St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1894-08-23

Nearly 1000 people attended the
centennial celebration of the Con
gregational church at Peacham last
Thursday and the occasion was the
most notable one ever held in the
history Of the town. 1t was a per-
feet day and the exercises were held
out of doors where a platform and
seats had been erected in front of the
academy building. The only town
in the world by the name of Peach
am celebrated its church centennial
that day, and thanks to the indie
fatigable efforts of all interested,
it was a most successful celebration.
New England, the South and the far
West were represented and manv
met each other Thursday that had
not met before for years.
PENN Exercises.
Shortly after 10 o'clock Rev. I. R.
Williams called the assembly to or
der and the exercises began by the
singing of "Te Deum" by a choir led
by H. H. May of St. Johnsbury. The
opening hymn was sung to the tune
Portuguese hymn" 1t was COM
posed by Rev. P. B. Fisk of Lyndon,
who was pastor of the church from
August, 1866, to July, 1870. The
hymn is as follows:
For the strength of the hills, for this wide
Where eve loves to linger, and morn chase
Where mind may be broad as the range of
And heart be as loving, and purpose as
Thanksgiving to Him who hath made earth
and sky.
Thanksgiving to God for the times of our
For learning, for faith, for examples of
worth,
For temperance, for justice, for those that
The hopeful, forgiving, the meek and the
Direction so plain, and foundation so sure.
For those gone before, and for those till in
sight,
Who purchased our freedom and fu11ness and
light,
For unity, peace, both at home and abroad.
For mercy that tends from the force of the
rod,
For all things, we praise Thee and bless
Be pleased to continue to love us and bless:
4hSA1h dS 11ShI OA dId, anu hlSnSIy I
In duty and privilege may we agree
In living for those who are yet here to be,
That they bring more glory, through Jesus,
to Thee.
The forty-eighth Psalm was read
by Rev. Geo. P. Byington of East
Hardwick and PRAYER was offered
by Rev. NJ. S. Dudley Of Nantucket,
Mass. The audience were welcomed
f0 pao0ho ~ NV Pau INIn.o,,,c
pastor of the church.
The Address of Welcome.
| speak not only in behalf of the
living generation which comes UP to
worship on this hill, but also in be-
half of that long line of godlv men
and women who have for a hundred
years constituted this church and
made it a benehcent power in the
town and the world.
There is a significant fitness in
marking as we do the closing of a
century of church life. 1t is a CEN
Jury of manifested divine power and
grace. If the trees beneath which
Washington tented or gave orders,
if the tomb of a patriarch, becomes
sacred, how much more the life of a
church where has dwelt and
wrought the living God. So much
of divine truth and power have
wrought their redeeming and
clarifying mission here these past
100 years, making this church so
rich a fountain of uplifting,
b%enefcent power in these genera
tons past, we feel that duty and
privilege alike demand that we make
special recognition of what God hath
wrought; that we count His
gracious f%avors; recall the joys and
sorrows, the days of darkness. if
there be such, and days of light
which have marked the closed cen
fury.
This church has sent out her sons