St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1908-01-29

was completed early in the new year fol-
lowing. The annual meeting OF the
parish, on January IA, 1873, was prob
ably the first service held in the new
church. At this meeting it was voted to
appoint committee to raise money to
discharge the debt on the new church,
and also it was voted that the church
built bv the 2nd Universalist society of
ST. Johnsbury be known, and is hereby
named the Church of the Messiah. The
event to which all looked forward with
deep Joy was the dedication. This took
place on the afternoon of Thursday,
January 20, 1873, 35 years ago last
Thursday. At this service the opening
prayer was offered by Rev. F. E. Healey;
the dedicatory address was given by the
pastor, Rev. B. M. Tillotson; the sermon
was preached by Rev. Eli Ballou and the
dedicatory prayer was by Rev. ]. Edward
Wright, followed by a short address
from Mr.. Healey.
A thing that impresses one who reads
the early records of the parish or talks
with the original members. as have re-
peatedly done. is this, that at the very
beginning Of the movement that resulted
ilt hiAN IOi illcibiOii vi Iulo DhiiSh anu thS
building OF this church, there were called
together a surprisingly large number of
strong, representative, business men of
the town They were men who stood
fol- all that is best in the active affairs OF
the community. And with these strong
and vigorous men, were, in most cases,
their equally strong and vigorous wives.
This church has always been Loyalty sup
ported and sustained by its women.
They have formed goodly and a Cody
company. They have borne much OF the
burden of the care OF the sanctuary, and
have added greatly to its prosperity.
And to this day they remain the strong
arm OF its activity, and are of those who
sacrifice both time and means to its sue
cess.
The pastorate of Rev. B. Nj. Tillotson
continued until 1888, a period of 10
years. Mr.. Tillotson was a man of
strong parts, who gave himself without
reserve to the success of this church and
has left here an enduring monument to
his zeal and devotion. The second
pastor was Rev. George w. Jenkins, a
man of rare good nature and of real
ability as a scholar. He was a Christian
gentleman. who filled a particularly
difficult and trying position with
genuine grace and success. His pastor
ate continued for three years, t. be fol-
lowed by Rev Ezra Almon Hoyt,
probably without question the ablest
preacher of all who have filled this pull
pit as pastor. But for serious infirmi-
ty of deafness, he would, without doubt,
have reached the highest place in our
church as a pulpit orator. The fourth
pastor was Rev. Costello Weston. of
whom il is not too much to say that he
was probably the finest literary scholar
and writer of all his associates in this
pastorate. With but brief interval he
was succeeded by Rev. Hervey Hastings
Hoyt, who came fresh from his studied
at TUFTS College to assume his first
pastorate. Bro. Hoyt, who is still in
most active and useful labor as state
missionary for Maine, is too well known
to all our people to need more than a
passing reference, Of most amiable
and hopeful disposition, lovable and
loving, he greatly endeared himself to
the parish and the whole community,
and is held in pleasant remembrance by
all who ever knew him. Brother Hoyt's
successor after four years OF service, was
Rev Harry Lawrence Veazey, whose
term of service was very brief but whose
achievements were many. He began his
work November 81, 1898, and met an
untimely death on August l6, 1899. He
was a Young man of exceedingly fine
promise, and gave every evidence of
career of large and genuine usefulness in
a profession for which he seemed parti-
cularly fitted He was the product of
our National Y. p. c. T., and if our
young peoples Organization had done
nothing more than to give to the Univer-
salist church and to the world, the con-