Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-05-21
HIGH PRICED PEWS.
A Curious Auction Sale in DIR. Halls
Millionaire Chureh-ThFee Hundred
and Fifty-tWO PeWs, Valued at Eight
Hundred Thousand Dollars.

and EtItY-tWO PeWss valued at Eight
Hundred Thousand Dollars.
New York sun, May IS.
The sale Of pews in DIR. Halls new
Presbyterian Church last evening was
conducted on a plan more common in
England than IN this country. The
pews were valued at certain prices,
ranging from $500 to $4,000, at which
the trustees agreed to give absolute
deeds of the pews TO the purchasers,
their heirs and assigns forever, subject
only to an annual assessment, fixed for
the present at six per cent. Of the valu-
alton. The total valuation Of the $50
pews is $500, 900, a sum almost sufficient
to pay the entire cost of the church
edifice and of the ground on which it
stands. The annual assessment, IN
case all the pews are sold, will give an
income of $4,000 to the society, and in
case any purchaser defaults for more
than SIX months in the payment of his
assessment, the church reserves the
right to re-enter and sell the pew again
to the highest bidder, the amount re-
ceived to 90 to the original owner after
bis dues to the church have been de-
Quoted.
Last night the church was thronged
with members, who, after trying the
seats IN different parts Of the building,
finally, at half-past seven, settled them
selves as closely around the pulpit as
they could crowd. An auctiOneCr
mounted DR.. Halls rostrum, and pro.
ceeded TO sell to the highest bidder the
first choice of seats. The first bid was
$500, and it was Immediately doubled,
and pushed by quick, spirited calls to
81, 500, at which sum the choice was
knocked down to Mr. Alexander Stuart.
He chose pew $50, valued at $4,000.
Under the regulations he Will to-day
pay $500 cash, covering both bonus
and valuation, and will receive for that
money a deed of the seat. Hereafter
he VIII pay $3.50 a year, but the bonus
is paid once for all, and the seat can
never be taken from him. Mr.. Robert
L. Stuart paid $500 for the privilege
of choosing a $1,000 pew, and Mr.. Low
next paid So, 100 as a bonus on two pews,
which viii cost him $1,000. Mr..
Hyde paid a premium Of $1,000,
and took two pews valued az Sl2,-
600; Mr.. De Forest $1,000 premium
for two more valued at $4,000; Robert
Bonner, 81, 100 premium for a $4,000
pew; W. S. Sloane, $1,000 premium for
a $1,000 pew; Mr.. Skidmore, $1,000
premium for another pew of the same
price; A Marquand, $500 premium
for two pews valued at $1,000; John
Auchincloss, 81, 400 premium for two
pews worth $500; and Messrs. Cor
don, Day, Frazier, Bladen, Libby, Scott,
Judge Davis, Messrs. Hadley Jessup,
Hurlburt, RanO, Dillon, Sheffield, Lee
veridge, Raynor, Geo. Sloan and Alex
ander paid premiums of $500, and
chose pews ranging in value from
s., 900 to $500. From this point the
premiums fell to 500, and then by slow
steps to SO, the lowest bid of the eve
ming. This was reached after more
than half the pews had been disposed
Of, at an aggregate bonus exceeding
$1,000 Then many of the remaining
pews were contracted for at their valu-
alton only, so that at at the close about
two thirds of the pews IN number and
about three-fOurths IN value had been
disposed of.