The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1884-03-06
ELOQUENT.
AN EXTRACT FROM THE SER.
MON OF DIR. SHOOT AT THE
FUNERAL OBSEQUES OF
COLONEL COOK.
A Grand Tribute TO a CIR. nd Han
KurtSSricaI Flowers for an
HOnored Funeral Urn.


HOnored Funeral Urn.
The following is an extract from
the sermon preached at the funeral of /
Col. A. II. Cook. DR.. Smoot said
Col. \. II. Cook was born in
Rowan county, North Carolina, in the
year 1875. the month of Nav. Had he
lived till May next he would have filled
the three score years allotted TO man.
In early manhood he went to Macon,
Georgia, soon after to Nashville,
Tennessee; and after a brief stay in
that beautiful city he came to this
Republic of Texas" When the cap
ital of the Republic was fixed at Aus
tin he came with the government to
this city, and here remained citizen
to the day OF his death, which occurred
Friday last. To give you an ac-
count of his life would be in a certain
sense to write the history of this city.
There is not a block on he Avenue
or Pecan street; the two great thor
oughfares of the city, in which he has
not owned property and constructed
buildings. He landed here when the
Pretty valley stretching along our
river banks was dotted with the TENS
of the first corners, and these sur
rounding hills every where, adorned
and beautlfied with elegant homes, lay
in the wilderness.
He WAS A CONTRACTOR
and builder by trade and grew inn
mensely rich in real estate
and city property. Those were
| busy and eventful days. Some men
had an eye to fortune-some were
making fame and some were mould
ing characters. The men of ad7en'
ture and bold experiment merely, soor
| saw their course and their names are
forgotten: except it be that mention il
sometimes made of them on sum
mer evening, when the older men o.
Austin meet in groups to fight Ovel
again the old battles and tell the tale
of early adventure. But the colone
was no adventurer; he came to stay
Being a christian man from early life
he wanted religion and good moral
planted wherever he went. Virtue
sobriety and industry were group o.
graces he wanted to see grow will
the growth of other things in thi
Young city. A Presbyterian of tn
old school, a school which combine
faith and works; school whose faitl
lies at the foundation of its works;
school which holds that its faith shall
be justified before men by its works
he was ready to work for his church
his cause, his master. In 1910, Rev
w. Y. Allen, now of Illinois, thel
pastor at Houston, Texas, visite'
Austin and planted vine of tn
| ID "a
ONE OF THE FIRST MEN
to meet him, to counsel and worl
with him. But for the lack Of NOR
such 1ncn as Col. Cook, the enter
prise after being nourished an
watered for awhile by few godl.
men like Cook and Selam and the lat
John Finlay Grouse, afterward pres
dent of Hanover college, indiana
made but slow growth, if, indeed, an
} at all.
1t is no small undertaking to plan
the gospel in new settlements. wheI
the world, with its charms, the flesh
with its passions, and the devil, witt
his devils, combine in triple opposl
ton and bear down like gale agains
the church. The frontier preache
and the frontier believers are mel
whose lots are cast in places which sore
ly try their faith.
But again, in 1850, the Presbyter
of central Texas sent Rev. VIM. N
Baker, d. D.-Whose memory is stil
pr cious to many in this community
TO take charge of the church in Aus
: tin. The Presby terry had organize
the "Presbyterian church of Austin.
: Abner II. Cook, was made one of it
elders; to the day of his death he hel
the Office with satisfaction and prid
to his friends and credit to himself
Through al the vivisitudes of tn
third of century, that church, PLAN
ed by the Presbytery of central Texa!
: has remained under its fostering car,
and Col. Cook, during this Who'll
time, has been it's faithful elder.
, HE NEVER CHANGED
: his church relationship, and neve
; desired to do so. There are tw
Presbyterian churches in Austi
to-day, as the outgrowth Of ii
: labors, trials, patience, az
hopes of these Cody men. All homo
to their memory! Precious are the
mares with us. The first foundation
laid, and the first buildings erected fl
( Presbyterian worship in this city WEI
the works of his own hands. 1t is r
small blessing to minister to hay
such a lay helper as Colonel Coo
proved himself to be. Conservatiy
in all things, he would suffer loss b
; fore ne would strive for anythin
; even constructively wrong. Modes
F meek and diffident, like Moses, pr
ferring that others should take IL
, lead, but firm and intieXible in the di
charge of duty when his own Col
science and the Providence of Go
made it clear to his mind. In faitl
; like Abraham, he stood before tt
world as the friend of God. In HI
deep earnest devotion to the churc
ne was like David. the son of JESSE
his face would glow with somethin
like inspiration when we all sang tt
gether the songs of Zion. Patient an
, unfllnchiDg in the days Of his advel
sitv, he was as grand as the patriarc
in the land of w, whose name wa
Job.
HE WAS UPRIGHT,
/, and feared God and eschewed evi
From being one Of the wealthiest me
in Austin, he met with one reverS
after another until he became one @
the poorest. The clouds of worldl
adversely thickened and darkene
as they gathered, and the storI
broke and beat heavily on the old ma
in the infirmity of age. Yet throug
all his severe and protracted trials h
maintained his integrity, and wit
calm resignation he was ready to say
"Yea, though he slew me. yet will
trust him." He never slackened hi
liberality, but gave in proper lion t,
his means till the last dollar was gone
and then by his presence, patience
lBbors and cheerful trust, he gave u
an example worthy to be followed
What a grand christian he was
Texas loves to honor Houston for tn,
brave deeds of the hero in the de
cisive battle and the great victory
She loves to honor the name of Rusk
for he was a mighty man in the halls
of legislation and Hemphlll anC
Lipscomb, for they were great in the
law; and Lamar, the scholarly anC
cultured president of the young re
public, he WHO conceived the ide;
/ that Texas should have