Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-06-11
sabbnth sehnoI AnnIrernarr.

Ieudenty heuDen r smith, ana prayer py
Rev. DR.. Aiken followed, after which an
other song was sung by the whole school. /.
g There Is = land where all Is bright,
Far, away, far away"
The effect of the united voices Of the chill
dren and sdults Of the school was delightful.
Rev. DR.. Aiken then delivered an address
to the school. he spoke of the presence Of
Mr.. Elisha Taylor, the first Superintendent
of the school forty years ago, who could tell
more Of the origin Of the school than he
could. He said that there were really three
schools present. The average attendance Of
the parent school for the past year had been
12S in the senior department, with 21 teach
ers in the infant department, IS with 2
teachers. The attendance at the Wasonville
branch school had been 100 with 81 teachers,
and at the Pittsburgh street school about 20.
The first named had 500 volumes in their
library, and had contributed over 100 in the
past two years for the Armenian mission at
Constantinople. He said of the scholars
gathered before him as Gen. lafayette said
to a Sabbath School which went out to meet
him, Here is the future glory and stability
of the Republic; )" and not only of the Re
public, but Of the church Of God.
He earnestly presented the claims of Sun
day Schools and Sunday School scholars up
on the attention of those present as spects-
tors. They should take personal interest
in the welfare of the children of our city
He spoke to the children, and especially to
the boys, urging them to be careful of their
associates, and of trusting themselves in
the streets at highland hoped the girls would
wish, not for fine clothes or pleasures, but
for pure heart to love and serve God.
The'sehOol then sang the following hymn,
written for the occasion by Mrs. Mary NJ.
Fairbanks -
The sacred melody that floats
Upon this Sabbath air,
Bears from our hearts to heaven to day
An anthem and prayer.
We praise Thee, Father, who hath cast
Our Lot in Christian land
And scattered blessings on our lives
From Thy ll-bOunteous hand.
Since first Thy right hand planted here
This branch Of Thine own vine,
How hath It hOurished in its strength
What haryests have been Thinel
And In Thy goodness Thou hast laid
The crown of heightened days
Upon the brow of him who guides
Our worship and cur praise.
Though from this nursery of souls
Thou hast transplanted some,
To blossom in that fadeless land
Where blight nor sorrow come,
Others still walk with willing feet
The path their fathers trod,
And with disfr children gather here,
Led BY the Light of God"
For these rich gifts, oh, God of love-
We youthful homage bring,
And youthful voices echo back
The song the angels sing.
And in the years which Thou TO US
Shalt measure by Thy grace,
OH let thy loving smile Hume
This e0nsecrated place.
Mr.. Elisha Taylor, the first superintend-
ent of the school, then made a very interest
ing address to the sehool, telling of its found
alton and early progress. He said thatindi-
viduals, families, and nations look back to
their early history to compare their past and
present condition, instancing FOrefather's
Day, Fourth Of July, &c. He spoke Of It as
singular fact that there are now just forty
sunday schools in this city, grown up from
the commencement just forty years ago,
when this school was established. We read
in the Bible that only two Of those who left
Egypt with the Israelites were suffered to
enter the promised land, after forty years Of
trial and jonrneyings-so there are but two
of those who started with this school, forty
years ago, who are now living to look back
to that time-Moses White and the speaker.
Speaking then of the history of the school,
he said that they began every thing new
The great mass of the people Of Cleveland
had never heard of Sunday schools, or if
they had, twas only as training grounds for
shypocrites.' It took more than twelve
months to get the school in operation, and had
it not been for the strenuous exertions of
Rev. Thadeus OsgOod, who stopped at Mr.,
Taylor's house about that time, it is doubtful
if it would have been opened at all.
A public meeting was called, and with
great effort the schOolWas put into operation
June, 1920. They had no library, and no
papers, but to keep up the interest, tickets
we're made crediting the number of verses
learned, &c. Mr. Taylor exhibited a ticket
which was dated Dec. 80, 1920, and given to
Madison Kelly, then little boy. BE also
showed ticket given to Susan .Cramer,
showing that she had not been tardy at all
during the quarter, and had recited large
number Of verses, questions in the eatechism,
&c. There was a great opposition to the
school in the village. There were very few
families in Cleveland then, and each one was
waited upon and asked to sign q printed
sheet entitled, Sc The Sunday School Assooi-
ation, attesting the happy effects of such
schools, and containing constitution, aP-
pointing committees, &e., for the governing
Of the school. The first managing commit
tee consisted Of Judge Kelly, Judge William
SON and the speaker; the two first have long
since gone to another world. Among the
signers of this constitution were Samuel
oids, Samuel williamson, David McIntosh,
Trad Kelly, o. Gutter, J. Perry, silss Belden,
n. G. Hurlburt, silas PreDtiBs, D. Kelly,
Moses White, h. spelman, H. Foot, Leonard
Case, Elisha Taylor and others.
sunday was q day Of business and pleas
ure more than any ether day Of the week.
Stores we're kept open, and children had
Sunday as q play day. Hence there was
great difficulty in getting them othe school.
Some Of the oppOsers of the enterprise All
drunkards' graYes-one has since held high
Offices in the State, and one now lives in this
city, q perpetual - I'VE could not catch
the word.LREP. ] ''but, " said the speaker, 81
pray God to turn his heart to righteousness" I"
| He looked back to the early history Of this
sunday School with intense pleasure, and
thanked God that he had been permitted to
/ suffer for this cause.
Mr.. TaylOrs address was deeply interest.
ing. and was listened to with closest attention
4 as from the pioneer in the good cause. Tho
fruits Of his early labors must indeed gladden.