The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-05-06
Features of the Conference.

On Sunday Rev. Thomas Stabler, of the North
Indiana Conference, preached at Sloan Chapel;
Rev. Alex. Martin, of the Indiana Conference,
at Union Chapel; Rev. J. Poucher, of the Indiana
Conference. atTwelfth-stree Church.; Chancellor
Sims preached in Greenstreet Church, and Rev.
DR.. Bayliss at Germantown.
A Philadelphia special says: Great interest
prevails in this city, the home of the. senior
bishop, NJ. Simpson, as well as throughout the
whole church, because of his protracted and
very serious illness. The interest has been inten-
sifed by the alterations of improvement and
relapse at different stages of his illness. Until
about two weeks ago the Bishop had been gath
ering strength steadily, though slowly, when a
slight relapse occurred, succeeded by a sharper
and more facilitating attack. For a few days
he has been recuperating, and is now free from
the effects of his late attacks. Mrs. Simpson
and her daughters have been increasingly de-
voted in caring for the good Bishop. and to their
care has been added the most sktlful medical
treatment. His multitude of friends in this
city and lsewher hope most sincerely that he
may speedily recover, and be yet able to render
much additional service to the church, which has
so long been the object of his care, and which
he has served SO well since his early manhood.
'ETHE FATHER OF THE GENERAL CONFERENCE"
Philadelphia Record.
Bishop Simpson links the Methodism of the
past with the Methodism Of the present. He has
served the church just half a century and occu
pied the episcopal chair for ~thirty-two
years. For many years he has been acknowl-
edged to be the most eloquent Methodist preacher
living. He is twenty years the official senior of
any of his episcopal colleagues, and as his eyes
wandered over the vast and imposing body of
delegates they met but one face which was pres
ent as a delegate in the General Conference of
1S52-at which he was elected to the episcopacy
that Of ''the father of the General Conference"
Rev. Joseph NJ. Trimble, D. d., of the Ohio Con
ference, who for the past forty years has always
been a General Conference delegate. Father
Trimble has for ~ffty-seyen years been
a Methodist preacher. In 1928 he entered
the Ohio Conference, against the earnest protest
of his father, who was then Governor of that
State. Governor Trimble had more ambitious
ideas about his sons future than he supposed
could be realized in the church. The Governor
was popular, and had been two years in the
executive chair. He had no great idea then of
Methodism; but the son had, and a few years af-
terward the old Governor, going out TO hear the
son preach. was himself converted, and became
prominent in the church. DR.. Trimble was first
elected a delegate to the General Conference
which met in New York in 1874, and has been
elected to every successive General Conference
since. He is the only delegate in the history of
Naturally. he is a striking figure in the assem-
biage, which, as one secs II in session ready for
the business to come before it, presents a full
picture of the Methodism of the day, the Meth
odism Of the United States, of the far-off East
and of its native isle, as well as Methodism as it
has planted its banners upon the soil of CONT
mental Europe,