The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-04-25
T RTE N D S
A Touch Of Local History-Ths Eloquence Of
Silence and the Eloquence Of the
Quaker Ministers.


Quaker Ministers.
In Pearl street. near Chatham, Is graceless.
shabby row OF tenement houses, the fronts OF
which look peculiarly hideous, with their rows OF
dirty. green balconies and airy window shutters.
The neighborhood is not OF the BEST and the soourn
therein are net OF the best On the corner Is an
abominable rum shop, and few steps away are
realms wherein the dice66x reigneth supreme at
doubtful hours 81 the night The keepers Of the re.
tail stores In the immediate vicinity belong to that
much abused race OF immortals called lsraetes ana
the passer-by Is not unfrequently otciousy solicited
to .just step in and take look at our magnificent
suits OF clos, SIR" Baxter street Is conveniently
near at hand, ana the Five Points are within
stones throw. There is, withal,
AN ATMOSPHERE OF MILD FILTH
about the locality not progressing to the casual
observer.
In the year 1907 there stood on this spot Quaker
meeting house, neatly enclosed and surrounded by
wide, green lawns and stately old elms. 1t was the
gathering place for many years OF the New YORK
yearly meeting OF Friends, whereto hocked once
year those peacefu-mlnded men and matr0ns
called Quakers to attend that solemn conclave. We
may be assured that Pearl street then less con-
signed to trade traffic and filth than IN these latter
days. The location Of the old meeting house was
more aristocratic thar now. This meeting house
was the second Of its kind erected in New York. II
was torn down about 1920 and In Its stead are to-
day the ugly. picturesque tenement houses that we
have mentioned. The exact location OF
THE EARLIEST QUAKER MEETING HOUSE
In New York Is not easily determined, but 1t was
somewhere In Crown NOW Liberty street, In the
Vicinity Of an old street called Greene which is now
among the things that were. The lot on which 1t
was erected was purchased in 1896, OF one DAVID
Lloyd, for the sum OF twenty-five pounds.
Our reporter, through the courtesy OF one Of the
most prominent Friends, obtained glimpse at
some of the ancient manuscript volumes in the old
library at the Rutherford Place Meeting House. He
learned that the first Quakers who came to New
Amsterdam las New York was then called by the
Dutch were 1ve preachers who landed from an
English vessel on the LIST Of August, 1851 1t is re-
corded that they went to see
OLD PETER STUYvESANT,
then Director General OF the New Netherlands, and
that they found him moderate both IN words and
actions" But 1t does not appear that he was over
ndulgent. when shortly afterwards two Quaker
"maldens"
STARTLED THE sToLID DUTCH CITIZENS
from the remorseless enjoyment OF their sourkrout
and beer by holding forth in the public streets.
These young ladies were cognomened Mary Wea-
therhead and Dorothy Waugh, and were, according
to the old manuscript ANONYMOUSLY taken up
for ring suh san a shipped to Rhode
our city was convoked in 1872 by one William Ed
mundson, in the dining room OF an inn, by perns-
of the mistress, and from that event dates the
history of the sect in this city,
The two congregations which now exist in New
York occupy modest but spacious edidces. one OF
way ana sixth avenue, and the other in Rutherford
place. At the latter
THE NEW YORK YEARLY MEETING
is held in the last week OF May. The great "publcn
meeting OF the session takes place on Sunday, the
2sth OF May Two other "public meetings occur at
WndV
week. The public meetings on these occasions are
always thrOnged, and not unlrequently some OF the
% se wno
prayer in words characterized by simplicity and
UNAFFECTED fitness. But man IN search OF calm
peace and internal communion should go to the
binary First day meetings.
THE RUTHERFORD PLACE MEETING HOUSE
in outer aspect Is neat and unpretentlOus. with no
semblance OF architectural grandeur. There are
several plots oil sward around the building and in
front are fine trees. On Q Sabbath morning, when
the bells Of st. Georges church are unsteady en-
treating the sinner and the faithful to the altar and
fashionable, gayly dressed people are passing IN
begins thrill the morning air with It's harmonious
vibrations, another class OF people less gayly APP
house Immediately opposite, but called thither by
no brazen.tongued chimes. Suppose we follow
the clean fageed walk to. the modest porch. we We
enter the wde portals, and, crossing the spacious
lobby, pass nolselessly in and sit down among
THE SILENT woRsHIPPERs.
The seats are plain, but well CUSHIONED. On the
right sit the women, on the left the men, At the lar
G If n me a ss Snus than s ss @
which slt, facing the assemblage, the ministers ana
elders 6f the flock. There are many noble looking
men and women among them, as serene and peace
full in their appearance as II there were no tumulrs
in this world OF ours. The quaint Charles LAMB
was somewhere near the truth when he ald:-'f
have seen faces in their assemblies on which the
dove safe, vlsbly brooding." One Is tempted to
fancy that among them he VIII suddenly recognize
Penn; and ne might look for Elizabeth Fry or Mar
garet Fen among those modest, placid faced women
habited In drab.
In Quaker meeting the golden value and
ELOQUENCE OF SILENCE
can be realized. Though surrounded by many one
Mon with his soul, and so far away from the out
side world that net an echo Is waited to you to
break the stiffness
Where never hymn is sung,
Nor deeptoned organ blown, swung,
Nor dun light falling through the pictured pane.
. There Is no form t5 no ritual no Liturgy The
heart and the Friend deems that 1t requires no out
ward sign OF love for him other than silent humility
and goodness In all the relations OF life. But often
the soul.bathng silence Is broken by eloquent words
and
NOBLE SERMONS
fall from the lips OF gifted men and women-ser-
mons which are not forged and hammered out ny
the light OF the study lamp, but come as words came
''rake no thought or what We shall say.n Sitting
among the Friends and listening to Thomas Foulke
the venerable John ID. Wright is not less ediiynV
than listening to chaplin or Beecher
In the Quaker meeting the morning hour glides
away like placid dream, and by and by the minis
tiers anu elders In the thigh seatsn begin the ntia-
tive Misunderstanding, which is signal that the meet
ing is ended The Misunderstanding passes through all
ceives its share Of attention. The people slowly
pass out, conversing with one another, aud the
stranger 81 kindly does
OF that calm Quaker meeting Will stay with a man
for days afterward.