The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1875-08-09
OuH SrEIBENVILLE LETTER
The First Presbyterian Church
IInbrOgliO.
SrEunENvTLLE, August T.

SrEunENvTI.LE, August I.
llDlor1 Of tho lnIellIgCnccr.
In your ISSUE Of the 9Th inst. we stated
that in Our next letter We would give n
history u the troubles existing in the
First Presbyterian Church Of this city.
In doing 40 We wish to le fully under.
stood and recognized rs strictly neutral,
and without favor or prejudice in the
matter, setting forth only the facts derived
by interviewing those who from their
positions ought TO know whereof they
speak, The congregation alluded to was
organized in 1901, and up to lSO3-i, the
society being small, had no settled place
Of worship. In that year they erected u
small church, and in the year 1877 what
itnow known as the "Old" Presbyterian
Church was built, and was occupied by
the congregation for more than half n
century, and would yet in all probability
have been occupied by 1t had not n spirit
ot jealous rivalry sprung up between 1t
aud the Second Church. During the last
decade our churches have become so fine
and religion 30 respectable that both
have passed beyond the reach OF the poor
anil needy, aud this fact answers the 1urs.
ton so often asked, "Why is II that so
many Of the poor do not attend church Y'
THE QUESTION At ISSUE,
nit ulwIlcll grew all the trouble, was one
Of precedence whether the First or Sec.
oul should he recognized as the leading
church among the presbylerinns Of this
rlty 1t was the issue in the carly stages
ol the trouble and during the crusade
movement, tits the question to-day, and
perhaps will bc for ali time to come. In
both churches there was an abundance Of
the filthy lucrC, which Is the root Of all
eylI. Ihcsccond congregation purchased
property on the corner Of Fourth and
Washington streets, resolving to erect
thereon magnificent struCLure.
writ STATELY TOWERS
pointing beyond tho clouds to the land
where there are neither rivalriCs or heart.
hirninr' With such building they
would stand "unrivnlcd and alone
The shafts Of envy entered the soul Of
the congregation Of the First Church, and
they decided that they could no longer
worship in the old house, and resolved on
inc erection Of a temple whose towering
height should Iook down upon all the
city.
The Rev 4, +. Beatty favored tbc
erection Of the new structure nnon Tho
site Of the old. in which c,sc I,c would
contribute ten thousand dollars to the
bnilding fund but in case the rroiecl in
erect building in the upper par, Of tho
city should prevail he would moi con-.
tribute anything
THE MODERN GAMAMEls
decided that those who had been the snp.
port and stay Of the church in her in.
Ilnoy ,hould take back seats sit down At
their feet and drink in the wisdom which
Tell from their lips. The venerable DR..
Beatty lnted his belief that the conprc.
elilon would incur obligations whicl,
would be- unable to meet. IL was
then that he and those whom he rcnrc.
cnicl were informed by the pastor and
other prime movers that outside influence
@'un,oicited, and its interference would
not he tolerated. They would erect a
building that would be the "lovc,l theme
"l many sacred song
"a TRULY MAGNIFICENT"
structure OF brick, with fine stone front
lb) feet deep by 80 wide, with two tow
ere the south one l5S feet high woi