Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-09-16
JAMES REES BURIED.
Another Man Who Helped to Build
PittSburg Laid Away to Rest.
THEOLD CITIZENS DYING RAPIDLY.
DR.. Hollands Eloquent Eulogy of His Worth
and LifeS Work.
A BIG CROWD OF FRIENDS ATTENDED

The funeral service over the remains OF
the late James Rees took place yesterday
afternoon at his residence, Fifth avenue,
near Anderson avenue. By 2:3O P. NJ. the
beautiful rooms, the hall and the stairs were
thronged with svmpathizing friends who
were there to pay last tribute to their dead
friend. No better testimony OF his worth
was needed than to witness the vast con-
course of people whose countenanees eVlnceo
q deep expression of sorrow. AT such gath
erIpgs the forcible epigram OF Renan is felt
"Deatb adds perfection to the most perfect
man.
The coffin of black ebony with massive
silver trappings was elevated upon cata-
faioue in the front parlor, overlooking
lovely lawn, shaded by tail overhanging
trees. Above the casket a model of river
steamer made of white and blush roses,
with the name of the dead man worked IN
blue violets, was placed. AT his head
broken pillow Of white immortelles stood.
A wreath of pink roses was laid on the lid.
Every portion of the apartment contained a
floral memento from some one who knew
him, while he moved in the great vortex OF
human life.
DIR. HOLLANDS EULoGY.
Promptly at the appointed time the Rev:
w. j. Holland, pastor of the BeIlheld
Presbyterian church, began the exercises
bv reading the burial service. After the
ritual had been read, quartet sang BE
yond the Starlit Night" The choir after
ward sang a favorite hymn, Asleep In
Jesus, Blessed Sleep" After 1t was con-
cluded the Rev. Holland delivered an
eloouent panegyric on the virtues OF the de-
ceased He said:
zone after another the links that bind
Pittsburg of the past with the Pittsburg of
the present are being broken. Less and less
the ranks of men who have laid the founda-
tions of this city's commercial and intel
lectual greatness are becoming thinned. We
scan this vast audience; we can see but few
who have raised our town into a foremost
position upon these munuane shores. Few
Of us know that the quiet man who will
shortly slumber beneath the green sward
played one of the most conspicuous roles in
this citys life; yet it is fact He was, in
social as well as in business lite, unostenta-
tious; but beneath this apparent reserve
there welled up an ocean OF sympathy for
those that fortunes ill-favored fingers
touched.
"His life is a conspicuous demonstration
Of the divine apothegm Whatever thy hand
findeth to do, do it with thy might. He was
a man of strong convictions. He grasped a
problem and then with iron tenacity worked
it out His Judgment, not always unerring,
was based upon what in his conception was
right. 1t is evident the divine favor rested
upon him in all his undertakings, because
the unfolding days were but a revealment of
new successes.
LOOK AT THE BRIGHT SIDE.
"But let us look at another side of his life.
The past is irrevocable. The ledger is closed.
From the other side, the spiritual side, we
can Gull something that will wonderfully
help us. Since he was a small child he
deeply felt the power OF religion. He man
ilested in his daily actions those principles
which are the life and energy of the church.
One instance in his life L will quote-but
which L cannot indorse-will go to show
his character. When a small child he
sought admittance into the church, so that
he could partake of the holy mysteries; but
the church refused to accept him on account
of his youth. He felt this keenly.
This action was never forgotten by him.
He never again applied to be admitted.
Nevertheless be lived a life conformable to
his early desires, and the climax of that life
was triumphant entry into that celestial
domain beyond the shimmering skies. To
those who mourn his death let me saw, the
ministry of the most adorable third person
OF the divine trinity will console YOU more
than the power of human speech can tell
The pallbearers were w. B. Negley,
Henry Hays, George A. Berry, Colonel
William H. Heron, c. Loomis, r. S.
Smith, B. f. Wilson, Colonel James Col
lard, james Mcbride, Daniel Bangby,
Samuel Lewis and George McBrisbin.