Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1898-09-21
Sketch of His Career.

SketCn OF HIS career.
DR.. Hall was descended from a Scotch
family that has lived in the county of
Armagh. Ireland, since 1900. He was
born July 81, 1929, and entered Belfast
college at the age of ID. While in col
lege he became interested in Sunday
school and mission work. He was d
missionary before he reached his major
lty. He graduated with hOnOrs. At u
he went to a mission station at Camiin,
in the west of Ireland, four miles from
the own of Boyle. This mission was
established by Mrs. Irwin, widow of
John Irwin, whose family, for genera
tons previous, owned the large estates
and resided in the family mansion of
Camlin. She belonged to the Protestant
Episcopal church, but when it was i'm
possible to secure an EplScOpallan mis-
sion there, Mrs. Irwin had the post es-
tab,ished under Presbyterian auspices.
When Or. Hall was called to the First
Presbyterian church at Armagh, some
four years later, he took Mrs. Irwin with
him as Mrs. Hall.
The Armagh church was one of the
most prominent in the North of Ireland.
There DR.. Hall remained until 1858, when
he was called to the Church of st. Mary's
abbey, Dublin, as assistant and successor
to the aged DR.. kirkpatrick. The bust
ness district had grownsaround the church,
but its congregation so increased that it
erected in a more advantageous neigh
borhOod the handsome edifice which is
known as the Rutland Square Presby-
terrain church. In 1867 DR.. Hall came to
this country with DR.. Denham as the
Irish deputatiOn to the Old School Pres
hyterian assembly of the United States.
He addressed this assembly at Cincin-
natl, and afterWard the New School as
sembly at Rochester.
The Fifth Avenue Church.
DR.. Hall spoke by invitation in the
Fifth Avenue Presbyterian church. New
York, June Is, 1867. Its pulpit was then
vacant, and when he returned to Ireland
it cabled him a call. The urgent indorse-
ment of his old friend and distant rela-
tive. the late George II. Stewart of Phila-
delphia was the deciding factor in his ac-
ceptance of the call. He came at a salary
Of $4,000 III gold. when gold was at a pre-
MUM of 100. This was raised to $4,000
currency, and afterward increased to $15,-
300. Meanwhile the congregation erected
q church and parsonage at Fifth avenue
and Fifty-ifth street, at 4 cost of more
than 100000 giving the old building,
at Nineteenth street. to the Central Pres
byterian church, which removed it 10
West Fifty-seventh street. 1t has been
stated that the f>es from marriages he
has received amounted to $4,000 in a year.
This is a mistake. His fees from this
and all other such sources never exceeded,
and rarely amounted. to $500 a year.
Liz AAuIll1CS VI AK 1OAS1OSul1OA III
clude the Alexander chapel in King
street, the Romeyn chapel in Fourteenth
street, a mission house in Sixty-third
street, a Chinese mission in East Fifty
! ninth street and a children's home at At
lantic Highlands.
In the pulpit DR.. Halls predominant
characteristics were his sincerity, lucidity
and simplicity of thought. The structure
of his sermons showed that progress so
vital to entertaining discourse. The man
ner was like the matter and the man. 1t
was strong and simple and direct with
the charm of a rich, deep voice in whose
accents some discover a trace of the land
which gave him birth. His language was
the purest Anglo-Saxon. Although he
preached without notes or manuscript Of
any kind, yet his sermons were all care
fully written out before their delivery.
DIR. Hall was an omnivorous reader.
Little of merit in contemporary literature
escaped him, and his knowledge of the
classics was wide. Few ministers had
SO thorough an acquaintance with the He
brew language and literature. He read
rapidly, his mind digesting easily and re-
tanning strongly. Indeed, his memory
was regarded as remarkable.
DR.. Hall was for ten years chancellor
of the New York university, and ne had
been a trustee of Princeton, of the Union
Theological seminary, and Of Wellesley
college, and chairman of the Presbyterian
board of home missions. He also has
written largely. Among his books are:
Family Prayers for -Four Weeks 1885,:
Papers for Home Reading 0S71): GA
miliar Talks to Boys: Questions of the
Day, .qS73(; Gods Word Through
{ Preae3h dng~ qRs s ! 'F9 %aam Us Stones ns
Christian Home and How to Maintain It.
1SS3(.