Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-10-01
THE CONFERENCE.
lContfnued from Second Page.I
THE NIGHT SESSION
Devoted to Hospital Talk and Church
Extension.

not wait for the choir to do the singing,
but seats himself at the organ and sings
In a voice that fills the whole house
with melody and makes the people Rlao
that they are there. When be talks ne
impresses his hearers with his earnest
ness and the amens he draws from Ine
old time MethodiStsin the front row are
full of feeling and meaning.
He is the Assistant Secretary OF the
Church Extension Society, and as such
was down on the programme to occupy
the session Of the Conference.
When the people began to arrive
they found him sitting at an organ
in front of the pulpit, singing hymns In
the most affecting way, and as the con
gregation gathered, the singing gre" III
volume as the ministers and Iayinen
Joined in the familiar tunes. Inc
singing before the service began was In
itself so sanctifled and so full or soul
that it was worth more to the Christian
heart than many well delivered but less
fervent sermons.
Before eight o'clock every pew in the
big church was filled and few were
accommodated with chairs in the alsles
and in front.
Rev. DR.. Cushing introduced DR..
Spencer, and after prayer and an an
them by the choir, DR.. Spencer rose ana
said that since Rev. DR.. Breckenridge
who is Secretary of the Hospital Socle-
w, would have. no other chance to ad-
dress a meeting of the public during the
conference, he would withdraw for tlf-
teen or twenty minutes and allow the
audience to hear something about the
work of the Methodist Church in the
way of furnishing hospitals for the sick
and needy. 49,,
DR.. Breckenridge took his place in the
pulpit. He said that up till eight years
ago there were no Methodist hospitals
and that thousands of sick Methodists
had been cared for in hospitals
supported by money paid by other de-
nominations. About that time George
S. Seeney, a son OF Methodist Minis
ter was impressed with the propriety OF
having Methodist Hospital in ornear
New York City. Mr.. Seeney inter
viewed DR.. Buckley about the matter
and the result was that he donated to
the Methodist Hospital Society, large
block of ground, beautifully located in
Brooklyn, and In addition, gave $500, 900
to build the house. Later, the site OF
the building was changed to amore ellg-
ible place, and through Mr.. Seeney's
efforts, a property worth $4,000 was
caeated for charitable purposes. Since
then, the hospital has grown and with
the beuuests that have been made to 1T
since. it is valued at three-fourthS OF
million dollars. The hospital has
always made it rule to pay
as it goes and has never been in debt
at the end Of month. Over 5000
people have been cared for within its
walls and the expense of maintaining ii
is now about $1,000 a month. DR..
was proud to say that
there is no color line in the Methodist
hospital. The MethodiSts do not blame
a man for being black any more than
they blame q white man for being
white. He cited sn instance OF a col
pred girl, domestic servant, who was
brought to the hospital, terribly burned |
about the back and legs by burning oil
rom an exploded lamp. She got along !
nicely except a big burn in her back |
hat refused to heal. The physicians |
grated bits OF skin from frogs, from |
he Hospital physician, the superin-
iendent and the nurses upon the stub |
lorn sore and the girl is to-day walking |
lbout New York City as proud as the
Queen of Egypt; but, the Doctor re-
marked: "She's part frog, part super
ntendent, part nurse and part physi-
ian, but she's well and happy"
DIR. Spencer then announced that I
here had been several requests made |
If him to sing one OF his old time songs |
known MS 1.-The Things in That Bottom
Drawer" He feared that he could not |
it all, but was willing to try,
md seating himself at the organ, sang
he very touching piece in manner
hat brought tears to the eyes OF many
If his hearers.
He spoke at length about the work of |
church extension, but said that 1t was |
rot the most important work Of the |
church, and placed the missionary work |
n advance of it. He said that SAB, 600. |
lad been collected during the past year |
Tor church extensions, but the amount |
was not nearly equal to the demand |
made for money. He made a very
reference to the work of Chap
ain McCabe who, during seven years
while he was at the head of the church
society, had collected $1,000
for every day of the time.
Speaking of the needs OF the church
For missionary purposes, he said the
foreign missions are the most import
ant because they are to take the Word
TO a class who are heather because they
have nothing better and can get moth,
ing better except through the efforts OF
the church. The heathens we have at
home are heathens simply because they
are content to be heather. He said
there was no excuse for not spreading
the gospel at this time, because the
doors of all nations are open 10 the
aud the gospel may be
preached everywhere. Concerning the
need of preachers and teachers In India,
he said that in one presiding elders dis
trict in India, there are 1000 people
waiting for baptism because there are
not the educated natives needed at the
rate of one TO every one hundred con-
verted people to teach them the Bible
and to minister their spiritual wants.
He drew a touching picture Of the
scenes in his own home when his nine
daughter, WHO'S in school,
her father and mother that
she felt called upon to enter the mis-
Sionary field, and said he would be glad
to let her go to the work If she felt
called to it.
DIR. Spencer told Of the birth Of the
Methodist church west Of the Allegheny
when six ministers held con-
farannn in 4 loo hnnsn in KantnrkH- and