The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-09-01
REV. WILLIAM SWAN
Was Native of Fair Haven-sketch of
 Ills Career

Snow Hill Maryland, Messenger" of August goth inst, MT, Swan was son of the Rev. B. L, Swan and brother of Samuel and Clarence Swan, of Bridge port.
 Rev. William Swan, pastor of Ma kemie Memorial Presbyterian church. Snow TIill and the Gunby Presbyterian church, Stockton, died at his home in Snow Hill Saturday afternoon at 8 o'clock after an Illness of four days du- ration. His death was the result of a complication of disease dating back several years.
 His passing away was not only a great shock to his dear wife and the members of his church and congrega- tion, but to the entire community, which loved him and held him in the highest esteem.
 MT. Swan came here in 1895, after having been out of active work in the ministry for eight months, owing to his poor health. After this brief rest he could not content himself unless he was doing all in his power to spread the gospel. Once before, when he was the pastor of the church at LambertVille, N. J., he was compelled to stop preach ing, and he then went to Europe and was much benefited by the waters of Carlsbad.
 At the time he came to Snow Hill he was also invited to the church at Bed ford Springs, Pa, but he felt the Lord had called him here so he yielded to what he believed was the masters will, as he had always done in such cases, regardless of salary and other favora- ble conditions. About year ago he re- ceived pressing invitation to be pastor of the First Presbyterian church of Denver, Col, but he declined the honor. He was a highly cultured courteous Christian gentleman with a tender heart and loving disposition, always seeking to do some good, always deny ing himself and living for others. He often felt that he would have to give up the actice work of the ministry, but he wanted to die at his post and the Lord was kind to him and gratified this de- sire, allowing him to preach the morn ing and evening of his last Sabbath on earth. His last sermon impressed those who heard it very much. He spoke with great vigor, although he was very feeble when he left home for church. When he returned he said to Mrs. Swan T have the feeling that is the last sermon I shall ever preach" !" but we are sure he did not think his end was so near and that before another Sabbath the people he loved would be mourning his death. When he took to his bed he no doubt expected to be out again in few days. He was to have gone on his vacation Thursday and ex- pected he would only be delayed few days thereafter on account of the at tack of erysipelas in his face, but he gradually grew weaker, and finally grew unconscious, remaining in that condition for several hours. when his soul took flight from the earthly taber- nacle and joined the throng of the re- deemed in glory. He passed away as peacefully and calmly as the setting sun. He is now where he longed to be with Christ in Heaven.
 He was a good man, a noble man, with,a smile and kind word for every body, an open purse for the poor and tender consideration for the sick. We know that he was never happier than when engaged in some work of benevo- lence, and there are many in Snow Hill and other towns where he had lived who will rise un to call him blessed. Whatever he did he claimed no credit for, he begged that nothing be said about 1t; that what he gave was Gods and he was only doing in an humble way the Fathers will.
 During his ministerial life, covering a period of thirty years, he filled four pastorates, Stockton, N. J., Batavia, N. Y, Lambertville, N. J., Snow Hill and Stockton, Md,
 MT. Swan was born in Fair Haven, Conn, now a part of New Haven, on November 3, 1S41. His father, Benja- min Lincoln Swan, distinguished Presbyterian preacher is now living at the age of eighty-five at Bridgeport, Conn.
 His mother, who died about the year 1872, was Mrs. Sarah Brinckerhoffer Swan. There are only three of MT. Swans brothers living: Samuel Swan, president of the Crockett Varnish com pany, and Clarence Swan, retired real estate broker, both at Bridgeport, and James Swan, a retired manufactures of Chicago, who now resides at Pasadena, California. MT. Samuel Swan was the only brother who could be present at the funeral. MT. Swan leaves widow, Mrs. Emma Nassau Swan, daughter of Rev. c. w. Nassau of Lawrenceville, N J., to whom he was married in 1868.
 Mir Swan was graduate of Williams college, Massachusetts, and the Prince ton Theological seminary. He was a member of the Phi Beta Kapi," lite rary society composed of the highest honor men in their classes of the lead- ing colleges. He was master of lan- guages and a close student of current events Soon after leaving Williams college, while engaged in teaching at Iawrenceville, N. J., he commenced the study of medicine and continued at it for nearly two years, but the Lord had other work for him to do, and sent through the Holy Spirit call to the gospel ministry. It came suddenly, yet so decidedly that he was unable to re- sist it and so yielded his personal pref erence for what he knew was the Lord s will. When he informed his mother of his decision, she wrote back that her prayer had been answered, for she had dedicated him to Gods work when he was born, and had continued to pray that he might become minister of Christ.
 His funeral services were conducted in the Snow Hill church Tuesday after noon at three o'clock, Revs. Turner of