The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-08-01
BETHANY AND CAMP ACTON
Assembly Day at The Park, When Things
We're Put in Order for Meetings.
A Place Where the Natural Advantages in
Scenery and Location Have Been Utilized
to the Utmost-Services ut Acton

'.1.fN@o "NAN DuoAJ ShEoSSV PubtAAS
MP tents. moving into cottages. or else Sc
curing quarters at the hotel. This is the
eighth annual session of the assembly, max
ing six on the present grounds. the two first
having been held ut Island Park. The
grounds at Bethany Park are admirable for
the purpose for which they are used, the
park consisting of thirty-seven and half
acres Of land, situated about twenty
miles southwest of indianapolis, on the Indi-
annapolis n Vincennes railroad, and near the
little village of Brooklyn, Morgan county.
The railroad runs along the front of the
park, which faces little south of east
Ihissite, which lies among, and, one may also
say, on the hills of Morgan county, has had
its great natural advantages so much i'm
proved by the management that it affords q
most attractive place-a place that could
be easily converted into popular summer
resort On the north side of the hotel is
a beautiful artificial lake OF eight acres,
containing two islands, on which numerous
shade trees have been planted. bathing
arrangement, together with bOat-hOuse
and On ample supply of boats. afford facili-
Ties ior the amusement of those who love
to sport in the aqueous element. The re-
malnder of the park consists of
ridge OR backbone of land rising
gradually, with northwesterly trend from
the front to quite height in the rear of
or the grounds.
The land of the adjacent country is all of
broken, billy nature and, in fact, short
distance away is the hill called Mt. Etna
winch lacks but q few feet of reaching the
helght of Weed Patch hill. the highest ele-
walton in the State of Indiana. A hollow
running diagonally through the park has
peen damned III such way as to form
pretty little fish-pond. Across the hollow, q
couple OF bridges relieve the visitor of the
trouble of climbing down one declivity
ana UP another in order to pass from
an S abundance Lao the of f'nsr fine mere iares
forest trees. such as maple and oak. and
the open spots are planted with thrifty
young trees, which Will in time make the
Park truly a piece of woodland. The
buildings OH the ground are comfortable
and commodious structures, erected In
modern style and with good taste. The
largest of these. two-story frame hotel is
situated on the bank of the lake, and CON
tains ffty-twO rooms, with capacity for
large number of guests. Besides this, there
is the hotel annex, having twenty rooms.
For assembly purposes there are the taber-
1900 people, and pavilion, to be used for
overflow meetings. The cottages. both
those belonging to the association and
those of private individuals, are not
CtoWucu lOgelUeT, Out SO ScdIUeEeu rs 10
leave good breathing spaces between. The
principal OF these are those belonging to
the Standard Publishing Company of
Cincinnati, the Christian Woman's
Board of Missions and the Butler
University. The cottage of the lat
ter is just approaching completion.
The Standard Cottage, as it is called, and of
WHICH X. II. Waggener has charge. was
the first to be located on the grounds, and is
also the first that one. meets on entering
a RI A In frrrfh nr tcf no
d. NJ. cottage, one of the largest and hand
soonest in the park. The Butler Univer-
sity headquarters are located on COM
manding point, from which charming
view of the surrounding country breaks
upon the eye of the beholder. Prof. Scot
Butler. of the university, will there be in
charge. A great many of the guests, how
ever, prefer to take tents and camp out in
the grounds. and as a result, yesterday one
might have seen canvas dots being rapidly
located along the edge of the high bank
overlooking the lake. 1t was q little anus
ing TO see some of the green hands at tent
stretching. puZzling their brains in the at
tempt to get the ropes SO hitched as to Sc
cure the frail affair in the event of some
storm that might sweep the whole bust
mess over the bank into the watery
depths. Noticeably among these was a
crowd of college students, who. under the
devoted a. good part of the afternoon to the
work of eettIng their outfit in suitable
shape for camping out"
One of the most noticeable features of
the grounds is the admirable system of
water-wOrks. The management has COM
pleted this at an expense of some $1,S0O.
The source of it all is an inexhaustible driv-
en- we'll, from which an engine forces the
water to a reservoir on the highest part of
the park. From this reservoir are laid
pipes and everywhere one sees hydrants
from which, by means of hose. the grass
and flowers are kept fresh and bright. AS
a consequence of this arrangement all the
cottages are furnished with water. num-
Der of boxes, packed with ice, are scattered
about at convenient distances. and
the water flowing through them
from the reservoir furnishes an
abundance of cold drinking water
to the thirsty passers-by. In fact.
the management has been so careful to
meet every want of the crowds that an
nually flock to the park that the place has
become deservedly very. popular. Some
important changes are being contemplated.
There is in view the purchase of about
largement of the lake to three or four
times its present extent. This would neces-
state the moving eastward of the /. 81 V.
track and its elevation five or six feet
above its present level. Although yester-
day was merely the opening day. yet every
body was busy-the manager constantly
buzzing to and fro making ready for the
expected crowds of to-day and next week.
Those who know say that there were more
people on the grounds yesterday than they
ever knew to be present before on opening
day.
The programme arranged promises to be
very interesting one. A damper was thrown
over the spirits of those in attendance
at the news of the death of President w. III.
Woolery. of Bethany College. who was to
have taken an active part i'll the exercises.
To-day is Children's day, and the exercises
are to be conducted under the auspices of
the w. G.. L. u. They are to consist of a
gold medal prize contest, trained children
from the various Sunday schools of the
State taking part in this competition. To-
morrow will be Temperance day. The
time has been set apart each year, not for
a political discussion of the question of
temperance, but for gospel temperance
meetings in which all shades of political
belief can freely mingle. Saturday will be
Christian Educational day: the 4th Assem-
bly, day; 9Th; 9th and 9TH; meetings, of the
Ministerial Association; Sth, and 9th, those
Tourists day. The feature of the last
event will be a lecture on the Yellowstone
Park by NJ. l.. Streator. of Mon
tana. On the 18th. Assembly day
again will occur. and Monday, Aug. II,
is to be Christian Union day. consisting of
a conference on the Roman Letter led by
l.. III. Jamison. Tuesday and Wednesday,
18th and 18th. the Sunday school Associa
ton will have meetings, and on the 18th
and 10th the Christian Woinan's Board of
Missions will have its exercises The 18th
will be Historical day, when an address
will be delivered by Jacob Z. Dunn, ir.,
State Librarian, on Library Education in
Indiana There will also be one BY Sena-
II