Daily Republican., 1880-02-09
CENTENARY ANNIVERSARY.
The One HuDdreath ADniversHTy
q. Of q soI6rea Laay--A Sketch OF
her Lsfe.

The Bethel A. N. Z. Church, on Wal
nut street above Sixth, held services
yesterday in cOmmemoration OF the one
hundredth birthday Of Mrs. Fannie
Hamilton, a colored lady, who Ia held
in esteem by numerous friends. When
the services began the congregation
was very small, but increased as the
morning hours waned. The aged lady
did not arrive at the church until
thirteen minutes after eleven o'clock.
Previous 10 her arrival, however, after
the preparatory religious devotions
were concluded, she pastor ofthe Gu urcn
the Rev. Mr.. Felts, arose and said that
he would give the lady's history as
accurately as he could.
She was born upon the banks
of the Choptank river. near Greens.
boro, Maryland, on the eighth day OF
February Of the year 1870. She re-
sided in this locality for thirty-seven
years, when she moved u Kent county,
Delaware. Here she remained until
1858, when she came to this city with
her son Daniel and has ever since re-
sided here. She now resides at No.
l127 Orange street. She does not
recollect the exact date of her conver-
sion to christianity, but when very
young she joined Rice's Chapel, near to
the place at which she resided. She
also WAS free born, but her husband
was a slave. Her union with him
resulted in sixteen children being born
unto her. OF this number four still
live James, residing at Dover ; Annie
also residing at Dover Lewis, residing
at Smyrna, and Daniel residing IN this
city with his mother.
During her life Mrs, Hamilton has
besn blest with very good health, hav-
ing but once been compelled to resort
to medicine. When fifty years Of age,
she purchased pair of spectacles, but
these she laid aside, being convinced
that they were more injurious than use
full. In the year 1854 she became
connected with the Bethel A. M. K.
ch urch and has since continued to re-
main membsr thereof.
The pastor spoke to the effect that
the church had enjoyed more prosperity
su bsequent to her becoming a member
than it had previous to that period.
The church when first organized wor-
shipped in dwelling house near the
Brandwine creek, but that place was so
Unsatisfactory that it was abandoned
and the Odd Fellows hall, near the
present church was secured. In the
year 1858 an edifics was constructed on
Penn street, its dimensions bsing "a by
II feet.
At this place the congregation wor-
shipped for ten years, when they pro-
cured the site upon which their pres
ent church is erected. Previous to this
erection they occupied the building
which recently was removed. In re-
placing the old church Mrs. Hamilton
aided by contributing sum of money.
The condition of this church, said the
speaker, is better financially than the
condition OF the United States at one
time. The church had not yet reached
similar point to that which the Union
experienced when "Grandmother" was
four years of age. At that time the
United States did not possess enough
money to pay her debts, nor neither
had it enough to pay the interest upon
| its debts. Grandmother was nine
years OF age when George Washington
was iuaueurated as the first PTesideu,
of the United States.
1t therefore can be said that the lady
! has witnessed the rise and progress o.
this Government, Gods saving power
manifested in church and in State, aud
Justice crushed to the earth and risen
again. Subsequent to her birth five
battles of the revolutionary war were
fought, and she remembers vaguely
some Of the incidents connected with
tho war of 1912, oue Of which was the
battle at New Orleans between Gener-
ais Jackson and Packenbam, in which
tho British were disastrously defeated,
lesing 700 men killed, 400 wounded
and 500 prisoners, while tho American
loss was only IS men.
Indian wars have been prevalent
during her life, and they still continue,
and will not cease until the Indian is
extermiNated. He considered the ne
gro superior to the Indian, because the
former would yield to civilization while
the latter detested 1t The speaker con-
tinuing said the aged lady had witness
sed the cause and result of tie late war,
the progress and result of wiCledness,
and INJUSTICE practiced on servants and
laborers, and also Gods deliverance,
aud saving hand in washing away this
country's stains of the blood Of its in
habitants. She also had beheld slavery
mounted on the highest pinacle. e.She had
also witnessed changes in ytbe church.
After eighteen years Of suffering in the
west, east south and north, Methodism
h al only l5,O00 converts and eighty
preacAerse During the following eighty
years it had ll3, 900 converts and 400
preachers. At the present time there
are 100000 converts, and 10000
preachers converted to that sect.
She lived i'll a tlln0 when the church
and the world were not locked in each
others embracs. The speaker said that
the Masonic Lodge possessed more pow
er now than the church. The church
has given up her power as concerns the
possession of the Holy Spirit. He pray
ed that God would raise an Elijah to
DESTROY Baal. Hs considered all the
churches alike in this respect, but
thought that,the colored people imita
ted the white. lie wanted pure and
undefled religion preached.
The aged lady having arrived, the
Rev. w. G. Bantum, of Philadelphia,
preached from the words "If We walk
in the light as He is in the light We
have fellowship with God through our
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