The sun., 1893-06-01
THE NUMBER OF oUAKERs.
II 10 II Gradually Decreasing They TheI
selves DO Not Know II.

| II ~ IL Gradually Decreasing They Them
selves DO Not Know II.
One Of tho Quakers. Nao ore this week at
| tending the yearly meeting OF the society In
| it's meeting house at Rutherford place and
Fifteenth street. said. in tho meeting on Tues.
| day. that the Quakers were decreasing in
numbers and that the death rate was much
larger than the birth rate. II this Is fact
and the religious sect is slowly dying out. the
Quakers themselves do not know It. Various
answers were given yesterday by the seven or
eight who were asked whether their orEani-
sntion was decreasing In numbers. They all
said they had no statistics upon which to base
their answers. and could give merely their
own opinions on the question.
Mr.. William II. Willis. who is the clerk. md
practically the Moderator OF the New York
Yearly Meeting. IN association which includes
all tho Quakers in eastern and southern New
York. ,rthern New Jersey. Long Island and
part OF Connecticut. said he thought that
within the last fifteen years there hnu becn a
slight decrease In the number Of Quakers in
the United States. Speaking for his own par
ticular district. he said he supposed there had
heen slight decrease. This decrease. not
amounting to more than n dozen In the last
year. he said. was caused by some OF the
younger people moving to the West. and also
by the fact that the death rate was larger than
the birth rate.
Children. both OF whose parents are Ouak-
ers. become birthrieht members Of the society.
Where one Of tho parents is n Quaker and the
bers OF the society uni esss by special request
Of the parents. or late years the Quakers
and the result has been decrease in the
number OF hirthright Qrakers. which is why
the death rate has been larger than the birth
Mr.. John W. Hutchinson. member OF num-
rr,ooi ber Of important Committees. thought the
meeting ,ef tho Phisnthropic Gnion MON held hell I'm in
Of s ;bs
try IN the last nifty years.
sSeus sen t%sny said
Since Since. then they, thought there had been a
the. First Sunday Day schools and OF the
philanthropic Union. q body somewhat similar
deayor These % two movements ] at had H led to t3n a
as they nut Il. and they thought the society
The Quakers oi tie &c Country Sea arc grouped to.
Gether in seven associntions-the New York.
the Ohio. the Indiana. and the Illinois Yearly
Meetings. 1t is estimated that there are about
sbSu. 5 N SiT 12 dsn Yss1s ssp Mss sga
There was present at the meeting yesterday
wore smooth black coat. with veivet-inced
standing collar and lapels. which rolled back
on his breast. He wore n broad brimmed, tall
the Westbury. Long Island: Quarterly Meet
ing. >, he enid he supposed the society was
hardly holding its own. and he supposed there
wns a slight decrease throughout the country.
When asked what he tn ought was the cause Of
tho falling on In numbers. he said he didn't
seemed to be period. about thirty or forty
years ago-Mr Griffen is about 70-when. for
eOme reason other. there warant
birthriGht Qua kers.. Families used to number
six and eight. he said. but in Inter years tho
size Of tho families dwndled down to two and
three.
He said the society was becoming conserva-
lively progressive. and some new ideas were
were just as interested and Just as loyal as
ever. and lust az full Of the spirit Of martyr
To-day the Friends will discuss the advsa-
bility OF revising the Book OF Discipline. The
m Getting will probably end to morrow.