Smyrna times., 1879-06-25
$4,000.

We stated last week that effort was being made
to lift debt of $4,000 on the NJ. E. Church of this
by the LIST of July On Sunday last the Trustees
announced to the congregation that the whole in
debtedness of the church, $4,000, had been Dedged
gratuate the congregation most heartily on this re-
suit: first because it has been done, and secondly
The trustees asked the membership for this sum by
the first of July. The call responded to in less
than three weeks, and not dollar was contributed
outside of the congregation. number OF the con-
trbutiOns have been very liberal, considering the
members have done their duty and are consequently
happy at the result. Those who did not, cannot
nor in the future participate in that happy feeling
Mite Society, which has on former occasions shown
pluck and readiness for large undertakings, nobly
stepped forward in pledge for $1,000; The young
ladies in the choir also generously took 800 sub
| scription. When this amount of money was asked
| for three weeks ago, the general expression espe-
cially by those outside of the church. was thatsuch
of money at this of the year could not be
raised and since it has been done in considerably
less time than was asked the surprise has been the
greater. To the several Trustees and especially to
| John H. Hofecker and to the Rev r H. Haynes, who
have shown such superior financial ability the
credit belongs for getting the speedy cooperation OF
the Society in this large and important undertaking
Smyrna.
The prestige which Smyrna enjoyed some year,
| back, owing TO certain adverse influences moi
necessary to name and some unfortunate business
enterprises has been considerably shadowed and il
some quarters might infer. they thought her ligh
was eXtinguiShed. Figures and facts muCl
better criterion to Judge from than distorted imagina
tions or baseless fabric of vision 1t is true tina
the current of trade does not run in the same chan
nels exactly as in former years, but where it ha
been diverted from one course, it has found an out
cropping in other. In mercantile sense (and it wa
her commercial supremacy that gave smyrna herpre
eminence years ago., if we temporarily fell back We
are coming up again, for wholesale dealers say the,
are now selling more goods to the merchants o
! manufacturing place it has always kept the lead
| And further in the days of our hardest times" W
have been able 20 meet fully and execute whateve
| pnterDriSP undertaken. The trOubln with
do not conceive enough (this by way of parentht
! ssl Three years ago when the cry of hard times
the loudeSt few of our citizens wanting bette
money facilities, conceived the idea of a "nationa
bank in addition to the one already existing. Som
persons who had not Kept up with the progress {
events thought the scheme chimericAl; that SPOOL
! spare cash could not be scraped together in IT,
: whole community What was the result lin fe'
weeks bank in successful operation with capiti
of $4,000. And can further add, that if there
the business necessity for it, there is surplus capit
ready and willing to start third national bank her
, in the next ninety days The individual deposits
nearly one hundred and twenty-five thousand dollar
constantly lying in our bank vaults attest this. TIL
basis of this wealth is rich outlying agriculture
district that has quadrupled its productivenesS durn
I | the past fifty years.
o The raising of the recent church debt the insnu
tions in regard to which from other places prompte
y this notice. is another evidence of the financis
, stability of this community The trustees of one
- our three churches stated to the audience that the
wanted month from that date $4,000 to lift the e
: tire debt of the church. Result: in three weeks Il
= amount is in hand without any friction and II
sonorous bell rings out its h0llowed epic as it h
q | praise. And if it would be any comfort to the NJ
a | ford NelUS, which seemed to take some pleasure
Il making the announcement that the NJ. +. Chur(
in Smyrna has been threatened by the sheriff" '
would state that there was enough left in the ham
of those who paid meager sums and those who pa
nothing at all, to wipe out the Milford church de
of three or four thousand and not feel it. The sur Oft
q Wilmington Republican that The Smyrna Methods
&C. are sinking beneath church debt of $4,000" al
~ asks what legacy for an inceptive generation
" Smyrnaites" was in its coarse language alike
y fecting but with its assumed superiority of paC
p we would like to any one of its churches Sti
aI out in similar enterprise and do better. This sta
II ment about the sheriff is entirely gratuitous al
- without authority. Not one of the creditors "
~ pressing had threatened the church; the dc
n could have gone along it had and just any 9th
debt by paying the interest but the trustees We
tired of carrying the load and thought it time to
- | iunba