Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1879-01-30
TaImage and Beecher.

OF all the well-known clergymen Tai
mage and Beecher have found their pop
ularity most profitable, from pecuniary
point of view. OF the two, Beecher has
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 from his
| possession in several ways. The prodi-
gality of the notorious preacher has beeu
used as an argument against his moral
soundness. With his known income and
| his ordinary expenses of a minister liv-
ing in good style, he should, it is averred,
according to the ordinary rules of life,
be worth at least half a million; but the
whole of his possessions do not, it is be-
lieved, exceed $4,000, if the mortgages
on his property are considered. The hey
| day of Beecher's money-making was be-.
fore his name was clouded with scandal
He had $40, 900 from his church, some
thousands from Mr.. Robert Bonner, edi-
| tor and proprietor of the New York Led
qer, heavy income from his sStar-papers,'
his Norwood and his published SER
mons, good fat fees for signing his name
to marriage certificate parchments, two
or three hundred dollars every 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 five
or six thousand dollars as editor of the
Christiaa Union, and then he got hand
some advance pay on his contract for
writinga s'Life of Christ''-a work which
he never completed and left half finished
/ of I g n
financial ruin he wrought.
The scandal greatly diminished Beech
er's income from outside sources. The
CRrlstian Union ceased to pay, and was
saved from total eclipse by the efforts and
capital of Beeeher himself, ThOmas G.
Shearman, Henry w. Sage, and others
The sale of his books came to 3 full stop.
The scandal cost him $3.50, 900, $1O0, 900 of
which, years salary inclusive, his
church paid. Beecher's present salary
, is $I5, 900. He has had the expense of his
costly house In Peekskin on hand, and it
is said that tradesmen and architects prey
ed upon him right and left in gratifying
lhis desire sto express himself in house,
ii and that when the bills rolled up far be-
: | yond his calculation, he had to forego 8
! summer's revel in the White Mountains
: and go to lecturing out West. He cams
:. back ten or twelve thousand dollars
richer, and then announced his retire
4 meut from the lecture field. This ye&l
!. has probably afforded Beecher an income
f of $3O, 900. Beecher has mortgage o
: $4,000 on his house at 124 Columbil
:. Heights which, although due, renlain'
r unpaid. The United States Trust Com
.s pany are the mortgages.
II Talmage has made his efforts pay well
It and he knows where to put his money 3
j that it win be handy on rainy day. HI
"a has fine four-story house, capped witt
! a tower, at South Oxford street and De
= Kalb avenue, but it is in thenams OF Sust
:, q Talmape. his wife 1t was purchased
OF On SeDten9ber 30, 1875, of Mrs. Helen "A
IL Enovtles. wife of Emerson Knowles, ant
or the nrice Maid was $50, 900. The cost we.
= | bigb but Talmage wanted the house. HI
Ieff n mortgage of $17 800 on il, which a.
H. went to work with a will to reduce, anc
as In March last he cancelled 1t with il,0o
i'm a cash and new mortgage OF 81, ,0Od
:, | which exists now, and becomes que u
W September, 1880. Alter MT ISiuaag
took an extended lecture tour and cam
rd back with pockets crammed Win ehecA
: sufficient to reduce his mortgage ne, toS
" announced his retirement from the lee
lot ture field; but he occasionally dodges OF
to of Brooklyn to make an extra $3.50, an
,er says nothing about it.