St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1885-12-24
pers which freely publish communica
tions whose sentiments differ from
their own.
MILLIoNAIREs IN CHURCH.

When the big bell in old Trinity
church begins to peal at exactly noon
each day, the Rev. w. Hay Atkin, the
English mission preacher, stands up in
the pulpit and faces a peculiar audi
ence. 1t is made up almost entirely of
men. Here and there a bright bonnet
is seen, but this is rare. The gather
| ing to-day is composed of the solid
business men of New York and their
clerks. Old gray-haired men whose
names are better known at the busl-
ness end of bank checks than in church
put themselves solidly into the narrow
pews. Pert Young brokers, dashing
men whose voices are heard hourly IN
the Stock Exchange and who scramble
in the wheat pit in the Produce Elk
change, elbow their way up into eligi-
BILE seats. Clerks, who are known for
their accuracy in adding up long col
umns of figures and who can tell in the
twinkling of an eye just how the stock
tread on tiptOe as they move into their
places. Mr.. Atkin gives ont hymn,
s'When l can read my title clear to
mansions in the skies.p The little or
ganist runs her hand skilfully over the
ivory keys. A strain of melody bursts
forth. The clear sunlight pOurs in
from the half open windows. The
sound of heavy drays, street cars and
cabs are plainly heard, forming a
strange contrast to the quietude with
in. The strong baritone voice of the
leader is heard as he begins the hymn.
'Every body sing," shouts the minister.
"Sing as loudly as you did in the old
days when you were in your mothers
church, before you came from home to
begin in this city your struggle for
gold - The words are electrical. A
flood of music browns the noise with
out. Then comes a prayer, and anOth
er hymn, and the minister begins Is
minutes sermon. His auditors nestle
back into their seats and drink in every
word
He tells of the business mems grow
ing tendency to worship mammOn
alone. He punctures his remarks with
sharp sentences and pleads for God.
He tells story or two. One about ii
little boy whose employer had treated
him so we'll that, when the old man
died, the little fellow, who had no
flowers to put on his grave, wrote in IL
rough hand this sentence: ale was
good to me, he was" Tears trickle
down the cheeks of a score of those
present. Then occurs another song
and the benedictiOn. That is all.
Nothing remarkable in that, you say.
No, but stand at the door and watch
these men as they go out. YOu will
then see something remarkable. You
will find that nearly 100000, 900 have
been in old Trinity for the half hours
sermon. Here is Jay Gould, who is
worth $4,000, 900, who forgets his
stocks while he goes to church i'm the
busiest hour of the day. Here is Dea-
con White, Beecher's friend, $1,000,
900 more that big man with He
brew face is Seligman, $l0,OOO,OO
Henry Clews comes next, 81 900, 900
Wash Conner is here, S2,000,000. Cy-
rus w. Field comes out with DIR. Nor
vim Green of the Western Union Tele-
graph, $60,OO0,OOO between them.
Austin COrbin follows, $4,000, 600
more. d. o. Mills, the brusque West
erner, is here. His check for $50, 900,
600 is good in any bank in the city.
DR.. Morgan Dix is behind him. He
controls $40, 100000 of Trinity church
property, and so it goes on. A long
string of well known men pour out
and hurry away to change.
ais your mission work success p
the Record correspondent asks Mr..
Atkin as he appears.
ooh, yes" he replies.
"Do you know how many millions
of dollars sat down to listen to you p
"No."
"FOur hundred million dollars OF
thereabouts."
Astounding! That shows the sue
cess of the work. Time was when Il
man who was worth million thought
that he could stay away from church.
Pm glad they come. am going to
other large cities to work, to Boston,
Philadelphia and Chicago. If | sue
ceed as well there as | have here, it
will be glorious indeed !"