The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-04-22
He Died in Wilmington
Yesterday Afternoon.
SKETCHOF HIS CAREER
One of Vast Usefulness Whose Full
Beauty May Wait For Complete
ReveaIment in the Hereafter
"When We Shall Know as
We Are Known"
snecial to News and Observer)

Especial to News and Observer.)
Wilmington, n. c., April 21-Bishop
A. A. Watson died at 1926 o'clock this
afternoon.
Rt Rev. Alfred Augustin Watson,
bishop OF the Protestant Episcopal
church for the diocese of Eastern
North Carolina. was a son of Jesse
and Hannah Mariah Watson, and was
born in New York, August 21st., 1918.
He was therefore in the S7th year
of his age when he died. He grad
uated from the University of New
York in 1887, when but fifteen years
of age and was one of the most schol-
arly young man who ever left that fa-
nous institution. The degrees of A. M.
and d. d. were conferred upon him
by the University of North Carolina
and the University of the South, at
Sewanee, Tenn.
Soon after his. graduation in New
York Bishop Watson studied law in
the office of Judge Kent, an eminent
jurist of his day and was licensed to
practice in the Superior Court of the
State in 1871. However, he practiced
the profession only short time, feel
ing called to the ministry of the
church. He was ordained a deacon
i'm 1914 and was a priest the following
year.
Upon coming South, he was in
charge of parishes in Plymouth, New
Bern and Wilmington, n. c., coming
to the latter city in 1862 after the
death of the lamented DR.. R. b.
Drane, rector of St. James parish
who remained heroicaIly with his peo-
pie in Wilmington and perished in the
yellow fever epidemic during the war.
DR.. Drane was succeeded by the be-
loved Bishop Atkinson, who was
elected to the rectorship of the parish
with the privilege of choosing an as
sistant. DR.. Watson became the as
Sistant to the rector and in 1864, and
upon the resignation of Bishop Atkin-
son, became the rector in full charge
In 1868 the diocese of North Carolina
was divided and i'm the fall of the
same year DR.. Watson was elected to
the bishopric of the Eastern Carolina
diocese.
AS rector, DR.. Watson was a great
teacher and was greatly beloved by
his people. His peculiar fitness for
the bishOpric of the new diocese was
at once apparent and he was conse-
Grated on the 18th of April, 1884. His
first official act i'm that high office was
the ordination of the Rev. Robert
coincidence is noteworthy from the
fact that only last spring Dr. Strange
was called from Richmond as bishop
cOadjutOr to the venerable Bishop
Watson and now succeeds him in the
full power and authority of that high
office of the diocese.
During the war Bishop Watson
served as chaplain with the North
Carolina State troops, and though q
Northern man, his devotion to the
country of his adoption was beautiful.
DR.. Watson married Miss Mary G.
Lord, of Wilmington, and she alone
survives him of his immediate family.
She was tenderly devoted to the bish-
op and during his last days of aff1ic-
ton she was ever tender and beauti-
full in her gentleness with him.
The characteristics of Bishop Wat
son were his answering devotion to
what he conceived to be right and
his duty and his marked general
ability as a leader of men. AS a
parish priest there were few his equal
and as a bishop no diocese was ever
served with more singular fidelity. He
possessed wonderful vitality and d
less strong man would long ago have
succumbed to what for several years
has been seen to be the inevitable He
is mOurned by the church, the State
and the community.