Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1882-10-14
Church Corner Stone Laid.


Stone of the new NJ. f. Church, South, al
Berryville. Clarke County, Virginia, was laid
with Masonic ceremonies by Trcsdwell
Lodge of that place, assisted by members Of
the order from Winchester and Charlestown.
Ager the laying of The stone au' address was
delivered by Bishop A. W. Wilson, OF that
Chu.ch. His remarks weIe apt and to the
roint. This Church, he said, was no new
enterprise. only continuance of what had
been going on IN the old church on the site
Of which thew stood. There many Of them
had learned all they knew Of religion and
Ncthodisnl-there their fathers had wor-
SHRED. All thing else are subject to
change. but Christianity is the same since
the DAYS of The Apostles, when human ma
ture required Tie same gospel that it does
rcw. In looking over contents ofthe corner
store of the OLD church, laid forty-twoyears
ago. saw copies OF the Nmctester IirgiH'oH
and Charlestown Free Press dated July 1910,
and in reading their columns penned At the
time when Harrison was running for the
presidency he noticed that political strife
was as fierce rhen as in our own time, and
men called each other 10y Just as hard names
Is they DO now-the .only dilIercnce-per-
hapS slight improvomeni-being that in
stead Of buying votes, as they do now, in
old times they were won't to put ballet
through the heads of those who failed to
vote the right way 50 that 1t was evident
men were about alike in ali ages. lIe al
luded to the work that had been done by
Nethodism-a work accomplished by no
other church Many thousands had been
lite from the depths Of degradation and
sin through its agency to positions of wealth
and influence and respectability, until there
is danger that the Church may become too
rich and powerful and in some places lose
her pristine purity and simplicity. He pro-
claimed hnusclf-a Methodist through and
rhrough, born and bred and always to con-
tinue one-a very cid iogy Of Methodism,
and delighted in anticipation of association
with such "uulcarnod and ignorant men" As
Peter and James and John were py02ounc-
cd in apostolic times. lie looked forward
10 a joyful eternity in just such society when
hi, work on earth had reached its close.
After the address Rev. Mr.. StrOther pro-
ceeded to ask for . collection to aid in the
erection of the new church, aad then dis
PLAYED the contents of the old corner stone.
There were two metallic boxes-one if the
cornerstone and the other encased in the
wall of the building. The one in the cor
ner->tone was found to contain the following
articles;
VI. L. Hymn Book, Wesleyan Catechism
and Discipline printed in 1851.
Bible, presented by Cecilia Burwell to
Elizabeth Clink, printed in 1882.
Methodist Almanac printed in 1910, all
in perfect state of preservation; a'so a cop
per-plate, upon which was engraved the
following:
The Cornerstone of this building was
laid August 5rh, lS'A by The Rev. VIM.
Weeks, of the Jefferson Circuit, assisted by
| ". q. Singleton, Esq, G.. NJ. of District No.
! H. and II. =. Of T. \. c., No. II. HOr4tio
Wheat. builder Robert K. Roberts Josh
ma Soulc. Elijah iledding, James ID. An
drews. Beverly Waugh aud Thomas 4. Nor
ris. Bishops Of the United States. Martin
| Van Buren,. President of United States
Walker W. Gilmore, Governor of Virginia
| Ltp, De- ia, y. Meredith, tng1aver.'
la the other box were copies of the Hin
chester I1rgiri-T EJacics'-r Republican,
Cha,lcs,ovu Frcc Press HaTcr's Ferry Con-
s'ivfioaoijst, Lutheran JJ>n'rC- of Balti-
mo7e. Christian .ldrocatc 4. ,io'ouol of New
York, Baltimore Patriot Africq's LoamaIy
| 6f Monroyia, Liberia, Wsshir~ton Gio5c
and National htc9igenccr; also one vial
each Of wheat. wine and oil.
In TIE FREE PRESS VAS letter to Hon.
VIM. c. Biyes, concerning dinner to bc
given him 10y citizens of Winchester, signed
10y tor,y leading gentlemen Of that place
of whom only thrcc-Jamc> Burgess, tohn
+. Wall and Joseph II. Sherrard-sill sur
yive. and strange to relate, these three
names we're Immediately together
The Church when completed will be
handsomc-built of bri,k, Aothic architec-
turc, and of good size-a monument to the
energy of the pastor, Rev Mr. Strother, and
to the fbcfality of his congregation, snl Il
credit TO tho builders.