The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-07-27
sh1DeKPoRpS SUNDAY CONCERTO
They are Causing Great Disturbance
Among 6ome OonneetIeut Folks.

mum are 80 closely identified that any sensa-
| ton concerning the one always makes re-
| sponsive feeling in the other This time It Is
Barnum. Bridgeport, band concerts. and the
| ballet girl preacher Thompson. tho Methodist
minister who recently pitched into the old
Snowman for demoralizing the western hemi-
sphere by bringing pack OF imported ballot
girls and their seductive dances. What the
clergyman didn't know about professional
dancers was made more clearly evident Sun
day morning at the Washington Park Methodist
Church by his fiery pulpit utterances against
the bandmaster the Park Commissioners, OF
whom Barnum Is ono, and against Barnum In
| particular
For the irst time in the history OF the city
| an open-air Sunday concert was played last
Sunday afternoon at Seaside Park by the
| Wheeler i Wilson band. and the entertain
| mont by the sea was the means OF drawing to-
| Rether the largest crowd that ever gathered at
| the park city resort As soon as the concert
was announced by the local press there was
violent and bitter opposition to Decorating
the pure Sunday ozope by band music no mat
ter II the selections were OF q sacred character,
and the same that were played at various
church festivals when the same musicians
were hired for the purpose. The music was
TO be public. and 1t would surely lead to
gross immortality among the working people
was the argument used By strict church peo-
pie who believed In keeping to tho letter the
laws OF the good forefathers, who wouldn't
even permit a man to kiss his wife on a Sun
day. Some OF the rich church pillars who had
subscribed small amounts TO tho Wednesday
and Saturday evening concerts. said II the
band mon blew their horns outdoors on the
Sabbath to amuse q crowd OF laborers and
shop girls they would not pay another red cent
tny vnr1 fha .ly TO uuho ntb
who favored the Sunday music came forward
and agreed to pay in $40 for every dollar that
was withheld by the men who wished every
body else to follow their example.
The Common Council passed approval Of the
Sunday music, and Sunday afternoon the
driveways were filled with the stylish turn
outs OF Bridgeport and Black Rock. Mr.. Bar
mum and his wife were among the listeners.
and they were greeted with applause on all
sides as they passed through the wide avenues.
The concert was really for the merchant. the
clerk, the laborer and the tired factory girl.
who could find no time during the week 10
visit the park and enjoy the cool air and de-
lightful music and the programme was CLASH
cal and elevatinR In its character
A large congregation sat. at the Washington
Park NJ + Church Sunday to hear the latest
sensational production OF its pastor the Rev.
George L. Thompson OF ballet-Rirl fame. Mr..
Thompson alluded In strong terms Of remon-
STRANGE to the concert played by the brass
band at the beautiful city park, and said that
Leader Beyers statement that he would play
was direct afrront to large number Of re-
spectacle people. He strongly condemned the
lark Commiss ouers and the city authorities
for consentinR to the concert, and regarded 1t as
the sabbath. which would be followed ere long
by greater evils. He had seen an extract from
the editorial OF Massachusetts paper calling
L, Il. BaFlunQ'6 approval OF SUNDAY
" q fiat from heaven" He scored Barnum right
and sit, and said he made Ide true estimate Of
New York and disnl ayed sign Lecture
Hail. entcinG good many people there on
sunday who eXpec' ed to hear an address, and
giving them. instead, variety bow. He called
Mr.. Barnums theology humbug. and said
convey admiration for the great and only
Barnum.
lovers to protest the SABBATH day f from ali en- en-
croachments. He considered the movement
toward free and untrsmmelled Sabbath I'M
as the best police force in the State. for its in
more iealoualy the Observance Of the day was
maintained the better would be the morals Of
Park on SUNDAY afternoons viii tend to attract
a. crowd VINO do not care for religion. but
II is claimed that the concerts viii attract
young men from the saloons: but where il will
take one away It will send ten to those or
the crowd. and after the concert will be apt to
go on for more or verse amusement, desire /:
occasioned Bad characters will gather at the |
park and the pure air will 90 defed.
" At a recent city meeting men got up. and |
with the pathos OF angels protested against !
laying an additional tax for the building OF q
new Sc ton aSd N the Fh WaTd and said
ple who were contemplating locating here. l .
say that whom the TACT is given out that We !
ecration, then people will keep away. and re- |
gard our fair city as a DANGEROUS place Of
hear the concerts do not want religion. but /
pleasure. When two OF our citizens asked the ,
Park Commissioners for. permission TO preach |
certs are allowed. The band might play
,0Id huPd RED from A., e. o'clock but the
liglnn."
After the sermon the following petition was
extensively signed:
:, The msmesr. and s9nsresAti?n Of inc Washington
"s
sS
10 our city; We took occasion to the hief OF
WHICH 'Gr
D 70
81 Ss a snn On hs on ne 1
Dc promptly supprs"ed And where's. i has 5eea
:4i isns PAR t pass az
to the laws OF the Sa sAs ana a.
teriSs tSs ssSesin and Soevnr a. We do that ths
Dsa - % ESns{ !hs
we respectfully protest that nfcors TO whose charge
the evils mentioned by granting permission for sunday
nulifying civil laws which they are appointed TO
uphold thus increasing the evils OF which complain
and az ainst which We record our earnest protest
AS 1t is generally known that Mr.. Barnum
gave to the Methodist Society the ground upon
which the Washington Park Church stands.
aud that he added 81 900 toward the ronslruc-
tlon Of the edifice. the people were somewhat
astounded that after resolutions OF Rppreca-
t!on OF Mr.. Barnum's Christian interest in the
church, ono Of its pastors should publicly da-
nounce and defame the veteran provider OF in.
nocont amusement. A ,SUS, reporter. found
this tii morning.. and asked what he had TO to
say concerning tho East Bridgeport minister
Mr.. BaEnum replied thought showed up
NJ Thomps son pretty thoroughly ater
on some OF my ballet girls who were attending
the church where no breaches. II the report
lenounco him AZ an Infamous liar. | never
ran variety show In New York on Sunday IN
my life and have always been oppo. ed t. the
opening OF theatres on SUNDAY or OF any per-
Iormance nor calculated 10 elevate and in trnct
the reople. ] do. however, favor the opening
Df art galleries museums. and tho giving Of