Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1889-02-09
rlr1 CENTURIES OLE.
,iBsaa History of the Old Swede Churoh
at Wilmington, Delaware.

| minerton, is the old Swede Churcn.
,tanLing ON the outskirts of the city.
lear the Christina, just above the rocks
where in old days Minnit planted his
tort l am of opinion that we have no
church quite so interesting, MS regards
age, origin and architecture. 1t is
probably the oldest which remains ex-
actIy as it left the hands of its builders;
1893" is the date in iron letters on the
west gable The building stands in a
wide place of graves, little back from
Christina creek, and mile west OF the
Delaware. The church is built of gray
stone sixty feet long, thirty feet wide
six feet thick at the base and three feet
at the windows. There are five of the
latter, large and arched in the style of
the old Norman, as 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 as when Dutch Peter, the battle
SCARED sexton, hauled live Goals from
| 5he old cannon stove upon the brick
hoor to warm it. The old cedar Roof,
Dir pews and quaint pulpit, with its
nigh sounding board, are very inter-
esting specimens indeed of early church
| furniture.
The inscriptions recall the very in
| teresting circumstances under which
the church was built. After the cap
ture by the Dutch C655), the Swedes
were very much scattered, and found
it extremely difficult to secure pastors.
They were of the Lutheran faith of the
pure Augsburg Confession, and secured
now and then a minister from the
| churches at New York, their last one
rom this source being the Rev. Jaco-
JUS Fabritius, called in 1917, who be-
came blind and incapacitated in 1852.
They made frequent but vain appeals
to the home church to send them two
ministers, with Bibles, catechisms and
other goOdly books to protect them
| from the false teachers and strange
sects." by whom they were surrounded.
At last, in 1898, they appealed to
Charles XII, of Sweden, an appeal very
| interesting to us from a statement it
| contains that there were then 1873 Swe-
| dish families, comprising 942 persons,
| living on the Delaware. Charles was
much interested by the letters, but the
death of his Queen, Ulrica Eleanora,
| soon after, and pressing affairs OF state
| DELAYED the American matter for some
! sime. In 1896 it 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, as companions and
,o-wOrkers. The King gave them for
heir outfit thirteen hundred dollars
copper mint, and five hundred copies
| If Luther's Catechism, with Bibles,
oastils and church books, each bearing
;he Kings name in gilt letters As the
| three were about to depart he granted
them personal interview, at which
Ne gave them one hundred dollars ''sil-
yer mint" additional for their voyage,
and informed them that he had
ordered the Swedish Ambassador in
! London to procure passports and see
them safely on their way. Go now, !"
he concluded. ''in the name of the
Lord to the place to which | send you.
God be with you and make you indeed
successfulr' Furnished with a safe con-
duct from England, they came safely
to Maryland, thence they travelled
overland to Wilmington and Philadel-
phia, Rudman taking the parish at
Wicacoa, near the latter place, and
Bjork that of Crane Hook, near Will
mington. The people of Wilmington
thought that a church should be reared
in their village; those at Crane Hook
opposed any change; at last, as COM
promise, it was agreed to place it on
the banks of the Christina, so that the
people from the. outlying districts
could come in boats in summer 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 %,
1893. The edifice was consecrated as
Trinity Church, on Trinity Sunday,
1899. The occasion was made day of
great rejoicing. Governor Markham
was invited, but was unable to be
present. The feast was spread in the
house of John Stalcop. All sorts of
meat and drink, we are told, were con-
tributed-wheat, malt, bread, -four,
hops, wine, butter, sugar, raisins, eggs,
veal, mutton, venison, chickens, tur-
keys, turuips, etc. The congregation
ate the dinner together, rejoicing and
pra.sing God" For years after the
anniversary was observed. Commun-
ions and baptismal services were long
celebrated with the chalice and plate
sent over by the copper workers of
Sw eden TO Pastor Bjork, and the Bible
long used was that given by Queen
Arne, in Wilmington Cor. N. Y.
Post.
The cook in st. Louis family
broke six OF lot of eggs in a vain
search for a fresh one, She, then, I'M
known to her sisters, boiled all the
rest, cooled them, and sent them back
TO the grocer TO be credited back in ex-
change On new bill for other articles.
One day after that darky woman
came tearing down upon that grocer
and asked, in the presence of othay