The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-09-24
FUNERAL OF MIR. b. r. HARDING.
Sketch of the Life of this Much Beloved
Citizen of Raleigh.

The funeral services of the late Ber-
nard Reaux Harding, were held at the
Presbyterian church at IL o'clock yes
terday, conducted by the pastor, Rev.
Eugene Daniel, and attended by a large
congregation Of sympathetic worshippers,
amongst whom the officers and employees
OF railway service were especially proml-
nent.
The exercises were simple, consisting
of sacred song, the reading of appro-
pirate selections of Scripture and
prayer. There was another prayer at the
grave; song, as earth was returning
to earth; then the beuedicton. And so
the good man was left 10 his sleep be-
meath the sod covered with flowers. The
pall-beareTs were ID. NJ. King, j. III. Win
der, s. w. Whiting, w. =. Primrose,
A. M. McPheebers, w. G. Stronach, j.
nj. Monte. N*
Mr. Harding's life was full of varied
and almost romantic interest. He was
born in Norfolk. Va, August %, 1882.
He was of ancestry Of minsled national
ity, his father Hngiish, his mother
Scotch. His father served in the Eng
lish Navy and was trAe to duty not
greater part of Mr.. Harding's youth was
commanding packet plying between
Charleston and Wilmington At the age
of Is years, he entered the Gosport Iron
Works, at Gosport, Va, and there re-
manned until he was twenty three His
thorough trainin. is atbested by the fact
that he was employed in building the
engines and boilers OF sRsh limited
State steamships as the Powhatan and
Allegheny Having served with the
Wilmington and WeidOa Railroad at
Wilmington for tive years, he then re-
turned to Norfolk to accept position
with the SeabOard and Roanoke Rail
road, J. 3. Pendeton being the master
mechanic.
When, in 1855, yellow fever swept
over Norfolk and other cont suous places,
Mr.. Harding and his father (the latter
commanding the only vessel that kept up
communication with the outside world
heroically brought to the city the vessel
loads of pine collins for the burial Of the
dead. At this time, Mr. Harding him
self had the dreaded fever. His personal
courage was also exhibited during the
war. Throughout that struggle he was
in the naval service of the Confederacy.
or was employed In running blockade
West He mounted guns; he helped to
build the Merrimac; with keenest interest
he watched the contest between his yes
sci and the Monitor. He was imprison
ed at Fortress Monroe in a cell just op-
posite the one occupied by Jefferson
Davis, and, at another time, was held in
Ludlow street Jail, New York. for three
months, whence he escaped through the
a actt. t. AZ Toe
ter Mason. He was chief engineer OF
two noted blockade rsnners-the Atlanta
and the Hynes Fry. Subsequently to
the war, he has held positions in railway
service at Water Valley, Miss; at Cam
ton, Miss; at Memphis, Tenn and Fay
etteville. N. @.
But his longest and his latest work
was with the Seaboard Airline. For
twenty years, he was the master me-
chanic of the Raleigh and CASTOR shops.
When the vicissitudes of fortune ten
dered him a less important position, ne
bore himself like the brave man and the
gentle christian that he was, too strong
to murmur. In this work, death came
to him. and found him ready.
Mr.. Harding was twice married. First,
on the 22nd of October, 1856, to Miss
Catherine II. Ghiselin, of Norfolk, the
mother of his five sons and three daugh-
tiers Next, on the 2Sth of April, 1892.
to Mrs. Mary Kate Bryan, of Raleigh,
n G., who is still living. His children
who survive him are w. II. Harding,
II. II. Harding, and Miss Henrietta
Harding, of this city; Mrs. j. M. Sher-
wood, of Portsmouth. Va, and Mrs. S.
o. Bakersfield, of Atlanta, Ga.
Mr. Harding when only fifteen years
of age united with uhe First Presbyter-
ian church of Norfolk, Va, of which the
Rev. DIR. Armstrong was pastor. He
was made an elder of the Presbyterian
church in Raleigh about the year 1890.
Through all the Vioissitsdes of life's
sometimes perplexing and exciting and
perilous experiences, he has been the
same quiet, gentle, affectionate, but
courageous and resofute christian man,
Almost the last sentence in his brief
autobiography is this: Il know not what
the Lord may have In store for the fu-
ture, but j pray nag Heavenly Father.
whatever / may be called to undergo,
whether prosperity or adversely, to up
hold me with His Almighty Hand, and
to endue me with strength from On
high to bow in submission to His Divine
will" Death came to him suddenly.
Il
Gods house on the last Sabbath of his
life. Never did he seem stronger or
more cheerful. Monday afternoon, APP
parently in even better than his usual
health, he boarded the train for Able
Vile. s. G. Monday night, he rested at
Monroe Taking the train Tuesday morn
| ing. He ate with usual appetite his
| breakfast at Chester Returning to the
smokimg-car, he turned sick Acute indi-
gestion and nausea coming on, he left the
train at Clinton. and was almost imme-
diately speechless, unconscious. And so
he died: most probably as the result of
ruptured blood vessel
"a christian cannot die before his time.
The Lords appointment is the servants
hour"
NEW REPORTS OUT.-Secretary of
State Thompson yesterday received from
the printer the first instalment of the
120th North Carolina Supreme Court Re
ports. 1t is a book of IT'S pages. well
-.