Telegram-herald., 1890-03-22
GOTHAM IN MIDLENT. T.
WHAT the Big City Finds 20 Talk
About on tae Peniren-lsl Days
A er~@t Pslpit Orator Estr.aeins wah
s1rsss Ths Bertha Labor te1fSE-
s8cs Dsa. Casssl4nd ~na
DeP.s-Ths Astor Hsis.

Nes i eEkeF jumps fEom t2e gay e the
serious i astonishing Onlt fss
weeks ago We we're IL tie midst % =
wildly dissipAtiBg social season. Tae
mask balls were a. their height thers
were dinners galore. dsnciug Until sun
up aud card parties far into the Sunday
moFning. Nov. however. thoughts ars
turned In other directions and during
the past ten days New Workers have
witnessed scenes which even 20 them
must seen somewhat surprising.
famous pulpit orator has opened one OF
the biggest churches in the city 81 high
noos each day and attracted enormous
congregations This would rot be so
surprising IL the church WAS situated
IN the residential part OF the city for
then one might sappose:that ladies and
children would be the chief auditors.
But 10 was no less q place than old
Trinity that Phillips Brooks, the great
Boston preacher. selected SIS the place
In which 10 deliver a series OF noon
sermons 10 business men. IL was an
experiment that has surpassed all ex-
pectations. The fat and jolly broker
is not usually supposed TO be man
who cares much about Spiritual affairs,
but in this instance he has even ne
elected his trading In the Stock ES-
change, and Trinity Church has wit
messed one Of the events OF its long and
useful life. TO- IL has been crowded 20
the doors every day and by such con-
gregation of wealth and brains as could
not be gathered together in any other
city in the Union. Even the aisles were
filled with chairs and on more than one
occasion the steps leading to the pulpit
were occupied by those who preferred
not to stand up. DR.. Brooks is in
all respects finished orator. When
he stands up in his pulpit and begins
his discourse every eve is upon him.
And there could be no better test OF his
influence and popularity than the Gag
erness displayed by his auditors in fol-
lowing every word Of his discourse. He
is a man of over six feet in heigth,
brusQue in manner, somewhat careless
in attire, but his cheek glows with
health, his eye is sharp and clear, and
every word of his sermon IS distinctly
heard in all parts of the vast building.
His congregation Joins fervently in an
old-tasni iOned tune, and then, after a
PRAYER the sermon is begun. During
the thirty minutes that il lasts you
could hear pin drop in any portion of
the church. Every eye in the vast as
sembly is on the preacher. There is
the deepest interest in every word he
utters, and remarkable congregation
II is, too There is Russell Sage, grow
ing older as the years go by. good deal
grgyer than twelve-nonth ago. listen
ing with all the esgcrness of = child to
q story at eventide. Not far from him
is graY-haired Cyrus Field. and by
his side his two brothers, David
Dudley and Henry ". Directly VI der
the pulpit is seen the hg form Of Ad-
olson Cammack: there is DR.. Noryin
Green of the Western Union; Editor
David NJ. Stone. and this young man,
bulky OF frame, clad in sombre black,
whose head is bowed in his hand, is
none other than William Waldorf
Astor There are any number of less
notable men and fair sprinkling OF
preachers of adjoining cities anxious
10 hear the great New Eng and orator.
He concludes his sermon, after which
there is song. and the con-
gregation disperses in almost the
twnkling OF an eye. IL the
statistician felt sufficient interest in
the matter be could easily reckon up an
audience that morning representing
over i've hundred million in cash.