The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-02-14


E.0 CFAcFAft, Saturday Night, Before
LaBeIIe Lodge 4. OU.W,
Saturday night LABslle Lodge No, 2
Ancient Order Of United Workmsn met at
LaBells Hall, Thirty'drst street. and after the
transaction OF the regular business Of the
Lodge, Hon. 3. G. Cracrait delivered mem.
orial address on the life and character of ]. P.
Harden, deceased, who was an active member
OF the Lodge at the time OF his death, Mr..
cracraft spoke as follows;
Again the silver chord Of life has been
loosed, its golden bowl broken, ana our fra
tarnity have come together In solemn form, 10
pay honorable tribute 10 the excellence Of our
lAmented dead. Death has again spread ita
sable wings over our brotherhood, and with
piOus fear aud reverence we bow beneath It's
shadows, OF the dead one who has left US,
you AK me 10 speak, and of him would
gladly speak, were my words as swift and
willing 10 do their offices as my feelings
on this occasion. And yet, were the
polished periods, the elegant dicton, the
scholarly rhetoric, and the charms Of declA'
nation, that wait upon the bidding Of the
true orator, all my servants tonight, how
ieebly and inadequately would they be "a
perform the task you have in your kindness
and partially assigned me, In these ceremo-
MES Of sorrow, on such occasions Of bereaVe'
lug, and oppressed by the gloom they excite
how poorly and beggarly are mere forms oil
speech TO syllable our emotions, or to give
expression 10 the regrets we feel, or the hon
ors we would show in remembrance OF him
who has gone forever from our sight In suCl
times when our skies are covered with The
clouds that death brings, and the vacant
places 1t hath made are dRped in grief, the
woe 1t hath left Is more eloquent thar
the flow Of words, aud the silence 1t suhduei
us into becomes more impressive and SugEeS
tive than the Chaste and studied phrases o.
the euogist, II is then, that the sweet bu
tOnguelesS voices OF the fearful eye and the
thrObbing heart, give forth grander sOunG
than the tneSt Of high sounding sentences
But II is u beautiful and an appropriate Gus
tom, co-exislent with all benevolent and phi
lanthropic societies like ours, for some one L
pronounce an eulogy in honor Of the broths
who has been called away by the summons u
Join the eternal fellowship where God Is thu
everlasting Master Workman. And yet 1t 4
u sad duty, one Of the SAddsst duties OF my
life, for me To stand before you
and have IL TO say that our goot
friend, our beloved companion, on
faithful brother and upright.Citizen, Perc!
Harden-as we ever called him-is dead.
Is difficult for me to realize, rs look int
your faces, radiant with hops, and health
and while We are attending to the duties o
our fraternitY-whiCh so recently In life h
was want to do-that he Is at rest forever will
his God, In the quiet city OF the dead, Yonde
| NRt RNu I'll hts
turned towards the stars, his tongue speech
less, his hands cold, oh so cold and pulseleSs
his eyes closed, and that his good, generou
heart that beat ever In lie, US warmly toward
the distress OF his friends and brethren, II
midwinter, as In midsummer Is still ant
throbless In death. 1t Is hard for you and nj
to believe, my friends, that he has gon
to Join the armies Of the deaf
that his lips arc mute, his hands palsied
and his eye dark with the miStS Of death
and yet, that solemn fact alone gives the only
warrant for the melancholy duties OF TIL
evening. What shall say Of J. PerClval Har
den that you do not already know? He wa
q plain, modest, honorable man. This yoI
know full vol. never met man who scOrn
ed pretentiOns and impositiOns more than be
Charity and fraternity with him in this Ofde
were not empty forms and meaningless cere
mOnlals. lie mirrOrsd his life 10 every one Ii
his daily walks and conversations. II you
got his confidence for an hour, land this you
know full we'll, brethrOn), you read him as
book, and, in all you read, you were not dis
pleased. Sincerity, truthfulness and honesty
made up the warp and wool Of his conduC
and lie. knew him we'll, and II he had hi
faults, knew them not and II he erred, th
error never flowed from the fountains OF hi
heart. lie was a manly man, In Its truest ant
fullest sense. He wAs an honorable man, for h,
was bornand grew so, The tendencies Of hi
frank nature graYitSted toward the Just ant
the pole. He struck no man in the dark. HI
sought no mean advantage anywhere. H.
demeaned himself wherever he went In q sim
pie and unpretentiouS manner. He followed
Inhexibly, but not blindly, bis conviction
when he deemed them right. He held th
hands OF his friends In warm and faithful
grasp. lie hated no man, He envied nj
man, and compelled the respect Of all mel
who felt his contact In the various relations II
life. Though cautious and industrious, b.
was full OF genial aud generous impulses
Whilst he sought not LIES greatest heights
he was contented with its grandeSt level
along the paths Of right In these, lis best anC
straightest paths, he daily walked, nor feared
nor ha; med his fellow man, Percy Harder
was taken from us when life Ia iulles
OF foliage and bloom. He fell not before thu
"insatiate archer In the "sere and yellow
leaf" but he passed away In the midsumme
Of his usefulness and promise.
He was born In Pennsylvania, on the q
day OF May, 1880, md died on the I'd Of De
Cember Of the last year. He had many year
yet to reach the snowy border land Of old age
He was one Of US and a part OF us He wa
reared from boyhotdin our midst, and the in
luences, and advantages Of his whole earnes
llfe-work were seen and felt In all the inter
remarkable, and up 10 the day OF his dealt
lie persisted In disclarging his onCrous and re
sponsible duties We.may Justly lament tina
he Is gone, and sincerely regret that he wa
not spared for the full harvest OF his hopes ant
planj. But man proposes and God 1lsposes
"There is Divinity that shapes our ends
rough hew them as we will" For years ht
held high and important places In one OF Oui
largest manufactures and the verdict oil
well done good and faithful servant in III,
performance Of all his responsibilities hal
been the need OF praise he has fairly earned
BY bis answering fidelity to all The trust
committed 10 him. As tonight I recall BIZ
forgiving, forbearlng and warm hearted ways
pity with sorrow that 10 more eloQuen
In its silence the profound bereavement oil
his stricken family, and regret with feel
Ing which language cannot convey the los
and misfortune which LaBe'le Lodge will sus
tain by our brothers sudden and untImely
decease. Death awakens In me, and should
awaken In ALL the most thoughtful reflections
when It's pale and skeleton rider comes &C
close to our hearts and homes. The gras!
withers, the leaves fall, the roses fade, and Thu
Wild flowers OF the valleys open their fresh
iips, and bilow the air with their fragrance
and die, but With the recurring seasons Of
rain and warmth, they come again to bless, u
beautify and to gladden. The earth. But when
The pulse Of our friends fail, when theii
hearts, cease 10 beat In death, they come moi
back TO us, but leave our homes and presence
here forever. No sweet voices from home cat
WOO them from their place Of sleeping be-
meath the vlOlets, and bid them live for III
again. Their acts their deeds, their example.
and influences, the history their lives have
made, whether for good or evil, alone are all
they can leave behind them 10 remind Us oil
their walks and works among US. The