The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1875-09-17
LONDON CHURCHES.
Some Small Congregations and Large
Salaries-Charity Funds and what
Becomes of lhem.

LONDON, Aug. u, lS7J.-The part of
London familiarly known as "The
City" occupies Il very small portion OF
the area embraced by the metropolitan
district. Within the range of the Lon
don post-oflice divisions, London cover
more than half the county of MiddlcseX,
all the northern part OF Surrey, and Il
large section of Kent, while the district
over which the Lord Mayor has author
ity is of comparatively small extent.
As most of the space within the limits
of the city proper is occupied by places
of business, the actual resident popula-
ton is very small, and the million or
more of people c~Ongrc@atcd within half
Il mile OF the Bank Of England during
business hours dwindicS down to Il few
thousands at night. The scarcity of
actual residents becomes plainly visible
on Sunday, on which day it is possible
To walk through street after street,
which a few hours before We're teeming
with people, without meeting L solitary
human being. The ancestors of the
present generation of cOrkncyS were
very devout. and among ether things
they established a most abundant sup
ply Of churches, and in most cases en-
dowcd them literally. Within the walls
of the ancient city were more than II
hundred parishes, but modern improve
ments have caused some very odd
changes in the old ecclesiastical diyi-
sionS. The whole of one parish is alb
Sorbed by what is now III open space in
front of the Royal Exchange: another
has been entirely swallowed up by the
p~ost-oflice building: Il third has been
swept away by the recent construction
of 4 new street, and nothing remains OF
the parish but the tower and stceplc of
the church. while another parish. close
~ adjacent, consists Of 4 railroad depot
and two houses. As may be supposed,
the city churches cluster very thickly
together; and, while practitioners have
become >ctrccr, the increased value Of
property has largely added to the worth
Of the livimgS. Under these circum-
stances, it is not difficult to find clergy
men who are willing to take charge of
TIE ITY PARISHES,
and on the Sabbath the churches are to
he found open for divine service rs reg
ularly rs if there was any body to at
tend. In many cases the usual cOn~re-
cation consists Of the clerk. the beadlc,
and the pcw-opencr>, with possibly a
few ancient DANES. who act rs house
keepers in some of the adjacent offices
or warehouses. On 4 recent SUNDAY
morning the congregation Of one Of The
churches consisted by actual count OF
eight adults, II of whom was of the
male sex, and about 4 score of children
seated around the steps of the altar.
The church in question was n of those
rebuilt @ O after the great fire of Lon
don in 1866, and the value of the living
is now f21Oa year. The male portion
of the congregation was seated III the
spacious vestibulc, ~vacantly contom-
plating three ~lOavcS, which had been
provided for the communion service,
and which, Is nobody partook of the
sacrament, were ultimately distributed
among the children. Inside the church
the tall oakcn pcwS entirely concealed
the remainder of the congregations, and
it appeared at first sight as if the clcr-
gvman was preaching for the exclusive
benefit of the children. but Il closer in
spcction revealed the presence of seven
females. clad in dingy and sober raj
mcnt. who were scattered at wide inter
walls over the church. The preacher was
Il Young man, evidently intended by ma
turc for the position he held. whose mild
and meaningless utteranceS suffered no
interruption from the playful restless
ness of the children, nor disturbed the
slumborS of his Scanty flock. y man
with less philosophy might have been
discouraged, but this gentle shepherd
continued to read on with m%onot0n0uS
regularity, perfectly satisfied with hay
in@ done his duty, and earned his salary.
The custodian of the loavcS. who proved
to be acting in the capacity of deputy
sexton, stated apologeticallv. that the
congregation was occasionally larger,
but he admitted that the church was sci
dom i~nconveniently crowded. A list OF
the voters of the parish was nailed to
the church door, and of the thirty-five
names on the roll four only were resi-