Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-05-28

Board, delivered a congratuiatory sd-
dress. In which he ssid:
ITO tell OF man who has stood fortn
prominently for thirty-seven years In the
short space OF seven minutes Is impossible;
especially when that man has indeed been
a worker and leader. In attending on
the Southern Baptist Convention for SIX"
teen years l remember the words OF four
men above all others. One OF these was
DIR. John a. Broadus, another William +.
Hatcher. What influence the latter mas
exerted no one can calculate. LOOK al
him In some spheres OF work. AS pastor,
thirty-seYen years IN the service, ana
twenty OF these In one Of the largest and
strongest churches In the land; this
itself would be a grand life-work.
He has been editor nine years. Not
tame paragraphist, but live editor.
Sometimes he cut rather too close and
too deep; yet, how often the tenderness
Of his soul mingled with the strength OF
his mind. reused, comforted, and blessed
the weak. the burdened, and the distressed!
He has written two books-'The
Life OF Peter and The Life OF Brown.
They are both valuable works. AS cor
RESP ondent and essayist his writings are
innumerable.
"He has helped in so many protracted
meetings and seen so many conversions,
/ do rot suppose even he has an idea or
how many they are. Many have won
dered at his capacity for work in these
as in other spheres. He has been
trustee OF Richmond College twenty-six
years, and president OF the Education
Board OF the General Association Of Vir-
ginia for twenty years. He has been
trustee OF the Female College In Rich
mond for twenty years. The Southern
Baptist Theological Seminary. our great
est ana best institution, has had his valu-
able services as a trustee for seventeen
years He has been Vice-president OF
the Southern Baptist Convention. said
TO be the largest deliberative body in the
world, and he has twice been president
of the Virginia State General Associa-
ton.
"He passes not by the weak and needy,
but has been president OF the Baptist
State Orphanage since its beginning. His
interest reaches out TO the whole world.
He has been a member Of the Foreign
Mission Board for twenty years. Recent
iy when that prince OF missionaries, X.
7. Bryan, was in this country he said
to the speaker In reference TO preaching
In Or. Hatchers church, that he was
more anxious to do well there than anyT
where. because DIR. Hatcher had been SO
kind to him when first going out as a
to whom he has been kind multitude
would respond young and old missiona-
ries young and old preachers, young and
old in home and foreign lands You
may say kindness costs nothing. Yes, II
does. He is a blessing who bestows IT
in word, in look, in act, lie is saie to
have dedicated fifty churches. AS for
taking collections, | venture not TO say
how many; or how many hundreds OF thou
IL IDrno rlnn hot %
ordained by him by the score; people
married by the hundreds. OF his minis
tratlons to the needy, suffering. and dying
only God in Heaven kept the record. lie
has a wonderful faculty of reading men,
their character and capacity, and with
this gift he has another-of being able to
organize for work and bringing things to
pass. With all his work, with all his
leadership, one thing he has never had
any civil office-never been Coroner, yet
he has helped bury the dead; never been
Sheriff. yet he has helped to keep the
peace: never been Mayor, yet he has
helped 10 make good order in the city;
never been Governor. yet he has helped
TO preserve the honor Of the State; never
been President, yet he has been mighty
power in guiding the nation into good.
with capacity for any of these Offices his
aspirations were higher; he has sought
a better place: even this, to be a servant
among his brethren, a leader in the Camp
OF Israel, for the glory Of his God. His
works are more eloquent than anything
can say. While some of them stand
more prominently as peaks, yet they all
together form mountaln-chain which
stands out clear against the sky. God
bless this worker and leader In the hosts
Of Israel"
UNCONVENTIONAL INFLU-
ENCE.
Rev. DR.. James Y. Fair, the final speak
er on the programme, was introduced by
DR.. Landrum, who said that as DR..
Hatcher's mother was a Presbyterian, II
was peculiarly fitting that a Presbyterian
minister should be one OF those TO extend
TO him his congratulations on having
served in the pastorate Of the Grace
Street church for a full decade.
DIR. Fair said: six years ago, when
1 came to Richmond, the very first per-
son outside of my denomination who
called at my home TO extend me well
come and bid me godspeed in my new
field was Dr. Hatcher L have never
known why he came. II may have been
the memory Of that Presbyterian mother
hanging over his head which caused him
TO do so. Whatever the cause. ! appre-
ciated the visit. As ] looked into his
face and heard his kindly words I
thought saw a great. deep heart within
him, whose sympathy was not confined
to one Church, but leaped over denomi-
national boundaries, and went out all
over the world. From that day 10 this |
have appreciated the kindly act. / esteem
II not only a privilege, but a pleasure
to be with you on this suspicious occa-
sion, and | want 10 assure DR.. Hatcher
that his fraternal feeling for brethren Of
other denominations is not unappreciated.
He has our love. and We rejoice in the
great work ne is doing. We rejoice in
the magnificent church he has built. We
rejoice in the many dying beds he has
comforted.
"As / sat yonder a few moments ago |
looked through an open window. and In a
clouded sky | saw floating maiestically
onward toward the horizon the rele
moon. / couldn't refrain from thinking
of the many souls beyond who remember
him, and this night are showering their
benedictions down upon him. Among
them are many whom he has saved. and
who will meet him at the pearly gates
waiting eagerly 10 usher him In"
DIR. Fair referred TO the great work DR..
Hatcher had done in very materially aid
Ing in raising sufficient money with which
10 liquidate the Indebtedness Of the Young
Mems Christian Association, and said
that the building was a mute testimony
to his powerful influence for good In this
community. After further discussing his
subject from an INSTRUMENTATION
standpoint, the eloquent minister con-
cluded by saying:
Long may your bow bound In strength:
many years may the Lord permit you
10 continue your ministrations on this
earth. and finally. when your work here
may have been concluded, may you fall
softly asleep, and out OF the Church mill
tant may you emerge into the Church
triumphant. when. kneeling at the throne,
you may say Lord. here am L. and may
you then hear those words. We'll done.
thou good and faithful servant
A PLEASANT SURPRISE.
When Dr. Fair concluded DR.. Landrm'
very pleasantly surprised his audience by
introducing a man who needed no init
duction--Mr. +. II. Jacobs, Of Chicago, the
sweet-voiced singer. who was in Rich
mond last year with Mr.. Moody. He sang
u solo, Pass IT on" very effectively.
after which DR. Landruni invited Rev. II.
A. Goodwin. of st. Johns Episcopal
church, and Rev. Jabez Hall, OF the
Seventh-Street Christian church. who were
present 10 speak. Mr. Goodwin. after
ngratulating both DR.. Hatcher and his
congregation, painted glowing word-plc