The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-08-20
WORSHIP AT OCEAN GROVE.
LIFE IN PROB1BLY THE LARGEST
CAMP MEETING EYER HELD.
A Methodist summer city Of Tents and Cot
tnGes by the seashore-The Social aud
Reliaious Cu-toms of the Place.

Tho Methodists who are encamped at
Ocean Grove probably outnumber any body
that has ever before met for a similar purpose
In this country. The meeting begin last
Wednesday and will end on Aug. 28 There
are 1900 persons on the grounds, and from
1900 to 5000 arrive every morning and leave
during the day or evening by the railroads, and
the wagons that Oil every stable and shed in
both the grove aud the neighborlng settlement,
Asbury Park.
Seven years ago" said DR.. E. II. Stokes, the
President OF the Ocean Grove Association,
with i've or six gentlemen, camped on the
side OF Wesley Lake. The grove had not been
purchased then. The next year we h d twenty
tents, and held camp meeting services. Now
there are more than eOO tents, and about 400 per-
manent structures"
Ocean Grove comprises about 3c5 acres OF
wooded land, extending nearly mile back from
the ocean and two miles along the beach, From
the beach but few tents are seen. The sites OF
trim little cottages. In which folks spend the
GUNNER were chosen near the seaside.
They are small. plain structures, but answer the
purpose, and are beauti1ed by the trees flower
beds. and rockeries around them Judge Black
OF Pennsylvania owns and lives In ono OF the
nnest OF these dwellings. Gen. Garfield of Ohio,
ta,, a., n, Eaton OF syracuse W G: Arnold 9f Wash
OF ST. Louis. and Judge Rowe, with their FAINT
lies occupy others.
THE LOOKS AND CUSTOMS.
From the main street, a continuation of the
famous promenade on tho bluff at Long Branch,
the tents are seen to Outnumber The cottages
ten TO one. New and handsome tents, immense
double tents, and tents that VIII hardly hold to-
gether, but have, Of necessity. been put to use
to accommodate the rush, are huddled on
streets. avenues, ana winding woodland paths
Their fronts are opened in the day time. and the
routine OF daily life Is laid open to the public.
Cooking. sewing, letter-writing, clothes-wash-
ing, ana even wooing all 20 ON In sight OF stran-
gers
There Is no such thing as fashion at Ocean
Grove. II Is place where regard for comfort
predomlnates. Rough, homespun SUITS are
worn by men. and a sailor blue shirt and trou-
sers are the principal portions Of the youths
clothing. Even the young women wear. as their
best, white linen or cambric, and walk TO and
from the beach through the crowded roads and
past the open tents, In bathing suits, without
snOes or stockings.
A wealthy woman, who stopped at the Cole
man House, across the Like from Ocean Grove,
appeared at the table on the fret day OF her
visit, ia SIX and Jewelry. The young women. In
their fans. and the older women made her feel
the inappropriateness of her dress The next
Jay she, too, wore cambric. Yet at this h tel
were members Of the wealthiest families In the
state. There are ninety-ayc ministers AT the
camp meeting, aud all of them take tneir share
following:
The Rsys : Sergeant OF rlinoi. W. p corbit, o,
MssliugIon, J. 5. Phelps Of New frunssick. B. Pome.
fGrter Of 8cokn. oiedrn ra' IT. s9a so. pT J1as'
hul ban o. N,Tars ". H. hlioi q ftsnsiort Pa 4.
brg,oPen, Of aieaem Pi " H. Neeker iS OF tohoc%.. %
Of SeS yoS Mr HawihAr. IT, Of assI %sl. VI N ai'1
siCc@on Of Camden. \. Hel.ley OF salem, s. j. q
Jesse naas j. e Grsory soft Of q hamilton Mls
Of n.Sxsa M s5'4sP ot asIss rsrssTys l,s n Ss Manu-
A,er,. William MCGOWAN h. RsoSev. and conn: lS.
SarG cf Nave;nk ''' OF AAn'a' aud ha"'Td Wood
THE RELIGIOUS SERVICES
The great pavilion IN which the principal
shapey roof. sustained by very many slender
columns. Notices are painted upon the be ms
which gas Is burned. ilumine the pl 's &C. az
hisht' and seats for 100 persons rest
upon the ground. Here at every meeting 3nu
ana sometimes 6,OOJ persons cOngregate. An
the seats are occupied, and chairs are brought
selected TO conduct these meetings. the Presi.
dent, Elder stokes. usually nnds himself doing
preached win wonderful effect Men and
women fell upon the front rail If the altar and
implOred forgiveness for their sins, while a
dozen ministers assisted IN exhorting all to 60
forward. The popular song Of the meeting was
started, and ITS chorus was repeated between
every eXhortation. The words of the chorus are
HallcluIihi IFS donci
am saved by the blood
or the crucined QUE
At every meeting this chorus Is often repeat
ed. "Oh, God" said the Elder. "let thy spirit
come IN behind this great assembly. and force
tmidity, past all indecision, until they join
these lear seekers after the truth"
Two women named Snith are doing hard
work at the grove. One OF them Is Mrs Amanda
Smith, formerly slave, afterward a washer
woman In New York, and now an evangelist
at reaching the feelings Of her hearers. The
other woman Is Lizzie Smith, a slight, dark NO
work and want OF rest were wearing her out
On Friday she began the conduct Of what are
known as tue "full salvation meetings" II Is
her mission TO strengthen and reassure pro-
fessors OF Christianity quite as much as to con
,ert unbelieyers.
CONVERTS.
Eleven regular meetings are held each day
the first at half past I've in the morning. and the
last at eight in the evening One Of these il a
children's meeting held at two o'clock every
afternoon IN the tabernacle tent. Yesterday
Prof. SweenY ~ Philadelphia led the singing,
and the Rev. G.. Evans conducted the meet
Ing. They succeeded IN bringing TO the altar
twenty little brignt'eyed children. many OF
them mere infants, VINO couldn't help whisper
ing and looking around at whatever went on.
however hard they tried under tho coaxing of
the women who knelt with them.
Despite the cold aud rainy weather OF the past
week. every tent and cottage Is crowded, and
hundreds arrive every dav to he housed In new
IL. erected tents or IN the boarding houses. The
wind on thursday strained and tore "a few OF
the tents, and overturned one that was unoccu-
pied, but the rain that fell AT the time was am
ply compensatory, for II laid the dust anu cooled
the air.
An attempt was made again this year to
prevent people bathing during service hours.
At certain times the rules Of the association
permit bathing. Tue beach, however, has been
alive with batherS every day, and all dav, and
Wesley lake, where boating Ia circumscribed In
the = me Hammer. has been gay with craft from
early morning until night. II Is said tnat two
OF the twenty policemen who guurd the peace
OF the encdmpment endeavored to frighten
some women out Of tie water during period
Oh the day when bathing WIS forbidden, but the
women only laughed at the officers, and taunted
them by daring them to come among the bill
lows and arrest them.
Reducing the Army of Clerks.
ha