Smyrna times., 1871-09-13

The OLD CORNER STONE.-Last Wednes-
day, IN tearing out the front of the Nj. +.
Church, of this town, the corner stone" had
to be removed from the wall, and great curl
osity was manifested to see the contents of the
sealed tin box which was incosed within the
iron box or stone, and which had held its
secrets for little more than twcnty-seven
years, or since May %, 1874. The box was
opened III the parsonage, where its contents
have been eagerly scanned alike by the devout
and the curious. Its contents were a Bible,
Hymn Book, Discipline of the Church, list
OF the " Subscribers to the Asbury NJ. f.
Church of Smyrna, Del, May % 1871" a
list of the officers and scholars of 1.-The Pres
ent Methodist Episcopal Sabbath Association
of Smyrna" list of the names of Members
OF the Juvenile Debating Society," called The
Franklin Institute, inaugurated the ID of
March, lS44 constitution Of Morning Star
Lodge, L. .. q. f., and also a scrap of paper,
containing short account Of the organization
OF the Lodge in April, ~, which looks as if
some one might have accidentally picked it up
from the street and dropped it in the box
some money! 81 note on the g Bank of Ma
con Ga, French 1" Franc 1871" (which
closely resembles Om three-cent piece) and a
German coin Of 1912 resembling our Quar-
ter; a printed copy of the constitution and
bylaws of Smyrna Temperance Benevolent
Society" 1871 a copy Of the School Laws of
the State the annual Missionary Report for
/ '4O-4l; the Annual Minutes of the Metho-
dist Conference for 40-'4l, which contains
all the Conferences In Il pamphlet edition not
much larger than the respective conferences
now issue. These minutes record the names of
Revs. JAS. B. Ayres and j. H. Houston as the
preachers of Smyrna Circuit. There are also
Il number of periodicals. including all the re-
llglouS weeklies and monthlies Of the Church
and number of secular journals OF the
latter there Is but one State paper, the Deiu
,curc JonTadt there being no paper published
! IN the town at that period. The Journal
lnow fallen from its first estatel then published
! by Porter Il Natf has the Wing candidates for
! l,re>ldent and V. President at its mast head
Henry Clay and Theodore Frelinghuysen-
and edltOrlally belabors the Ga@ctte much after
! the fashion of political papers of the present
day. The list of Sunday School officers and
scholars is prepared . BY Request of the Rev.
John Lednum, Preacher in Charge, Smyrna,
Nay %, 1914, " by VIM. RinggoId, Sec'y of the
Association. 1t shows that the School then
numbered Is teachers and lSS scholars. This
ASSOCIATION was organized March, 1892,
with the following officers: Dr. John D. Per
klns, Prest Pennel CoOmhe, Sect Rev.
Ephram Jefferson, Treas. Male Managers
Andrew l. Mccall, Elias Mason, John Ruth.
Female Managers-llarrict Ann Mansfield,
Susan Coombe, Sarah @ Sharp Superin-
tendent, Benjamin H. Collins; Assistant Su-
pcrintendent, Rachel Wilmer.
The officers for 1914 were Rev. Piner
Mansfield, Prest. William Ringgold, Sect
Benjamin L. Collins, Treas. Male Managers
john ID. Pittman, John A. Cooper, Viii
liam r. Cahoon. Female Managers-Miss
Harriet Ann Mansfield, Miss Martha S. Wal
ker Mrs. Catharine b. Clement Superin-
tendent, Benjamin L. Collins; As>stent Su
perintendent, James Mcdowell.
1t would be interesting. perhaps, to give the
names of the one hundred and eighty eight
children. Tor were children them but it would
take up too much space. In looking over the
list one is struck with the familiar names and
how many of them are still among Us, filling
such useful positions in lie, for the most part
as twentyseyen years experience may have
given them. But in reading over the list of
officers the reverse of this is true. OF the
twenty-two names appearing above, not more
than four or FIVE are still surviving, and when
our older patrons read over the list with sad
reflections, those familiar lines of Montgomery
viii naturally come to their minds:
Fricud after friend departs:
| W 10 hath not , friend?
Thee Is no union here of hearts
| That lui~ not hcrr , ~
| " ere TINS faii world nurOniy
Living or dying, none were best.
| Nothing will better show the liberal Chris