The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1871-10-12
la NEW BEECHER CHURCH
az MARK TwATN.

IL WOulQ O0 pINJGSIcu Ou VIZ
old pattern, and be like pretty mucn
all the other churches in the coun-
try, and so 1 would naturally men
ton it as a new Presbyterian Church,
or a new Methodist, or a new BaP-
tist Church, and never think Of call
ing it by the PASTORS name; bui-
when a Beecher projects a church,
that edifice is necessarily going to
be something entirely fresh and orig
inal. 1t is not going to he like any
other church in the world; it is go
ing to be as variegated, eccentric an'i
marked with as peculiar and strik
ing an individuality as a BeecherI
himself; it is going to have deal
more Beecher in it than any one
marrow creed can fit in it without
rattling, or any one arbitrary order
or architecture can symmetricaIll
enclose and cover. Consequently, to
call it a Congregational Church
would not give half an idea of ths
thing. There is only one word
broad enough and deep enough t.
take in the whole affair and express
1t clearly, luminosity and concispIy,
and that is Beecher. The projected
edifce I am about to speak of is,
therefore, properly named in my
caption as a new "Beecher Church"
The protector is Rev. Thomas K.
Beecher-brother of the other one,
of course 1 never knew but onr
Beecher that was MT and he was
nephew. The new church is to be
built in Elmira, N Y, where Mr..
Beecher has been preaching to one
and the same congregation for the
last sixteen years, and is thoroughly
esteemed and beloved by his people.
I have had opportunity to hear all
about the new church, for 1 have
lately been in Elmira.
Now, when one has that disease
which gives its pOssessor the title
of "humOrist," ne must make oath
to his statements, else the public
will not believe him. Therefore, 1
take solemn oath that what am go
ing to tell about the new church is
the strict truth.
The main building-fOr there are
to be three, masspd together in a
large grassy square, ornamented
with quite forest of shade trees
will be the church proper. 1t will
be lofty, in order to secure good air
and ventilation. The auditorium
will be circular-an amphitheatrp,
after the ordinary pattern of an Op
, eTa-hOuse, without galleries It is to
? seat a thousand persons. On one
g side Cor one end, if you chonse) will
: be an ample raised platform for the
minister, the rear half of which will
. be occupied by the organ and choir.
| Before the minister will be the cir
: cling amphitheatre of peWs, the first
= thirty or forty on the level floor,
j and the next rising in graduated
, tiers to the walls. The seats on the
level floor will be occupied by the
n aged and 'infirm, who can enter the
= church through a hall under the
g speakers platform without climbing
any stairs. The people occupying
the raised tiers will enter by Il doz"n
doors opening into the church from
= lobby like an opera house lobby
f and descend the various aisles tu
s their places. In case of fire or earth
= quake, these numerous exits will be
, convenient and useful.
= No space is to be wasted. Under
Y the raised tiers of pews are to bt
n stalls for horses and carriages, 81
= that these may be sheltered from sur
If and rain. There will be twenty. fOu
d of these stalls, each stall to be enter
ed by an arch of ornamental ma
\ sonry-nO doors to open or shut
N Consequently the outside base of the
church will have formidable port
Of holed look, like a man-Of-war. Tht
10 stalls are to be so mailed with dead
\ eners." aud 50 thoroughly pIastered
that neither sound nor smell can as
r cpnd to the church and offend thu
d worshipers. The horses will be in
b attendance at church but an hour ol
9 two at time, of course, and can de
file the stalls but little; an immedi
~ ate cleansing after they leave is tt
h set that all right again.
Of There is to be no steeple on the
n church, merely because no practical
E. USE can be made of it.
u There is to be no bell, because any
ignoramus knows what time churtI
Of service begins without that exasper
K ating nuisance. In explanation o
n this remark, will state that at home
9 1 suffer in the vicinity and unde
- the distracting cIangor of thirtptr
- church bells, all of whom lis tina
h right?) clamnr at once, and no tw,
d. in accord. A large part of my mos
valuable time is taken up in devils
I'd ing cruel and unusual suff-rings, and
If in fancy, inficting tFem on thus
bell-ringers and having a good time
- The second building is to be les
" lofty than the church--it is to b.
- built right against the rear of it, AM
e, communicate with it by door. l
s. is to have two stories. On the frs
hDUr will be three distinct Sunday
School rooms, all large, but one con
siderabIy larger than the other two
The Sunday.SchOOl connected witt
v Mr.. BeeCher's church has alway
been a "graded" one, and each de