The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-10-08
RELIGION.

or contemporaneous human interest are
the following facts of a religious nature:
AS soon as the Cherokee boomers, who re-
Gently made the grand rush upon the new
ly opened lands. had grabbed their claims,
they gathered together at the county seats
and hold religious services. When steam
or laden with immigrants from Europe ar
rived at the port Of Quebec on Tuesday last.
Lord ABERDEEN. the new Governor-General
OF Canada, welcomed the strangers as they
landed. conducted service OF prayer and
thanksgiving on the wharf for their benefit.
and. in company with Lady ABERDEEN and
Lord KINNAIRD. led the newcomers in the
singing Of pious hymns. At one OF the great
meetings recently held by the striking and
starving coal miners OF England. one Of
their number proposed that the proceedings
be opened with prayer. whereupon. as We
observe by a picture OF the scene printed in
the Illustrated Mems. he mounted a rough
looking platform. raised his hands toward
heaven. and poured forth his supplications.
while his fellow strikers. with bowed heads
or upon bonded knees. joined with him In
the prayer as they stood near him in the
blasted moor under a lowering sky. FL
nally. about fortnight ago. when q body
Of coal miners In Wales were at work in a
pit, the walls Of the mine fell SO that the
men were imprisoned under danger Of
death: and when some Of the shovellers
near the mouth OF the pit were struggling
to remove the falling mass andrescue them.
they could hear their entombed brethren
singing hymns. with half-stifed voices.
down below in the black hole. awaiting the
approach OF death. from which. however.
they were saved.
It may be inferred from these four pieces
Of news that religion has yet an existence In
the human soul, or at least In some souls.
Not the least interesting among the facts
here given Is that which has come to US
from the Cherokee Strip through corre-
spondent OF the Philadelphia Pess. The
Strip. it will be remembered. was opened to
settlement on Saturday, Sept. 10. three
weeks ago. and the wild rush Of the tens Of
thousands Of eager boomers took place on
that day. They were on their lands by
nightfall. and here are some scenes OF the
night. as described by the OBJ
servant correspondent who travelled from
one camp to another:
Under all the adverse circumstances OF the boom
the boomers now able to send forth SONGS OF
praise. Pass any camp Saturday night and the sounds
of singing corld be heard. And tho peculiarly of all
was that you heard nothing but sacred songs Hymns
welled forth from the thankful hearts of Thousands
At Enid thouSart> ,oped in grand chorus after
hymn was starssG- I'd whom Q solitary singer began
that grand old hymn Nearer N. God. to Thee
there was hush over the prairie unit! the chorus
came. and then tho full vo!uue of song swept over The
land before heard. the peAn ~ D, alss
of tho joyful victora They had conquered the wiic
country"
This looks like very genuine religion. 1t |
is gratitude to the Almighty Father. And |
yet we have not any reason for supposing |
that all Of these Cherokee boomers pos
sessed the nature Of saints.
Verify. indeed. religion is a power in the |
world, and the greatest and most abiding
Of all powers. Let not the unbelieyers
vainly imagine that 1t can be destroyed by
their assaults upon Il.