Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-03-31
BOB'S FIRST SERMON.
How the Bright Humorist Burdette
Came TO be a Preacher.
RESTING AMONG THE ADIRONDACKS
He Was Invited by the Natives to Supply a
Vacant Pulpit.
A DONATION THAT WAS GIVEN BACK

OLENo Il AAA4n3 AZ L., OO-hOU-
ert J. Burdette lectured in the neighboring
village of Sandy Hill recently, and, among
other things, referred to a time when he
acted as pastor of church in Warren coun-
tv. II filled my first charge as a clergy
man, be said, "in the neighboring county
Of Warren. was all worn out and tired.
fought with all the boarders in the house
where was stopping in Philadelphia IN
1884
Finally, one day in a moment of irri-
liability, had row with my landlady. I
told nv sister was going into the country
for rest and quiet. She advised me to get
chain and muzzle, and volunteered to accom-
Pany me into the Adirondack Mountains,
and place me among the rest fthe bears. We
arranged matters, and we were soon at North
Creek, Warren county. There 1 hunted up
guide. He asked where / wanted to go.
told him that was exactly what l wanted
TO know. Then be looked me over critically,
sad 1 know he must have asked himself
mentally: How did this lunatic escape?'
HUNTING FOR SOLITUDE.
81 broke the silence by telling him that
understood he was a guide. If he didn't
know enough to guide people without ask
his sign and go out of the business. After
he looked at me minute longer, told him
to take me TO some place where l wouldn't
see human face or hear a human voice ex-
cept nv own and my sisters. The guide
then took me to Thirteen Pond, III the town
of Johnsburg.
81 had not been there more than a week
when delegation of church trustees came
up and said they had heard l was
rarparhar The RantiSt Phurph five
away, was without pastor, and they
wanted me to run the church. had never
tried to preach, but the next Sunday found
myself filling the pulpit, and before week
had passed 1 felt ike a regularly ordained
clergyman. The realism was made stronger
some time after when the congregation got
up donation for me. The affair netted SSS,
and
FREE SUPPER FOR THE PASTOR
thrown in. They offered me the money. I !
took one silver dollar and returned the rest
to the trustees. That silver dollar 1 shall |
always keep; if anything was honestly |
earned that dollar was. That was my first |
experience as a clergyman. I don't know |
whether did the church any good, but 1 |
know that it did much good to me, and |
when left the woods in the fall was Wig |
orous and in the best of health"
Burdette's last act while at Sandy Hill !
was perhaps as well appreciated as any of /
his funny remarks. The evening of the 1
lecture was stormy and many were deferred |
from attending. Seeing the empty benches.
the humorist asked how the course of lee
lures had resulted financially. On being
told that the Athletic Association would be
$50 or SIS short, be handed the Treasurer
S25 from the amount paid him for his
lecture, with directions to apply the same
and wipe out the deficit.
A POPULAR PASTOR.
The story of Burdette's ministerial ex-
perience at the North River Baptist Church
is told from the side of the pews bv a
church member. Mr.. Burdette's short min
istry among the North River people was de-
hghtful to them beyond expression. Though
seeking seclusion and rest he was in the
habit of attending the little church on
Sunday for worship. His identity became
known to the people, and they asked him to
preach. Consenting, he not only refused to
accept the donation except the dollar of
which he spoke, but gave lecture each
week, the proceeds of which were devoted
to the decrease OF a small debt incurred in
building the church.
Mr.. Burdette's preaching was good sense
about spiritual things, with simple, clear
Interpretation of the Scriptures He never
lost his sense of the seriousness of the busi-
ness on hand. His aims seemed to be to
preach the Gospel of his Master with SIM
plicity and spiritual earneStness. The
people OF North Creek will never forg
those weeks the- spent in the summer of
1884 under the ministry of Robert j. Bur-
dette.
BoB'S GENEROSITY.
The annual meeting of the Lake George
Association occurred in the course of this
ministry. Mr.. Burdette attended as pastor
of the Second Johnsburg Church-the Off
oisl name of the church-and preached on
that occasion. His name appears in the
ministerial record of the association as pas
tor of this church. Subsequently an appeal
was sent to him as pastor for a contribution
toward the building of the Judson
Memorial Church in New York. 1t
was forwarded to him at his home.
with other mail matter, without
the knowledge of the church. He promptly
forwarded to DR.. Judson the sum desired
and caused the certificates of contribution
to be sent to the church. His name is ven-
Grated around North Greek. If visitor
wishes to raise storm, the easiest way to go
about it would be for him to run down
Robert j. Burdette.
They may be behind the times on the out
skirts of the Adirondacks, but they're wise
enough to know good preaching when thew
hear 1t. Said the church member who told
the story of Bob's ministry at North Creek:
be is first Christian, and then, as oppor-
Tn - |