Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-09-10
Bishop simpsons Common Sense.

All the reporters liked Bishop Simpson
While | was amaSSing a large but not I'M
weldy fortune on the Peoria Reri-s as a
ubiquitous reporter, | was assigned by the
city editor To do the Central Illinois Meth
odist Episcopal Conference. | was the city
editor and made all the assignments in the
city department | was also the sole owner
and only ubiquitous reporter and took all
the assignments which the city editor
made. Eugene Baldwin was edtor-in-
chief. The staff of the Rcrieip was large,
bu. not bulky. | think its aggregate
weight physically, was about 80 pounds,
of which the editor-in- chief mOnOpolized
l45. intellectually il weighed a ton. Mr..
Baldwin was also managing editor. There
was no business manager. There was one
at first, but he never had anything TO man
age. Yes he had. too. He used 10 man
age to keep out of sight most etlectually on
payday. After he starved to death we moved
the editorial rOOmS-we always called
it rooms-up to the roof and left the bust
ness office open for the collector of internal
revenue to wait in. There were several
hundred of him, with bills of various
amounts, and have often wondered how
he amused himself down in the deserted
business office waiting for somebody 10
come in to whom he could present his bill.
Well. | was speaking of the Central Hi
nois conference. Bishop Simpson presided.
George Kent was there: he was the city
staff of the Transcript. f. A. Snlvely was
the city editor and local corps Of the Ma
ti0adl Democrat. We went early. seized
big table belonging to some secretaries,
possessed ourselves of their stationery and
things and calmly waited for the confer
ence to confer. First thing after the open
ing exercises, 4 good brother arose and
n ltt IN no of no
porters within the bar and suggested
that they be assigned place without
the sacred precincts. We felt very
badly about it, as the suggestion
was warmly seconded, but while we
were wondering if we could carry
the big table with us, the Bishop
looked down upon us kindly and said, in
soothing way, "Oh, well, brethren, never
mind. If the reporters can stand it guess
the brethren can" We stood it, | remember
one thing, he said, near the close of the
conference, in his talk to the class of young
men who stood up to receive his charge.
And" he said, in the course of his re-
marks, {" | have heard young men in the
depth of their humility say, ! am willing
to be a poor, despised Methodist preacher
Now, brethren, if you are poor it is your
own fault, and if you ale dcSpiSed it is be-
cause you are despiCable' And then he
talked more common sense to those young
men in five minutes than some men are
privileged to hear in as many years. That
must have been somewhere about 20 |
think, II may be. never saw him again
until | met him year ago, i'll Chester at
the commencement of the Military Acade-
my of Pennsylvania. An old mann he was
then, full of years and honor, past the
allotted span of human life, revered and
esteemed by Christians of all denomina-
tons, good citizen and good man, rare
executive, most effective preacher and
comprehensive scholar.-t Hawkeye.