The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-07-12
CHAIRS IN THE PLACE OF PEws.
A Modern Idea for Making Sinners Com.
fS,,.taI,ll TRhar, Thar Cnr,an r., CI,u,.oI,

A Modern Idea for Making Sinners Com
Portable When They Come to Church.
New York Sun.
is the trade in pews for churches increas-
lng!" said young man to dealer in these and
kindred articles.
mo, it's getting to fall off more and more"
Sad proof of the wickedness of the people
and the inability of modern preachers to reach
the masses, isn't it9n
mo. There's nothing sad about it It's a
cheerful indication of the appreciation of modern
improvements by conservative churchmen.
Pews are going to be replaced by chairs, such as
are now used in theaters, It's all right, moral
ly and physically. A man will not go to sleep
in comfortable seat as soon as he will
in an uncomfortable one because, when uncom-
Portable he loses the thread of the discouse fails
to catch it again, because his attention is devoted
to making himself comfortable, and meantime
he strikes a tolerably easy position, and away he
goes Why should man find straight backed
bench when at church, and = comfortably covered
and upholstered chair at the theaterl"
"Are the modern pews straight backed
benches?'
mot exactly, but they are not chairs Pews
are made of various sizes, running from capac-
ity for four to eight people. They are of wood
straight. Cushions make them more comfort
able but the only occupants having arm-rests
are those at the ends. Hassocks, or something
similar, serve as foot-rests. Compare them
WlUn JIG CustlFS. OualF- DdCkS are more dQre6-
able to the eye than the straight line of a pew
back; they prevent crowding; each chair has a
book-rack, hat-rack and a foot-rest and some
have places for canes, umbrellas and parasols;
they give better cash returns than pewsn
81 should think that men would hire chair or
two instead of pew, and at a less price,
''That is just what happens, but many who do
not want whole pews hesitate about hiring parts
of pews. When church is seated with chairs
each member of family hires seat Single
Yno and hire 40 q see
ual experience, churches that have substituted
chairs for pews have obtained permanent in
creases of income from the sittings of from 60 to
so per cent That means, of course, greatly in
creased attendance. People who desire to be
very exclusive sometimes hire an entire row of
seats.
''Chairs are also desirable, because they can
be made in greater variety than pews. We have
them made of cast-iron, or of wooden frames,
using iron only In the devices that enable the
chair to be tilted back and the seat to be thrown
up. There by the way, is a good point. People
can reach inside seats much more comfortably
past tilted chairs than they can through solid
pews. The most popular chair is the one made
| of perforated veneering, which is at once light
and strong When chairs are upholstered in
silk, plush or embossed leather they are very
| beautiful
"And very expensive, too"
mot as expensive as pews of equal elegance.
The cheapest pew made with solid ends costs So
foot, and the cushion 81 foot more. High
priced pews cost $40 foot A sitting requires
eighteen inches Of space. Now we can furnish
an elegant chair for 81. so. The cheapest folding
chairs cost 50. We can get up chairs worth $40
but $40 is about the limit of even wealthy
churches. Church committees appreciate those
/ prices"
Why don't church committees put in the
chairs, thenl
',They do in the new churches, and in many
old ones. The only objection is the conservative
spirit that opposes change because it is q
change Changes would be more frequent, how
ever, only church seating say 1000 or 300C
people will require an expenditure Of $lO, 900 OF
$4,000. They would soon get it back, but they
| don't know itn
"Are out-of-town churches adopting chairsr
Eyes. The Church of the Tabernacle, Wash
ington; David Swings church, Chicago Second
Presbyterian, Kansas City; Christian Church
| Springfield Ill, and dozen smaller ones have
recently adopted chairs We export some to tht
West Indies and South America
How do you provide for chapelsr
| ''The best thing is a settee made Of Stats o.