The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-07-01
PRINCES OF THE PULPIT.
Pastor Talmage Said to Make $4,000
a Year.
(CopuriQhted.l }

ANOpBf tBfttSA.J
New YoRK, June 20.-"Does Pastor Tai
mage play the banjoF' Well, that's an odd
thing to ask. No; he has various means of
amusing himself, but he doesn't tease the
banjo string, as far as have heard, nor is
he likely to. 1t would be trifle undgnified
for a fashionable clergyman, with an in
come of $4,000 year, TO be found on his
back stoop of summer evening, picking
out plantation airs on $40 banjo wouldn't
itP'
The speaker was a gentleman who has,
for several years past, held very close rela-
tions, clerical and otherwise, with the ia
nous Brooklyn preacher.
"Has DR.. Talmage, then, private fortune,
which gives him so large an incomeq' was
asked.
mot a bit He earns it every year. And
/ don't believe that any Of the uptown New
York churches can show any thing like it,
The Tabernacle folks give him salary Of
$4,000 nominally, but he does not get so
much. He probably gets about $4,000
from that source. Then his lectures net him
$3.50 each, and he delivers a great many
every season. Just now he is engaged the
eutlre season ahead. Fifty lectures year
would make sl2, 500, but he averages more
than that Then his sermons are syndica-
ted and there is profit of at least So, 900
from that source. The sermons and lectures
are bound and sold in book form, and from
that quarter, owing to their extensive cir
culation here and in England, he gets be-
tween $4,000 and SIS, 900 year. He is the
editor Of a weekly paper and has hand
some salary, too, the duties being largely
nominal. Then he is not infrequent con
tributor to the weekly or monthly press,
and, Of course, his name commands a good
figure for any article he writes. Yes. $50,-
00O is the closest estimate we place on his
income"
"Does not all this great activity interfere
with his pastoral dutiesP
ut does, decidedly, and just there is
where tho shoe pincnes The congregation
don't like it bit. They have no objection
to the pastor making all the money lac can;
but these outside interests engross 80 muc
Of his time, that very many duties have 10
be deputized which ne formerly used to per-
form himself. No time is left for funerals
or visitations. There is general feeling in
the Tabernacle that the outside demands
upon the pastors time are altogether too
numerous, and the slumbering volcano will
break out sometime in way that cannot
be mistaken. They love and admire him;
but It should not be forgotten, that when
he came TO the Tabernacle, twenty years
ago, he was not famous preacher and all
his popularity has dated from the time he
came to Brooklyn. His lectures on THE
Marriage Ring and other sensational
topics, have brought and are still bringing
him a great deal of money. Altogether, he
is probably the most literally rewarded
clergyman in this hemisphere, if not on the
globe, at the present time"
"But his congregation surely do not OBJ
ject TO his good fortune In that respectN
"Of course not. But they cannot help
remarking that the Friday night lectures
have been practically discontinued, and
that while the Sunday forenoon service is
still a masterly effort, that of the evening
is hortatory affair." mere honily or sort
of pulpit talk. Other things, too, con-
tribute to occupy his time. His duties as
chaplain of the Thirteenth regiment, the
crack corps of the City of Churches, brings
him a sort of eelat. On parade days there
is no more observed equestrian tnan the
Tabernacle pastor, as he ambles along on
his well-groomed horse, pleased express
sion on his face and his side-whiskers gently
waving in the soft summer wind. The
ladies are wild over the dominic on horse
back. 1t is something they say, TO have
dear pastor who can preach well; but
when he can ride like a centaur and carry
distinct military air into the pulpit, he is
a Jewel indeed'n
The secret Of the whole matter is that the
"Dominie," as his people usually call him,
is shrewd man of business, with a kesn
eve to prospective profits. The sensational
topic of the hour Is his theme and every SER
mon and lecture is a piece of news. He
carries the newspaper instinct into the pul-
pit and loves to tingle the nerves Of his
audience. He is comedian and tragedian
by turns, and hammers away with all the
vim and pregnant vocabulary Of u first-class
reporter, whether his target be the concert
halls the hear Qardeng the wickad Varietv