The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-11-25
REV. NATHAN LEIGHTON.
Editor Of The Tribune

Editor Of The Tribune
Sir: The notice in this mornings s
Tribune of the death of Rev. Nathan
Leighton, of Tunkhannock, recalls the
announcement in a recent issue of the
proposed reunion next summer, of the
alumni of Franklin academy, at Har-
ford. The statement was then made
that Hon. G.. A. Grow is the oldest w
ing alumnus of that institution. Mr.
Leighton, an alumnus, and sometime
principal of Franklin academy, was ten
years Mr.. Grows senior; and there are
living in this immediate neighborhouI
three alumnis OF the same school, l.. W.
Stone, Mrs. Esther Sisson Stone and
Andrew Leighton, who are respectively
five years, two years and one year Older
than Mr. Grow. / recall Others Wh.'u 1
suppose to be living, among them Mrs.
Clarissa Tucker Tracy, of Illinois, who,
older than either of these three, was at
last accounts still engaged, con amore, in
her lifelong work of teaching.
L trust l shall he pardoned for adding
a few words commemorative Of the be
fore-named deceased veteran. lie began
his academical studies In his twenty
second year, having from early boyhood
worked diligently on his fathers farm in
summer attending an indifferent district
school in winter, till his seventeenth
year, after which his winters were en-
ployed in teaching. His father had all
his labor and all his wages I'll he was
twenty-one, and he even declined the
modest sum in money which his father
would have given him on attaining his
majority, judging that his parents needed
1t more than he did, for the bringing up
of his numerous younger brothers an
sisters. In those days the farmers IF
Susquehanna county were hard push d
to realize enough ASH from their year ;
sales to pay the years axes.
Thus handicapped by a late beginning
and want of means, Mr.. Leighton worked
his way unaided through the academy
and the New York university and took
three years theological course at Au-
burn seminary. This was at that time
an undertaking many times more formid-
able than similar one would be in this
age of princely endowments, numerous
liberal scholarships and multitudes of in
dolent rich students willing to pay COM
petent tutor what would then have been
regarded a fabulous price for coaching
in their studies. / recall his homecoming
at the summer vacation of his first year
at the university. There were no rail-
roads in our direction and he was fain to
take an inexpensive route that offered
observation of new phases of life with
opportunity for reading and study little
inferior to that of his own room. This
was by steamboat to Albany. thence ty
the Erie canal to Utica and the Che
mango canal to Ringhamton, finishing
the journey with twenty miles on foot.
Mr.. Leighton filled successive and sue
cessful pastorates in Cuba, n. Y; Cham
plain, N. Y; Vantage, n. j.; Newfound-
land, n. j., and Jewett, n. Y. His
standing in college is indicated by re-
mark of Professor Da Ponta before the
class in Latin: "Mr Leighton always
does we'll" His standing in seminary
may be inferred from the fact that his
class were in the habit, on the retiring
of certain professor, of requesting
"Bishop Leighton" to take the chair and
make a review of the professors lee
ture. The quality of his preaching when
fresh from seminary, was attested by DR..
Doubleday, who was regarded as prime
authority on pulpit efforts in the First
Presbyterian church of Binghamton,