Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1900-07-20
REV. T.K.BEECHER'S WAYS
THE LAST OF A FAMOUS FAMILY
OF PREACHERS.
"Father Toms" Eeeentricity-Keeper
Of the Town clock-surprIses in the
Pulpit-ordination Of a Woman
Features Of His Church.

X Beecher brother or Henry Waru
Beecher, who died at Elmira, ~ y,
recently, believe that he was the most
original thinker Of that famous fami-
ly. He united to the power of reason
ing of his brother Edward much of
the poetical thought Of Henry Ward.
Lyman Beecher, father Of the ten
Beechers, Is reported to have said that
Thomas X. was the flower of the fam
ily. This has not been the Judgment
of the world, but on one point there
is general agreement. Thomas X. was
the oldest of them all. "Father Tom,'
as he was affectionately called in Ell
mira and throughout this part of the
state. has been accused of rather prid-
ing himself on his eccentricity. You
never could tell what he was going to
do, but you could generally count on
his doing something you didn't expect.
"Mr. Beecher," said a woman par
lshioner to him once, when | see you
out of the pulpit l think you ought
never to get in it; but when l see you
in the pulpit 1 think you ought never
to get out"
He seemed to enjoy astonishing con-
ventional folk sometimes. Once he
took a notion that lager beer would be
good for his health. Instead of taking
the medicine at his own home he used
to walk in at the front door of the
most conspicuous saloon in Elmira,
pull out a nickel at the bar and quaff
the beer This troubled his parishion-
ers, and they demonstrated with him,
but he told them that he didn't care
what folks thought about him, he was
taking the beer as a medicine, and he
dint propose to do 1t secretly, as If lie
was ashamed of it. After a while he
quit the beer, not, as he was careful
to explain, because he thought it was
wrong, but because it didn't agree
with him.
Mr. Beecher knew a great deal
about many things Many persons
may recall the fashion in which he
demolished a scientific textbook, writ
ten by a well-known man and used ex-
tensively in schools. Mr.. Beeeher
pointed out inaccuracies in statement
and false reasoning until he complete
ly riddled the work In his early days
he studied mechanics, and at one time
ran a locomotive from Buffalo to New
York. In the earlier stage of his minis
/ try he used to repair sewing machines
| for the women of his flock. He could
make a watch, and so great was his
delight in that sort of work that lie
/ once asked the Elmira authorities 20
/ III nf
| They granted his request, and for
years Mr. Beecher served in this ca
pacity at a salary of $40 year. He
took great pride in keeping that town
clock exactly right, and when the
timepiece happened to get a few sec
onds wrong he used to put up a sign
on the door of the door of the tower
reading like this: "This clock is two
seconds late to-day, but it will be all
right tomorrow"
He was as peculiar in the pulpit as
out of it, and did what seemed to him
right. One of the best illustrations Of
this has already been told, but will
bear recalling One Sunday he preach
ed in the church of his brother, Hen.
ry Ward Beeeher, in Brooklyn, while
the Plymouth pastor was away, Be
cause Of Henry Wards absence the
crowd of strangers that used to fill
Plymouth Church was diverted else.
where in part, and the congregation
was not very large. Before beginning
his sermon the preacher arose and
said: "All those who have come here
to worship Henry Ward Beecher will
now have chance to retire; all those
who have come to worship God will
remain"
At the close of another brilliant SER
mon he startled the congregation by
slapping his manuscript together sud
denly and calling "Time to wake upP'
after which he put his sermon into
his pocket and walked out.
Park Church was made by Mr..
Beecher into an institutional church,
the first of the sort, 1t is said, in the
country. He put in a stage for theat-
rical productions, bowling alleys, gym
nasiums and parlors. 1t was great
innovation at the time and caused con.
siderable talk, but "Father Tom" did
not mind that. 1t took years to build
because the pastor would not permit a
brick or a stone to go into the building
until it was paid for, and sometimes
there were long waits. The Sunday
school he made a remarkable institu-
ton Every lesson was written by Mr.
Beeeher himself. The school was grad
ed as rigidly as any ward day school
and the children had to learn theil
lessons just as thoroughly as in sec
J ular school, or quit In the details the
pastor was assisted by Mrs. Beecher
but the plans were all his own. AS d
result of his personality and his sys
! tenn the school had a phenomena
Z growth and reached a very large mem
bership. On the first Sunday in eael
! month Mr.. Beecher used to preach 4
! special sermon to the children, anC
| attendance at this service was mad,
a requirement for promotion. AS a re
/ suit the entire school used to be there
r For many years Mr.. Beecher haC
been but a shadow Of his former self
The old power and yigor had depart
ed, and his eyes no longer cleaned al
they used TO from that massive fore
head which his admirers compared I,
the Greek conception Of Jupiter Thl
change dated from the tragic death o
his brother James, with whom he ha,
lived on terms Of peculiar intimac!
and affection.
His death has come as a person
al loss not only to Elmira but to al
this part Of the state.--N. Y. Sun.
Fl non.1o,,.o., .ooo.,tl.. o...0a IL III