Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-12-30
AMONG THE CHURCHES,

eve He has never realized until he hears
the chimes and the peals at that time that
there were any bells in the city, perhaps
He is right too. in way. for there are
very few here. Those few are mainly the
church bells.
In a country place the church bell is re-
garded as quite as Indispensable as the min
lister himself. and is used for all purposes.
But in a city, where people do not go and
come by the ringing of bells. or set their
clocks accordingly. the need for a church
bell is slight, and 1t is considered by many
congregations a useless expense. The
idea is pleasant one. however. and there
are number of churches in this city whose
towers strike out the hours of the day or
ring for the services of the church. Among
these the bells of St. Aloysius' Catholic
Church, corner of North Capitol and /
streets northwest, are familiar to many
ears. and are the timekeepers of that local.
ity. There are four of them and they strike
every quarter hour. On Sundays and on
other occasions they are commonly rung all
together in a chime and produce a splendid
harmony. The Metropolitan NJ. Z. Church,
corner of 1-2 and streets northwest, is
unique in being the only church in the city
possessing chime of bells on which tunes
may be played There is complete scale
and few notes more above and below, in
very pretty bells. Every Sunday night and
at some other times one may hear familiar
tunes coming from the belfry of this church.
ST. Dominics Catholic Church, in South
Washington, strikes the hours, while the
Church of the immaculate Conception Cath
ollc), corner of Sth and n streets northwest
has by far the heaviest bell in the city.
On clear night 1t may be heard all over
Washington. None of the down. town
churches has bell, and there are few bells
In the more extreme northwest portion of
the city
q N 20 H.
the churches to stretch out and gain new
ground. To any one interested in the church
growth of this city the list and data pub
lished in the city directory just issued for
the new year regarding the churches will
be found both Interesting and Instructive
1t will show the remarkable way in which
some denominations have been spreading
out and ON comparison with the list COM
piled last year, will show how many and
rapid are the changes, and how great the
progress which has been made everywhere
Last years directory showed 2l3 churches
In the District, of which eighty We're color
ed and the others white. The list in the
1894 directory numbers pa churches of
which nlnety-six are colored and 12S white
DIVIDING the number according to denomina-
tons, there are thirteen white and forty
nve colored Baptist churches; fourteen
white and one colored Roman Catholic
churches; one Christadelphian Church. four
white and three colored Congregational
churches two Christian churches; twenty
Episcopal churches; two Friends churches;
two Hebrew churches; thirteen Luther
an churches; twenty-four Methodist Epis-
copal white and thirty colored churches;
nVe Methodist Episcopal South churches;
SIN Methodist Protestant churches; nineteen
white and one colored Presbyterian church.
es; two Reformed churches; one Sweden
borgian church; one Unitarian; one Uni
Yersalist and one Church of the United
Brethren In Christ and five miscellaneous
churches and missions. The list is accu-
rate In most respects, although some changes
have been made even while 1t was being
printed In the past year the colored
churches have grown especially. The Chris
tians have doubled their number and both
the Methodist Protestant and Methodist
Episcopal South churches have increa sed
largely. The Methodist Episcopal churches
are the greatest in number, both colored and
white. although the Episcopalians have an
equal number of white churches, and proba-
bly, larger membership of white persons
than any other denomination in the city
The Rev. Frank Sewall pastor of the
Church Of the Holy City, on Dupont circle
Will tomorrow evening begin a course of
free lectures on Truth, Pilgrimage and
Scenes in the History of Religion" They
will deal with the origin of religions, going
back to the oriental Egyptian and Greek
traditions. :
Miss Edna Doe of the Eastern Presbyter
ian Church. corner of Maryland avenue and
9Th street northeast, has been engaged by
Choirmaster Watson Of the Christ Episcopal
her engagement to commence with the LIST
of January.
The annual election of officers for the
Queenstown Baptist Sunday school in Brook
land resulted in the election of j. L. Sher-
wood as superintendent, C. G. Lynch as as
sistant superintendent, j. b. Lord, jr, as
secretary, Miss kittie Bret as assistant
secretary, Mrs. l. Quackenbush as treas
urer, George Fl. Kane as librarian, Fred
Perkins as assistant librarian, and Miss
Annie Lynch as pianist.
The Vermont Avenue Baptist Church. on
Vermont avenue. above Thomas circle. is
being repaired and the steeple fixed
The Christian Endeavor Society of the
First Congregational Church will have a
novel service In the way Of New Year
PRAYER meeting, to take place next Monday
morning. for the members of the society
and others who may wish to come in.
force of workmen are busy repairing
the Grace Baptist Church in Georgetown,
which was severely damaged by fire recent
ly. They began over a week ago and have
made great strides toward putting the
church in its old neat and trim state
The work of laying the foundations and
running up the stone walls of st. Thomas
Protestant Episcopal Church, near dupont
Circle more generally known as the Cal
vary Episcopal Churcn, is going on rapidly,
and the walls are a considerable ways
above the level of the street.
st. Marks Episcopal Sunday school held
their Christmas festival night before last
and the occasion was very much enjoyed by
all. An address was made by the pastor,
Rev. David Richards, and Mr.. Thomas
keech, dressed as typical Santa Claus,
gave out box of candy to each one of
about 25o little ones present. Mr.. j. Walter
Cooksey was presented with a beautiful
prayer book and hymnal, While various 9TH
er teachers were remembered by their
scholars.
1t Is customary for the Catholic churches
in many cases to repeat their Christmas
music on the Sunday following, so those
who were unable to attend on Christmas
day may bear this fact In mind and hear to-
morrow what they missed last Monday
The officers of the Metropolitan Baptist
Sunday school, corner of 9Th and A streets
northeast, recently elected are Edw, Warren,
superintendent: Benjamin Vail, first assist
ant superintendent Mrs. Frances Mclean,
second assistant superintendent; Miss Bar
bara Maier, third assistant superintendent;
Mr.. Julian T. Cockerel secretary Miss
Laura French was elected treasurer, but
she has resigned, and her place has not yet
been filled. The other officers are Mr.
Steven F. Hamilton, librarian; Mr. Jean
Dawsey, first assistant librarian; Miss Nell
Ito Hap