Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-03-23
Bishop II. Il. kavanaugh.

Our dispatches Thursday morning last
contained a brief statement Of the death
of Bishop Kavanaugh at Columbus, Mis-
sissippi. He was the senior Bishop Of the
Methodist Church South. He was a great
man, and left a reputation that Will not
be forgotten soon. What he was he made
himself. His energy was untiring, his
devotion to his chosen calling was never
surpassed, and his success was great.
He was born near Winchester, in Clark
county Kentucky. on the 18th ofJanuary,
1902. At the time Of his death he had,
therefore, entered his SD year. He re-
ceived his early education in private
schools, and at the age of thirteen was
placed IN the family of Rev.
John Lysle, Presbyterian cler-
gyman, as an apprentice to the
printing trade. He conducted himself so
well that Mr.. Lysle cancelled his inden-
lures two years before they expired. He
at once turned his attention to the study
of Methodism with the intention of
preaching the Gospel. His formal union
with the church took place when he was
10 years of age. His work began among
the cOlored people. The manner in which
he came to be invited to preach is inter
esting, The account is found in al inter
esting article which appeared in the
Courier To,,rnnI enc day following the
Risbon,s ,seath. 1t is as follows: at
US the year 1922 before young Kava-
naugh could get the recommendation of
the Quarterly Conference of the Mt. Ster-
ling Church, and an exhorter's license
for white people. He had been
supporting himself as editor and
printer of the Western Waterman, of
which James Armstrong, a Methodist
merchant, was the proprietor. This man,
with some other friends, got the young
man to come to a private room in Angus
ia, and then suddenly let him know that
ne was there to preach a trial sermon. 1t
was the day when to open a Bible, with
eyes shut, and to preach from the first
text that the finger covered, was consid-
cred the right sort OF inspiration and
when 'the beaten oil of the sanctuary
was at a big discount. The hunters of
that day used the long rifle, that few
modern men could handle, and the term
of almost unspeakable contempt was-'he
shoots ogitk a rest For Episcopalians
also, the only men who then used written
sermons, the phrase was-'Them fellers
that preach with a rest Young Kav-
anaugh was not to have rest for
his mental and spiritual shots, either of
written notes or OF preparation by thought.
Here was his little congregation and his
Bible, and he was told to blaze away He
did, and with such eloquence and earnest
ness that his critics first wept and then
shouted, and from that trial-rOom he went
forth, welcome to any pulpit, and recog-
nized power in the church of God"
Notwithstanding his marked ability and
eloquence he wasn't given one of the best
appointments in the gift of the conference.
He was put where he had plenty of work
TO do, and where the compensation was
small. He was faithful in small things,
and was soon called to a wider field In
1889 he was appointed by the Governor Of
Kentucky superintendent Of Public Edu-
cation, and did a great work in building
the foundation of the public school system
of that State. He was prolific preacher.
Between the fall of 1882 and October,
1850, he preached 1880 sermons, and after
1850 it is said he doubled that number
In ten months in California he preached
$50 sermons. He seldom spoke less than
an hour. Few men could have endured
such unceasing and exhausting labor for
so long a period. He was a big man
physically as well as mentally. For many
yeas of his life his avera re weight was
$50 ounds. lie was sixty-one years in
the ministry and thirty years a Bishop
Is il easy to match such Il record? He
was tTice married. He left no children.
His second wife survives BIN, and was at
his bedside when he passed from time to
eternity.