The New York herald., 1877-08-27
WORSHIP IN THE WOODS.
The Oolored Brethren Seeking the
Lord at Pamrapo.
MRS. VAN COTT AND THE MINISTERS.
Beginning a Service for Unrepentent
Sinners at Jamesport

q
morning in what is known Salter's Grove. Pamrapo
Bayonne City, N. j. The congregations represented
are the First Congregational Church, of Hampstead,
l.; Bishop Chapel, corner South Third and Eleventh
streets, Brooklyn; Fleet Street Methodist Church
Brooklyn congregation OF Worcester, Mass, and the
mo,hor Church itself n slight degree. IL Will be
seen that affair really sort OF theological salad
OF an ecstatc nature. The Rev. r. q. Coster, who Is
presiding elder at largo of all the Zon's connoc
tions, has the entire camp under his wing, and per-
formed the inaugural duties OF his difficult po-
sition In the most satisfactory manner. He ably
assisted by tho Rev. W. Crugcr, who seemed TO take
| TO camp meetings naturally. II tho reporter Is not
| mistaken the Rev. Mr.. Cruger has the camp
meeting study Tor has there been any instance
ON record rapler.ke logic has been deity
| combined with baseball bat coquence than is excm-
plined in his style OF delivery II is rather chaotic,
but s,nguiary effective Sinners stroll mockingly
tho Of the camp hear Mr. Crugers voice. and
then Just walk right tho first seat,
| to get up and tell how wicked they have boon.
PREPARATIONS
All through Saturday evening the preparations for
the meeting were being made. BY the 1aring light OF
oil lamps that swung from Stats nailed to trees
men hammered nails INTO pianks and made tent poles
secure while women shook up mattresses aud Tipped
tho laundried into symmetrical reposo At tho
doors OF the swuying tents stood brown coored
girls who held lamps aoit, showing shapely arms and
checred tho workers on. The busy and energetic
quito arriving early at the conclusion that something
extraordinary was In the wind formed himself into
bands aud went parading through the ghostly
grovo that mottlcd with patches OF shift
ing moonlight II true gypsy scene,
with a sub-stratum OF religious ferver. BY elcvon
O'Clock all lights out IN the little settlement OF
tents, anu hoard save the slappng into
naIin vharo asicf OP hroth oaSin
upon the mprovsed couch, made a blow at mosquito
and IN issed him. For the rest tho trees sang the
'Swoot By and By' softly each other and tho
looked lovingly down upon the church under canvas
THE BREAKFAST HOUR.
The camp astir early, the mosquitoes having
attended to that part of it. From the Pipe OF
that stood front OF tho boarding tent, the blue
SIN oke sailed through the tossing limbs with = per-
fecty orthodox twist
1t was in the early light that tho camp not
very extensive as yet, but as an old lady, who
boiling coffee, observed TO the HERALD reporter, SIT
would pick up considerable during the day" She had
charge OF the meal booth and already laying the
cloth and putting plates in position upon the rough
pine ablc that had been hastily knocked together the
evening previous. Her comely daughter attended to
the stovo outside the tent and gave grace
10 tho fresh, dewy picture of the grove
and the sheen OF Newark Bay that
Observable through tho openings in the trees
Tho aroma OF the conco heightened the peasuraUle
effect. Away oil on edge tho grove the refresh
ment had established his headquarters-a rough
SQUARE OF counters q covering In front Of
IL was long pine table covered cloth, and
head, naiea To tree, was the legend, lce Cream. "
Tho ~ oper clam tho consistent sarsaparla ana tho
| conservative water sold at this place. Tho
proprietor was ut his post betimes, having slumbered
III army blanket under his counter aud was pre-
pared 70 supple mcnt the Rev. Mr. C0sters efforts by
catering TO the wants OF the inner man that knows
|
The twanglng oil a horn called the worshippers to-
gether hal.pa O'Clock. 10 be more explicit It
should bo stated that such was the purpose OF the
twang but It did not succeed thoroughly. Whom the
| Rev. Mr. COster rose In the frame pulpit that mas
been erected at the edge Of tho picnic dancing plat.
by two or three old ladies' (whIte), a sprink-
ling ol children doth coiors>, aud the HERALD
reporter (whitcl There loilerers IN the leDts
munchcrs oil the late breakfast and other backsliders
| upon whom the Rev. Cosler poured few walls OF
sarcasm II would be pleased, he said. al the wor-
shippers would draw near and attend TO divine SER
vice. In my early days when went camp meeting
we used 10 Leave one person in eacn toni
to watch over the 1xin's and the others
would all como forward. And don't think that
| the present period has much improved ON tho
old style camp meeting This snot brought Two young
| girls ana sheeplsh swain TO the front Just while
the hymn being sung there was Klarc down the
| road toward Jersey Iuy, and The swinging monotone
OF the tune became enllvencd With the iingiIns of
bells In another second chowder club from tne 18th
| dashed up IN an elgh-horse omnibus ana swept
around the corner like hurricane cl ueviltry. The
camps humble efforts In tho devotional musical limo
wcro drowned by the lusiy chorus, Then don't get
| weary" which came from the chowder eaters. They
drove INTO the adjoining grove, and III two minutes
| two games oil quots we're IN itcve operatiohs
| IN AFTERNOON.
| The afternoon session of the camp meeting was a
grand imp ovcmcnt that o: the morning There
came up from Grocnv,e and Jersey Guy, aud iron,
New YORK, any quantity of sprucely dressed coiorcd
people VINO soon peopledM M the grove, ana @ msue % 1t
ton stew and the dumplings went OIL like the
hot cakes would have gone had they
nj atrossx
ton OF BUSINESS all time Services began three
O'Clock, with the Rev. Mr. Cruger in the pulpit. When
he got up speak the dancing platform was well filed
with benchites, and almost every minute there came
| gliding innocentIy from the 'Woodbne" tavern u
S had :" yet up
trees and alongside fences, and in many
ialng.top wagon sat many a pretty CITY
lawn lawn dress, and listening with pink to tho
way In which the Rev. Mr.. Crugcr was pounding tho
sinners And how he did wrcstle with theml Forest
as Jack Cadc In tho curse scene, mild sort OF
simile to Introduce for the purpose oil showing the
method Of Mr. Crugcr He is young, active man,
who looks as if he belonged to gymnasium. lie had
his coat irogged the chm, producing thoroughly
sombro appearance, Th'ca was wn" se,,aved d Oy ace
over until he almost lost his ioo,iug all ine
think how awiuIly wicked tney He told several
Scripture stores with longer annotations and showed
conciusivey that unless all doubters came into the
fod i'm medatey there would be the tallest kind Of
| trouble. As peculiar specimen Ut Mr.. Crugcr 8
style. may be stated that he punc!uatod each SEN
tenco with cxpecoraiion, anu bobbcd each glow
ing period with the respiratory inserjection,
| hand and foot with the withcs OF his
elooucncc q cracker pate, borrowed from the Wood
bine was gently circulated And great was the shower
Of repentant coppcrs Quito striking incidont, or
series OF Incidents OF the Sermon was tue stoppa2e of
pleasure wagons bound Bergen Point upon the edgc
the grounds The young girl with the red leather In
her Danichens hat would istcn awhile 10 Cruger, and
then .her Datty escort would whip up tho slender.
limbcd horse and the :rnp would bowl down the road
| wrapped about by cloud OF golden dust There was
also dog ig ght on corner OF the PLATFORM which
| was prom pity squeched by the consabuary iorcs,
who nlt one OF the dogs on the head with his club
IN THE EVENING.
| Aucr recess the preaching began at eight O'Clock
in the evening Four huge lights erected upon stands,
bathcd the grove IN briliancy and lled the atnos.
phero with smoky element that was death
| 10 tho mosquitoes. rhe crowd increased wOn-
| derluliy every scat being occupied, whllc
| hundreds stood about IN tho woods listen
| ing TO the Rev. Mr.. Coster's dissertation