The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1889-03-02
BROADBRIM'S N. Y. LETTER

On the corner of Fifty third street and
Fifth avenue there is one of the handsomest
and costlliest Episcopal churches in the
city. The congregation worshiping there
has among its members many men and
women whose fortunes are away up among
the millions. Everything about indicates
wealth and ease. There is something
about the very atmosphere that would chill
the heart of poverty il it attempted to pass
the magnificent threshold. A half score of
aristocratic young gentlemen in full dress
suits wait in the vestibule or within the
doors to usher the wealthy pewholders to
their seats, and over these preside large
and portly man, very Turveydrop in APP
pearance and department; this is the
beadle, Mr.. Benjamin W. Williams, who
for thirty years has been the chief flunky
Of st. Thomas church. 1t was thought
that the race of church fuDkies was dead
when Bumble died, but here in New York
we have discovered specimen in Benjamin
w. Williams that out-bumbles Bundle and
throws in the shade our late lamented
friend Sexton Brown of Grace church, who,
although having the very highest regard
for wealth, blood, pedigree and church
privilege, and no mean opinion of his own
personal dignity, never In his life made
such brutal exhibition Of himself as the
individual who claims to guide and direct
the finances of ST. Thomas Episcopal
church. To the honor of the Episcopal
church be il recorded, the utterances CT
this wTetched funkY have received no en-
dorsement except from the Rev. Isaac
Tuttle, of st. Luke's and rom detailed
conversation with the correspondent, Of one
of our morning papers, 1t is evident that
this reverend gentleman belongs to that
class Of priests who would refuse the last
rites OF the churcn to dead actor, and tell
his weeping friends to carry his mortal
remains to the Little Church Around the
Corner"
ST. Thomas church is run at an expens e
OF thousand dollars week, and outside
of that the collections amounting TO $25. .00C
or $780, year are divided among the
poor. Last Sunday a lady from Detroit
attended divine service there, and after
waiting some time without receiving the
slightest notice from the ushers, she took q
seat In vacant pew. As soon as the
sexton spied her he went to the pew where
the lady was on her knees, and without
waiting even till she finished her pra er, he
told her at once to ''get ut,"-she had nc
business there, she was not invited, and in
short she must get out at once, which she
did. When his attention was called to his
brutal act bY newspaper reported, in
stead of being awakened to the fact that he
had acted like brute and BLACKBOARD. he
turned on the reporter and told him that
they did not want outsiders at st. Thomas
church at all. That it was no place for
them, that he turned such people out every
SUNDAY, and If the reporter didn't believe
1t lie. him come up the next Sunday and he
would show him how 1t was done. That
they were not Methodists who ran out in
the strset throwing their arms about the
necks of every person they met, saying
"Come in, brothers; come in sisters. and
get little salvationp N, no; we are moi
that kind OF people. II is the dollars we
are after. Our church is just like tbs
Casino Theatre, II you paw for your seat
y0y get IL; aud II you don't you don't.
To say that New York is shocked anC
Amazed 81 this rev lation OF church brutal
iiy, but gives a very faint idea of the com
motion II has caused. No scandal, how
ever, applies 10 The Episcopal church
itself, which In Its provisions for the ac
commodatiOn of the Door, Is equalled by
no other denomination In the CITY. In th1
Rev. Mr.. Rainforth's church all the seat
are free, and almost every other Episcopa
church in New York and Brooklyn there |;
ample accommodation for strangers, who
are always welcome and are always politely
treated. Still the revelation Of Williams
brutality will not be without benefit, and
n h ssts ~ sNY thai IL will ~ long dns