The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1871-09-07
A Modern Church.

A Modern Church.
Mark Twain may be curious authority
on religious matters, hut under the head
of Religious Intelligence" the N. Y.
Independent condenses from Mark the
following account Of the church about
to be built by the society at Elmira, N.
Y, of which Rev. Thos. X. Beecher is
pastor:
The buildings of this church will be
three-a trinity in unity--massed to-
gether in large grassy square, orna-
mentsd with quite forest of shade
trees. The main building contains the
auditorium, which is circular; an am.
phitheater after the ordinary pattern of
An opera-house without galleries. The
first thirty or forty seats are on the level
floor, and the rest rise in gradual tiers
to the wall. The seats on the level
floor will be occupied by the aged and
infirm, who can enter the church
through hall under the speakers plat
form, without climbing any stairs. The
people occupying the raised seats will
enter the church by dozen doors, open
ing into the church from lobby like
an opera house lobby, aud descend the
various aislss to their places. Under
the raised tiers Of pews are to be stalls
for horses aud carriages, so that
these be sheltered from sun and rain
There will be twenty four of these stalls,
each stall to be entered by an arch OF
ornamental masonry no doors to open
or shut. The second building is to be
less lofty than the church,; is to be bnilt
right against the rear of it, and commu-
nicate with 1t by door. 1t is to have
two stories. On the first floor will be
three distinct Sunday school rooms-all
large, but one considerably larger than
the other two. The Sunday school con
nected with Mr.. Beecher's church has
always been graded" one. The
whole upper story Of this large building
will be lighted and ventilated, and oocu-
pied wholly as a play-room for the chill.
dren of the church; and it will stand
open and welcome to them through all
the week days. They can fiji it with
their play things as they choose; and be
sides, it will be furnished with dumb
bells, swings, rocking horses, and all
such matters AS children delight in
The idea is to make the child look upon
the church as only another home, and a
sunny one, rather than as a dismal exile
or prison. The third building will be
less lofty than the second, and commu-
nicate with it by door or does. 1t will
consist of three stories. Like the other
two buildings, il will cover considerable
ground. On the first floor will be the
"church parlors," where the usual social
gatherings Of modern congregations
will be held. On the same floor, and
opening into the parlsrs, will be q recep.
tion room, and also circulating library
"a free library; not simply free to the
church membership, but to everybody
Also on this first floor, and communi.
eating with the parlors, will be six bath
roon.s-hot and cold water; free tickets
issued to any applicant among the un'
clean Of the congregation! In the second
| story of this third building will be the
! permenant residence Of the "church
| missionary" lady who constantly
looks after the poor and sick of the
church; also set Of lodging and living
| rooms for the mattresses also on this
second floor are to be six rooms to dc
duty as . church infirmary for the sick
poor of the congregation, this church
having always supported and taken
care of its own unfortunates, instead O
leaving them to the public charity. II
the infirmary will be kept one or two
water beds (for individuals whose pains
will not allow them to lie on . less yield
ing substance), and a dozen reclining
invalid chairs, on wheels. The thire
story Of this third building is to be occu
pied a. church kitchen, and it is sensi
bly, placed aloft. Dumb walters vii
carry food doWn to the church parlors
instead of up. But the plan of th'
church is AN inferior curiosity, in Mr.
Twain's opinion, compared with th'
plan of raising money for it. When i
was decided to build new church edi
flee, at cost of not less than 2O,O00, ol
more than $50, 900 (for the membership
10 not three hundred and fifty strong
and there are not six men in it who ca,
strictly be called rich), Mr. Beecher CAV
to each member printed circular, en-
closed in an envelope prepaid and ad
dressed to himself to be returned thro
the post office In this circular tn
statement was made that the congrega
ten proposed to expend for meeting
house aud other rooms al amount some
where within the limits named above
that anybody was allowed to subscribe
but that nobody was urged. A pledg
was appended as follows: ''ro hel
build our meeting house think that
shall be able to give not less than s.
and not more than s. each year TO
four years, commencing April !, 1871
Trusting in the Lord to help me, her
by subscribe the same rs noted above.
These subscriptions we're to be who'll
confidential. At the end Of month Q
two some two thirds of the circulars ha
wended back, one by one to the pastor