The evening times., 1899-03-11
TALMhGE'S SUCCESSOR
NOT YET SELECTED
Church Member Comments on
His PastOrate.
= .
Non Payment of the Debt Disap-
points the Congregation.
Rev. John +. StuchelI Likely to Re
Called to the FIRST Pres
byterian Pulpit.

The resignation Of the Rev. T. Dewitt
Talmage has not been accepted, though
there is little doubt that it will be.
No successor to Dr.. Talmage has as yet
been formally considered by the First
Presbyterian Church, and none will be till
the matter of the resignation shall have
been determined.
The indications are" said a member of
the congregation to a. Times reporter this
afternoon, that the successor to DR.. Tai
mage will be the Rev. John E. Stuchell.
This gentleman is. in popular language,
the associate pastor of the church. or in
the technical language of the Presbyterian
system, the stated supply -
The letter of resignation was presented
by DR.. Talmage to the session OF the
church on Thursday night, directly after
the close of prayer meeting. The ''ses-
sion IS a body of elders elected by the
congregation for the government of the
spiritual affairs OF the church in the same
manner as the board of trustees has the
government OF the temporal affairs of the
church The session has no authority to
take positive action on the resigna-
ton and has taken none A meeting of
| the congregation has been called by
| the session for Thursday night next. at
which time the resignation will be voted
on Each member OF the church is enti-
tied to one vote The action OF the con-
gresatiOn. TO be final must be reviewed and
affirmed by the Presbytery which will hold
It's semi annual meeting in April
Should the congregation vote not to ac-
cept the resignation, DR.. Talmage will ask
that the matter be referred tc the arbitra-
nent OF the Presbytery. There is little
doubt that the resignation will be accept
ed nv
doubt that this action will be affirmed by
the Presbytery.
The story of the pastorate of Dr. Talmage
in Washington is an interesting one. At
the time OF his call to the Capitol he was
without charge. When the matter of his
call TO the pulpit OF the First Presbyterian
Church was brought before the Presby-
terry four years ago, there was considers be
opposition to DR.. Talmage among the local
and nearby Presbyterian pastors Several
! OF them objected TO him on the ground that
he was sensational and would violate the
traditions Of the old and conservative First
| Church.
| Against this argument the advocates of
| the proposition TO call DR.. Talmage stated
| in businesslike way that the First Church
| needed his services. The church. they de-
! elared. was deeply, almost hopelessiy in
| debt. and the congregation was not grow
| ing. IL was being eclipsed by younger
! churches in the District They in5inuated
! 10 the Presbytery that the only reason the
| First Church desired the services of Dr.
/ Talmage was that by infusing new life into
! the organization and making an attractive
/ place OF worship the incumbrance could be
lifted. The paStorate of Dr. Talmage has
/ not been success from financial point
/ of view. When he preached mis- frs ser
! mon four years ago the debt was $lJ. COO
! When he preached his final sermon last
] = ha fah~ m nn OH rvsCh
| $l5. 600.
a member OF the congregation said to-
! day:
The pastorate Of DR.. Talmage has no.
! fulG!Iad the expectation OF the congrega-
! tion, especially the old and conservative
| members, on whom the church govern
ment in the main devolves.
t DIR. Taimage has net built up the First
! Presbyterian Church. The organiza; ion S
no stronger than when he came. Al that
| he has done has been to make the o.d
| church a popular resort with strangers
who attend the church more for reasons
| of curiosity than of devotion. They come
/ to see the preacher more than they come
/ to worship God. OF course we believe
/ that the sermons OF DR.. Talmage have
! done a vast amount of good to tae arts
/ and souls of those persons who have
| heard him. but the point l want 10 make
I is that he has not strengthened our par
! ticular church. The debt is as heavy as
| it ever was, and | am not sure that the
number of members OF the church has
materially increased. All the change that
has been wrought in the old church is that
| it has become to a certain extent one of
the show places in Washington
! The Rev. Mr.. Stuchell who may sue
| ceed DR.. Talmage. is a young man and is
to certain extent a Washingtonian. hav-
! ing received his early educational training
| in the public schools of this city.
| He was born at Mononghela City, Pa. in
| 1870 His father died in 1879, and his
mother came to Washington, and obtained
an appointment TO clerkship in depart
! ment OF the Government Mr. Stuchell at
tended school at the Franklin and Abbott
| buildings, and took a course of two years
! at the Central High School. He did not
graduate from that school, but later at
! tended college at New Windsor, Md. where
he received a diploma. In 1890 ne made 4
! tour of Europe, and on his return to
! America entered Mccormick Theological
Seminary in Chicago. He graduated from
there in 1898. His first field was at
Gilroy, Cal He passed through Washing
ton with his wife, en- route to Europe last
spring
1t was about the time of the retirement
| of the Rev. DR.. Byron Sunderland as asso-
ciate pastor and at the suggestion of Dr.
, ldlnldSe tndl the heY. MI. Stuchell was
assigned in the place OF DR.. Sunderland
as stated supplyor.' He has served in
that capacity with satisfaction TO the con-
! gregation for a year.
His father was a clergyman well liked
as a preacher. For several years he was
pastor Of the Astor Street Presbyterian
Church at Baltimore. Thence he went to
Monongahela City, where the son was born,
and later became pastor of the Hazlewood
| Church, of Pittsburg. He died in 1875
at the age of thirty-nine years.
The Rev. Mr. Stuchell is tall and thin
He stands about 6 feet or 8 inches, and
has a slight stoop He is a blonde, with
keen blue gray eyes and a wide, expressive
mouth
IS ADMIRAL DEWEY'S HEALTH
FAILING?