The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1889-08-18
4 PLAY ACTING Piece. F"
Elder Lowry Sanctioned
Esther" and Shocked
Some Good Women.
CHANGES AT MOUNT TABOR.
A Picture Of the Old Camp Ground
as 1t Is Today.
Special to the sunday Morning Ns,os.

PERSON VINO VISITS THIS charming spot aIUer
an absence of several seasons, it seems
like coming to another place. So many
improvements have been made during
the past few years both in the style of the
cottages and the manner of adjoining the
grounds, that the old camp-meeting
ground of the Newark Conference of the
Methodist Church appears to have lost
| much of its original character.
The old narrow road, which followed
the railroad track to Denville, has degen-
Grated into a grass-grown lane, which
suddenly ends at the last farm house be-
yond the Mount Tabor station. In its
place Il broad, well kept thoroughfare
runs diagonally across the fields from the
entrance to the grounds to the Denville
station.
The steep ascent to the grounds, which
a worldly minded person once declared
| must be the Hill Of Zion, 1t is so difficult
to climb, still remains, and after this has
been YEARLY assembled the first thing
which one notices is the absence of that
old barn-like structure, the Mount
Tabor House, which consisted of a
long dining-room down stairs and
another room up stairs divided into
what seemed to be pigeon holes, the par
titions of which extended but few
head. In its place stands q gaudily
painted structure. with peaked room
and several little fancy figures sticking
out all over it, and a large gold and black
sign, which declares that the structure is
''The Arlington
THE ARLINGTON
On closer inspection it is seen that .'The
Arlington" consists of the old Mount
Tabor House, with an extensive wing
added, a new balcony and an elaborate out
lay of paint
As you wander over the grounds you
look in vain for many of the old familiar
objects. Brother Days ice cream pavilion
and peanut emporium have disappeared
Uncle Archie Lyon has departed this life,
and his big, numbering tents and his sign,
"A Lyon Boarding." which provided an
unlimited fund of amusement for the
rustic wag, no longer offend the aesthetic
taste OF the more progressive trustee.
"Elishy" Earle DO longer superintends
the grounds and horrifies the good sisters
with his terrible oaths, which consisted
mainly of ''by gosh and gol darn and
another thar his pretty daughter serves
her country for the commission she re-
ceives on the postage stamps she cancels.
THE CHANGE IN THE CIRCLE.
What saddens the heart of the old
Methodist most is the apparent sacrilege
committed in the circle.
There in former years congregations OF
thousands would sit on the rough benches
under the shades of the spreading chest
nuts" as in the first temples of God, and
attentiyelv listen to the healthy and elo-
quent orthodoxy of Methodism as ex-
pounded by the peerless Simpson, and
other divines Of the old school Now a
barbarous structure covers the greater
part of the circle, and the devotions of
the largely diminished congregations are
filtered through modern windows and an
ordinary tin roof as they ascend to
heaven.
When the summit of the upper hill is
reached you seem to be in an entirely new
place.
Where year or two ago was considered
away out in the fields is now the most
beautiful portion of the grounds The
avenues are much larger and are laid out
with more pretenisOns to beauty and
regularity. Large and commodious cot
tages in all the modern styles of architec-
ture crown the hill and raise their grace
full proportions from amid well kept
lawns and artistic flower beds
THE LAWN TENNIS GROUND.
The large field at the foot of the other
slope of the hill is a large lawn tennis
ground containing several courts, q base
ball field and several of those large boat
like swings known to the Juveniles as
ssscups."
The character of the entertainments,
too, mas undergone most decided
change.
Not so many years ago croquet was the
sole and only game tolerated, and al
though that was looked upon with sus-
picion as one of the devices of the evil
one, the fact that several of the leading
brethren, both lay and clerical, quarrelled
over it in the most orthodox fashion,
gave it sort Of official endorsement. In
short Mount Tabor has become more OF a
summer resort with more than ordinary
pretensions to style than an old fashioned
camp meeting ground.
Agreeable as the change may be to the
younger and more progressive generation
of Methodists, it is viewed with alarm
and apprehension by many of those stern,
uncompromising Christians who still be-
lieve in the methods of Peter Cartwright.
Prominent among these are the good
sisters who profess the advanced doctrine
of holiness and who have been holding a
series of meetings ON the ground during
the past week.
No one can deny that these women have
been great power on Mount Tabor and
have greatly aided the cause of religion in
the past, and for that reason their views
and profession are entitled to respect,
however, much one may disagree with
them.
No one has looked with more concern
on this degeneration of Mount Tabor,
from their view, than these good ladies,
and the matter has often furnished them
with subject for prayer.
HOW ELDER LOWRY PUT HIS FOOT IN IT.
The Young people now on the ground
have arranged to give a representation of
the beautiful cantata Esther" When
this reached the ears of the good sisters
they were simply Mortified. The toler-
ance of baseball and lawn tennis was TO
be regretted; the rapid, giddy whirl of
the soups might be tolerated, but such q
thing as ''play acting piece, = especially
on a Biblical topic, within the sacred
precincts of Mount Tabor. was simply
wicked
Everyone knows Presiding Elder
Lowry, OF the Jersey City district. and
also the great power for good he has been
with his young peoples meetings ever
since the camp ground was dedicated.
The presiding elder is now the president
of the Board of Trustees, and when they
understood that he had sanctioned the
"play acting' business, the good sisters
seemed to give up all hope
They held meeting and seriously dis
cussed the subject of making the good
presiding elder the subject OF their pray
ers TO their mind. his action iii re-
gard to the ''play acting business was d
sign that he. too, had been affected by the
modern spirit Of ungodliLess and stood
greatly In need OF help from above to
keep him In the straight and narrc,s path.
The ladies' however c0ucffI lad that