The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-02-16

I the great work of DIR. Damon's life, it is
/ proper that on this occasion I should speak
particularly Of his labors in this direction.
/ He began his efforts for the temporal and
/ spiritual welfare Of the sons Of the ocean, in
his young manhood.
confess my inability to tell you of all
that he has done for seafaring men in these
more than forty years.
| At this time, when comparatively few sea-
men enter this port, we, and especially those
Of US who have come here recently, can form
no idea of a chaplain's work during the first
| twenty years and more Of DR.. Damon's
labors. I quote the following from his
jubilee sermon:
During the years intervening between 1912
! and 1857, at the lowest estimate 5000 annu-
| ally entered this port and some years many
| more. The Rev. s. E. Bishop reports from
5000 to 1000 visiting Lahaina the Rev.
Titus Coan reports nearly the same number
as visiting Hilo, while at Honolulu we were
visited by 142 whaleships. I recOllect one
Sunday morning over thirty rounded Dia-
mond Head, sixteen vessels of war, besides
all the merchant vessels, and there could
| not nave D6Sn less LnaU 1OJOOO sSdMSA
during the year in the port of Honolulu"
During these years." says DR.. Damon,
MY labors were abundant, and sometimes
beyond my strength"
And though he went not to India, he car
ried out in the best sense the great commits
sion, go preach the Gospel to every
creature" for in his distribution of Bibles
and papers and tracts, in various languages,
he came in contact with officers and men of
every land and cline. And here would re-
mark what blessing of God is the printing
press, by which, as on the Pentecostal day,
we can reach the people of all lands,
and give them the Word of God and the
knowledge of salvation through Jesus in
their own language.
I said 1 could not tell the extent of Dr.
Damon's work for seamen. No, my friends ];
I could not even if had accurate and COM
plete statistics of every one of the forty-two
years of his labors. DR.. Damon himself
could have no adequate conception of it.
And this because of the multiplying and ex-
panding power of the Gospel of Jesus.
, For the sermon preached and the word
spoken for the Master is like sowing seed
l
but in many lives.
Hence the glory of DR.. Damon's work
through these many years. Look back and
see him, young, earnest man, devoted to
Jesus and his life-work. There he goes,
carrying his basket full of the bread of life
As lie visits one vessel after another, he
scatters words of kindness like rain-drOps
With one he leaves q Bible, with another
tract, that tells the old, yet ever new
story of Jesus, and with others Friend
u and as they read on the wide waters, there
- come to them the memories of early teach
9 ings and mothers prayers, and perchanct
70 a prayer of their own for acceptance witt
10 God And these in their turn speak wore
" and put the tract or The Friend in othe
hands, and so the work of one man has widen
% ed from year to year and from land to land
- Who of us can tell how many souls he ha
touched, or what the harvest for him shall
be? My friends, not here, but with God
is known. Thus has he toiled, in closes
sympathy with his Divine Master, who iden
titled Himself with sailors and ships, whom
70 the sailor needs for salvation, and who il
b turn needs the ship and the seaman to carr
- His Gospel to all lands.
:. Gladly would I dwell longer on this par
- of his work, so dear to him while he lived
p But I must allude briefly to his othe
" labors.
. OF The Friend, monthly publication de
ID voted to the highest purposes, he was edito
~ and publisher from 1843 until near the clos
10 of his life. Freely has it been circulat ted
10 and it has gone to all lands.
During these same years DR.. Damon ha
been the pastor of this church, and n
a tongue can tell to how many souls fror
9 this pulpit he has offered the bread an
VI water of life.
OF For the period of ten years, from 1912
Ut 1852, he was sole pastor among foreigners
" Honolulu, both residents and seamen.
rs In last years report of the Hawaiia
On Evangelical Association it is said of him
- His labors in the Bethel Union Church
- as we'll as in the chaplainly for seamen, an
the edisorship of The Friend newspape
Q are for him an enduring monument, and al
q part of the history Of this Hawaiian King
DOM"
m Besides these, DR.. Damon sustained otht
or i'm portant relations. His name was ident
al fed with the causes of educat ton, philal
in thropy and religion. His PEN his voice an
~ his purse have been willing servants
ia elevate the mind, alleviate distress, and
oh bless mankind with the light and glory
m che Gospel.
During his period of service here he ira
-, eled at different times abroad. His traye
i4o embraced the United States, Europe, Egyp
%, Palestine, China and Japan. He visited Il
Micronesian Islands as delegate from Il
'' Hawaiian Missionary Board. He went
the Morning Star, and subsequently pu
'n- lished the Morning Star Papers, of Il
ny highest value to all lovers of missions.
The anticipation and the visit affordt
40 him much qualification. lin the preface
these papers he says
,s- Long before the establishment of Il
Mission had we conYersed with shipnsste
no. and sailors about these comparatively u
:. known regions
M Again " In imagination we picture mai
ter a pleasant days sail along the shores
islands decked in the rich and gorgeo
| Of tho 4roDino aD6 he 1hrio ri