National Republican., 1883-02-20
REV. DIR. RANKIN.
The Pastor and Poet Decides to Remain
I'm washington.

The Pastor and Poet Decides to Remain
| I'm Washington.
A representative Of THE NATIONAL RE-
| PUBLICAN called upon the Rev J. E. Rankin
| at his residence, on Grant place, last night to
definitely ascertain what decision the popular
clergymen had arrived at regarding the very
complimentary call he recently received from
the Euclid Avenue Congregational church at
| Cleveland.
After my sermon this morning" said DR..
| Rankin, II informed my congregation that L
had declined the call"
"How long has your field Of labor been
located in Washington" inquired the re-
porter.
"Thirtoen years"
DWELL, doctor, could you give me short
history Of the p.ogress Of the church IN that
timer"
"Oh, YES. When came here tho member
ship was 1870; the church was not finished,
aud there rested on IL u debt of S6O,OOO Inc
membership has rapidly increased, and now
numbers 732, and the morning congregations
average 1000 by regular count. We have
purchased an organ which cost $4,000. The
call to Cleveland resulted in combined effort
ON the part Of the congregation 70 pay the
$15,50O remaining of the debt, and believe II
will he successful"
How many scholars have your sunday
schools2"
'In the home school there arc i27, in the
Lincoln mission $50, and in the Union mis-
sion $50 scholars, a total of l,l2I OF winch
1000 are colorcd children"
"What did YOU think OF Cleveland as Held
for religious laborP
"The field at Cleveland is n very attractive
one The church has no debt upon 1t, and is
better able to care for pastor financially than
my present charge. Then it is situated sub
urbanly, and in its neighbOrhOOd are college
i and two schools OF course would have had
pleasant relations with number OF young
people, but don't feel at liberty to leave my
present charge. / believe IL my duty to re-
main here. I told a gentleman in Cleveland
that If l remained there thirteen years /
wonld not have the influence l had here.
Sevonty-seven new members were added to
our congregation last year, and there are 400
families in the congregation The contribu-
tions for benevolent purposes last year were
$5,230.25."
Several members of the church were seen
by REPUBLICAN reporters yesterday evening,
and they expressed themselves as delighted
with DIR. Rankins decination of the call.
A short history of Dr. Rankin may not be
amiss at this time lie was born of Scotch
parents, in Thornton, n. H., in 1873. lie
graduated at Middleburg college, was after
ward professor therein, and then entered
Andover Theological seminary, and graduated
in 1854. At this time he was regular contrib
utor to several religious papers and numerous
magazines In 1858 he became pastor of the
First Congregational church in 81. Albans,
Vt. He was afterward pastor of the Congre-
gational churches in Lowell and CharlestOwn,
Mass, and one of the editors of the C0ngrcgd-
tioudl Reriew In 1869 the degree of ID. ID.
was conferred upon him by his alma mater,
and in 1870 he came to Washington. For
many years he has been special contributor
to the Independent, the tOngfcldtiOndtiSt, and
the Adrdaco. In 1873 DIR. Rankin published
n volume of Scottish poems, entitled "The
Auld Scotch Mither, and other poems in the
dialect of Burns" which were spoken Of in
the highest manner by George Macdonald,
LII. D., of London, p. Hately Waddell,
DIR. Ray Palmer and others, who expressed
surprise that one born two removes from
Scotland should have written with such case
I'm the Scotch dialect, and caught the true
spirit-thc naivcto and pathOs-of the Scot
tish muse. He has also published smaller
volumes, entitled " Heather Bells Drappit on
the Grave o. Robert Burns" and "Oor Kirk
Fair and Ither Verses o. that llk." In the
large volume comprising the fourth series of
ID. III. Edwards Modern Scottish Poets"
published at Brcchin, Scotland, there appears
several selections from DIR. Ranlins poems
and the following tribute, which follows
biographical sketch:
:" DIR. Rankin is u ripe scholar, fine linguist,
well versed in French and German literature,
and n man of great versatility of gift and
freshness and vigor of thought. He is for
chile and energetic speaker, with clear, SYM
pathetic voice which always attracts atten-
tion. All his literary work has been Incl
dental to his other work and he is seldom abb
sent from his own pulpit. We feel certain
that the following selections will be read with
the greatest interest. After the authorities
already quoted we require to add little. The
pathos and sentiments of the pieces are ex-
ccllent, beautiful, and touching, and his ap-
plication of Scotch idioms is truly surprising
yet worthy, we believe, of one Of Burns cor
respOndents.n