The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1875-06-29

The Famous Plymouth Church Ush'
from the N. Y. Herald j

The Famous Plymouth Church Ush'
"a / y1Iqa5h aers. 2ti' Adl,5R i:agH:s ri
nse2 'han from the n. T. Herald.]1. +; l,o4.
ay, For over. 2 hundred days two men,
named respectfully Murray and 'Cald
we'll, have acted as tpshcrs7: in the: court
room, seating the ladies and the brethren
and friends Of Plymouth Church. MUIR
ray is. a ,well.to.do; merchant in New
York, and Caldwell is . Spectator in
paintings and engravings. Murray is. a
dapper sort Of person with black mus
'tache, fresh complexion and a, quick
manner. lii order to exercise sort Of
official authority as usher he borrowed q
deputy sheriff's shield, which he wears on
the front of; bis coat. Caldwell is . tall,
heavy. man. with Burnside pattern Of
mustache and whiskers, dresses we'll and
talks to the ladies in a fatherlv way. He
was very attentive to Bessie Turnev
while that blonde siren frequented the
court room. He has more dignity than
Murray, but less influence. = The latter
accepts no, fee norfreward ; the former re-
ceives $2.50a day for his services from
the Plymouth brethren, who, have raised
a fund to defray certain expenses Of the
trial. These: two men have become so
expert in ushering people to places in the
body of the court room, and finding seats
for them, that their performances during
the pressing days Of the past week, have
been positively marvellous. The writer
has seen the court room filled, to all ap.
pearances, in every part, as early as ten
O'Clock in the morning, and to his ex-
IRENE establishment, after the lapse of
an hour, during which the sew
eral hundred persons T. more en-
tered and found room, a long stream Of
the brethren have come in and been COM
fortably seated by this surprising pair of
ushers. They conjure. up chairs and
camp stools out of the very floor. They
stow away people in seemingly inaccesi-
Bile places. No lady has had to stand
during all the past week while Murray
and Caldwell were around. To their
credit it must be said they have worked
hard and well, and have been the means
of saving great deal of confusion, which
must have otherwise arisen if every visi-
tor had to find seat for himself. The
dexterity of these self.appointed ushers
in handling chairs and camp stools is
truly amazing. Caldwell has been seen
to spin camp stool over the, heads of
people and land it in a vacant spot with
unerring precision. To send lady spin
ming after the camp stool would seem to
be a feat equally easy to him: In the
matter of arranging chairs they have
grown wonderfully proficient. Daily at
lunch time the outgoing audience knock
the chairs about until the floor appears to
be in perfect state of chaos. Presto
the astonished stranger sees the chairs
and camp stools fall into regular align.
ment like soldiers on parade. Caldwell
gives tip here and Murray tip there
to a few chairs and sends sort of mag.
netic current through all. the rest and
brings them into line in an instant. '-:i
Their fame aS usherS has gone abroad,
and it is said that several offers have
been made them by theatrical managers
and pastors Of popular churches in New
York. The managers of Round Lake
camp meeting, of the Metropolitan,
Booths Theatre, Tony PASTORS Opera
House, DR.. Halls church and Bishop
Shows tabernacle, want Caldwell for
usher. Murray is better adapted for a
theatre. Caldwell for church; the lat
ter for escorting heavy-weig hted dowa.
gers to their pews, the former for wafti. g
with wave Of his hand a bevy of 'smil-
ing beauties into their seats in the audi
toriunl; Caldwell for camp stools, MUIR
ray for chairs; the former for elderly
solid women Of roomy dimensions, the
latter for festive and slender Innocence of
sweet sixteen; the one for solemn and
orthodox responsibility, the" other for
gay and mercurial irregularity; Caldwell
for roast beef and plum pudding, Murray
for ice cream and STRAWBERRIES.
THE HABIT OF HANDLING CHAIRS
constantly and showing people to places
in the court room for over a hundred
days has so far grown on the pair of
ushers as to lead them unconsciousIy into
several ludicreus mistakes. In crossing
the ferry to New York, the other day.
Caldwell forgot where he was and mag
med he was still in the court room. La.
dies were standing up in the rear of the
boat, when Caldwell jumped to his feet
and cried, ''This way, ladies!'' leading
forward to the fro1,t a long string of fe'
males, none IF whom even then, to the
inexpressible anguish of poor Caldwell,
were accommodated with seat, for the
boat was crowded. In the cars he has
frequently forgotten himself and given
orders for the passengers to sit closer.
He has been known to start off alb
stractedly from home with chair in
his hand, and wherever he goes he
is constantly knocking chairs about. 1t
is supposed he will 60 into the chair
business when the trial is over. He can
do almost. an thing with a chair-balance
| it on the end of his nose or twist it into
camp stool:A.s Murray is even more
| "A ...:4 Il, ho oh iror,oania He claenS