Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1902-05-01


of it's qualities, and Talmages origi-
nality was not the least of his gifts.
Originality of thought, Of oratorical
methods, of treatment of hackneyed
subjects, of teachings these are what
have stamped him with an individual
itv without rival.
While it was as preacher that Tai
mage made his greatest impress upon
history, preacher who disdained the
mere tricks Of oratory and rose super
ior to drawbacks which would have
handicapped one less gifted with gen
Jus, some of the greatest lessons of his
life are gained from an understanding
Of the mans possession of other quail
ties. Phenomenally industrious, opti-
mistie, with an optimism which knew
no obstacles, perseyering, with per-
severance that overcame all hindrances,
he conceived and carried to successful
issue undertakings from which lesser
men would have shrunk appalled,.
Three times robbed of his church home
by visitations of fire, his ministration
was scarcely interrupted for It was one
of the most marked characteristics of
the man that he made for himself new
auditors the world over whom no other
preacher or teacher had ever reached.
His big heart prompted him to efforts
in behalf of charitable and philanthro-
pic enterprise which called forth all
the giants work of which he was capa-
bic. Two million dollars is the esti-
mate placed upon the amount repre-
sented in money value alone of his eff
forts for the worlds needy and suffer
ing; the good he accomplished for the
Armenian and others Of the worlds
oppressed cannot be estimated in fig
ureS.
1t has been charged against Talmage
that his theology was of the narrow
type; that he was bigoted and fanati-
cal; that he took cramped views of lifes
problems. His repugnance for the
"higher criticism is quoted as an illus
tration and his sturdy championship
of the inspiration of the Bible from
lid to lid" is said to prove his lack of
discriminating discernment. But it
was just this firm belief in and advo-
cacy of the primitive religion Of the
days before it was fashionable to be
skeptical which gave him the power he
welded over millions of his fellow
countrymen and of other millions
across the seas. It was because he was
gifted with the power to make the re-
ligion of the Bible very real thing
that he was able to bring conviction
home to the thousands who thronged
his Brooklyn tabernacle and to the
millions who read his weekly sermons
in the great newspapers of the coun-
try.
In day when too many preachers
fail to impress by their own lack of
b onest belief, Talmage stood out ''like
tie shadow of great rock in thirsty
land" He was the guiding star of mil
lions of conscientious, religious men
aid women and in their hearts he is
enshrined as one of the truly great
men the world has seen. And his in
fuence ends not with his death. Long
after his mortal remains shall have
crumbled away his memory will be
cherished by those who came within
the sphere of his teachings will con-
tinue for generations to be the guiding
principle of thousands of human lives.
And this being true, who shall deny
to L. Dewitt Talmage the title to be
ranked among the great?
Speaking of the high price of butter,
representatives of the dairy interests
state that it is the result of scarcity
that has been occasioned partly by the