The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-08-12

The Rev. Dr. C. B. Riddick until recent ly pastor of the First Methodist church. in writing from Downey, Cal, pays the following touching tribute to the late T. T. Hillman, who was a member of that church and warm personal friend of the writer:
 When T. T. Hillman died August 4, 1905 at Atlantic City, N. j., one of the ablest and noblest men have ever known pass ed to his rest and reward in heaven. For nearly twenty years we have been close friends and the friendship has been of the most exalted kind. As pastor and official layman for nearly six years and as personal friends during the interim, We have met and counseled together with out the slightest break in the tender bonds that drew us nearer and nearer to each other during all these years. Some men of remarkable parts diminish in their strong features of character as acquaintance increases, but not so with this man. He always grew upon me and never have I withdrawn from an inter- his hospitable fireside that I have not left his presence with an increasing ad- miration for his high qualities of heart and brain. The south has not produced a greater financier and his adopted city, Birmingham, Ala, owes more to him than to any other man, dead or alive. Always frail in his physical frame, with poor health from his youth, he neverthe- less inaugurated great enterprises and I-s. 4l,1 ,Dcf remarkable cities in all the southland. More than this, he was the most de- voted lover of the church of God, and poured out his money by the thousands for the advancement of all it's interests.
 The First Methodist church of Bir- mingham, towards the erection of which he gave $40,000, has largely of worship throughout the con nection. It was built during those dread full years of financial depression and yet he never faltered but moved forward till every dollar of it's indebtedness had been paid and it's membership rose to neary two thousand His ambition was to make it the great church of his de-
 
 gave with a generous hand. but was never absent from a prayer-meeting, or any official meeting, or the regular Sun day services when health allowed. He often came when he was really too un- well to come. Every interest of the church was dear to him and the last act of his active life was to reit and beautify ba Gob
 Before the work was finished he was lowering over the grave.
 I have had many useful and lovely men In my several pastoral charges from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and without the slightest reflection upon any one of them, l must say I have never known so un- selfish, so faithful, so tenderly thought ful, so generous a man as our dear as- cended brother. I write 1t down as the sincere exp1 ession of a grateful remem brance that whatever success I have had In the m rist,v for nearly tHen years has been largely due under the blessing of God to the counsel and inspiration ~e- ceived from this good man. A tricr friend never breathed the breath of life and wiser counselor no pastor ever had.
 Most deeply do l regret that my own declining health compelled me to sur render the care of the dear old church. and thus to be absent when his dear form was laid to rest in Nashville Tenn The good woman who mourns his loss, | and to whose tender, patient. intelligent ministry of love he owed so much and to whom he so often referred in terms of highest praise, was the suitable and worthy companion of so great a man. The best blood of the old south flowed in their veins-she the daughter of the eloquent M. P. Gentry. who swayed great assemblies both upon the hustings and in congress and he the son of D. H. Hilman, the pioneer and successful promoter of iron and coal industries in Tennessee, they together represented the highest ideal of southern life. There was a charm in the simplicity and elegance of