The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-04-09
REV. ]. A. BENTON.
Death of One of Sacramento's Pioneer
Preachers of the Gospel.
a Man Who Was Forty Years In the
Pulpit-Close of a Long
and Useful Life.

The death of Rev. J. A. Benton, which
occurred at Oakland yesterday. removes
from the clerical ranks of the State one o.
ever came to the coast. For more than
forty years he has been actively engaged
in expounding Christianity in California
during which time his home has been in
Sacramento, San Francisco and Oakland
Indeed, Sacramentans have always re-
garded him as one of their own, as it was
here that he first filled a pulpit after
leaving the Atlantic shore
Rev. Mr.. Benton was native of Gull
ford, Conn.,, and % years of age. He
graduated while quite young from Yale
College, and afterward took theological
course. In 1919 he sailed from Boston
with the Edward Everett Company, as
chaplain, landing in San Francisco i'll the
fall of that memorable year.
Coming direct TO Sacramento, which
was the great supply depot for the mines
he at once engaged in evangelical
work and founded the Congregational
Church in this city. Those were stirring
times in California, and especially i'll
Sacramento, where so many thousands o.
miners had congregated, and he was
obliged to undergo many strange expert
ences for one of his calling.
No emergency ever arose, however, &c
which the young clergyman was not
equal, and yet he always retained the re-
spect and confidence of the more ortho-
dox members of the church. while being
extremely popular among the more
liberal minded, even the ungodly.
Old residents OF Sacramento have many
interesting anecdotes TO relate OF THEN
early-day pastor, who was always among
| the foremost Of the citizens III AL matters
aud enterprises of public character
AS the years roll by these "reminiscences
will be brought out and Will furnish
pleasant reading 10 those who knew the
deceased only during the latter years 0!
his life.
In 1912 Rev. DR.. Benton made a tour
Of the world, and his weekly letters pub
lished in the UNION were read with great
interest," and republished all over The
Union.
Shortly after his return from this jour
ney he removed to San Francisco and
was installed as pastor of the Plymouth
Congregational Church.
He continued in that sacred Office until
1869, when he resigned, much to the re-
greet Of his flock, to take professorshir
i'll the Pacific Theological Seminary, then
located in that city, but now in Oakland
deceased was Fast Graild Chaplain OF the
Grand Conlmandery, Knights Templar
of California. referring to the deceased
prelate, the Post says:
DIR. Benton, as an eXpOunder of the
ology, has always ranked among the
! foremost teachers in America. In fact
his influence has had more than ma
tional effect, for wherever our Congrega-
tionalism has firm hold his name is
more or less familiar.
Though always perfectly orthodox in
his teachings. DR.. Benton was a man OF
broad mind and infinite charity
''IIe was as tender as woman, but ada
mant in his convictions of right. He was
a profound student, and thoroughly well
verSed in the Greek and Hebrew lam
guages. He was of a most modest and
retiring disposition, or else he would long
ago have occupied the pulpit of some
great church. He preferred the work OF
teaching, and his whole endeavor was to
make the Pacific Theological Seminary
the type of all that such an institution
should be.
1.-The death of DR.. Benton, following sc
a. l.. Stone ana Rev. DR.. L. T.. Dwinell
will create gap in the ranks of the Con
gregational ministry on this coast that
will not be filled in many years TO came.
1.-The death of DR.. Benton will be
learned with feelings of the deepest re-
greet and sorrow by hundreds of old Cali
fornians who heard him preach in the
days when the State was but in the in
fancy of its growth.
''He leaves a widow to mourn his loss.' y