New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-08-31
OCEAN GROVE SKETCHES.
MEN AND WOMEN WHO HAVE DRAWN
CROWDS TO THE SEASIDE.
THE REV DIR. sToKEs's CHARACTERISTICS
REEpER VAN KIRK's MrNIsTGA.
HOUSEKEEPING RELIGION
BY SONG SERVICES.

OCEAN Grove. Aug 30 (speciaD. Tho csmpmeet-
ing which has just closed ten days series OF meet
ncs here has been unique in point Of nurntcr en-
n,,siasm and religious interest. The meetings, be-
o,pnpo Gore breakfast In the morning and con-
t,nuir, Il 10 o'clock at night, were twelve IN mum
bor anu here was no class or condition OF men Dut
what could find enjoyment in some OF them II so IN
clIncd Great tbrOngs OF visitors came every oay'
The multitudes at the beach, where they uS-
nored with the waves t0yed win the peDDies anu
bc sand and at the great Auditorium, where me listen
Inc thousands awaited the breaking OF the bread oil life
The religious camp-mcctng. after more than hundred
years Is the development ana ou'sro"" VI '"o
roculIar institutions OF the Methodist itinerary and
occupies no mean place In IFS history yet strange u
saw although conducted and oftentlmes o"hco ia's''
Inv conferences no provision is maze III tno ors"'0
law Of the Church for either their existence UT gov
eminent In this fact IS presented the a"onaS ~
nm institution growing in Importance, increasing III
IT. o,a realtb Of undoubtedly Methodlstic origin
and history yet owing no allegiance ~ 'n IT,. -, -,
aont a. tho individual members OF the Church are
LOYAL which they generally are -. On
,rle Rcv Dr. stokes seems to have been oor" vi
purpose to be the president OF the ocean "iU' -
meeting Association, which office ne mas hei" '''
since its organization, twenty years aso' -" -,
commanding presence and IS over sixty years ou'
but has vet a good physique lie Is smoo'" 80,
and his straight dark hair is becoming tis0u WIN
o Tie has an eve for the smallest details as "oii
as Cor tbc mighty interests 10 which he hlh',or''
Nothing escapes him. His voice Is powerful r"''ine
70 the utmost limits Of the vast congresao"'' ~
ondinc instant attention The Doctor possesses rare
cxccutiye ability and tact. lie Is HehDtr Va ~
New-Jersey Annual Conference OF the 80.
Episcopal Church In the days OF MS carry "n'''",
te occupcd the pulps OF some Of the most mpo an
cbrrcbes in the state Albeit he and his cOduJu'','
ro Nntbodists and Ocean Grove il Methodl't rsor'
the.broaaest liberay prevails Ministers anu P'op'0
NJ all phases OF religious belief meet mere OH oo''O
ground. and Dr. Stokes seems never so happy a. "non
some new development of cathocity OF spirit Is US
wrought out Although absorbed win executive
a+.o,s tho Doctor recognizes and call by name
every one Of the children and young peopie WIN
| come here from year TO year
DR. Stokes while standing as the exponent Oh la"
and order and demanding exemplary ooeuie"oo VI
all subordnates has the support OF sahch D'y VI
men, The members Of the association are true a' S1Vl W
tbe principles on which the place was founieu ihY
Ocean Grove idea was to create and maintain resort
for Christian peoplc which should be free. not only
from the temptations Of vice, but from rvolty' anu
50 far they have succeeded admirably WELL ohuer'
living this was the religious idea which mas Deen lio
the beginning that OF the FORMULATION OF me NethoI
iSic doctrine OF holiness or sanctihcauOn % many
and diverse have been the theories even in the Method
lst Church. on this subject and place like ocean
Grove presents such an inviting field for the Ventha
ton of individual opinion OF peculiar views, thal
orc must be than convinced that the soou
Judgment and steady quiet tact possessed Dy inc
executive management alone prevents the place iroi
becoming an asylum for cranks and churchV sofo-
heads Instead of this. there is each season popu-
la,lon of from ten to thirty thousand people. III
reneelv religious yet enjoy ng the good things Of life
With zest and with few dlscoTdant elements ms
would be impossible IN differently constituted COM
munity and under less wise and efficient mana% emeh''
Feeder Ven Kirk was born in Pennington. " D..
Of Methodist parents. The first prayermeeunS ever
held there was in his grandfaher's house. where
vounp Reeder was born. His grandfather,
John Van Kirk, wounded at the
hattie Of Bunker Hill. His father. Joseph
Van Kirk was in the OF 1872. lie has lived
thirty-thIee years in New brunswick. y. j. lie was
the financial clerk and bookkeeper Of stevens no
boken Land and Improvement company LOT iory
wears and among the early cOuaseo"hor9
here Mr. Van Kirk has been member OF the
Ocean Grove Association eight years. and has served
the association cashier four seasons lie mas
! been for many years ordained elder and local
preacher and his minisrations have al times been
! attended with marked success
You NAV safely trust man who idones MS
MOTHER is saying that is not capable of contra
diction. 4 prominent figure here Is man whose
| na,ron saint Is a little woman weighing not more
| than a h.idred pounds. and eightyf0ur yea oid'
lvii lin a quaint Oil homestead in the QUAKER Clt!'
TO the shrine of this mother the son pays visit A.
!
class every Lords Day end one is not surprised that
! the SON ex-senator J. l.. Hays. Of NewJersey, has
| been A Sunday school superintendent for nearly 4
| score Of wears and that he was one OF the carry
| workers IN that field i'm Ocean Grove; or mat inc
senator's sister became the wife OF one OF 'he most
noted ministers OF the Ncw-Jersey Conference OF the
/ Methodist Episcopal Church. the late Rev Samuel
Van sandt senator Hays has been an official member
~ ts Central Methodist Church in Newark for over
a quarter of a century.
Mrs sarah Landlord Palmer is daughter vi 'u1
late Henry Worrall, of New-York CITY, VINO was nan
century or ago prominent IN inc ioui""S
+ br.irc When a lad fourteen years old Mr.. Wonal
became A Methodist receiving baptism at the MINUS Vi
I John Wesley. Mrs. Palmer was born IN looo. Al
,lirtecn she became a Christian. Her younger sister,
! N,, pb,ehe Palmer +, well remembered by New-fOfh
Nethodi,ts as being noted for her piey anu AZ an "o
vocatc and eXpOundcr OF the doctrine CT
She died in 1872. Mrs. Palmer, with her husDa"'
| conducted the religious meetings here un Ms dea'h
| ipca which time the late Rev. Joseph Thornley, was
her most efficient helper. This summer the leV' W.
! q Rrowntng Miss Cassie smith and Mrs. Grace
| wescr Davis have been her active assistants
Mrs Mary sparks Wheeler was born near Brsto
,,,oud Her parents were Wesleyan MethOdists, and
her father was local preacher and the author OF
nrnbrr OF works His book entitled Church ana
state9 was 10 highly appreciated by Mr. Gladstone
tho. he wrote Mr.. sparks an autograph letter COM
nendlng ,hc book This letter is highly przed oy
the family Mrs. Wheeler Is the wife OF the Kew.
Dr. Henry Wheeler. OF the Philadelphia Conference Oh
the Methodist Episcopal Church She IS the picNoeh'
Of the Philadelphia branch Of the Woman'S Foreign
Missionary Society. Mrs Wheeler Is 'he author or
Modern Cosmogony and the Bible" " The flrst DC
csde NJ the Woman's Foreign Missionary society," anu
Poem, for the FiIcside.' DR. WheeleTs puoIshed
ror,s arr. Memory Of the JUST Methodism and the
1,,n,,.rance Reformation Rays Of Light In the
/ ,,a,,,- ~ sorrow and DeaconesseS, Ancient and
Modern - Mrs Wheeler IS prominent In all church
work She was Of the leaders Of the "oman's
encouragement Meeting which held three days ses-
Ion, here last week These meetings are designed for
tbri,sn women workers, that in an interchange Of
,,cs and experiences they may be the better quail
o.. ~, IN. work 10 which Cod IS calling the Chris
. woman NJ this county. Mrs Wheeler had charge
:. - ...,1lnr fnr molher. held IN ThOrnley CHAPEL