The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1900-05-11
REV. T.K.BEECHER'S WAYS
THE LAST OF A FAMOUS FAMILY
OF PREACHERS.
"Father Toms" Escentricity-Keeper
of the Town clock-Surprises in the
Pulpit-ordination of a Woman
Features of His Church.


Pulpit-ordinatio of Woman
Features of His Church.
Many admirers of the Rev. Thomas
X. Beecher, brother of Henry Ward
Beecher, who died at Elmira, N. 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
lily. 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 FL
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 woman par
ishioner to him once, "when see you
out of the pulpit l think you ought
never to get in it; but when see you
in the pulpit l think you ought never
to get out" 1
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 q 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 medicine, and he
din't propose to do it secretly, as If he
was ashamed of it. After 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 q great deal
may recall the fashion in which he
demolished scientific textbook, writ
ten by well-known man and used ex.
tensively in schools. Mr.. Beecher
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 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 watch, and so great was his
delight in that sort of work that lie
once asked the Elmira authorities to
make him custodian Of the town clock.
They granted his request, and for
years Mr.. Beecher served in this ca
pacity at a salary of SIP year. He
took great pride in keeping that town
clock exactly right. and when the
timepiece happened to get few Sec
onds wrong he used to put up sign
on the door of the door of the tower
reading like this: ''This clock is two
seconds late to-day, but 1t 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 Beecher, 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 a 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 up!'
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 a 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 q
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 remarkable institu-
ton. Every lesson was written by Mr..
Beecher himself. The school was grad.
ed as rigidly as any ward day school,
and the children had to learn their
lessons just as thoroughly as in a Sec
ular school, or quit. In the details the
pastor was assisted by Mrs. Beecher,
but the plans were all his own. AS a
result of his personality and his sys-
tenn the school had a phenomenal
growth and reached very large men,
bership. On the first Sunday in each
month Mr.. Beecher used to preach a
special sermon to the children, and
attendance at this service was made
requirement for promotion. As a re-
suit the entire school used to be there.
For many years Mr.. Beecher had
been but shadow of his former self.
The old power and vigor had depart
ed, and his eyes ne longer cleaned as
they used to from that massive fore.