Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1896-07-30
Death of Col. Sullivan.

| Sunday last about II o CLo'N 4SeG
came 20 Col. John NJ. Sullivan vi tEis
place. That morning he arose as we' 9s
usual and attended the meeting o. his
Bible Glass IN the PRESBYTERIAN Chrrch.
This Bible Glass he has been the teacher
of for some years past. After the eAe'-
cises of the class were over he returned
to his home and sat down on lis porch,
the place where our citizens have so often
seen him. No one saw his final struggle
with death except a young man who hap
pened to pass in front OF his residence at
at the time He heard a noise on the
porch and looking up saw Col. Sullivan
rise, and, with extended arms, fall upon
the porch.
| He had his bible III his hand and also
| the class book OF the class that he ha1
| Jus. returned from teaching. These both
| ay by his side when first seen. Thus
! upon q bright Sunday morning, with
bible Il ll;e hand, ard in the very Dor
ne.5 Of the work he delighted so much 10
be engaged III, psssed away the lite OF
| Tohn McPherrin Sullivan, one of our old
! est ana IDOSl Sntl 4SSPSNtNA 80 80
| His remains were taken charge OF by the
| members of his bible class and on Tues
day last were followed to their resting
| place from his old home.
1 Col. Sullivan wa born in Butler, Aug.
\ O. 1871. He would therefore have been
| a years of age or tie 9Th of next month:
| His early education was IN the the old
| stone Academy wr;ch stood on Jet
| re-sor street, where the large PUB &c
school bu;lG!ig now stards. From there
lie went to Jefferson Coi'ege Cannons-
| burg, Washington county, pa, and grad
uated from the sarle in IS43, finished
sci olar, and with tie highest honors CT
| his clr,s.
On his return home he studied law and
| was admitted to the Bar here IN Decem-
Der, 1916.
But tie Law had no charms .or him.
Ills tastes ran in the line OF levers and lit
erature, especially of poiit .cal Gtera. Ire,
ard conseq lently We soon find him at
Fc-r;sburg as the legislative correspon-
cen OF some of the then leading Wing
| io- pals of that day. Soon after he be
cane assistant clerk OF the State Senate;
| then chief clerk of the same, then
Deputy Secretary Of TIE Commonwealth
dming the ten OF Governor Pollock,
| (Andrew G.. CT, n, afterwards Governor,
| being the chief Sacretary;) then he be-
came connected with the STE School
department, for a time, which he leslgn-
ed TO accept the secre'a-yship of the Re-
publio-n State Centla! Committee in the
memorable campaign of 1860, resulting
| in the election OF Abraham Lincoln as
es'dent of the United States. In these
. ate positions he served for a period In
q of about fifteen years.
After tae leci cn OF Lincoln he ac-
cepted a position III the War Department
at Washington, where he remained dur
| irg the late war, rendering valuable ser
vice to the Government and her soldiers
cu ing the time OF her and their trials.
n 1857 he was appointed collector of In
sernal Revenue for this, the 23d Pa. dis
Ii ict, with Office at Allegheny city, which
| fee he held for nearly IS years, perform
| ing the arduCl is duties of the same with
the greatest cdelity. Millions OF money
passed through his hauds, but in this as
N all the other posts of trust or OF profit
he held, not single error was ever found
or single complaint ever made.
But It is of the p .vate life and charac-
| ter of Io1n NJ. S-'livan that we should
speak. Of him as a man. From early
boyhood days we were playmates and as
sociates. This friendship lasted through
| life Now that he is gone we feel tna
| he v-1y last Of those with whom we
could meet and talk over the incidents
of early boyhood days has been sudden
| ly cut off from us. III this respect Mr..
Sullivan was peculiarly interesting. His
memoi J of early ev .nts OF persons living
here in boyhood tines, and of their
habits and character, was wonderful; ana
| he could narrate or refer to the same III
the most pleasant and orte1 tanning n-a'l-
ner. He was pure ~ life and thought
| and in all our long acquaintance and in
tercourse with him we never knew hifn
| to utter a profane word or an impure "X-
preston. He was always bright and
cheerful, courteous gentleman, always
kind and obliging. Whatever he under
took or became Interested IN he entered
upon it with the greatest enthusiasm and
this enthusiasm and energy he had the
happy faculty Of impa~ting 10 others
II he been said that the GOOD men do Is
oft inferred with their ZONES, but i'll the
| life of John NJ. Sullivan we believe the
good acts he did to his fellows, and his
character, will live green in the memory
of all who knew or have heard OF him,
while memory lasts.
But he is gone. His bright eye IS now
dull His laughing voice will be heard
no more. The pleasant society OF his
company will be no longer enjoyed.
His manly form is laid away. He is dead.
Farewell
a word which must be and hath been,
A sound which rakes lis linger, yet,
Farewell" D."
7. II. n.