Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-04
RIDGEVIEW PARK TORN UP.
The NJ. E. National Association Re-
fuses to Fulfill Its Date.
SUNDAY TRAINS AND GATE FEES.
Rev. C. W. Smith Says That the Days Of
Campmeeting Are Long Past.
THE EVENT WILL PROCEED, HOWEVER


versy among the stockholders of the Ridge
view Campmeeting Association as to the
question of Sunday trains and open gates
and gate fees on Sunday. The annual
campmeeting at Ridgeview Park was to
have commenced on the 18th of this month,
under the conduct of the National Camp
meeting Association, an organization oi
ministers and laymen formed for the pur-
pose of conducting campmeetings under
contract at stipulated prices.
This organization now refuses to keep its
agreement, and will not be connected in any
way with the campmeeting, as may be seen
from the following open letter, addressed to
the Christian Standard, and republished in
the current number of the Pittsburg Chris
ttdT Advocate:
THE ENGAGEMENT is OFF.
1t was agreed. when the National Association
accepted the invitation to hold national
campmeeting at Ridgeview Park, Pa, that no
Sabbath gate fees should be taken and no ex-
cursion trains should be run to the ground on
the Sabbath, with the consent and approval OF
the local association. This pledge was given to
Brother A. c. Martin for the National Associ-
alton. With this pledge the meeting was an
nounced, and all preparations were made
to hold it. We were Informed by
minister that the Ridgeview Park As
sociation intended to take Sunday gate
fees and run Sunday excursion trains.
We wrote to Brother Martin. asking If
such was the fact, and he informs us that they
have gone back on their pledge to him, and
propose not only to take Sunday gate ices, but
TO run excursion trains.
Not believing that Christian men could so far
violate their pledge, we telegraphed the Rev.
J. T. Riley, of Pittsburg asking if Sunday gate
fees would be taken. His reply is, Sunday
gate fees will be taken at Eidgeview Park"
Under these circumstances we are compelled,
by every consideration of honor, justice and
religion, to recall the appointment. There
will, therefore, be no national campmeeting
held at Ridgeview Park. Pa as advertised.
w. MCDONALD. President of the N. c. A.
THE EVENT WILL TAKE PLACE.
Rev. C. W. Smith, editor of the Christidn
Advocate, was seen in regard to this appar-
ent breach of the harmony that should pre-
vail among the brethren of Ridgeview Park
and the National Methodists. He said:
"Without going into the merits of the
controversy, 1 can simply say that the
campmeeting will be held, exactly az ad-
vertised, and will be in charge of Rev. A.
C. johnson, Presiding Elder of the Blairs-
vile district, who has for years been the
active spirit in the conduct of RIdgeview
Park campmeeting. / don't think there
will be any Bishop present, but am pur-
suaded that the canpmeeting will be as in
teresting as usual. The National Associa-
tion people, are, of course, highly qualified
to conduct campmeetings, and makes such
religious work speciality. Their engage
ment was made in January last, and
stipulsted sum was to have been paid.
Their cancellation is somewhat sudden, but
the Board of Directors of Ridgeview Park
think themselves in the right, and will do
the best they can to replace the attraction.
RidgevIew Park is so lar away from Pitts
burg that the matter has trife less in
terest locally than any matter pertaining to
Valley Camp. There are, however, quite a
number of East End Methodists who main
tain cottages at Ridgeview Park who will
be interested in the matter.
INTERNECINE TROUBLE AT RIDGEvIEw,
ssThere is a serious division of opinion
among those directly interested in the park
over this very matter of Sunday trains, open
gates and admission fees. Two years since
the stockholders of Ridgeview Park intro
duced and had passed resolution instruct
ing the Board of Managers to abolish the
running of Sunday excursion trains and also
to close the gates on Sunday, thus doing
away with the admission fee. But although
the stockholders were so clearly IN the
majority, the managers found means to
evade the Instructions and the matter has
been in their hands under protest ever since.
suppose that the misapprehensiono of which
President Mcdonald, of the National As
sociation, com plains arose in the division of
opinion within the Ridgeview Park Asso-
citation. 1t is an unfortunate stale of affairs.
but it cannot be helped"
"What Is your estimation of the amount
of Sunday desecration resultant upon the
gathering of a large number of people at a
campmeeting, even if excursion trains are
necessary for transportation" was asked of
DIR. Smith.
SIT society becomes so strict that it can
not hold meeting because of possible Sun
day discretion, it is going too far. There
are, of course, two sides to every question,
There are always scores of people who 90 to
such meetings with not the remotest idea of
listening to the preaching, and who there
fore take advantage of the spirit and intent
of the campmeeting. 1 think no deliberate
occasion should be made which offers an
opportunity for Sunday desecration. The
first campmeetIngs were held in the woods,
where no excursion features were possible,
and 1 think the Methodist campmeeting
was at its best under primitive circum-
stances"
ARE THEY GETTING OBSOLETE?
"Does not your remark lead to the deduc-
ton that the interest in campmeetings is
dying out 2" was the next query.
''Oh, by no means; that is no more than
the force of circumstances affects the insti-
tuition. Civilization has brought new
condition of affairs into vogue. Campmeet-
ings were originally intended as religious
rallying occasions for sparsely settled COM
munities. But civilization has brought
churches to the doors of the people, and
there is no excuse for making occasions to
violate the Sabbath day. Here is what the |
Christian Advocate said editorially in re-
gard to the controversy between the Nation |
al Association and the Ridgeview Park |
managers. |
We submitted the statement to one of the |
managers for their answer, and he denies that |
any such promises were ever made to the Ma |
tional Association by the campmeeting manag-
ers or any one authorized to speak for them. |
He affiIms that 1t has been their arrangement |
all the while to have the gates open on Sunday, |
and 10 collect the usual fees at the gates, and |
that If any one represented differently to the |
association he did SO on his own responsibility. |
There was, therefore, he afirms, no bad faith |
on their part
CAMPMEETINGS COMMENTED UPON.
In recent issue of the Christtan Advo- |
cate. Editor Smith said several things about |
campmeetings as an institution, which are |
of interest After adverting to the origin of |
campmeetings, he said:
There are evils among which is the relation |
of campmeetings TO the Sabbath, and the OBJ |
lection urged against it Is not new by any |