The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-01-13
DIR. JOHN HALL.
Some Interesting Chat About the
Famous Preacher.
From the New York Press.


From the New York Press.
The resignation of the Rev. DIR. John
Hall, pastor of the Fifth Avenue Presby-
terrain Church, recalls the fact of his UNI
| happiness about the time when the income
tax was the talk of the country. One of the
wild Western papers said that he pocketed
| $4,000 year in marriage fees, that he was
worth at least 81, 100000 and had an income
of $780, COO. His congregation, it is said Is
the richest in the world, representing $780,
100000 in cold cash, and his salary for
preaching two sermons a day was $25 600
a year. This made the doctor extremely
miserable, for the news spread all over
the world, and he was daily in receipt of
basketful of begging letters from brother
clergymen of his own and other faiths.
There is no doubt that Dr. Halls congre-
cation is the richest in the world among
Presbyterians. He has never denied that
statement. But he takes direct and sharp
issue with the statements made about him.
self In the first place he says his salary is
nothing like $4,000 or $25 coo year. In the
second, he has been a minister foUty-eight
years, and all the marriage fees he ever re-
ceived would fall far below $4,000. In the
third, he assured the editor who said he
was worth 81, 100000 in real estate that If 1t
could be found he would give him $4,000
of it. This leaves us to guess at the good
Doctors financial condition. His salary
may be about say, $4,000 a year; he is
worth about, say, 100000 in real estate,
and he has received in forty-eight years
about $4,000 in marriage fees.
What will our dear Old friend Robert
Bonner do about his pastors retirement?
He is the pillar of the church over which
DR.. Hall has presided these thirty years.
He was the friend and supporter of
Beecher, to whom he paid extraordinary
prices for Ledger articles, and after
Beecher he loved Hall. Can he find man
to succeed the latter in his affections?
Bonners horses, Maud s., Sunol, Dexter
and the rest, had to listen to the ser
mons of the big Irshman while they stood
in the handsome Bonner stable, directly
behind and almost touching the church.
They never left their quarters on Sunday,
and when their owner was not worship
ping at the feet of his Gamaliel he was
sitting on the straw at the feet of his
mighty mares, talking of balancing the
hoof. DIR. Hall never could understand
newspaper men. He has holy horror of
them, and will not be seen of them except
under pressure. In this respect he is
vastly different from other noted preach
ers 1t is simply fad.
We have heard that Beechers salary
was anywhere from $4,000 to $4,000 a
year. Possibly it was less than the form
er, but he earned large sums with his
pen, which he spent, leaving his wife
mage syndicated his sermons for wears.
making 5000 or 5000 in addition TO his
salary which was not nearly so large as
the world believes. To-day he compare
lively is poor man. DIR. Greer of ST
Bartholomew probably makes $4,000 or
Szo'OOJ year from all sources, marriage
fees, etc.
Bishop Potter, Notwithstanding his attI-
tude as a bear on prosperity, is one of the
rlchesL churchmen in the United States. L
know several honest earnest, Interested
II not interesting, preachers who have
been obliged to go to farming I'VE godsD
to make living, their Charges" expecting
the poor fellows to bring up families in the
faith on $500 year and an occasional
church sociablei asked one the other day.
What is your salary?" to which he re-
phed, with excellent good cheer: Fifteen
hundred year, but haven't collected it
In three yearsr' How much have Won COL
lected?" "All together?" Yes. in the three
years Eight hundred and forty-three
dollars, but l had saved $500 at another
pastorate, so we didn't starve."
While we are bound to admit that DR.,
John Hall is big, strapping, brany Irish
man, as full Of sincerity as an egg is of
albumen, we cannot steal away from the
TACT That his church does not feel warm to
strangers ! always had chill when I got
10 the door and have often turned back
II has been said of the good doctor that he
once upon a time remarked. when the au-
ditorium was in danger of being overrun
by visitors: I'VE prefer to worship alone;
we 90 not care for visitors who come here
out Of curiosity" Among the sights Of
New York are its big preachers. Every
bride and every mother who comes here
wants to hear great man preach. The
theatric Talmage dotted on the crash in the
aisles OF the Tabernacle, and Beecher
never objected to the introduction of a
thousand chairs for the overflow.