The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1878-12-31
TALMAoR AND HRHCHkR.
Some Facts About the Money They
Make in and Out Their Pulpits.

OF all the we'll clergymen
Talmags and Beecher have found
their popularity the most profitable
from a pecuniary point Of view. OF
the two. Beecher hes made the most
money. Money enough has passed
through his hands to have made the
fortunes Of dozen men Of closer grip.
but dollars tumble out Of his posses
sion in several ways. The prodigality
of the great preacher has been used
as an argument against his moral
,oundness. With his known income
aud the ordinary expenses Of q minis
Ter living in good style, he SHOULD. it
is averred. according to the ordinary
rules Of life. be worth at least half y
million: but the whole Of his posses-
-ions do not, il is believed, exceed $780,
900, If the mortgages on his property
are considered. The hey-day Of
Beecher's money making Was before his
name Was clouded with scandal. He
had s2O, 900 from his church. some
thousands from Mr.. Robert Bonner,
editor and proprietor of the Ne,c York
Ledger. a heavy income from his
Star Papers. and Norwood" and
his published sermons, good fat fees
for signing his name to marriage
certificate parchmelts, 5000 or $500
any night that he chose to run over to
New Jersey. sally into New England.
or the interior Of New York state to
lecture. He had S., 900 or 5000 rs
editor of the Christian Union. and
then he got handsome advance pay
on his contract for writing q Life Of
Christ.-a work which he never
completed and lett half finished on the
hands Of j. E. Ford X Co.. whose
financial ruin it wrought.
The scandal greatly diminished
Beecher's income from outside
sources. The Christian Union ceased
To pay, and was saved from total
eclipse by the efforts and capitol Of
Beecher himself. Thomas g. Shear
man. Henry w. Sage and others.
The sale OF his hooks came to q full
stop. The scandal cost him Sis. 600.
SlOO.OO Of which a years salary
inclusive his church paid. Beechers
present salary is $4,000. He has
had the expenses Of his costly house
in PeekskiIl OH hand. and it is sand
that tradesmen and architects proved
upon him right and left in gratifying
his desire ITO express himself in u
house." and that when the bills rolled
up far beyond his calculation. he had
." iorego a summers revel in the
White mountains and 90 to lecturing
out west. He came back with So.
600 or sl2. 900. and then announced
his retirement from the lecture field.
This year has probably afforded
Beecher an income Of $4,000. His
rucome for next year depends largely
upon the sale Of pews in January.
His salary will be $1,000 if the
receipts ut that time warrant it.
Beecher has mortgage Of sl5. 600 on
his house at No. 124, Columbia
Heights, which, although due. re-
mains unpaid. The United States
Trust company are the mortgages.
Talmags has made his efforts pay
we'll. and he knows where to put bis
money 81 it will Do handy on rainy
day. He has . fine, fonr-story house.
capped with tower. at South Oxford
street and De Kslb avenue. but it 10
in thensme Of Susie G. Talmage. his
wife. 1t was purchased on Sept. %.
1875, Of Mrs. Helen A. Knowles, wife Of
Emerson Knowles. and the price paid
was $4,000. The cost was high, but
Talmage wanted the house. He left
q mortgage Of 81. 500 on it. which be
went to work with . will to reduce,
and in March last he cancelled it
with $1,000 in cash. and . new
mortgage Of sc, 500, which exists now,
and becomes due in Sept. 1880. After
Mr.. Taimsge took an extended lecture
tour and came back with pockets
crammed with checks sufficient 10
reduce his mortgage. he. too. an.
nounced his retirement from the
lecture field, but he occasionally
lodges ont of Brooklyn to make an
extra $50. aud says nothing about
it.