Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1886-01-29
THE DEAD PASTOR.

LIE UUAD | HUIUIt,
DEATH AND BURIAL OF REV
DIR. j. p. STR1DER.
LARGE CONGREGATION AT THE FUNE.
RAL-TOUCHING EVIDENCES OF PUBLIC
GRIEF SKETCH OF THE DEAD PASTOR {
LIFE-INTEREsTING ADDRESSES AT
THE FUNERAL.
&C., &C., sc.
Sunday morning last was dreary one
at the First Presbyterian church. Few
heard the sermon. though all listened in.
tently to the prayer Ia which was men,
TONED the subject that was uppermost IN
their thoughts. It was not that the day
outside was bitter cold and the ground
covered with snow, that made the gloom
inside; it was that across the snow cover
ed streets, but few yards from them, lay
cold in death the form of one who up to
but few weeks age, was their loved pas
tor. For days their first inquiry in the
morning had been as to the health of him
who lay unconscious at the residence of a
friend; but the night before, Just as dark
had set IN, the question had been answer
ed for The last time-he was dead.
It Is just four months since j. P.
Strider, D. D., announced to the congre-
cation of the First Presbyterian church
that he intended to resign the pastoral
care of that church, to which he was
elected August 22nd, 1884. He had been
pastor for about year, the greater
part of which bad been spent in fight to
improve his healthier rather to master
his i'll health sufficiently to do the heavy
pastoral work he had undertaken. He bad
been elected to the Chair of Moral
Philosophy and Belle Lettres in Wash
ington & Lee University. and intended to
accept the position as one in which the
strain on his health would be less. His
congregation parted with him with the
deepest regret. His affection for his
Stanton charge was very warm. aid
though now located at Lexington he con-
tinued to come here and fill the vacant
pulpit as often as he could, while they
were seeking for a pastor. Soon news
was received that in his new place his
health had been no better than it was
here. 1t gave great anxiety to his friends.
Esq member of the congregation of the
First church and warm personal friend of
Mr.. Strider, learned from his sister, Miss
Minnie Strider. who was with her brother
that he was Frustrated by illness. He
Immediately telegraphed to bring him to
Stanton and to his home. When Mr..
Gooch met Prof. Strider at the cars here,
he found him so Frustrated as not to be
able to walk unassisted to the carriage.
His illness soon developed as infamma
ton of the brain, and for the last few days
OF his life, he was unconscious. His
father, John Il. Strider, Esq, of Jefferson
county, W. Va, and Miss Minnie Strider,
were with him inshis last moments. He
died at $50 Saturday evening.
SKETCH OF DR.. sTRIDER.
John T. Strider, A. NJ, D. D., was born
in Jefferson county, W. Va, in July,
1913, and was in his thirty-eighth year.
an early boyhood he was prepared for a
collegiate education by Maj. Jed Hotch-
kiss at his Preparatory School of ''Loch
Willow widely known in that day. He
went to Washington College in 1852.
When Hunters raid came up the Valley
in 1858, the students of the college formed
a second company (having already sent
one to the feld) and went to meet the en-
emy below Stanton. The company was
i'm the fatal defeat at Piedmont, near New
Hope, in this county, and in this engage.
ment young Strider was wounded. He
was taken care of at the residence of Mrs
home where he was captured by the enemy
and paroled. He then returned to Wash
ington College, where haying spent siz
years, he TOOK the highest distiuc
ton, the degree of Master of Arts 10 1889
He then went out to Central University al
Richmond, KY, Col. Lyeil (now professor
at the V. M. L. and Rev. W. E. Junkin, be
ing also sent there by Gen. Robt. E. Lee, il
response to an application for Instructors
ssft4ed for the faculty of that University
MI. Strider' duty was the teaching Of
ancient languages. He taught there th,e.
years and then went abroad. He studied
for two winters in the Universities u
Berlin and Lelpsic, making extensive pc
fdestrian tours in Western and Southern
Europe during Vacations. Finally he
ND lad
Egypt and Palestine for one summer
most of the time accompanied only by q
Bedouin as guide. IL was during hit
passage through Syria that violent fever
hea lth from which he never totally re-
covered. He returned to Europe by way
OF Asia Minor. Traverslng the continent
he fourneyed as far north as Scandinavia
In stormy autumn month he sailed from
Helsinberg in Sweden, and after mar
row escape from shipwreck on the Nor.
wegian coast, Leith. landed in the port Of
Edinburgh. Here be spent the winter il
study. Wien the spring op5Dtd, in com
paDy with Mr.. Thornton Sampson, [noW
missionary to Greece). he began Wall
which extended over the four countries III
Great Britain. and embraced also the
islands of the Htbrides, the Orkneys, anC
the remote Shetlands. Immediately upo,
his return to America, he entered Unior
Theol ,gical Seminary, in Prince Edwarf
county, and after two years stud!
was ordaitted to the full work of tue min
@astry. His first charge was the old Wad
deli church in Orange. He afterwaId
becaGae pastor of the church at Culpeper
From there he went to the FIRST Presby
terian church at Savannah, Ga and iron
there c,me to Stanton. He announces