The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-05-02
WASHINGTON AS A MAJ.
Centennial Address at the Simpson Metl
odist Church.

| a
| Centennial Address at the Simpson Meth
odist Church..
Every available seat in the Simpson
| Methodist Church was filed last night
with persons anxious to hear dis
courses on Washington by General
Fisk, of cold water fame; Presiding
| Elder Lowrie, the Rev. Mr.. butcher,
of Grace Church, and the Rev. MI.
Muller, of Emory Church. Zabriskie
Post, G. A. R., was represented, and
the Totfey Guards were expected.
General Fisk, MI. Lowrie and the Tof-
fey Guards failed to make their APP
| pearance, but that did not prevent the
jubilee from being held.
The church was decorated with flags
and bunting; and over the pulpit and
on the organ, which is at the side of
fuse, and t~astefully arranged. The
members of the choir wore red, white
and blue badges,
The services were begun with the
singing of the ''Star Spangled Ban
ner'' by the audience. Pastor Eakins
next explained that General Fisk and
Mr.. Lowey had been prevented from
being present, and the audience and
choir sang America This was fol-
lowed by a prayer by the pastor, which
was in turn followed by the congre-
gational singing of Hail Columbia"
Then the Rev. MI. Muller delivered an
address on Washington as q man, and
not as a general or statesman.
II heard yesterday" said he, while
/ was in New York, some people talk
ing. They each asked what State the
other was from, and finally put the
question to one individual standing
near by who was by no means clean or
well dressed. His reply was a 'delap-
idated State That is my condition.
So much has been said recently about
Washington by great speakers that l
am left in a delapidated state"
Mr.. Muller said that Washington's
greatness was not from his physical
condition or his mental faculties. He
went to school when five years old and
learned surveying, but he is never
spoken of as a famous lover of books.
II DON'T" continued the speaker,
suppose he was a wonderfully learned
man, nor was he a great general, like
Alexander, Marlborough, Frederick
the Great or Napoleon, but we must
recognize his brightest of characters.
He never had a blot ON it. At no
period did shame or vice stain it. His
father died when he was not twelve
years old. AT the age of thirteen he
drew up o set of resolutions to guide
him in his future life, He followed
them and had no skeleton in his
closet"
Mr.. Muller said that the success of
Washington was due to his perse-
verance, and that it is owing to him
very largely that we have a constitu-
ton.
The Rev. Nh. butcher said:-s'Wash-
ington was but nineteen years old
when he led a regiment. He was not
a Hannibal, Napoleon, Cesar or Alex
ander, but he could fight Indians, and
they feared and would not fight him,
and it was for that reason England
sent over paid Hessians.n,
The Rev. Mr.. Eakins followed Mr..
butcher and exhibited a stick three
feet long which he said was part of a
tree that grew on Magnolia and Chest
nut venue and that Washington
once sat under it. 1t belongs to
Brother Wilkes.
An old fashioned settee back of the
pulpit, and also owned by Mr.. Wilkes,
was, Mr.. Eakins said, sent by Lafay-
cite to Washington. A chair owned
by Mrs. John Jones, on which the
Father of his Country rested himself
ITO years ago, was also exhibited.