Benjamin Gartside Memorial in the Chester Evening Times, Febuary 23, 1885

The announcement of the memorial service for the late Benjamin Gartside filled the spacious auditorium of the First Baptist Church with people on Sunday morning. A member of relative of the deceased were present, as interested listeners to every portion of the exercise, while there probably was not a person in the building who had not known the patriarchal man whose good deeds have placed such a halo around his name. The pew Mr. Gartside occupied — and he was always there when possible — was draped with emblems of mourning and some of the older people in the congregation paused there a few moment before leaving the edifice at the conclusion of the service.

The regular opening exercises were used, and after the scriptural lessons and hymns of praise. Rev. George H. MacClelland, the pastor, began his discourse. His text was from the 12th verse of Ninetieth Psalm:

Mr. MacClelland spoke of the uncertainty of life and the care everybody should exercise to so order his or her path that it would meet with the approval of God and earn eternal life at the end of the journey. He followed this thought for a few moments and then spoke of the danger there usually was in holding up a human being as a pattern for men, as the foible of the man as well as his virtues were apt to be copied; or if he had many virtue, those who knew his faults would find the failings as prominent as the good qualities.

He then said:

And this is why we are called together this morning. It is not very often that an individual Christian life deserves more than passing mention, for even the least that may be said, might be better unsaid. Generally it is dangerous ground on which on treads, when the life of any one is held up as an example to others; for there may be details of that life known only by few, which , if spoken of, would go gar to offset the good that would be accomplished in dwelling upon the life as a whole.

There is no one perfect. Reverence for the dead and sorrow at their departure I know dim our vision as to fault in their character, and bring into clearness virtues which had been hidden in life; an it should ever be so. Virtues are eternal, while weaknesses are transient and will pass away. A weakness is an accident to Christian manhood; a virtue is woven into its very texture. Sinful infirmities are not the lingering traces of a corrupted nature, while the virtues are the dawning’s of the immortal life which came by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and which will bloom and ripen in the after world.

It is _ joy today that we can review the life of our departed friend and father without being disturbed by the memory of glaring faults and deficiencies. Sometimes when speaking of our best friends, now gone, we have to forget and forgive. But it is a privilege we have today of reviewing a life which suggests no unpleasant memories; only that which is assuring and ennobling. To pronounce his life perfect would be to deny that he was human; but to say that it was preeminently a good life it a tribute where it is merited. And it has been said no higher eulogy can be pronounced that to say. “He was a good man a Christine.”

Father Gartside was not a gifted man in the common acceptance of what term; his knowledge of books and men and the world at large was very limited. He was not calculated to be a leader among men; he had not made a study of life and its relations. He was not what the world at large would pronounce a remarkable man, that would influence a large circle by his counsel. He did not seek positions which, because of his straightforward career, would have been freely bestowed. He was not ambitious for distinction or political preferment: he shrank from all public notice; he pulled no wires; he did not manipulate friends and hold them for his own selfish and when it lay in his powered to do so.

Some men make up for lack of brains in their overpowering presumption. Lack of heart qualities is atoned for by and over measure of face power— hypocrisy. But none of these charges can be laid at the door of Father Gartside. If his was a marked career, what way was it made manifest!

First—his was a remarkable business life. In the year 1832 he started to this country with his wife and eight children. After paying for baggage he had but a two pence left, and that he gave to his cook; so tht when he landed upon the shore of his adopted country he was absolutely penniless. He obtained work in Blockley. West Philadelphia, and he worked with varying trials and successes, moving several times, until he settled in Manayunk, and there in a house on Gay street, which is still standing, he began manufacturing goods, being his own employer. He first started with on hand loom in the kitchen of his dwelling. He would make up what stock he had, and then, with a bundle such as he could carry, would go to Pottsville and the surrounding coal regions and sell to the miners. When he came back he laid in more stock with the money in hand, paying cash as he went until in this way, and from this humble beginning, he advanced.

Coming to Chester in 1852, he built the first mill in the place for manufacturing cloth, and as he began, as a business man he ended his life with what success you all very well know. And anyone is able, from a knowledge of his business life, to see in a moment the secret of his successes. First of all he was untiringly industrious. No man ever succeeded as he, in the presence of poverty to begin with, unless he was industrious. Pride had no place in his heart.

Second—He must have been from the first, as he was to the end economical. He knew the value of what he gained through hard labor. To him squandering was sin, and very unlike many who rise in wordly matters—he preferred to keep up habits of early life. As he was frequently said to me during the last year, “I am a plain man and I want plain fare.” I never heard him condemn others for living differently, except where they insisted upon living beyond their income—which was living upon what other had worked for.

Thirdly—And not the least characteristic of his business life, was honesty. One of the most prominent business men of the country said to me six months ago “Father Gartside is more honest that I am. I have always made the goods the people demanded—cheap goods at cheap prices—but he will not allow anything to go out except it is what it purports to be.” And his commission broker, with whom he had dealings for a quarter of a century, said to me the other day in answer to this statement: “And that is the reason there is always a demand for his goods. A man who makes good material can always depend upon a market. It pays to be honest, notwithstanding the very common utterance that there is no honesty nowadays in business circles.” And these virtues of his business life, so prominent, have been turned to good a account in his Christine life; for his Christianity was not separate from his everyday life. He was a Christian business man; but there were certain things which were the outcome more directly of his Christine life, of which I wish to speak:

His Christine life—He was an humble man; he never saw in himself what others admired most. He keen sense of his weakness before God, often made any mention before him of his life very painful. This excessive humility sometimes was the means of beclouding his faith, as toward the end he often complained of his weak faith; but this is even scriptural, for did not _ change his mind with reference to himself. Once he called himself the “??? of Apostle;” but later on when the shades of evening were gathering he could rise no higher than to say the least of the Apostles. And as in social circles, in his Christian fellowship, he never probed him to the front. He was baptized into the fellowship of the Blockley Baptist Church, in 1836; afterwards he united by letter with Roxborough Church, and when he moved his family to Chester, his church home was made at Upland, until the organization of the First Church in Chester from its organization until he died he was continuously retained as a deacon and trustee. His place was always filled, both in the social and devotional meetings; but in no way did he seek prominence—not very frequently taking public part in the service.

It was not his talk; it was his to walk and do in other ways. He had a child-like trust in God and he walked in simple obedience. He trusted much in humanity, suspicious seldom rose in his mind. He was too charitable to think ill of his fellows, and should anyone deceive him, as many did, he used no epithets and held no grudges. His kindness is universally spoken of by old and young; his sympathy for the suffering was always real. Meet him where you might your family was asked about. The children knew him to love him, because he was always kind to them. When he lay dying the little boys and girls in groups would press the question, “How is grandpa now? Always, under every circumstance, he was the same kind and courteous old gentleman.

But I have yet to speak of the most marked feature of his life, mainly , his generosity. His life has been known and appreciated by thousands who have never seen him. Some have considered him liberal to a fault. This cannot be—God blessed him, and he in turn gave it back to the cause of his kingdom. He has often said to me, “It is not mine, he gave to me;” and when asked before he died “what gave him most joy now in looking back over his long life, he said, “That I have tried to do what was my duty.” He was one of the few upon whom God has bestowed much who recognized his relations to those who were not so favored.

He gave liberally and cheerfully. A pastor said to him once, when he had asked him to read a letter for him, which happened to be from a college present in a distant State appealing for money, “I believe I would not notice him. You have given him once. Your own State institution needs sadly—better give to that.” But Father Gartside gave him to understand he would honor him with another check, and he did, and the man and the institution were unknown to him, and this is but an instance of the many were need was made known, how he gave cheerfully and liberally, and in all probability, without enough discrimination. For in these days of many objects on need and beggars by the legion both it not require the keenest perceptions to know who you are and what your are, and what are your credentials?

His benevolence was not confined to any particular channels. He loved all who loved the Lord Jesus Christ. And while he have largely to his denominational interest, yet all others shared his beneficences. Any deserving enterprise received from his hand, and many individuals and their prosperity now to the encouragement and did at the right time for him. One business man told me he knew of men comfortably off now, who owed their all to his generosity. Another business man of this city told me, when he started in business Father Gartside put his arm around his shoulder and said, “Come to me if you want any help.”And now for the first time does he realize how much he did; for he has gone to his reward.

He made no boast of it here; his right hand know not what the other bestowed. He kept his own ???? and acted by the promptings of his own heart. His indeed, according to what God had entrusted him with , was a noble life. Most of us have a dream of very old age, but why dread it, if until the last we are found in the way of righteousness! He lived beyond the years that gave him pleasure, but he was useful to the end.

His sense of hearing was almost gone, his eyes were becoming dim, his strength was abating, but his heart still was young in those qualities that go to make up noble life. His was a useful career to the end.

Thus for the first time in my short ministry, have I attempted to pronounce a eulogy of any length upon any Christian’s life. It has never been my privilege to lay way one whose whole Christian career pronounced so by every one who knew him, was so worthy. I have thus done, for the purpose of laying emphasis upon a true Christian life, “whose delight is in the law of the Lord.” My example wherein he was an exceptional man, be followed. May his life and death be sanctified to the good of this body of Christ.

After another hymn had been sung the congregation was dismissed with a benediction.