Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1892-10-01
THE WEST IND MISSION.
Completion OF the Chapel-Prepa-
ration for SIS Dedication
HISTORY OF TIE WORK.

ln the next few days there will be dedi
Gated IN this city, with interesting ex :
ercises the West End Sunday School
room On West street extended. now
completed by the contractor and bull
der, Mr.. w. b. Gardiner. This work
has proved so successful aud popular
with the young people of the Western
section of our city, that we will let
the pl bic into its history
The work is now in its fourth year.
For six months or more, before the or
ganiZing of the school, the field has
been looked upon as most desireble for
religious work. Buildings were going
up all around, the population was IN
ereasing and the city could oBly grow
or extend an this direction, and the
nearest church was about a mile dis
tant, keeping very many from attend
ing divine services. So as the months
passed the necessity of starting Sun
day School become more and more
apparent. The matter had been earn
estly prayed over aud much thought
given to the project and inquiry made
for suitable room to hold the school,
but it seemed the time was not quite
ready.
On Sunday, March 18th, 1889, Messrs.
George M. Hyde and John Duffy, TIVE
earnest workers in the church, visited
the locality on a prospecting tonr,
firmly believing the Lord was in the
movement and with the determination
of securing room for this purpose.
They had not been long in the neigh
borhood before vacant room was
found. The matter was reported 10
Rev. r. II. Williams, then pastor of
the First Presbyterian Church, who
gave his sanction and approval of the
undertaking. Securing from the Board
of Publication a years subscription of
lesson helps and illustrated papers,
Mr.. Hyde and Mr.. Duffy entered upon
the work. The first session of the
school was held Sunday afternoon,
March oath, 1889, with the following
attendants, beside the two officers I:
Mr.. J.. M. Wells and his son, Samuel
ID. Wells and John Stinchcomb. Five
benches had been secured from the
Presbyterian Sunday School, The
success of the work was assured from
the very start. The attendance began
10 increase and at the third meeting
the number present was fifteen. The
work being an outgrowth of the First
Presbyterian Sunday School, it took
the name of the Presbyterian Branch
Sunday School. For some Sabbaths,
several ladies and gentlemen were in-
terested in the school, taking classes,
but becoming weary in we'll doing.
withdrew from the work.
The people desiring week night
meet, presented a petition for the same
and on Thursday evening May 10th,
1899, their request was granted, the
pastor, Rev. DIR. r. III. Williams con-
Quoting the first prayer meeting. So
much enthusiasm was shown In the
work, that committee waited upon
the officers of the mission, expressing
a great desire to have a Sunday after
noon meeting. The matter was care
fully considered, and on Sunday, Sep
TENDER 1Sth, 1890, at five o'clock, be-
gan the first Sunday afternoon meet
ing, which from that time to the
present has continued to grow in
popularity.
On Sunday, June 10th. 1899, the
school held its first "Children's Dayn
exercises, with an exceedingly inter
esting programme The collection for
the Board of Publication vas about
one dollar and fifty cents. The first
efforts at raising money for lot and
building fund, was. the distributing of
a sum of money in nickels to be inves-
ted by the scholars so as TO increase
the amount. The plan brought in a
right good sum towards this object.
AT the request of the w. G. I. u.
of the city, the third Sunday of every
month is devoted to temperance, the
scholars taking a very active part in
the exercises. The fourth Sunday of
every month is given TO missions, the
offerings going to the Home and
Foreign Boards. Nearly ten dollars
has been used in this direction. Short
ly after the organization of the school,
en- organ was purchased from the
Eastport Baptist Sunday School, with
money raised by voluntary contribu-
tions. After four or five months,
the work became entirely self sup
porting.
The resorting to fairs, suppers and
theatricals has always met with
disfavor and condemned in very
strong terms, the officers believing
that God is fully able to take care
of his work, without these things of
the world. Lectures, which have an
educational tendancy and moral up
lifting of people, have been per
mitted, realizing good sums towards
the lot and building fund. The fol-
lowing persons have given valuable
assistance in this direction: Rev. DIR.
r. III. Williams, two lectures; Rev.
Clarence Wilson and Rev. ID. b.
Gregg Of. Baltimore, each one lecture.
The trustees OF the Presbyterian
Church very kindly allowed the lee
lures to be held in the church.
The various societies connected with
the work are valuable aids to the
success Of the school. The ''Temper
ance Better Day Reading Circle, y
started very soon with the work, has
kept mp its interest undated, and the
meetings held on the last Thursday of
every month are intensely interesting,
teaching many lessons of value to the
young of the great Importance of to-
tai abstinence and living temperate
lives. The Mite Society took upon it
self the paying for lights and fuel,
and making the expenses quite small.
so that the money that would have
been used in this direction was put
to purposes of great advantage in the
work. A w. T. C. u was organized
-. - 49,