John Alabaster, D. D.

The New York Chrittiun Advocate of October 80, contiincd the followiiig sketch of the lifc Of the late Dr. Alabnster, ninoDR iU Memoirs, froin the pen of A. J. Kenyon. The subject of the skstcli having been so well kuown to 30 many of our people, the tribute to hls meraory will liml a hearty response In the hearts of 11 largc D amber of our readers: John Alabaster was boni 11 Geneva, N. Y., Jan, 2, 1830, and died at Canadlgua, N. Y., Sept. 7, 1887. Dr. Alnbaster was born to beauty. The door of the cottage whcre he fiist saw the light commaudcd a long vista of the lovely Séneca Lake, cinbosoincd on cmerald huls, and bis childish feet rnttlcd tlie shinglc tliat line its sliores- a birtliplacc meet for a genius and a poet. He was alsoborn to hardship. His parents were in huinble eircunistances, but of vigorous English stock, and they traiisinitted this their sole inheritance to their only child. Gifted thus with great powers of physical eudiirances, and w!th a lienrty eonsecratlon to good, old-fashioned, huid wolk, he was btrong to run a race. At fifteen bis vigorous brain and poetic soul caught that living inspiration tliat comes frnin the touch of tho fingcr of the Lord. This reatest event in his history ncourred In the old Methodist cliurch in Geneva, under the labors of the Uev. J. G. Gulick, of precious memory, and tlienceforth an earncst piety stlmulated hl ni to develop himself for usefulness in tlie Chuich of God; so, while diligcntly plying the trade of a baker, he took up night studies, and also united himself toa society of younjf men who met froin time to time for dit-oiission and debate. We lind In lus journal, written in those dayp, the following resolution : "I ani deterinined to have one year's study at the Lima Seminary." Afler about two jears and a half of wolk at his trade In Geneva, Klniira, and Geneva agaiu, bc iought the halls of learnlng, recording in his journnal tliis praver to heaven : "O, give me ¦aD educatioii, and 1 will use it for the good of man." I need not trace the steps by which he mastered superior culture by forcing open the dors of colleges and toilsomely makinjr his way through tbeir classic halls. Sufüee it to say that, possesseu of a fervent love for God and for humanity, and adeatliless Inniger Tor an education toenlarge his sphere and increase his usefulness, Dr. Alabaster, witu persistent, herculean etVorts ent for himself, up almost perpendicular clifts of difflculty, a granite staircasc to a lofty position of usetulness and honor. But, alas, the awful struggle had txhausted all his marvelous vital energles, and at the top of the cllffhe falnted and died in the midat of his years and of his usefulness. He began his college course at Hobmt, in Oeneva. where he spent two ycars, and theii entered üenesee College as a junior, and took hls degree of A. B. froin that ldstltutlon in June, 18fiO. In July, 18G0,he became the happy husband of Uarriett A. Bemish, of Rochester, and the following autuuin they entered together the it in erancy, where she shoae as brigutly as a pastor's wife as he did as a pastor. His flrst live or six charges were not eonspicious, but in thein was laid the foundation of future success in patiënt, devoted, Christian work. But In 18(57 he was appointed pastor of the Mourihing society at Canadaigua, which at the close of his three years' work was muterially, numerically, and linancially greatly strengthened. Froin this time he evti maintaiued his rank and rose to a higHier. He served, with great acceptability, l'almyra; Hedding Cliurch, Elmira; ('ortland; Kirst ('liurch, Auburn; Ann Arbor; Tabernacle Church, Indiunapolii-; and then Trinlty Cliurch, Chioago, to which important field he was appointed in October, 1885, and fïom whicli he wus transferrcd to the city of God. During all the quarter of u centu'y covcred by his inini-try he was a diligeni student, and well deserved the deitrees of A.M. and D.D. which were conferred up011 liim by Geuesee College and Syracuse Unlversity. He was an able expositor and an eloquent preacher of the Gospel, and carried an enviable reptitatlon as a lecturer. Among his later eft'orts were the funeral sermón of General John A. Logan, and a Thanksgiving sermón preuched in his pulpit at Chicago last tul!. Both of these productions were ex tensively republished, and helped to give hini natlonal fame. At Klniira a sad aflüction robbtd hlm of a beautiful daughter, and a sadJer at Aun Albur of his sweet and cultured wife, who, Mndiujj reuts in the bars of her cage, wiuged herself to life cleriial, whcre, doublless, she waited to welcoine him at the river'a brink. After tasting the bitteruess of widowhood for more thau a year, in October, 1882, he married Miss Margaret A. Smith, who, with two helpless balies sin vives him. The disease of which Dr. Alabaster died, and which was aggravated it not I11duced by overwork, began to nianitVst itself early last winter, but he clung to his labors till full lifty nights of aluiost ¦teeplau agony had been spent in his chair, when by the urgent request of his lovinj; people he carne the first of February, 1S7, lo the Clifton Sprlugs .S.milarium. And tliough hls case by the Faciilty froin the very first was esteemed hopeless, the beneñt of the treatuient was ¦o imtrKeu inac od uie ursi oí May ur. Alabasler went back tu hls cliurcli anü resumed work. But his doting peoplc soon saw tliat he was far from well, aud tetore tlie niooth was gone they placed ín bU llanda a well-lilled purse und sunt liim aerossthe hg sea. But travel dld iiot recupérate hiin, and after a torera illness iu England he toik steamer and cauie to Nw York, aud directly tu Clirton Springs agaía. But, as he said hhuself in substance, "the pumps would not work, the fires in the furnace were low, the pressure of power in tlie cylinders was goiie, and the vessel drifted helplesüly toward a lee shore." But, ¦ thank God, she did tiot drift a wreck, for on September 7, a liltle pust the uooiiday, the lookout slghled the golden jati-, aud a Uvuring wave lifled the di&mantled bark over the bar, añil the mists t-liut down and hid him trom our sight. We knew he was in glory. Too iniirli caiiuot be said of the k'nidness ot' Uil ciiurch in Chicago to him and hÍ8,or of the loving care of Dr and Mrs. Cook ii t Ctinaudaigua, to whose hospitable home he went trom Clifton öprings, and wliere, afler sweral weeks of ngony, he feil asleep; or of David Decker, of Kluiiia, who watched him, ministered to him, umi niourned for him as f he were his own sou, and to whom the doctor said wilh almost dying lip, "O, you are faithful, so blthfbP His funeral na held in the church at Canandaigua, iindseveral of his brethern took a tender and tearful part, and we burred ,liim in the beautiful cemetery at Geneva iu the decpeniug eveuiiij; sliadows, witiiin the hills craped in clouds and the darkeniiiK heaveiis dripping a tribute of tears into his grave. He rests in peace. May we all meet him in the "sweet by aud by." Rev. Mr. Hiekey has resiyued liis position 18 meiuber of the board of educatlon in Detroit, beoause somc of the chemiculs used in the school laborutories are bought nt Aun Arbor. The truth is that Ute chi'iiiioals to be obtaineü in Ann Arbor can be found in 110 othcr nmket west of New York. Detroit enemista ihoald brace up il they do not desire to be eclipsed by a llttle country town. In ciiiivcr-iitiun witli Mr. Eberbach, he tells ud ili.it Hiere is nu truth in Mr. llickey's assertion that bis house buys Chemicals of Detroit tirms. Ou the contrary all of the large Detroit enemista bity their luboratory Chemicals of hiin. These cheniic!ils he citlier manufactures hlmelt' or imports diiectly from Europe, Enjjl.ind, (tirinimy, and France fuinishiiigsouie of the supplies. Uut the larpcr proportiou Ik manufactures himself in hiulaboratory here. Aiui tliis fact is becoming )renerally known umi orders are being filletl for all parts of the country whero school laboratorles are estahlisheil. Probably the hifíhest price ever psld for bank stock was ut Constantino Ittt week Kriday. There wei e ten shares of tlie Farmer's National Bank, formcrly the property of C. W. Fonda, its abscondiníí casliier. These shares were bid In lv the bank for l,(iOO, but Ihc law nut ¦illowlng tliu bank to liuld thtm in its own corporale name, tliey were put lip at auction, this time the sale being tot blood and power. As an ordiuaiy Imsine-s trmntactlon $1.80 on th dollar wonld liave been ab..ut the rirli t Sfllirv, but the struujgle was for supremacy and stock was "kited" liijiher, ))eihaps tban any sucb property ever before went in lliis state. Presidente. II. Burryjr., CMliier J. G. Sluirtz, and Rebeoca Thorne were the bidders. Mr. Behurtz jfot the lirst of the 10 aliares at $l,!!i3, the second ai ji299, the third at $3,001, and so on until l.c had paid f20,000 for six abares. Mi. Barry puld $24 344 lor four slmns. pnyillg 512,000 for one of the fonr. Tnis'luM shareut that hijjh figure ga va Mr. Ji.iriy a majority of the stock. Politics as well as liaanccs, had somethin; to do wilh Die strngjjle, whlcli was one of the most rcmarkable in the history of the sttilc.