The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-10-10
PRAYER and HULOGY.
Spoken Beside the Bier of
Augustus A. Harden
bergh.
PASTOR VAN CLEEFs ADDRESS
He Speeks Feelingly' Of a Life
That Had Much of Good
In 1t.


yesterday afternoon.
Prior to the church service brief one
was held at the residence, at which only
the immediate relatives and friends were
present, including the pallbearers and the
directors of the Hudson County National
Bank. The Rev. DR.. De Witt, of the Theo-
logical Department of Rutgers College,
New Brunswick, offered prayer.
Barrow street for several blocks in the
vicinity of the residence, was lined on
both sides with coaches. The funeral ar
rangements, under the direction of Under
taker William II. Speer, were perfect.
AT the church where the public service
was held the auditorium was thronged
with probably one of the most notable
gatherings of State and city public Off
cials, church dignitaries and distin-
guished private citizens that Jersey City
has seen in many years. Sheriff Davis
and the County officials were there,
Mayor Cleveland, the members of the
City Boards and Departments, and nearly
all the ministers of the various denomi-
nations were in attendance; business
men, professional men, men of LEISURE
all classes of people and all walks of life
were represented.
THE sSORROWFUL PROCESSION.
Intense silence reigned over the large
dSStulDly dS UuG ulOuFu6rS' procession,
headed by the Rev. Mr. Van Cleef, Prof
De Witt, D. D.. the Rev. DR.. Duryea, of
the Lafayette Reformed Church, and the
Rev. Mr.. Gordon, moved up the aisle.
The heavily draped casket, upon which
rested two beautiful floral designs, was
born aloft on the shoulders of four men
and followed by the pail bearers,
Dixon, Augustus Zabriskie, Judge John
A. Blair, DIR. Josiah Gautier, Garret E.
Winants, Henry d. Winton and Lebbeus
B. Ward. The immediate relatives and
friends followed.
A green and white floral scroll, in
scribed "Our President" surmounted by
O leaning cross, graced the rostrum upon
which sat the four officiating ministers.
The Rev. DIR. Duryea opened the service
with prayer. and a quartette composed of
Miss Minnie Patton, soprano; Mrs. K. F.
Lawton, contralto; Mr.. Charles Smith,
the St Michae's Church choir tenor; and
Mr.. VIM. Vance, basso, with Miss B. Cas-
well, accompanying, sang solemnly, but
with mastery skill, Through Sorrows
Path, by Sullivan. The music was un-
der the direction of Mrs Lawton.
PASTOR VAN, CLEEF'S ADDRESS.
The Rev. Mr.. Van Cleef, pastor of the
church, then approached the pulpit desk
to deliver the funeral oration. He said:-
LAS We meet in the house of God, and
see the end of all flesh, let us open our
inward ear to hear the voice of the Holy
Spirit speaking in the solemn presence of
God. do not propose to give biography
of our friend whom we have assembled
to follow to his tomb. So much has been
repeated by the press that this is not
necessary. Neither shall l attempt a
eulogy of one whom we all so highly re-
spected, and whom SO many loved. This is
not called for. His eulogy is found in the
hearts of all who knew him well. None
IL. l. H. Il
him but TO praise. Mr.. Hardenbergh was
a citizen whom his fellow-citizen de-
lighted to honor.o
READER OF GOOD BOOKS.
The orator then alluded to the regret
of the deceased when youth at being
called away from his college studies by
fiIial duty, and his efforts to make up for
the loss by diligently cultivating a taste
for reading, and said the choice volumes
of his well-selected library attest
his refined taste, and show with what
kind of information his mind was stored.
He alluded to the early qualities dis
played by Mr.. Hardenbergh, afterwards
shown so conspicuously as he rose by his
own merits from one position to another
until, in 1878, he became president of the
Hudson County National Bank, which
position he held till his death.
HIS PUBLIC LIFE.
In reference to his public life the
speaker declared him to have been an
honored citizen and devoted public
servant of Jersey City, of Hudson county
and of the State of New Jersey which he
SO ably represented on various occasions.
'sHe served the State as a member OF the
Legislature. He served the country as
member of the House of Representatives,
to which he was reelected by very
handsome majority.
sHis services, public and private, have
been too numerous to mention, even if
propriety demanded an enumeration of
his acts of kindness and generosity to
those who needed his sympathy and aid.
PUBLIC SERVICES.
s'There are Others" continued the
speaker, swho can speak from wider
knowledge of the great commercial and
financial interests of our common coun-
try, and especially of the wants of our
own community, and they have spoken
from time to time, and eloquently, of the
great debt of gratitude which the people
owe to Mr.. Hardenbergh."
The speaker next alluded to Mr.. Har-
denbergh's conscientious principles, and
his political career in the sentence, al
though warmly attached to the political
party with which he was identified, yet
he never adopted at his motto that false
and dangerous principle, the party, right
or wrong
The value Mr. Hardenbergh placed
upon the good opinion of his friends, and
the pain occasioned by the thought that
there was human being who could not
trust him, led the speaker to declare that
a more honest, truthful, upright man
could not be found. The rich trusted him
with their wealth; the poor with their
little ALL He never betrayed trust of
any kind" His popularity as man was
shown by the fact that he always ran
ahead of his ticket in the race for political
honors, and he would adorn any Office
within the gift of the people of the State.
A KIND AND GENEROUS MAN.
2 He was the friend of everybody. He
responded to every appeal for help, from
whatever source it came, and If 1t came
from the poor he was the more ready to
extend his aid.
.sThe world does not know continued
the speaker, .how many sad hearts he
has encouraged Among those who called
at his home to look for the last time upon
his face there was many heart filled
with gratitude and many an eye over
flowinr with tears as the memory of
some word of cheer or some deed OF kind
ness was recalled. =
The speaker had known Mr.. Harden
bergh for nearly half a century and had
naver heard a word from his lips or seen
an action of his life that would not stand
tha fest of truth. He referred to MIR.
Hsrdenbergh's singularly unselfish sim
carity. his impulsive generosity alike to
prntestant. Catholic or Jew, his prom
;nance as.a financier his soundness of
i,,dgment' his profound regard for and
fsharaiify TO the church of his fathers.
ssIn these DAYS when questionable moral
..~,ncinlas u he continued, "Rnd akanticai