The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-12-09
FUNERAL or MAI. VASS.
1t Will be Held From First Baptist
Church at 10 O'clock.

which Maj Vass was for many years a
prominent member.
The following official notice OF the
funeral has been sent out from the Sea-
board Airline offices at Portsmouth by
VicePresident Il. st. John. 1t is printed
on n card with black border and is adj
dressed to officers and employees of the
Seaboard Airline. 1t says
sit is with sincere sorrow that ! an
nounce to the officers and employees of the
Seaboard Airline, of which the Raleigh
and CASTOR Railroad forms n part, the
death of that companys secretary, Major
w. w. Vass, which occurred at Raleigh,
n. c., this 9th morning.
Major Vass entered the service of the
Raleigh and CASTOR Railroad Company,
On January 1st, 1916, and has been con-
tinuousfy in it's service since that date,
having served in the capacity of Treasur-
or, Acting President and finally Secre-
tary which position he was occupying at
the date of his death.
"As a mark of respect for our departed
friend and associate, the Vice President
and General Manager desires that the Of
ficers and employees, who can so arrange,
shall attend the services to be held at his
late home in Raleigh on Wednesday,
December 9th, 1896, at 10 a. m, and that
the shops and all other offices of the
company, in that city, be closed on the
day Of the funeral.
Superintendent will issue free trans
portation to such employees of the Raleigh
and CASTOR Railroad, as may desire to
be present, and can be consistently spar
ed from their other duties"
DIR. sKINNER'S TRIBUTE
AT our request. DR. Thomas e. Skinner
for many ears an intimate friend OF
Maj Nass, and his pastor for a long time,
furnishes the following estimate Of his
character and some incidents in his life:
The city of Raleigh has been of late
called upon TO give up many Of her in
fuential and useful citizens We have
attended their funerals and lamentcd
their departure and our loss, but how
have we taken their lives and deaths, as
lessons and warnings to our hearts?
"For over fifty years" says his biogra-
pher Maj. Vass has been an earnest,
consistent communicate of the Baptist
church, and has evel@arried his religion
into his every day business life. His
name is held in the warmest esteem aud
confidence wherever known 1t was said
of him: His ability is great; his honesty
crystal"
But what if the subject of this obituary
notice has played the man so well in sec
ular life; what if he had exceeded all
other men in secular enterprise; of what
avail now would all these things be, il he
had not found the "pearl of great price"
the zone thing needful, the better part, "
which was not taken form him here, nor
ever shall be?
/ have often heard him relate the cir
cumstanees Of his awakening-for all
men are naturally asleep to spiritual
| things-of the alarm to which his high
| nervous temperament was subjected at
the sight of himself as a sinner lost; Of
| how he feared that death might cut off
his escape from the wrath to come; of how
fear drove away the possibility Of belief
in His Word and trust in His promises Of
how che two destinies, Life" and De
struction," shone with clear light, and
| looked with fierce, piercing eyes.
Then the two courses of conduct set
So plainly before him, the marrow way,
and the broad way" he saw as never
before, that there was no middle way;
no neutrality between Satan and God
no serving two masters He seemed 20
stand at the meeting of two ways. The
enemy of all souls beholding the situation
said: do as you like" Zone like unto
the Son of Man." replied "There is but
one way to eternal life; | am the way
the way Of truth, they way of life, Of
obedience, of holiness" Away then with
self-righteousness and pride of sins, and
Il Il.
to God. "Choose We this day whom you
win serve" and remember that the mar
row way is rough and steep. On the other
hand, the broad way seems easier at the
start, but on that path you will lose your
life-in that way lies death.
Thus was set before him life and death,
and he chose the better way, and now he
wears the crown of life.
A few days since / asked him how he
felt in view of his positive assertion, Il
shall never go out of this house again
His reply was calmn and assuring, re-
Winding me of the words of the convert
to Christ in Greenland who, when asked
By the missionary the day before his
| death how he felt, replied: Il shall MT
rise from this bed again; l am called
home to the Lord. My desire is fixed on
my heavenly country, where / shall behold
Him whom l love, and who loves me-"
When asked whether he feared death.
"Oh, no." he answered. How can
love Christ and fear death. The death
of Christ was the death of Death"
Two years ago, in some "reminiscences,
[ wrote: among the older members, and
among the most useful men in the church,
is our worthy and aged brother, w w.
Vass, Sr. Always in his pew, a discerner
of men and their talents, without being
over critical. His constant presence was
an example and a blessing to all the peo-
pie, with his singularly circumspect walk
as a disciple of Christ. Not that he is
faultless, for to such an inference no one
would more earnestly OBJECT than he"
Let this be our prayer: Teach me sc
to live, that / may dread the grave as
little as my bed" This is my prayer,
for the Scriptures declare that Christ has
abolished and destroyed" death. That
whatsoever believeth in Him shall never
die: that the hpIoypr "shall not taste