The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-05-21
MOSES OLIVER McCASLAN..
AND HIS WIFE SUSANNA FOSTER McCAs-
LAM
Like ''Saul and Jonathan. they were
Lovely and Pleasant in their
Lives. and in their Death they
were NOT Diyi<lal.,s
Southern Presbyterian.

were not DlSlNeu
Southern Presbyterian.
There recently died in AbbevIlle county
| S. c., at the advanced aye of eighty years, Mr.
NJ o. McCaslan and wife, in some respects the
most remarkable couple of that section ol
country. which furnished SO many distin-
suished individuals.
Born in the same community that gave to
the world John G. Calhoun, George McDuflie.
James l.. IeIigru, and others, his name mn
like theirs is unk known to fame; but in his
great man. IN the light of eternity many of
the greatest nnreS of earth will lose their
lustre and fade into obscurty or oblivion.
whilst the unknown great of earth will
"Shne as the brightness OF the armament"
and las the stars for ever and ever Among
the latter will be the name OF NJ. o. McCa>lan.
OF each other: he, Dec. 7th, lSO9; and she,
June l7ih, 1910; and died within six weeks of
each other: he. Feb. 5th, 1890; and she, March
2lst, lS9l. They were born. lived, and died
we'll Presbyterian church the same year un-
der the ministry Of Father Reid, about 1877,
and were married by Rev. Isaac Waddell,
Dec 18th, $50.
Ills father, Robert McCaslnn, emigrated to
Abbevllle from County Antrim, ireland, and
vas one of the first members of Ropewell
church one hundred years ago; and although
twice elected elder, he declined to serve on ac-
count of his extreme m0desLy. Thr"c OF his
1--WE sons were elders and his two daughters
married officers in the church.
His thi rd son, M. o.. McCaslan, the subject
OF this sketch, was elected elder about 1852.
and served in that capacity nearly sixty
years. Seldom was he absent from his accus-
toned place in the sanctuary. AS far back ns
the memory of the writer goes, he cannot re-
call even one single occasion upon which his
seat was vacant. For many years 1t fell TO his
lot to have the entire care OF the church
building; and the amount of time, labor, and
thought which he gave to It, Is known only to
the Master whose eye is upon al his servants.
He served the church in every capacity, as
leader of the music, superintendent OF the
Sabbath-school, and the moving spirit In ev-
cry benevolent enterprise. He loved the
courts OF the Lords house; and the entire
sith Psalm, How amiabIe are thy t!ber-
ence as large factor of his spiritual exist
ence More Than all his brethren he repre-.
sented his church In Prespytery. and South
Carolina Fresbytery has few elders that have
sat in its sessions In the last sixty years more
frequently than he.
He was not on educated man in modern
sense. but was endowed by nature with rare
gifts, and by his energy and diligence he ac.
quired large amount of property. and was u
recognized man of influence and wealth until
like so many Others his fortune was wreck ed
by the war. He made large Investments IN
treasure "where moth doth not corrupt,
and where thieves do not break through nor
steal"
AS he had q noble ancestry, so he was hon
ored in his children and decendants. His
only son. Capt. Il. F. McCaslan, was first Il
deacon and Is now an elder In the Ninety Six
church. and represented South Carolina Pres
bytery in the last General Assembly at Chat
tanooga, Tenn, One daughter married Rev.
j. A. Lowry, Of Alabama. and two others
married officers in the church. One grand
son is Rev. S. l.. Morris, of AIncon, Ga, and a
Winston. n. Z. Another grandson, r. +.
Morris, Is nj present an elder IN Hopewell the
same church so long and so faithfully served
by the grandfather.
Engtpr
one of the most prominent and wealthy gen.
tlemen of that period. Hers was q lie OF
Self-Sacrifce, Suffering, and tOi.ins for Others.
She lived TO serve other people. The poor,
the sick, the afflicted. the orphan the mourn
cr, had in her Il administering angel She
bore many burden not her own. and shed
many tear OF sympathy for the sorrow OF
others. In her death that community lost its
most competent historian. No one else pos.
ScsSeS the Information which died with her.
No living individual could trace family al
iances and ancestry as far back rs she could.
The writer often purpoSed to write out the In
formation which she alone could furnish, but,
alas. neglected 1t till too late!
Never was there more EOspitatle house
than theirs, and many preacher Of the Cos.
pei has occupied "the prophets chamber"
and found such Il warm welcome that he
meyer again felt delicacy in testing their
hospitality. II there ever lived couple OF
whom II could be said they were generous to
Il fault" this was that couple.
They were Simplchrarted. sincere, and en-
tircy cOnsecrated to the service of Christ and
his church. Their saintship began on earth,
and 1t was but an easy transition for them
from grace TO glory. They are now gone from
among us They have entered upon "the rest
that rcmaineth unto the people of God"
They are with that vast multitude "that came
ont of great tribulatiOn. and have washed
their robes and made them white in the blood
Of the Lamb" They have exchanged the SER
vice, the toll, the suffering of earth for the
glory and blcssedness of heaven.
Well done. good and faithful servants
Rest in your peaceful honored graves! Rest
in the arms Of Jesus, "Sale Oh his gentle
breaStr' Home at last! Rest in your eter.
nal habtations in our Fathers house of many
mansions
Will we ever see their like again? May
God send us many more such noble spirits as
miniserins spirits TO suffering humanity
and as followers OF Christ to carry forward the
work Of the Lord! May the mantle OF Elijah
fall upon some worthy Elisha!