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320

[[newspaper clipping]]
[[note]] June 11 1866
Columbus Ga. Enquirer-Sun [[/note]]

REV. GEORGE T. GOETCHIUS.

A Brief and Complimentary Sketch of the Young Divine.

We take from the Augusta Chronicle the following reference to the Rev. George T. Goetchius, who was present during the meeting of the Presbyterian general assembly in Augusta. He was born and raised in Columbus and has several relatives and many friends in this city who feel a deep interest in him:

"Rev. George T. Goetchius was born in Columbus, Ga., December 16, 1845. His Calvinistic and Presbyterian bent seems to be somewhat a matter of inheritance, being descended from a long line of distinguished Dutch Reformed preachers, some of whom suffered martyrdom for the Protestant faith in the land of their nativity.

It was about 1728 when John Henry Goetschy came to this country from the Canton of Zurich, in Switzerland, and after ordinanation by the Presbyterian Synod of Philadelphia, preached to Dutch Reformed congregations through all the country between the Delaware and Susquehanna. His son, returning to the university of his native Zurich, received, along with his college degree, the Latinized name Johannes Henricus Goetchius, instead of John Henry Goetschy, the name which he had received from his father. This name Goetchius, has beeu retained by his descendants, quite a number of whom have been prominent in the annals of the Dutch Reformed church, in eastern New York and New Jersey, during the last and the earlier part of the present century.

Rev. George T. Goetchius, fourth in descent from this first representative of the name in America, received his early education in the schools of his native city and in the State Military school at Marietta. From this institution he went into the confederate army, his education being thus suspended until the close of the war. Immediately upon the cessation of hostilities he entered the State University at Athens, graduating from this inttitution in 1868.

At that time, being a candidate for the ministry under the care of Augusta Presbytery, he at once entered Columbia Theological Seminary, where he remained three years, graduating in 1871,

After serving the churches at Albany and Milledgeville, early in July, 1879, he was installed as first pastor of the Second Presbyterian church in this city, in which capacity he served with distinguished acceptability during six and a half years, until a quite recent call removed him from our midst to the First Presbyterian church at Rome, Ga., one of the prominent churches of the synod. He was a member of the Knoxville general assembly in 1878, and was moderator of the synod of Georgia at Macon in 1883.

Mr. Goetchius is not a member of the general assembly, but is attendant upon the convention. No man has more friends in Augusta or is more universally beloved by the people of his church in Georgia than Rev. George T. Goetchius. He is one of the finest theologians in the state, and is one of ihe growing members of the southern church." [[/newspaper clipping]]

Saturday June 19" 1886. Went down town after breakfast. Saw Wm. Winter and had a talk with him about the addition to Ulster Academy and recommended him to employ an architect and not to perpetuate the awful monstrosities of the present building. He recommended me to see Mr. Cuykendall and I went over to his office and had a talk with him about it. He was very sympathetic and agreed with me as to the advisability of making this addition with some intelligence. I recommended Romeyn and instanced what he had done for the Old Kingston Academy. The result of our interview was that he said he would write to Romeyn and I was to send him his address, which I did as soon as I got home. I made no allusion to the matter of our property premising that he would naturally think I made this a pretext for coming to open that subject and I wished him to see I had no such intention. I met John McEntee and he asked me to go fishing out below Glen Erie. We drove out directly after dinner and got to fishing about half past 3 but had poor luck. It was a charming day, cool and delightful with a north wind. The mountains were fine and the landscape rich and full. We found two boys fishing there from a boat and after they left two ladies in a boat with an awning over it came up and returned. We were up and had breakfast at 6 o'clock so that Janette could take the 7 o'clock train for home. Sara and I drove her up. We were sorry to have her go but she seemed anxious to get home, having been absent six weeks. Girard, Mary and Mrs. Davis went out to Lanes. 

Sunday 20" I awoke ill and with a head ache the result of a little cold and my late supper last night. I could eat but little breakfast and felt very badly until noon when I got over it by the help of two or three doses of Aconite which Sara gave me. The autumnal weather continues. We have really had no hot weather yet and tomorrow is midsummer. Mary told me this morning that this was Gussies birth day. My father came down and spent the afternoon although it was uncomfortably cool in the shade. While we were at tea Miss Nixon and Mrs. Butter came They had been out to Mt. Pleasant to engage board for the summer. Sara and I drove them up to the 7.40 train as they were obliged to be home tomorrow. Mrs. Cantine and her little girl were here this afternoon.

Monday 21. Cool and delightful weather. I slept under two blankets and a coverlet last night. Went down town after breakfast. Sara had a telegram from Julia Wilkinson Saturday to say she would be here at dinner today and she received a letter from her this morning. She came about 11 o clock by the West Shore road and Robert came a little later after attending to some business in Kingston. They dined with us and staid until after 4 o clock when Sara and I drove them up to the 4.35 train. I am to go down there on Wednesday to stay over night. Clearwater and his wife called this evening. Sam had told him of the offer of our place I made him a year ago. He thinks he wants it and ought to buy it. He told me Humphrey paid $3800 for a lot of 55 ft. next him, which makes our property cheap at my price. Jacob Wrey Mould did some 

Transcription Notes:
Jacob Wrey Mould - British architect & illustrator ---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-05-10 01:26:08 .