The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-06-15
AFTER THE CENTENNIAL.
Rev. e. K. Love Talks About 1t and
What it Accumulated


What it Accomplished.
Now that the African Baptist centennial
has closed and the visitors have gone to
their homes, the local COMMITTEES is sum-
ming up the situation of the finances, not
ing the things that it might have done, and
reviewing the experiences that it might
have avoided, in its attempt to continue the
centennial beyond a point where there was
a falling off i'll the financial support.
Rev. f. K. Love. pastor of the First At
rican Baptist church, who took an active
part in the inception of the centennial, and
was the incessant and active master of cere-
monies, was seen at his home on Mercer
street last night. The pastor was almost
too fatigued to be a good subject for an in
terview. He was collatiug the minutes and
sermons delivered during the centennial, to
be published in his forthcoming book, THE
History Of the First African Baptist
Church" which is now in the hands of the
MORNING NEWS printing house.
The book, Rev. Love says. will
not only contain complete
history of the church and all the minutes
and sermons of the centennial, but it will
also contain biography of Mary Jackson,
aged III, who was introduced to the centen-
NAL as being present at the organization of
the First Baptist church 100 years ago.
Rev. Love will illustrate the book, he saws,
with portraits Of Mary Jackson, of all the
pastors of the church, from Rev. BRYAN
down, of nearly all its deacons, and a pic
ture of the church itself He expects to
have the book ready for distribution by
midsummer.
Abiding to the centennial, which closed
Wednesday night, Rev. Love said that the
exercises lasted just eight days, instead of
twelve, as was first contemplated. The
programme was shortened because many of
the speakers could not be present, and those
who came and could not remain could not
well afford the expense of second trip
II tickets could have been purchased good
for ten days the attendance would have
been much larger. Many who attended
the convention would have remained over.
but finding that their tickets to these
first two sessions were good only until June
6, they left and did not return nor did their
families come to the centennial which they
would have done had the delegates re-
NAMED. Rev. Love says that the attention
of some of the railroad authorities was
called to this, but they were disinclined TO
change their plan, and it materially cut
short their receipts as well as those of the
centennial committee.
The papers read at the centennial. the
pastor said, were able and well delivered
and night daily, and as many of the speak
ers assigned were not in attendance, the
burden fell upou those who were over
worked. and for that reason the time was
shortened. He thinks that it was a
mistake to have fixed the
time for so long, as it is a very
busy season for farmers and those in service
could hardly..afford to lose so much time,
even to attend a centennial celebration
This tha nafNnt,1fffaa did
until the people got on the ground, and
when it was the time was shortened and at
the right time. The interest did not abate
up to tho last day. Rev. Love estimates
that during the centennial from 30 900 to
10000 colored visitors were attracted TO the
city, and about q. 600 visited the tabernacle.
The committee, he said, has not yet been
able TO determine just how the finances
stand but it will canvass the matter to-day.
He estimated that something over 500 was
raised on the ground, and the receipts
from all sources will aggregate fully
$4,000, and The expenditures will
approximate $1,000. Then the sale
of the tabernacle will bring something.
There was debt to begin with, but if a
surplus remains he thinks it will be turned
over to some branch Of the African Baptist
missionary work. 1t was matter OF con-
graduation and surprise in some quarters
that there was not an accident or dis
turbance during the eight days OF the CEN
tennial, although thousands of visitors were
in the city, nearly one-half of whom had
come as excursionists and never got out as
far as the tabernacle. In concluding Rev.
Love mentioned the following ministers,
African and white, as men Of promi-
hence among tho Baptist clergy who
were here Revs. DR.. b. Griffith of
Philadelphia, Pa. J. L. Dart of Charleston,
s. c.; j. G.. Ross Of Jacksonville, Fla.
H. J. Europe Of Mobile, Ala; w. r.
Pettford of Birmingham, Ala; c. S.
wilkins of Lafayette, Ala. w. II. Tilman,
ST., E. r. Carter and G. II. Lyons OF At
lanta, J. G. Bryan Of Americus. w. j.
Walker and T. j. Hornsby Of Augusta,
W. S. r mssy Of Columbus, DIR. w. II.