The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1878-05-30
HOW M1LLIoNAREs WORSHIP

HOW MILLIONARES WORSHIP.
A MAGNIFICENT CHURCH IN NEW YORK,
OF WHOSE MEMBERS REPRESENT s2000.-
OOO,OOO-HOW THE CHUCH is FITTED
| UP.
Attracted by the sound OF silver bells,
nearly two thousand persons filled the Fifth
Avenue Presbyterian church Sunday morn
ing, and listened to peculiar discourse on
Gods enemies and Satan in particular.
Tho magnficence Of this Presbyterian
church cannot be easily exaggerated. Cost
ing not far from million Of golden dollars,
it stands on the fashionable side OF Fifth
avenue, monument Of the potency of
wealth, luxurious symposium for tire rep
resentatives Of not less than $20c, 100000.
Large as its dimensions are, its seating ca
pacity is in the neighborhoed of eighteen
hundl ed, only, for men who can afford to
pay for hard wood seats, polished to the
verge of satin, cushioned in crimson, and
bountifnlly supplied with stuffed pillows for
the weary back. do not like to be crowded
while at their Sunday exercises.
Fronting the congregation is the pulpit,
on the face of which, carved in sturdy oak,
are the angel, the lion, the bull, and the
eagle. types Of the four evangels, but often
taken by uniformed observers as types OF
the bulls and bears OF Wall street, who so
literally contributed to pay for the costly
pile.
The pulpit itself is like flowery bed OF
ease. Carpeted it is with the choicest fabric
known to weaver's loom, thick and soft, and
yielding to the feet of those who take hold
on righteousness. Three elegantly carved
arm-chairs afford accommodation for the
clergy, and table of the same suite stands
at the right of the officiator.
Above the speakers head a beveled sound
ing board imparts resonance to the voice,
and over this is the gorgeous altar front,
with carvings and curling, designed by ar
fists and executed by experts. All about
the auditorium are magnificent stained
glass, diamond cut windows, through which
the rays of the sun shine, nellowed and
tinted.
Precisely at II the clergyman entered.
Although Presbyterian preacher of the
older school, DIR. Hall presents the cut and
ensemble Of capon lined abbott Of three
centuries back Moses in his meekest mood
was a raging lion to him, and st. John was
rough in comparison. Sir Plausible himself
might have been his valet.
Clad in snowy, gauzy bands and superb
yestment Of black gres grain silk, fitting like
a glove. the clergyman entered the appro-
pirate door, while mediocre organist
played dreary dirge upon the instrument
with the snowy frort.
Having sprinkled in the ceremony of bap-
tism half dozen Little millionares, one vi
whom expressed hts disapprobation of the
sacrament in stentorian tones, and was car
red out in disgrace by nurse, Dr. Hall
opened the regular service with prayer of
the Presbyterian kind.
1t is the custom of the people to sit and
bend the body during prayer, and nearly all
did so-al but perhaps thirty men, who
rose like garden pillows OF the sanctuary,
and aggregated in their presentation the
tremendous sum OF 500, 600, 900 if not more.
The scene was strange OF e.
Half dozen unconscious babes had been
touched by the clerical fingers, dipped in
Croton water. and the Creator of the Uni
verse was asked to bless the same, in mil
lion dollar church, by a 500, 900 pastor, who
received at once the moral and personal
support of these men, who control to-day
the destinies and potencies of more than
$50, OOO, OO0
1t suggested glance at the monetary
position Of the congregation, and it revealed
the presence OF men whose names are
known in the lnarts of commerce the world
around, and who, combined can WELD a
power greater than that of any equal num-
Der Of men in any church in the United
States.
A few of the NEST prominent are as fol-
lows: Rob't L. Stuart, Robert Bonner, Will
liam Libbey, Henry B. Hyde, Jacob D. Yer
| myle, Henry G.. De Forest, James Frazer,
John N. Mortimer, William Sloane, Harvey
| Fisk, John A. Stewart, and-buI already
we have exceeded the aggregate of two hun
dred millions Of dollars, either owned or in
the control of the persons named. There
are score of others, whose combined fig
ures cannot be less than one hundred mil
lions, and still another score who control
half that sum.
The prayer in behalf of the golden babes
| vert on, until, in the contemplation of the
enormous wealth thereabout personifed,
Miss Kilmansegg and her golden leg ap.
peared to become reality, and the thumr
OF her metallic limb beat in unison with the
measured cadence of the speakers voice.
| There stood the calm. close-shaven man.
to whose executive ability tine late A. T
Stewart attributed a great part of his world
1 known triumphs. Mr.. William Libbey is a
member of this church, and a constant at
i tendant on it's services. He always stands
in prayer-times, and looks much more like
a Calvanistic preacher than one whose
firms check is good for $50, 900, 10000, and tc
| whom an army OF clerks look for daily d.
rection and control.
There. too, was the editor and proprietor
Of the famous weekly paper, whose leaves
are scattered by the hundred thousand;
throughout the land man whose very
horses are better housed than the President
of the United States, whose word is better
than his bond, and whose bond is good fol
any sum this side of $4,000 900.
/ On the centre aisle stood man with
long head and stalwart frame. He repre-
sents over $50, 200, 900. Mr.. Henry b. Hyde
of life insurance note, is young man O
melancholy look as become his business. He
too, like Mr.. Robert Bonner, belongs to thu
church, ard is rarely absent from its ser
vices.
Bank presidents, executive officers o
great trust companies, railway directors, insu
rance men, merchants, and bankers OF vas
personal property and still vaster corpcrat'
wealth, stood silent while the preacher con
tinued to petition the Heavenly Father for