The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-07-16
RELIGION AND BUSINESS.
THE ENTEnPRfsE h~ SEA CLIFF
FALLING INTO DIsCORD.



Camp Me etinR" were sent out from Sea CliG
last month, and advertisements to the same
purport were inserted In religious newspapers.
| Members OF all Protestant denominations were
invited to participate. The meeting began a
week ago Yesterday, to last ten days, and 1t has
| been failure The attendance has been small,
there being never more than 200 persons at any
| OF the services. and often less than ffty; and
diffcuity has been expert noed IN getting cier-
gymen enough there to have preaching three
| times n day. On Tuesday, the Rev. Dr. Ar
mitaee, of the Fifth Avenue Baptist Church.
was not there TO preach, according to the pro-
cramme. On Wednesday, the Rev. DIR. stephen
II. TvnR, Jr., telegrapbed to the managers that
he could not keep his engagement to deliver
| sermon there. On Thursday, the Rev. Dr. Dun
can, whose eloquence has made him popular
among Southern thodists was expected, hut
he failed TO come. MIR. Sankey, tho singing
evangelist, was sent for, but no IL not likely to
respond with his presence. Disappointment
has been general as to nearly everything relating
to this "Union Camp Meeting" Loss than
twenty tents have been erected the hotel and
boarding houses have few patrons, the refrosb-
mont stands arc upoccupied, and the big tib-
ernace looks barren with its tiny congregations.
The Rev. MIR. Ligbtburn. who IL only nineteen
years old. and Is the regular pastor OF Sea Clif,
conducts most OF the religious exercises. At
the close 81 the services, after a collection, he
usually invites purchases OF Moody and Sankey
| hymn books. He wears his hair long, and Is re-
Carded 10y his admirers as prodigy. Between
the services he makes himself useful at the
come guests. Brief visits have been made by
clereymen, but few hours each was the com
mon extent Of their tsrry. Among those who
thus came and went from this citv last week
were the Rev. John ;. Willis OF the seventh
street Methodist Church, the Rev. j. ID. Wilson
Of the Central Presbyterian Church. the Rev.
James NJ. King Of the Fifty-third street Metho-
dist Church, the Rev. Warren W. Clark OF the
| Twenty-seventh street Methodist Church, and
the Rev. Dr. Lightburn OF the Seve nteentb street
Methodist church. Not 40 ,rk u enthusiasm
| Ia manifested In the services, no conversions
have been reported. and the place LACKS the
bustle usual To camp meetings
SEA CLIFF IN DiSFAyoR
| This apathy toward the Union Camp Meet
Ing at Sea Chn Ia In remarkable contrast with
the interest shown several years ago and the
| csuse was searched for during a DAYS stay on
| the grounds. Superintendent l.. H. U.tters6ali
who has the handsomest residence IN the place
and owns shares In the Sea Clif Steamboat
Company, seems to have worked energetioally
10 advertise the meeting and to get attractive
speakers. Mr. II. =. DUBOIS, President OF the
sei Ciin Association. and also President Of the
ties In either capacity. The merits OF the large
hotel owned by the association have been ex-
tensiyely made known by circulars. Mr.. Samuel
Cox. who Is said to have originally planned the
enterprise, and whose business IA the selling OF
lots ana cottages. has not been idle. All these
efforts however, have been insufficient to over
come the shyness to the Methodists, who In
loimeT years nave. Dy many IN OusaBus, attended
the meetings inc expsuntion given by the
ON reIs generally Is that Ocean Grove, being
nearer the Philadelphia Exhibition, Is moro at
tractive this year as place ~ reiy ious resort
Many Of the owners Of cottages express n d FER
ent opinion. Their belief 10 tbat the Sea OliG
enterprise IA distrusted. Not that there Is my
thing dishonorable I'm the management, but IN Z
religion is used merely ~ an adjunct 20 sbrewd
business speculation. Tue camp meetings, they
say. were Instituted solely to draw people t. the
place TINT they might be induced to buy lots
ana build cottages, or, at least, to patronze the
hotel.
"lt's what might be called a moral fraud"
said one sea Gin Is private enterprise, with
everything trinnge1 so that the associ on gets
all the profits, hut the idea disseminated il that
all Is Tor the glory OF God feature has been
made OF the camp meetings, and al the while
the sale Of lots has been pushed with might and
m IN oi course the association Invested a
| for the land. Ind the hotel cost s60.OOO-and
they would be fairly entitled to big profits II
gion. There's u good deal OF hypocrisy In that
KIND OF tnins to my mind. and the Meth odists
are beginning To Understand II. Ministers won't
not TO-"
ihe members are all Christians" said a de-
fender Of the manaeemeni, and above suspi-
| cinn. They give everybody with whom they
\ dead honest treatment. They nave as good a
right 70 sell land and run a hotel AS anybody
ana tho camp meetings have been blessed occa-
sions III former years.
A FIGHT PREPARED FOR.
Sea Ciir Is in the township OF Oystcr nav
Long Island, ana overOoks Homestead hatbor
It's two hundred acres woro bought about SIX
] "a chartered
purpose. Tho hotel | rye building called A
| a cernacle and several COTTAGES were erected.
enl very suceessiui camp meetings were held
! Tor sew raj years. Lots were. in law. not sold
| but leased the association retaining control
N, oAlcaling liquor, billiards, dancing, and other
| thiugs obnoxious to MctbOdtsiu, were rl.idly
! exrluded. Each lot has been taxed Al about
twelve dollars A year for the cost Of water ana
! government. Tue buildings now number more
| than hundred. ana some OF them are really
handsome country residences Maps and pam
! phets were Distributed pl nteousy among the
| WOfsnl4 perS at tne meetings. and the sales
! brlsk. The hotel prOspered. the steamboats,
| were crowded daily, anu a shrewd management
| lost no RESPECTABLE chance OF profit. On some
occ tsions an admission fee TO the grounds
was CHARGED. Latterly an opposition to
| tho management has grown into formid-
hble proportions and the summer will
NJ probably end without nm open nght.
= dissolution Of the ass collation.. 10 be effected
II possible by the force OF sentiment. and IL not
! argue that the Legislature csnnot confer unon
! any corporation tina right 90 levy and collect n
tax, ma ci.e Gov. lilden's veto Of tho cnarter
| Of The Cbautauqua Lake Association because II
! contained such a provision. Ihav desire :"
have their leases replaced By clear title deeds,
ana to do away with the camp meetings as a
feature OF Sea ChG. Some OF them chaige that
several stockh 'lders are laboTiug To deureciute
we SOCK, with the Intention 81 buving It cheap.
| ana that part OF the scheme Is the Irregular
| running of the steamboats, that ian regularly
~ year; they say tnat, relieved OF the e.s-
! Hcl9n - being "a speculation la pioty, Sea Gin
! would become Astonishing village Of summer
/ resort About seven hundred porsons airs now
/ IN the NEE tings, that the congregation al one
/ IN rams service last wceA numbered forty
seven Dut the association must hold them or
It's charter VIII lapse. Several lot owners have
/ refused u paS their taxes, IN order TO have the
/ rEht OF collection ruled upon In "a court, hut
! the association has not attempted to force
| payments.
cHARTADLE INSTITUTION
| An aiJunct OF the original ulan of Sea GIN
! was tho Old Laoie,' summer Home" and Tor
! II much Interest and some money were raise T.
The bulIuing stands close 10 the Iabernacls
/ ana Is now conspicuously letterod with adyer-
u-ements OF n fllr mat IL being held within AMI
/ with scrtptural teXts calculated to stimulate
| beneVulence Inside Is "A tabltful Of trinkets, "A
| relreshmeni room, and such "A hurlesqLo art
| gallery Hs Is often seen ~ church fairs.
HOW many Inmates has the Home now r"
WIS the question OF "A visitor.
| " W ELL hesl ltina replied the woman who
| hat served him with lemonade and cake 1--WE
| have only one al present"
Iwo,' intorposed another woman, who may
| hhNa been the matrun; I'VE have two Old
| lldies one ot them helps AZ hous ework."
-Four women aud a Girl, who were visible
seemed to be connected with the Institution I'M
capacities that may have insured sal iries. Mia
tho "old ladies'" numbered two, rnd one OF
them worked a. domestic. In big letters ON
the W ~ the visitor read among other biblical
quotations, ~ was hungry aud We fed me: [
was stranger and We took me in"
william 4. Darling Described.
Pm