S.S. JAMISON DEAD
Mr. S.S. Jamison died at his home near this place Friday night and
was buried at the Odd Fellow's Cemetery Saturday. The religious
service was conducted by Rev. E. Bailey. He was also buried
with Masonic honors, Col. Norton Moses conducting the service.
Mr. Jamison was near four score years of age, and was an exemplary
Christian gentleman. He was an elder in the Cumberland Presbyterian
Church, and ever faithful in his Christian duties and his obligations
to his fellow-man.
Mr. Jamison had been a citizen of this county for many years, and
he will be sadly mnissed by many of our citizens. The Bulletin
extends condolence to the bereaved relatives.
(Will not Col. Stevens or some other close friend of
deceased furnish an obituary for publication?)
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Burnet Bulletin Dec 1, 1904
A GOOD OLD MAN GONE
As I delight to be in the society of men older than myself, so the
gradual going out of the patriarchs is to me a source of infinite
pathos. May those of us in this community who are soon to follow him
to the grave be as well prepared as my late friend, S. S.
JAMISON.
Months ago, the close observer noticed that his steps were getting
slower, his visits to town less frequent, and he began to be missed
from his accustomed seat in the church and Sunday School. For many a
day, the writer of this will regret the absence of his tall gaunt
form, his kindly greeting, his unfailing good humor and words of
cheer.
Mr. Jamison was a native of Illinois, the rigorous climate of
which was too much for him, so he was advised by his physician, who
suspected he had incipient consumption, to seek the Sunny South, and
he has lived in Texas over 40 years. The fact that he reached past
the allotted three score and ten years is an eloquent tribute to the
temperate life he has led. Had he survived til next June the 8th, he
would have been 78 years old.
The dominant traits of Mr. Jamison's character were firmness,
cheerfulness, courage, strong convictions, and stern religious duty,
partaking of the nature of the old Scotch covenanters, of whom he
reminded me, and from whom he was descended. One of his ancestors
fought at the siege of Londonderry.
I said a noticable trait was a piety, but it was not of the
dismal, sanctimonious kind; with the most clock-like regularity at
service, there was sunshine in his devotions. He and I were comparing
notes once as to Sunday School experience. My record was over fifty
years, barring the time I was a Confederate soldier. He modestly
remarked, "I can beat you: I have been going to Sunday School over
sixty years!" Sunday after Sunday for years, he walked to the
Presbyterian house of worship, in Burnet, a distance of one and a
half or two miles, in all sorts of weather, until declining health
forced him to desist. What an example to the rest of us!
Another tie that bound me to him was his ardent belief and
practice of Prohibition. Next to his religious views, the theme of
his heart was opposition to the accursed Liquor Traffic. May the
memory of his brave, consistent course here cause many a boy who knew
him to "go and do likewise."
As I stood by his bedside and studied his giant form, his majestic
face and head, saw this consistent, brave, restless spirit go out
like a candle with the stainless life passing into the hands of the
recording angel, I recalled Victor Hugo's description of Jean
Valjean's death: "Those august hands moved no more...Without doubt,
in the gloom some mighty angel was standing, with outstretched wings,
awaiting the soul."
Those who knew Samuel S. Jamison well, know how to sympathize with
the devoted daughter and his brave sons. I do with all my heart.
Rest from thy labors, worthy old friend! Well can you say with
heroic Paul: "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course,
I have kept the faith; hence forth there is laid up for me a crown of
righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge shall give me at
that day; and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his
appearing."
J.A.S., Burnet, Nov. 25, 1904
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