Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-03-26
PLATFORM and pronounced benediction.

night the keV. j. L. van burkhloW pre- |
sided at the educational anniversary. Ad- |
dresses were nude by w, i. Gooding, Phi.
d., and Rev. DIR. Charles III. Paine.
Rev. Charles Hill conducted the confer
ence lovefeast at 8 O'Clock this Sunday |
morning At II o'clock Bishop Fowler
delivered a sermon and ordained deaconsi
as follows: Revs. John IL. Simms, NJ. ~
Bowman, ]. 7; West, Il g; Turner J. "
Graham and Clarence Northrop,
At 2 o'clock Bishop Fowler presided at
the memorial meeting, when eulogies were
read of S. r. Gardner by Rev. j. Il. Bryan,
II. n, Foreman by Rev. II. X. Creamer
and Mrs. Henry Sanderson by Adam
Stengle No memorial was read for Rev,
John Allen, as he died outside the confer
ence jurisdiction.
Bishop Fowler also ordained as elders
RGvs. W. p. Compton, z. IL. Webster, 4.
I. Coursey, $. NJ. Morgan and Louis =,
Shepherd. Mr.. Shepherd was i'll at the
hotel, but this did not prevent him from
attending.
CENTREvILLE, March 24,-Contrary to
expectation the 23d annual session Of Will
mington Conference ended yesterday.
The day was the busiest of the session and
contained many surprises. When the ap-
pointments were read at midnight the
greatest surprise was occasoned.. They
ably never before been seen i'll the confer
enee.
Devotional exercises at the opening of
the morning sitting were conducted by the
Rev. Joseph Robinson.
Presiding Elder Murray read the annual
report Of Wilmington district. 1t has, he
said, 80 itinerants six local preachers and
one missionary He expressed sympathy
for the Woman's Foreign Missionary So
ciety and said the Womnn's Home Mis-
sionary Society is growing. During the
year there were 1G) quarterly conferences,
Of which he held all but two. All requested
that the Worlds Fair be kept closed on
Sunday. He was sorry, he said, but it
was true, there is more drunkenness in
Cecil county with local option than there
was without il. lie spoke complimentary
of the pastors on the district
and described Improvements made 70
churches and parsonages. -Four minis
| tiers were employed as supplies. He
referred to the effort to gather in Whining
| tons $1,000 non-chnrch goers and stated
several missions had been organized. Mt.
Salem Church is out of debt for the first
| time in its history. Goodman Church Is
| looking for n new site and Silvarbrook has
/ purchased lot at Second street and Wood
| lawn avenue and will put brick building
thereon. The latter,s frame property will
| be sold. Kingswood has lifted its mort
| gage and there is no hindrance to it erect
ing church. Tile site of the church to be
/ built BIZ the Franklin Street Mission,
organized by st. Pauls Church, is
thought to be the finest location in Will
mington for Methodist church. Grace
Church not only docs great things for her
self and pastor, but aids many enterprises
in Wilmington and outside. He regretted
the departure of DIR. Todd from Grace
| Church and thanked conference for ac-
/ cepting an invitation to meet there next
year. The district improved and bought
church property ut cost of about S5O,Ol0,
Of which S30000 has been paid. Beneyo-
lences were surprisingly good, nine
/ churches voted to increase the salaries of
their pastors, and there were l,500 con-
The Rev. j. w. Balderson, DIR. Stafford
and the Rev. I. L. Tomkinson were intro
duced.
The Revs. George Wood, W. w. Sharp
and j. A. Rrcwington were elected assist
ant Statisticians
Mark Il. Bowman, Edwin Gardner, r.
b. Short, W. II, ). l4oller, q. II, Jones, IL.
G. Turner and Elmer l.. Cross. were re-
ccived on trial. Al examination they made
the following averages in a score of To-:
Mr.. Bowman, 8; Mr., Gardner, s; Mr..
I.oller, Z; Mr.. Short, 3; Mr.. Jones, u; Mr.,
Turner, 9l Mr.. cross, %. John d. Locates
and Joseph II. Geoghegan were proposed
as candidates but their names were with
drawn, and the presiding elders were re-
quested to employ them. The former
average was u and the latter's 81.
Presiding Elder France read the annual
report of Easton district. His six years
service as presiding elder he said, was har-
monous, but its success was not as abund-
ant as he desired. Owing to lack of suf-
iieient pastors he had to employ some sup
plies. The district covers the peach belt'
and two years failure Of the peach crop
, brought such financial distress that it af-
fected the churches, especially collections
} for church improvements and church
building. He gave a detailed account Of
the work accomplished and regretted that
BY the use of the Berean lesson leaf the
. Bible as book was largely dis
placed. The catechism, he said, is
not used so extensively as il should
: he. The Epworth League is doing good
work A district league has been organ.
. lied and there has been an increase Of Il
) chapters, with a membership Of 600. The
wear was not characterized by any num-
} her Of wide-sweeping reviyals in any par
ticuiar charge. The aggregate number Of
! conversions was l.2D0. In conclusion ht
&. said he was under special obligation to the
/, preachers and laymen Of the district fol
: sympathy and cooperation in the work
7 When he had finished he was agreeably
e surprised by the bishop arising and on be
! half Of the ministers Of the district pre-
e senting him with All elegant gold watch
r for which he returned thanks.
I A collection amounting to Sl35lS wa;
taken for Rev, George W. Bounds.
r Presiding Elder Wilson read the annua
:. report of Dover district. The condition.
i for success, he said, were less fayorabl,
Q than usual. Besides n shortage in cereal.
G there was M almost entire destruction o
J. the fruit crop and the oyster yield in Dor
l. chester county was u comparative failure
!
:, people in financial distress and mad
!. church work difficult, yet with this Their
/ was only one reduction of estimate TO
d ministerial support and II charges in
i creased their appointments to an aggre
o gate of $1,000. Nine churches and fou
e parsonages were built during the year
e The National GamPmeeting Assoca
s ton has standing offer to occup
i, the Campgrounds at Rehoboth an
Y permanently utilize them. The open
IS ing Of the Baltimore e. Eastern Shor
e railroad makes probable the founding Of
r camp-mteting near Enalls Springs TIL
&c general facilities offered by that road an
i an equally liberal policy on the part Of til
PENNSYLVANIA would possibly make grea
7 camp-mcetings both at Camden-u nion an
ir Rchoboth. He declined the offer of til
r. district stewards of All increase in his SUI
II port and of Il months vacation. III
le quoted the following figures III rcferrin
IS to the Conference Academy; Teacher.
G. including principal, Z; students in 1889 an
u, 1890, li9, in ls9u and 1891, 49, Hoard 1
e Education bcncfcaries, II; Conferenc
I. Educational Society beneficiary, l. yal
a, of academy property, $4,000; indebtet
ness SlU,UU0; receipts from board an
re tuition, Sl0,37l6l expenses, Sl0,366.0
p. net receipts, Sill. The foundations {
n, the ladies' hall have been laid and I'll
I'd walls are above ground The amour
he raised by the district for building in
r rroyements and paying debts nearl
equaled the amount Of the preceding yea
g while the benevolent collections aggr
l., gated Sl0l07, an advance of 1922 over III