore and afoat, and how will
lingly would yield my poor body to mingle
with their bones in the depths of the ocean.
1t will be all right, shipmates, whether I'm
buried in the ocean or in the earth. God has
good place for all our souls in his house of
many mansions"
As Father Taylor was a Mason, an Odd
Fellow and a member of several other socie-
ties, the attendance at his funeral will be
large. Yesterday, when the fact of his death
became known, many vessels in the port low
cred their flags to halfmast as a token of re-
spect to his memory.
The remains will be conveyed to the Bethel
in North square, to afford his friends and the
public an opportunity to pay the last tribute
of respect to his memory. The funeral will
be held on Friday .-Boston Adrestiser, 9Th.