Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1880-10-22
Dangerous Illness Of DR.. Plumer.

From the Baltimore american of Oct. 18th.
Rev. DR.. VIM. S. Plumer, one of the
most eminent Presbyterian clergymen In
the United States, who has been lying Sc
riously i'll at the Union Protestant mfr
mary, Division and Mosher streets, had
change for the worse yesterday, his pulse
qulckening from seventy-two to over
hundred, delirium setting in, and other
conditions developing which lead the at
tending physicians to believe that he may
pass away at any time. and to express the
opinion that it is impossible for him
to last more than a few days at the
most. Since 1869 until very recently he
has filed the chair of didactio and polemic
theology in the Southern Theological Sem
mary, at Columbia, s. G., but has been in
the habit of spending his summer in the
North. Last July he stopped over in Bal
tlmore to fill for six weeks the pulpit of
his friend, Rev. DIR. Leftwich, at the First
Presbyterian Church, while that clergy
man was on his vacation. This he did
very acceptably. Almost Immediately
upon leaving Columbia the painful disease
of calculf began to develope, and grew
worse and worse during his soJourn in
Baltimore. Hoping to find relief, he made
visit to his friend, Rev Samuel II. Low
ry, d. D.. then occupying Mr.. John Wan
namaker's cottage at Cape May during
that genteman's absence in Europe, and
! from there went on short visit to MIR. s.
H. Mccormick. of Chicago, at his summer
resort at Rlchfeld Springs, N. Y. Grow
| ing no better, he returned to Baltimore
and determined TO submit to the opera
ton of lithotome at the hands of Prof.
Alan P. Smith, whose success in that
most difficult and dangerous Of surgical
operations has become famous both in this
country and abroad. The operation was
/ entiyely successful, and such great relief
did DR.. Plumer experience that he felt
sanguine Of being able to rejOin his rela-
tives and colleagues in the South. In
this, however, he was destined to be dis
appointed. The operation took place on
the 10Th Of September, but week after.
symptoms Of complication of new dis
eases began to appear, and in few days
the aged clergyman's condition was felt to
tives to his bedside. His grandson, Rev.
W. s. Plumer Bryan, of Beverly West
Va, was the first to arrive, and in a
few days was followed by Mr.. and Mrs.
Samuel S. Bryan, of Allegany City, Pa,
his son-ln-law and daughter, and Mrs.
Douglass Plumer, of Columbia, s. g., an
other daughter. These have been con-
SCanCly at dis DeQSlQ0 ever since, ana Win
Miss Duncan, the matron of the infrmary,
have left undone nothing that the tender
est affection could suggest. Every day
for week the leading Presbyterian clergy
men of the city have been at his bedside
by turns, notably, Rev. DR.. Leftwich, Rev..
DR.. Leyburn, Rev. DR.. Smith and Rev.,
DR.. Murkland. DR.. Plumer is now in his
seventy-ninth year, having been born in
Darlington, Pa, July 25th, 1902. He
graduated at Washington College, Vir-
ginia, in 1925, studied theology at Prince
ton, N. j., was licensed to preach in 1926
and year later organized the Presby-
terian Church in Danvllle, Va. He after
wards removed to Warrenton, N. c.,
where he also organized a church. and
preached later in Raleigh, Washington
. and Newbern, N. q. In 1884 he became
pastor in Richmond, and in 1847 in Balti-
more. The church of which Rev. DR..
Murkland is now pastor was built for him.
: In 1887 be founded 1.-The Waterman of
the South,'' which he edited for eight
years. In 1854 he became professor in the
Western Theological Seminary at Alleg-
heny City, Pa, and from there, in 1866,
went to the seminary at Columbia, where
he has been ever since. Ae is the author
of voluminons works, some Of which have
become standard among students of the
evangelical denominations.