The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-03-11
EXCITEMENT IN BRIDGEPORT
MIR. KINBlLL AND MIR. MURPHY and
THEIR BIG DAYS WORK.
Sunday Mornings Labor with Saint johns
Church Tho Evening In Christ Church
Forty-two Thousand Dollars Raised.

Church Tho Evening In christ Church
Forty-two thousand Dollars Raised.
BRIpoFpoRT, Conn., March lO.-Thc events
Of to-day have been Of such n nature as to divide
tho public interest of Bridgeport about equally
between temperance and the raising Of church
debts Edward Murphy and Edward Kmball
arc here. and are working successfully each In
his chosen line Of reform. The churches
selected by Brother Kimball for the field oi his |
peculiar abilities are both Episcopal-St Johns |
and Chrsts-and both are heavily hurdcncd |
with debt st. Johns Church Is nearly one |
hundred years old, having been founded in |
1885 The present church cdiflcc. erected four |
years ago, Is n pretty Gothic chapel. built OF |
granite and standing AT Park and Fairfield |
avenues. Tho interior Is finished with ex-
luisite taste. and lighted by twelve large memo
rial windows Of stained glass Tho building
and lot on which II stands cost ti22.7ii. Of
this tGo.2ii was paid-ncarly half of 1t by
Mr. Nathaniel Wheeler. of the Wheeler \ Will
son Sewing Machine Company. who is mem
bcr Of the society Thccntre debt OF tho church
building and nonting--is t60.0o0.
Tho present effort by Mr.. Kmba was for the
raising Of $3.50 He raised $4,000 Of this at
a parish meeting on Wednesday evening last.
and 100000 to-day. Tho announcement that
Mr. Kimbal would be- present this morning
llled st Johns Church SO that by To-, o'clock
every scat was occupied Tho pastor. the Rcv.
DIR. f. W. Maxcy. omitted the greater portion Of
the morning service. and after brief address
on tn" vital importance Of the work about to he
undertaken, introduced Mr.. kimhall, who until
then had o,.,cupied scat among the congreEa-
ton. AZ Mr.. kimball stepped upon III" plat
form there was iiutlcr Of curl iosity and a gen
eral craning Of nccks to see the man who ran
to ,r lsnsS Hs to Re to e
in n few hours fabulous amounts OF money ana
rig, themselves of heavy debts. ,,..
Mr.. kimhall made a preparatory address
rccting tho manifold evils resulting from
Indebtedness In general. and from church debts
periencc in the raising OF chm n dcl's. and
| dwelt particularly upon the ease ~ tli" shepard
| Church of Cambridge Mass the only other
| New England church in which he has over
| lHhorril. and whore he considers that he nccHm
pllishcd the most signal triumph Of hiS liic.
| H. then s,ntrd the conditions upon which the
money WAS to be subscribed and which are
more lh raj than he has ever offcrcd any chur h
| about two-thirds oi the entire debt should DE-
raised. and that four ycars should be nl,ov"i IN
| which TO pay ia" money promised. IT. thi- ~
| done. he said at the present rental oi peWS
the remainder OF the debt will vanish IN siA
IL appointed Nrssr@. Avcrll Mallory. Hurd
/ Pond. Seymour. aud Nichols As T." orders ANA
then asked Tor ten suisrripiio ons Of 81 900 each.
scf s"f Tho arst w 'i.- iy"n VEN by Mr.. A. ruine
and wife. AMI th'n for AN hour ii.ic w'rc ne
| subscriptions. DURING TINS time Mr.. khhal
| rotated anecdotes ~ persons 30 humhe rir' nm.
| sfauces who had IN other church pledged
themselves for large amounts. and who had
| been De .uniarily hlc--,d for So doing, Then
the Hon Nathanirl Wheeler pledged himself
for s2.OnO. in aii tion g. the 5000 given Oy MN
at the "Wednesday evening meeting. Ano'hcr
dendlo., of an hour. during which MIR himl"ii
ploa.lcd most earn silly with the people. WAS
hiued aud pledged $1,000. and several laiios
who also conhnod and pledged 81 900. -
BY this time the congregation Ind dwindled
t. onc.fourth it, orig nal numbers, but there
was no moro delay. The people had be 'emc
infused with Mr. Kimhall,s own spirit, and re
sponled libcrallyt 10 his demands; by tho time
the s25 suhsrr 'ptons were offered enthusiasm
was fully aroused. and the reading OF the nam,
OF each new subscriber was the signal Tor l.ui
applause. Fathers subscribed for thor chill
dren and grnnichiiren. ,oung men i9r ~. u
sisters or swvctheart- AMI ~ tour o''" x alter
Nv hours unrcmiitng FL ris. tho work Mas
accomplished. and iho s5OD raised. Iha
congregation sang Praise God from whom al
blessings flow The pastor blessed his pco'
pie, and Mr. kimball and all. wuaried but Iuoi
liant went IN thor homes. ..
An effort ia to hr made t. raise another $1,000
. oi the debt during the coming wg"k. or this
$500 has already been given by - =. SANFORD
> orsanist OF ~. Johns Church. in memory %
his recently decra-rd wife.
Chr,si'a Episcopal Church in the evening wal
, filled with AN immense audience. lnrg " com
, posed Of strangers ATTRACTED hy curiosity TO So
= and hear Mr.. Kimball. He w.s INTRODUCED TO-
, | half Hn hour As long hA lie r"lHloi MS expo
rionccs with other churches and gave inter
/ | esting incidents Illustrative Of his work u
n congregation stuycd ard listened but aH sopl
! | us hp broached tho subject oi their own drli
4 AMI began to ask for money they began 10 lca'
). | in ever r-inrroaslng numiHrs.
:. ChrstS Church Is "A mu n larger and NOR
. | wealthy church than many IN ~hlch MT. RIM
| ball has worked. hut in no church IN wnlch n
!, | has laborrd during the past year mas ne be'
i received with such apathy or met with sue
/ poor success The debt - only $4,000. and
r. was though, that It would bc ea.iy rMsrd d
4, half nm hour Instead Of that Mr. kimba
" workcd four hours. using every argument I
II induce the members to pay their debt. and 4
|, the end Of that time he had secured only = W'
=. most OF which was apparently given win r,
4, m,tancc His Efforts were hly seconded 10y ~
: Powers and by the Rev. Mr.. MnNey OF ~. John
a, people that 1t WAS plain 10 him that they lack"
4 all inclination to pay their debt, ana thht :
, long rs they had made up thclr minus not
n pay IT, 1t was useless for him TO labor long,
a. The rcor said that his feelings were that tn
., debt will be- paid. rs several OF his most wealth
j. money were absent, Mr.. kmball said thi
l. during tho past year he had personally ihis'
r. chur.h dett- To the amount OF Il million dollar
r. less twenty five thousand
The Prr-hyterHn chur h OF this place, own n
81, the most beautiful church ollli,e IN mo cll
/" was hurd"ncd with u debt OF t2JOD. 4 mont
.l agoihry called NJ their pnstor the Rev. MIR. Da
AZ cnunrt ui Nrw York. Sin'r his coming. N" al
ii jet oi the church debt has been agilAtri hy n
ri pnri-hiunrT-. and ON Tues lhy evening larl iht
- took hold ot It and raised f2l ,uh, tnpt irunl
"A and Mrs. Bishop oach giving flOOO firig'
T. for tho rest have sinrc been r'nr'iN"i, ANA II
,c members of that church hrc hnppy over II
r prospect of u speedy rfolse from drlh
,n Nm immense IN ~ t"mn,rnn.r' meet ing "
IN held here thus evening in lranklin Hall II
N meeting soon oN"rnowrd We h"ll' nHl pran'
re- meeting WAS held IN tho Bhpt II churh opp
rv ritr. Fully 2.iNO persons uiit'nIrll lhr NEE
INK wua addressed hy the Hon. T. !. Batnui
Of VINO, though "A stri't temp"ranio man. Haid IN
A. upnn the question Of lcrnso or no llH, hSe
"a should vote Tor strict lic'nsn law. FRAN
he Murphys son Edward N condu ting IN" mov
y ment here at present. put ranGi1 ~ gAp'rt
n sIp,unuS badge in BRIDGEPORT streets, n NJ
IA | six thousand persons hAyo signed the plr'li
lat and tho bus,ncss oi the rum shops II da