Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-11-03

Rev. benjamin r. B1ttlnger.
for he is overwhelmed by nothing. He was,
however. the center of attraction and the
recipient of cordial congratulations.
A reception party, consisting of DR.. Bit
finger, Mrs. John Marin, formerly Mrs.
Bittinger, his daughter-in-law; Rev. DR..
Wallace Radcliffe and Mrs. Radcliffe, re-
ceived the guests as they arrived, and all
had chance to shake hands with the chief
guest of the evening. Nearly one hundred
and twenty-five ladies and gentlemen avail
ed themselves of this opportunity.
Presentation Of Loving Cup.
This part of the program over, Rev. DR..
Teunis s. Hamlin, pastor of the Church OF
the Covenant, introduced Rev. DR.. Alexan-
der pastor of the West Street Presbyterian
Church, who presented the loving cup to
DR.. Bittnger in an appropriate address.
eff an unlimited uniformed guest were
to stand in the midst of this company and
ask why it was gathered here said DR..
Alexander, " it could truly be answered, be-
cause of our love for a man. In the cam
tata of Esther there is baritone solo, in
which the falling minister, Hannah, is rep
resented as walking before fine charger
upon which is seated his hated enemy, and
as he walks he sounds out the words: Thus
shall it be done unto the man whom the
king delighted to honor If our unlimited
or uniformed guest will further ask what
does all this gathering and what We are
here going mean, it could truthfully be an
S"eTeu, linus SUdll IL DE uOnS UNTO the
man whom his many friends delight to
honor
But what of the man? Aye, there is the
rub. / do not know that there is another
here at this time just like him. Apropos
of this occasion l am reminded of what I
read a few days ago. Wears daughter,
after having been absent from home for
some time, on her return met the gardener
and said to him: Well, John, 1 see you are
looking young as ever John-'Yes, miss,
thankyee An they tell me I'll soon be an
octogeranium.' 1 rather like that 1t is
new plant that is here named. but the old
gardeners name is pleasantly suggestive.
flower, fragrant and beautiful, not SO
much it may be in form as in act and life;
a shedding forth of that which makes ev-
erything it touches gladder for it's COM
ing.
A Proprietary Interest.
1--WE feel like assuming a somewhat pro-
prietary right in you tonight and address,
ing you as our octogenarian.' In the good
providence of God you have been spared to
be eighty years of age. 1t is because of
this fact that we are gathered here at this
time. We hail you with glad acclaim, find
ing in you not frostbitten plant, but an
interesting, attractive, blooming flower. I
confess that ! am somewhat overwhelmed
with the task of addressing you at this
time, and doing anything like justice to the
subject and the occasion. Such gather
ing as this is unique in the history of the
PresbyteriaEism of our city. as far as
know 1t. Every one here feels as though
they should have an opportunity to speak
to you and utter their words of heartiest
congratula tons. If l were to search
through all literature for a single sentence
which would express all that might be said
of you and to you at this time, / should
borrow from the pages of holy writ and
feel assured that l am not transgressing
the bounds of fact when / say of you, that
you are a man greatly beloved 1 do not
believe in what some one has somewhat
facetiously called 'epitaphy.' But on such
rare occasion as this, after you have
ton. in your splendid fidelity in serving
your God, it is certainly BETTING that some
well chosen and right words should be
spoken.
Congratulations Extended.
Eighty years is a long time to have
lived. 1 will resist the temptation to even
refer to the many changes that have taken
place within the period covered by your
lifetime. On behalf of this assembled COM
pany and many others of your friends who
could not be here, most heartily congratu-
late you on your four score years. How
gracefully these years sit upon your Shout
ders! They honor you no less than you
honor them. 1t might seem superfiuous for
me to even hint at the secret of your ex-
cellence. Your beginning was good. You
were born in the grand old state of Penn
sylvania. You came when but child to
Georgetown and grew up in the old Bridge
Street Church. No wonder you are as
good as you are today. Starting out in your
young manhood with the intention of study
ing medicine, you were found at last at
Princeton seminary in the class with such
giants as 4. r. Craven, John T. Duff1eld
and such fellow students as William Henry
Green and Theodore L. Cuyler. No won
der that you have been such valiant de-
fender of the faith.x
1T is a coincidence of more than pass
w NAV n~An n n
evangelist by the presbytery of Luzerne
fifty-seven years ago this very night
November 2, 1S47. 1t was with no refer
ence to this particular event that this
night was chosen for this celebration.
Your pastorates have been few. but in
one of them, your last, you served most
faithfully for thirty-six years. yielding
up your passionate when your people all
loved you, were harmonious and united and