The Portland daily press., 1882-10-05
Personal Sketches.

The meeting of the American Board
brings to our city remarkably fine looking
body of men. Their refined and intellect
ual faces and dignifed bearing are noticed
by the most casual observers. Among
them are not only divines of distinc-
tion but business and professional men and
scholars whose fame is limited only by
the confines of civilization; of many indeed
the fame is not even thus limited, for their
missionary work has helped to illumine the
darkest regions of heathendom. We would
like to give our readers some account of hum
dreds of these distinguished men. As this
is impossible we shall try from day to day
to give brief sketches of few of those most
conspicuous in the present meetings, begin
ming with the illustrious President, DIR. Hop
kins:
Rev. Mark Hopkins, D. D., LII. D., was
born in Stockbridge, Mass, in 1902. Agradu-
ate of Williams College in 1924, he afterward
filled tutorship in the same college, Suisse
quently studying medicine, be received the de-
gree OF M. D. and began practice in New York
In 1880 he was chosen professor of moral phil
o'ophy by his Alma Mater, and in 1886 Presi-
dent of the college, remaining in office until
his resignation in 1872 He was chosen Presi-
dent of the American Board in 1857 DR.. FL.
is yoluminous writer-among his widely cir
culated works, the most noted one Lectures
on the Evidences of Christianity" sand on
Moral Science''-"The Law of Love"-"a Stu
dy OF Maa"-and volumes of sermons and ad-
dresses. DR.. Hopkins was at the head of Will
liams College when the young man James
Abram Garfield wrote to him in relation to en-
tering college. His reply was so fatherly and
full OF encouragement that it brought him at
once under his paternal care The lessons
ne learned and the !practical use he made of
them In after life are as familiar as household
words to our readers Although DIR. Hopkins
has passed the limit of fourscore years, he is
still remarkably fresh and vigoroos-a staluart
OF the stalwaEts-save perhaps in politics
more than six feet in height and we'll propor-
toned He must be more than an average
athlete who would venture an encounter with
MIN, either in logical or physical wrestling
match We recollect how quietly he annihj-
lated the modern dreamers who call themselves
'Agnostics'-by describing them as Religious
Know Nothings.'
Rev. N. George Clark, d. D., Senior For
eign Secretary, is a native of Vermont, and a
graduate OF its University at Burlington He
was for a time professor in Union College,
New York, and was called from that position
to succeed the Rev. DIR. Anderson as Foreign
Secretary in 1866
Rev. Edmond X. Alden is a native of Rand.
olph, Mass, graduate of Amherst College
and Andover Theological Seminary He was
ordained at Yarmouth, Maine, and was for a
brief period pastor of the Congregational
church in that town. He subsequently was
pastor at Lenox, and South Boston. and in
1873 became Home Secretary of the American
Board as successor of Rev. Selah B. Treat.
Rev. John o. Means. D. D., is native of
Augusta, Maine, graduate of Bowdoin Col
lege. He was for years pastor of the Vine
Street Church, Boston Highlands, and has
now been for two years Corresponding Secre-
tary. having special charge Of the work in
Africa, Micronesia and among the Dakota
Indians.
Rev. E. P. Goodwin, D. D., is the pastor of
the First Congregational Church in Chicago.
the largest in the city of that denomination.
lie is graduate of Amherst College, and of
the Union theological Seminary, New York.
and has been previously settled in Columbus,
Ohio. He is about fifty years of age.