The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1879-01-18
BEECHER'S ANNUAL AUCTION.

NeW York Sun.

NeW York SuH
The cries of the auctioneer resounded in
Plymouth Church last night and the man
who hammered the OLIVE wood desk in the
pulpit had as attentive an audience as
as ever Henry Ward Beecher did,
The President of the Board of Trustees
the boyish-looking septuagenarian, James
Freeland, the auctioneer, E. E. Hoyt, and
the portly Plymouth pastor stood in a row
in the pulpit, intently gazing at the brass
clock in the rear, waiting fol the hands to
mark off time enough for grace for those
who were belated. There was a congrega-
! ton eager to spend money for Beecher,
and some impatience was manifested. The
same small army of loyal Beecher men who
formed his cabinet in the days of the Scan
dial were conspicuous in the congregation.
Then there was large company of well.
| dressed women, selecting from the charts
of seats those that their male companions
were to bid for Mr.. Beecher said, after
brief introduction:
'Allow me to say that from the begin
ming the peTs are and have been made. as
matter of policy and principle, free to
the bidders. There is no moral lien on
any of them. If anybody wants Mr., ClatN
Inns pew there is one way in which they
can get it. and there is only one way, and
| will guarantee them against his temper
if they get it away flom him. If anybody
wants Mr. Saga's pew, they are at liberty
to take it in the lawful way by bidding
more than he does, and l will venture to
insure him against any disturbance of co :
science that may arise. | apprehend
that I am able to make a statement
to- night that is without parallel on
the globe | know that there is not
bank nor an insurance company
there is not an institution i'll the city of
New York that can show business with
such minimum loss as We can. You will
be as much surprised as | am to know that
the renting of pews for the last twenty
five years amounts to about $1,000, ,oOO-
that is. the rentals and the premiums ms-or,
to be exact $9j5. 204, and the loss in the
collection amounts to only SG,+sS. Now
what percentage that is on the million Mr.
S. V. White can tell better than I can.
Laughter. But it shows one thing, L
think-a continued seriousness Of purpose /
and a continued appreciation of the priv /
ileges of religion, and a remarkable fidelity .
to obligations in regard to the church-a
fidelity which, if carried out i'll every other .
part of these mems business. would make I
them eminently men Of integrity and hon |
esty. At any rate, it is good fruit for any .
church to exhibit in twenty-five years, with .
a rental of nearly million dollars, to have .
only Sc, 800 in round numbers of loss.
There is a gentleman with Us by the
name of Hoyt. He is not skillful III oratory,
but he is desirous of making few re-
marks. He never makes more than one
speech year in church, and he will now
take my place and keep you going.
The auctioneer then entered brskly upon
his work the reward for which was fifty
dollar bank note at the close. The terms
of the sale were read. They informed the
bidders that the sums bid were to be added
to the fixed valuation of the pew, and that
were required semi-annualy IN
advance.
'Now, what am l offered for the first
choice?' said the auctionecr.
'Three hundred ''Four hundred,
came from the lips of half a dozen
Five" cried thin, musical voice, like
A womans. The auctioneer said, -Four
hundred and ffty-fye, but the same voice
him that the bid was $500. 1t
was that of Mr.. Horace b. Clatiin, and he
hose his old pew No. 50, two seats behind !
he pastors pew. The fixed rental of the t
)ews is Sl2O, and the whole cost of 1t to ]
lim thus becomes $G2O For the same seat
lie paid 5000 premium in the sale of 1871, 4
md $500 in the sale of 1873.
Again the bidders shouted out three and !
our hundred dollars, but i'll a twinkhng l
here was bid of $500, and Mr.. II. W. f
Sage chose pew 80, just behind the pastors, {
which has rental Of SllO. He paid 500 t
premium for the same pew last year. |
Jharles Dennis, who paid $500 premium c
or pew 1874, got the same pew last night {
or S420 The bidding was unusually 5
pirited, there being much rivalry for the I
,est pews. c
The bids ran S. V. White, S4O5; Au-
.ustus Storrs, S4Oj Moses 5. Beach, S40j;
!. Cornell White, S4O5; j. B. Hutchinson,
;4Oj J. c. Wemple, S40o; ). E. Sec
omb $500; o. A. eager, $500; r. 5.
,enedict $500; NJ. Van Ingen, $500; d. C
/. Arnold, $500; NJ X. Moody, $500; A. il
Iealey, $500; J. Wins.ow, $500; c. E. E
;igelow, S275: F. T. Blake, $40; 5. B, il
Duryee. S275, L. 0. Parsons, $3.50; c. I. b
orwin, S25C; NJ c. Ogden, $3.50. V
Two hundred and twenty-five dollars l
ere bid for pew No. 80 by some one in t,
le back part of the house. and the aTc- Il
oneer croned his neck to see who the bi / G
er was. The name was uttered once or 4
vice indistinctly, When some one roared t,
ut Il
''Thomas G.. Shearman.' Ii
"Oh, said the auctioneer. Il
"Ah, said the clerks. el
Hump. said the pastor a,
At o'clock the premiums were down to Il
1876, and later down to 800. Then they S
egan to dwindle until the pews, where the n
lstor could be heard and not seen, were ei
I'D at a premium of 81. Sexton Weld S
ok lot of ten in lump at - each, tc
on speculation. L
The total premiums amounted to S27,- et
s. which added to the fixed rentals of le
). 743. makes the total of the sales S4O,- d
Il, an excess of 3,S17 over the sales of o,
st year. The receipts for 1877 were S4S,- til
20; for 1876, 500, $50; for 1875, S70,3I9: +
r 1874. SO, 430; for 1873, $50, 230 for tn
~. $50, 1870; and for 1871, Sj7,620. al
Paddy Ahead f0