The Red Cloud chief., 1888-12-28
rwo OLD.
hes history ~ the Ola swsAs CAsssA
At WusainssSs. usiaVose.

\ SA04S 0toeD9y NJ tho Of4 SWo0o C00e0o
1t W~ussisssss.
| TIE mos: interesting feature % vii.
! nington. Is The old Swede Church.
standing on the outskirts @! the city.
GEAR Ia. Christina. just above the ROCKS
where in old days Miuni; Planted his
tort am o. opinion that We have no
church quite - interesting. Us regards
aye. origin and architecture IL l.
probably Tn. oldes; which remains ex-
| actly a. u left the hard. Of is builders:
clogs" IL the date 10 iron letters on the
west gable. The building stands in .
wide place Of graves. a lit,l. back from
Christina creek. aad a mile ve-i y! the
Delaware. The church Is built OF gray
stone sixty zee, long. thirty feet vide
and twenty Zee; high. The walls arc
six feet thick a; :he base and three fec:
III the windows. There are fve % the
latter, large and arched in the style OF
the old Norman. "a are the three heavy
doors. There are inscriptions On all
four sides in iron letters set into the
walls, the main inscription being on
the west gable.
Within the church IS as quaint and
old a. when Dutch Peter. the battle
Scared sexton, hauled live coals from
the old csGnon stove upon the brick
floor 10 warm Il. The old cedar roof.
fir pews and quaint pulpit. with its
high sounding board. are very Inter
e-ting specimens indeed Clearly church
furniture.
The inscriptions recall the very in
teres,ing circumstances under which
the church wa- built. After the cap
ture by the Dutch $3.50, the Swedes
were very much scattered. and found
it extremely difficult 20 secure pastors.
They were 81 the Lutheran faith Of the
pure Augsburg Confession. and secured
now and then IL minister from the
churches AZ New York. their las, one
from this source being the Re Jaco-
came blind and i~ncapacitatcd in 1852.
They made frequent but vain appeals
To the home church to send them two
ministers. with Bibles. ca;cchisms and
other goodly books Ia protect them
from the false teachers and strange
~sccts." by whom they were surround. I'D.
At last, in 1923. they appealed TO
Charles XI.. of Sweden. al appeal very
interesting Ia Us from n statement il
contains that there were then lsS Swe-
dish families, comprising yi2 persons.
living on the Delaware. Charles was
much interested by the letters. but tho
death of his Queen. Ulrica Elcanorn.
Don after, and pressing affairs of state
delayed the American matter for some
time. In 1896 il was revived. Andrew
Rudman. a candidate, was selected as
missionary To America. and he in turn
chose two other godly men. Eric Bjork
and Josias Aurran. - companions and
cO-workers. The King gave them for
their outfit thirteen hundred dollars
"copper" mint. and five hundred copies
of Luther's CatechiFi- with Bibles.
pastils and church YooAs. each beaus.'g
the Kings name il s!i' letters ~ the
.srvv we've abo,,-to depart he granted
them a PERSON. Interview, ut which
he gave them hundred dollars ..siI-
Yer miut'' 'nal Tor their vow
and iin, them that nc nav"
ordered IN iish Ambassador In
London To e passports and see
them safely ID ir way. Go now.'
he concluded. N the name OF the
Lord TO the place\p which send you.
God be with YOU ali make you indeed
~succcssful!' FURNISHED with II safe con
duct from England. they came safely
70 Maryland. thence they Travelled
overland To Wilmington and Philadci-
phia. Rudman taking the parish nj
Wicacoa. near the latter place. and
| Bjork that of Crane Hook. near VIII
mington. The people Of Wilmington
| thought that "a church should he reared
in their village; those At Crane Hook
| opposed any change; at last. as n com
promise. it was agreed To place II on
| the banks OF the Christina. 50 that the
people from the outlying districts
could como in boats in surnmer and
| sleigh in winter. and also for the pro
lection afforded by the fort. John
Stalcop. a church warden. gave the
land. They began building on May y,
1898. The edifce was consecrated ~
Trinity Church. on Trinity Sunday
1899. The occasion was made a day Of
great rejoicing. Governor Markham
was invited. but vas unable 70 b
present. The feast was spread in the
house Of John Stalcop. All sorts o.
meat and drink. We are told. were con
tributod-wheat. malt. bread. flour,
hops. wine. butter. sugar. raisins. eggs,
veal, mutton. venison. chickens. tur'
keys. turnips. etc. The congregation
ate the dinner together. rejoicing and
praising God" For years after thu
anniversary was observed. COmmun
ions and baptismal services were long
celebrated with the chalice and piats
sent over by the copper-vorkers o.
Sweden to Pastor Bjork. and the Bible
long used was that given by Queer
Anne. in l7l2.-W Wilmington Cor. n. =
Post.
GENUINE GROWTH.