Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1907-12-20
REV. SAMUEL w. AUSTIN.

The passing away, and the closing
of the long and eventful life, of Rev.
Samuel Austin, calls for more than "A
life was spent almost i'm this, the
county of his adoption, and the birth
place of his wife and children. For
many years his name was house
hold word i'm this section. and In
parts of West Virginia. lie preached
the gospel continuously for about "a
half century, riding on horseback
thousands of miles over the mount
aims - preached i'm school houses,
private homes, and under the shade
trees and i'm the groves in the sum
mer time, where houses were not
available. He watered his horse I'm
every mountain stream and flowing
river in Southwest Virginia, parts of
Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia
and north Carolina. AS confederate
soldier and preacher his voice i'm
prayer and proclamationof the gospel
OF peace mingled with the kissing
bullet and the screaming she'll.
Returning from the war he took up
again the work where he left Off, and
collected as best he could the fiocks
which the war had scattered, and
zealously continued his work through
much trial and aflliction until old
age compelled his retirement, few
years before his death.
His last days were spent quietly i'm
the home OF his daughter, Mrs. White,
near Five Oaks, where he awaited i'm
calm resignation and peace the last
call. Having served his generation
by the will OF God he fell on sleep"
To say that Mr.. Austin was n great
preacher would be an eXaggeration
perhaps, as the world estimates great
ness, but il is certainly true that as
preacher he possessed many ele-
ments of greatness. He was n preacher
OF more than ordinary gifts rs well
rs man OF education and culture
His preaching and style was that of
the old school, so familiar and edify-
ing To the past generation, but so
sadly unfamiliar 10 this. His preach
ing was argumentatiVe. He sell
dom eNhorted. The great doctrines of |
the atonement were his faVorite !
themes, and he eXpounded scripture
with that cleverness and power born, |
not OF books but of deep conviction. !
Many of his discourses were said TO |
have been powerful. His language
was pure, his vocabulary full and |
ready-his library consisted, for the
most, of Bible and hymn book, and |
his study the saddle. With his death |
nearly the last of this peculiar type
of pulpit orators passes away.
Mr.. Austin was of very retiring |
disposition. If he had aspired TO pull
pit greatness and sought other and |
wider fields, his talents and gifts |
would have brought him celebrity I'm
the large cities and centers. But he
seems 10 have had no desire other
than TO live and labor in his circum-
scribed district, and To spend his |
time chiefly among the plain, COM
omn people. Like many another OF
y
ability, or if he did, he never culti-
waited il. He cared nothing appar-
emily for the goods OF this world. |
He had competency through his
marriage, and the question OF salary
or money gave him little, (too litle) |
concern. While other preachers, too
many of them perhaps, lay too much
stress upon the question of salary, |
Mr.. Austin went too far the other
way, and gave himself no trouble as
TO his compensation. 1t has never
been said, however, so far as report |
ed, that he was Indifferent to his own
financial obligations. He maintained
during his life, and enjoyed in his |
last days, the entire confidence and |
respect of the people who knew him
f, best.
Samuel w. Austin was born in
Rowan county, North Carolina, in
1923. His father was Col. T.. ID.
Austin, and his mother, Miss Trev-
! lillian, of Virginia. In or about the
year 1874 he came to Tazewell on "A
visit from Emory and Henry College,
OF which institution he was grad
uate. In the year lS45 he was mar
ried to Miss Christina Harman,
daughter of the late Hezekiah Har-
man, moving at once TO North Caro-
lima, where he practiced medicine
and taught school. He taught also in
! Tennessee and Kentucky, afterwards
entering the Methodist ministry. He