The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-05-29
0pen-Air Meetings Yesterday.

During the session OF the Young Mems
Christian Association in this city number
of open.air meetings for religious purposes
have been held at various points, and have
been largely attended. These meetings are
intended to reach class of persons who are
not in the habit OF attending any church.
They are common in other cities, but are a
novelty here. A Dotice, therefore, Of those
held yesterday afternoon will no doubt be
read with interest.
The Byrd-Island Meeting.
Byrd Island has wide but upsavory repu.
tation. The neighborhood, as popularity
known, lies between the river and the canal,
bounded en- Its eastern side by the HsXaIl
Mills and its western by the Tredegar
Works. It includes within its limits such
disreputable places as Sugar Bottom, Rum
mersville, Horse Alley. and Glory Hole.
There are q few respectable people living
within its limits, and there arc many honest
workmen who are employed over there in
the daytime, but the great majority Of its
denzens belong to the lowest dregs of our
population. Here vice raises its hideous
front and is not abashed. Here lewd women
and worthless men congrega'e to spend the
night in drunken orgies. Here squalid pov.
erty and hopeless misery confront the pasSer.
by. Many of the houses are dilapidated
Those backing on the canal between Tenth
and Twelfth streets are notorious in the
annals Of crime. At this row Mary Holmes
was murdered, and soon afterwards her
friend Mary Melton, weary of the world,
without friend to point her to new and
better path, rashly resigned her life and
went forth to meet her Maker with all her
sins upon her bead. Her companions sur.
vive and follow in the old, old way. Byrd
I>laud has few redeemug features. It's
streets are begrimed with coal-dust; its
psyements arc ragged; and altogether it is
little favored by the City Fathers. A more
unpromising yet richer field for Christian
labor is nowhere to be found in Richmond.
At half.past O'Clock yesterday evening
Messrs. Nj. b. Critchett, .. r. Stockwell,
Allan Folger, G. r. Holbrook, ond Fl. &.
Mccoy, OF the Y. NJ. Z. A. Convention, in.
vaded these uDgodly precincts. There were
about dozen people waiting for them. The
brethren ascended d pile Of lumber On Byrd
street on the opposite side from the Peters
burg Railroad Company's office, and from
this rude altar exercises were commenced by
singing Crock of Ages cleft for me. let me
hide myself in Thee"
The singing was excellent. 1t promptly
attracted attention. Boys fishing in the mill
race left their lines when the prospects were
most tempting. John Dabney laid down bis
muddler and ice-pck, and came out OF hi;
bar.room to see what was the matter. The
Italian yender of peanuts stopped in the
midst Of a promising business transaction,
and factory hands, piodding their way home
ward. came to q stand-slill. Soon a crowd
of three or four hundred was assem-
bled. About one-fourth of these were
whites and the balance cOlOred.
There were many women present. Some
cime with babies IN their arms and pipes in
their mouths. The majority were bare
footed; nearly all were filthy, morally ant
physically.
The exercises went forward with great
spirit soDg, prayer, and exhcrtatlon alterna
ting. The grealest attention and respect va:
shown the Christian brethren. One or two
dozen professed concern for the salvation OF
their souls, and raised their hands when tht
INQUIRY was made If any were present wht
desired the prayers of Christians. The word
of eXhortation were simple and earnest, ant
in more than one case really eloquent. |
they worked no actual conversions they die
good, and will have strong tendency to ele
vate these fallen and uncared-for people.
The singing of the beautiful hymn ''Shal
We Gather at the Riyer"? closed the eX
erciSes.
The colored people with great unanimit.
ioined in the chorus. Their rich, swee
voices made rare melody as they sung:
.Sball we gather at the river,
Where the bright angel feet have trod?
Gather with the saints at the river
Which flows by the Throne or God?'
After the congregation had been dismissed
a coIored woman with baby in her arm
came up to the gentlemen who had con
Quoted the meeting and thanked them for tn
words of comfort she had heard.
The Cash. Corner Meeting.
Cash Corner is q noted locality in Rich
mond. 1t has been styled by soDe person
to be about on par with Five Points IL
New York. But this is probably unjust
although it has not the most enviable reputA
ton. The open.ar meeting at this plac
was, therefore, looked forward to with
good deal OF curiosity and interest. But in
stead of the gathering being Immediately a
Cash Corner it was held at Seventeenth ant
Cary. The conductors were not very Fromp
in reaching the place. It was more thai
balf.past 6 before they came up; but whcl
they did, they found about two hundred ne
oro fac ory bands, besides number Of busi
pess-men whose offices are in that vicinity
and a few women and children-whlte ant
colored.
MIR. K. 4. Burnell. of Illinois, conducted
the exercises. He told the crowd what ht
and his friends had come for, and then CAV
ont the hymn, Gall hail the power o
Jesus name," sung TO the familiar tun
s. sCorouation." There were FIVE or six d, ls
gates to tie Y. NJ. G. A. present, and they
together with some oil the crowd, joined il
the music, Mr.. Burnell then read the 55tt
chapter of Isaiah lat the conclusion Of which
he made brief address. They then san:
another hymn-"I am so glad that Jesu
loves me-"
Mr.. Burnell now addressed the crowd
taking as his subject the words from HOLY
Writ. The Wages OF Sin is Death. Ht
pointed out the right path to pursue, and
alluded very clearly and pointedly to th'
many temptations which beset the paths
all.
During his remarks female from win
dow on Cary street interrupted the meetlG!
with some exclamations, but Dir. Burnel
said be was glad that be had voice Whict
could be heard quite as distinctly as hers. Ii
then urged the importance of temperance
and said that no man could prosper wh'
drank.
MIR. W. E. Lewis, Of Blackstone, Mass
was next introduced. He made mo:
touching address, and declared ne was ther
tn saw To the vast number of people he saV
before him that oil might come and Eeceiy
the glad tidings of salvation.
Mr.. Orr, Of Pittsburgh, Penn, and Nj
Smith, OF Massachusetts, also delivered aE
propriate addresses.
Mir, Burnell again took the stand, and sal
that he would not leave until prayer ha
been offered. He asked the crowd no
many were Christians, and about two hun