The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1902-04-24
PRINCE AMONG PREACHERS
The Remarkable Career of the
Late II. De Witt Ta1mapc, ID.

| A<H'S - "S NiIC AdlHidSc, ~ -.
The Philadelphia Times gives the
following sketch of the noted preacher,
DIR. Talmage, who dlel on the 10Th
inst. at his home in Washington, ID.
G.. Tho immediate source of death
was Inflammation of the BRAIN:
With, perhaps, the exception OF
Henry Ward Beecher, the Rev. II. De-
Witt Talmage had a more widespread
reputation than any other American
preacher of the gospel. For over
forty years he has been conspicu-
Gus figure in the religious life of
America. Even during Bccchcr's life
he held with that eminent dlvipc an al
most equal place as a pulpit orator,
| and since BcoChcr's death no other
preacher has had a popularity with re-
ligious audiences comparable to his.
His fame was not confined 10 Amcri-
ca. He preached with great success
boen translated into many languages.
During the greater part of his career
he added 10 tho circle of his influence
by writing sermons especially for the
newspapers throughout the country,
and the last few years of his life have
been devoted exclusively to tins work.
DIR. Ta!mago was born il Bound
Brook, N. j., January 7, 1892. His
education was obtained at the Uni
vorsity of New York. On graduating
from this University in 1853 he read
law for some time, but concluding that
law was not his vocation he decided to
~ hn Of Ia ot
ogy at the New Brunswick Theologi-
cal Seminary. Completing his course
he preached for period in Bellevillc,
N. j., and Syracuse, N. 7. Alters two
years s.pastorate in Syracuse he went to
Philadelphia and became the pastor
of the Second Reformed Dutch Church
of that city, at 7th and Brown streets.
1t was while he was the pastor Of this
church chat he lail the foundation Of
his great reputation as All cxhortcr.
When he took charge Of it the Sec
ond Reformed Dutch Church was an
institution Of little influence. He put
new life into it and drew crowd al
most from the start. lie attracted
general attention in the Quaker City
by his sensational methods. by many
he was declared a pulpit clown and
mountebank, but despite detraction his
congregation continued to grow III size
until the church was inadequate for its
accommodation. Overturcs soon came
to HIM from congregations of greater
wealth and influence than that over
which he presided in Philadelphia,
and he was finally persuaded to accept
a call rendered to him by the Central
Presbyterian Church of Brooklyn.
Apparently this offer did not hold
forth the promise Of offers which he
had received from Chicago and San
Francisco, for the reason that the Cen
trail Presbyterian Church was at that
time rent with dissensions, but for
some reason it appealed to HIM with
greater force. In Brooklyn he con-
tinued the methods of preaching which
had attracted attention to him in Phil
adclphia, but with a much larger sue
cess.
An illustration of these methods
which provoked criticism IN some
quarters which bordcrcd on the vitu-
pcrativc is found in the press reports
of The day. 1t is given as a fair sam
pie of his sensationallsm. One Sun
day morning when the time came for
HIM to deliver his sermon he walked
to tho extreme edge on one side of his
fifty-foot platform, faced about and
suddenly started as fast as he could TO
jump for the opposite side. Just as
everybody in the congregation, breath
less, expected to see him pitch head
long from the further side of the plat
form he leaped suddenly into the air
and came down with crash, shout
ing:
Young man, you arc rushing TO-
ward prccipice." And then he pro-
cecded to deliver moving sermon
upon the temptations and sins of youth
in a big city.
DR.. Talmagc's preaching became
the religious sensation of tho time
A brief experience demonstrated tho
necessity for larger edicc to accom-
= modatc the audiences which his re
8 markablc sermons attracted. TO Civ,
@ greater opportunity to hear him +,
large tabernacle was built, the ole
4 church cdilice being used as Sunda
c school. Such was the enthusas