The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-07-16
'IoUARTER CENTURY.
man Watson Reaches a Land
mark in Pastoral Work.
euTsEn YEARS IN SEATTLE.
x-s~.exssng Record OF tho Busy and
UsefaI Life OF the First Rector
Of Trinity.

Ssnssion 10 the diacOnnEe. having been Or
~sired by ths venerable bishop of New
yus. Horsfio Potter. July Is. 1850, in
r<lrsry church. New York city. Sixteen
81 these twenty-five years were passed IN
al. city, making it the longest rectorate
- record along the entire Pacific coast.
n Watson needed all the stern, unyield-
,,r Scotch pertinscity Of his ancestors TO
SUCCESSFULLY combat the many trials and
sribugations that beset his way during his
xzrlv ministry in Seattle. end as the
,aaassr Of his church and the first rector
efTrnity be and his good wife live today
% Gee the work Of his indefatigable efforts
rroxned with success. DIR. Watson Is
hessed with happy disposition that is
never ruffied by the failure Of any of bis
mans. being mentally strong enough to
zee through difficulties that would cause
he average man % stumble and fail.
George Herbert Watson. ID. d. was
barn at Plymouth, Conn, August o, 1547.
HE father, Rev. William Watson, an
American Of Scotch parents, being then
tie rector OF the parish at Plymouth. His
nolhers name was Hard, the daughter
sian old Connecticut family who traced
tbsir ancestry back to the very first white
est.ers. Losing his mother when he was
snly IL years cd, DR.. Watson's youth
PISSED the softening influences of her love
and care but was watched over by his
sturdy father. whose great love for ms
nonary work was largely inherited by the
boy George and fully developed and exer-
esed as man and rector in California
ans the pioneer days of Washington terri
tory.
Shortly after the death of the mother
iAs father moved TO Hudson, ". Y, where
h. built Christ's church, of which he re-
msned rector for many years. The lad,
6sorgs Herbert, was first educated in the
parish school and next IN classical
school, his progress being exceptionally
bright At Is he was entered at Hobart
college, at Geneva, n. Y. This was
IN the early days of the struggle
between the North and the South and
young Watson, with number of other
Students, overcome by patriotic zeal, left
fhs college and enlisted in the army.
Tier had been in camp for several weeks
yhsn the colonel of the regiment, who
kzsw young Watson . father, returned him
tcollege under the minor law, much 20 the
Hief OF the anxious father aud cha rim Of
ias embryo soldier. He graduated with
honors froEn Hobart college in 1896 This
sssnt was saddened by the loss Of tina.
fsthef who had watched over him o.
tnderly, for just before his graduation,
While the Rev. William Watson vas at
lending the triennial session of the general
Convention at Providence. II. T., he fell in
'front.' OF the bishops house, into which he
vas carried and where he breatbed his
last. OF heart trouble. Young Watson,
while in college, had not decided
on the ministry. though IL had been
TIE wish of his father, and at
thst time favored medicine as a profession.
his fathers death decided his course Of
scss0n. however. and he soon after entered
tsgenerai theological seminary in New
York. where he remained for three years,
rsaaating in 1859. and on July Is of that
yaT-twenty-five years ago yesterday he
snordained deacon by Bishop Horatio
Potter, Of New York, whose nephew is
bon occupying the same exalted position
IN the same city.
Rev. George Herbert Watson passed his
daeonate in Central New York under
Bishop Huntington. one of the famous
bishops OF the Episcopal church, who re-
Gently passed the twenty-fifth anniversary
OF his conservation as bishop.
This bishop priested Rev. George Her
bert Watson in September, 1871. and on
The i2sh Of the following month. October.
the young rector led 10 the altar of ST.
Pauls church at Holland Patent. New
iork, bis blnshing bride, Miss Geneyieve
De Angels, the lady who has been his
companion and counsellor In all these
years. and whose sunny disposition has
lghtened the burden of many of his trials.
Tie two were united by DR.. Watson's
cousin. the Rev. Hugh Clarke, rector of
Zion church. Rome, n. Y.
from Central New York Rev. Mr.. Wat
soA accepted the rectorship OF St. Peters
church at Freehold. \. j., the building
peng relic Of the Revolutionary period,
Win many British and American bullets
sslii imbeded in the solid old landmark,
hsre the young rector labored until 1865.
shen ne went 20 California, where he did
t0ol missionary work in San Mateo
s0artY, being also interested in educa-
tonal matters.
IN 1879 Bishop Scarborough transferred
nsm TO Bishop Paddock's Jurisdiction in
Washington territory. then considered the
very Nids Of the Pacific Northwest. Ii
as however. TO the liking of the Rev. Mr.
"asen, who saw glorious field for his
ssslfe 20 do missionary work. He came
seattle in the fall of 1879, where, in
asement OF about 3, 500 people, he found
seoat twenty-five communicates with
saem to commence his good work, in a
suy small and humble wooden church
va rectory that then occupied the ground
0 now forms the triangular open
seaes across the street from the city
Sal building. In this Rev. Mr.. Watson
s-sefed faithfully. ably assisted by his
-, and his learning, tact and executive
sAaty soon brought about results that
ssss good fruit The church grew in
sah'aai aud material strength. Mr.,
ssoh had faith in the future of Seattle
oaa ms hrst view Of the settlement. He
ss'Ao'isaed chapel in North Seattle, Sc
.-'e' me grouhd, and the property is still
'aea ey the church. He next estab-
sasd Grace hospital. securing the ground
and made it an important adjunct
a.'s s parish. The big IRE destroyed the
- s Old church wherein he preached his
sermon 10 s handful Of earnest set
aud he next secured the half block
en James aud Cherry on Eighth
- There the present guild house was
erected anu used as a church and
- enth the dedication OF the present
4sene edihee, which was not pat up,
$50, without many bitter trials, but
$50 crowns Dr. Watson's work With a
a4ent that time can never efface, and
Soaereg2t on numbers as many
y. As the little band that formed
So ueiens CT his first pioneer work in
~ssse sixteen years ago Rev NJ Wat.