St. Paul daily globe., 1885-08-31
30 MEANs EXTRAVAGANT.

! arrangements OF pewS, its organ and the
general furnishings of the church. While
the latter are
BY NO MEANS EXTRAvAGANT,
they are such as one expects TO find in a
prominent city church. The earliest struc-
ture in which this society worshiped after
its organization, except for few weeks
when services were held in Concert hall,
was chapel on Goodrich street, dedicated
in 1853. 1t was the 9th of September, 1871,
that the first pledges were made for build
ing new church, and the corner stone of
the new edifce was laid within
year, June %, 1872, and a little
more than a year later the house was
| dedicated. Including the ground and the
| furnishing the cost of the church was
S3S, 900. For more than ten years, during
which the church had grown in member
ship and influence, the society wOrshiped
in this structure. but in 1884 an addition
was found advisable, and at an expense of
about five thousand dollars the church was
placed in its present condition. Within,
the church is attractive in arrangement and
finish, the pews comfortable and the aeous-
tic properties good. Many prominent cit
liens of St Paul occupy pews in this
church every Sunday morning, men who
are in business and affairs of state. And
1 NAAl4C HNAAAo - ~ AliE GdSNdl dAlCDudnI WOUlU
not be particularly struck with any
DISPLAY OF WEALTH
within the pews. Evidently the attend
ants are orthodox in this little particular as
in their creed. Not so many fine carriages
drive up and wait while the owner aIights
as at some other churches of the city. but
still there are members of this church who
are rated as high in the books of the COM
mercial agencies as on the church roll. The
recognized pillars of the church are many
A. b. Taylor, j. w. DOran, l.. Warner. G.
q. Sanbom, c. w. Hackett. S. S. Taylor,
| Rev. III. H. Hart, are some of them. Can't.
/ Braden, the state auditor. is regularly In
his pew here, and Assistant Superintendent
| of Schools PrendergaSt is a constant attend
ant. The membership Of the church at the
| close of the last year was 49S and the num-
Der has since been increased by ten or more
| Since the church was organized there have
| been numerous off-shoots that have them
selves developed into flouriShing churches.
| These have drawn somewhat from the
membership of Plymouth, as with each new
| church some of the names have been trans
| ferred. The Pacific church, organized in
1852, the Atlantic and the Park in 1883, are
all children of this church. The church is
in no sense a cold-bloOded one, and the
stranger within its gates is made at once at
home.
SINCE ITS ORGANIZATION
seven shepherds have led this flock. Rev.
Burdett Hart, the first pastor, was with the
/ young church but year. and was followed
| by Rev. A. 5. FiSke, who remained three
| years. Following in order came Rev. Silas
Hawley, Rev. j. F. Dudley, Rev. L. j.
White, Rev. c. NJ. Terry and Rev. NJ.
MEG. Dana, ID. D., the present pastor. Al
ternate lights and shades are to be seen on
the page of the church's history, though the
| lights are by far the more prominent. Every
pastor that the church has had has been
stamped with the New England orthodoxy,
either from being born and brought up there,
or having received a college or seminary
| education there. The present pastor, DR..
Dana, has been with the church since 1878.
having been been called from the Park Con-
gregational church in Norwich. Conn.
In these years that he has been here he has
become known as one of the most substan-
tial men Of the denomination in the North
west.
STRICTLY ORTHODOX.
with a keenly perceptiye mind. well stored
with reading, and withal, large amount
of practical, everyday, common sense and
tact in the management of affairs, he has
| presided ably over his growing flock. In
the pulpit he does not get excited. and a
platform smaller than the one in Plymouth
church would be ample for his needs. He
usually-nearly alwayS-speaks from notes.
His manner of speech in his sermon and in
reading the hymn is in no sense conversa-
| tional, and is somewhat of the style gener-
ally credited 10 the early Puritans. 1t is
impressive. His language is largely Anglo
Saxon, and his Illustrations are sometimes
striking. he often expresses himself in q
| that
BRINGS A SLIGHT SMILE
to some who occupy front pews. In statue
he Is Of medium height and rather thick-set.
Rather light-brown hair covers his we'll
shaped head, with forehead so high as TO
| give him almost the appearance of being
bald. He is not violent in gesture and sel-
dom moves from the sight of his manuscript
which lies on the desk. though he is by no
means confined to this, but often interiects
a passing thought that cornes IN hin, oo on,