Smyrna times., 1894-08-01

ulSb cnurcn on Ounuay evening was
the report of their delegate to the Ma
tional Christian EndeavOr meeting at
Ohio,-Wm. F. Brown.
At the hour of meeting there was a
blow with lightning and thunder at a
distance, as if there might be another
of those electrical disturbances which
have been more than usually alarming
this summer, and thus kept number
away. After the usual singing service
Mr.. Brown read his address, and from
the fact of the disturbance as above
alluded to, we have asked for it as a
matter of interest to those wishing to
know about the great convention. His
paper, except the statistics of the gen.
secretary, was as follows:
REPORT.
The Thirteenth International Con-
vention of the Young Peoples Society
of Christian EndeavOr held in the city
of Cleveland Ohio, July 11th to the
10th was said to be the most successful
gathering ever held by this society. At
one time it looked very much as though
it would be a failure owing to the great
railroad strike. But judging from the
large attendance it looks now as
though it would take more than Debs |
and his followers to suppress the gath
erings of this great society that has |
been started by God through human
agency in the person of our honored
founder and president. Rev. Francis E.
Clark.
True,m many persons who had expected
to attend did not get to do so. Some
were frightened away and never at
tempted to go, nine from our own State
being among the number. Others
started but were detained on the way
by the strike. Still others after a
round about way succeeded in reaching
| Cleveland several days late. Quite a
number of Western delegates came on
the Canadian railroads and Lake
steamers and in this way avoided the
strike altogether. Not a few of the
special trains bearing delegates from
the west came through only with the
assistance of the military forces.
Thus after many trials and beset-
ments the convention began on We'd
nesday evening in 10 churches of the
city. These meetings were all well at
tended and were in most cases presided
over by the pastors of the respective
song service followed by short ad-
dresses. The convention proper began
on Thursday morning the 18th inst,
Sangerfest Hall being the principal
building in which the sessions were
held. This building was built last year
for the Sangerfest Singing Society,
which held its convention in Cleveland.
1t will seat about 10000 persons. Two
meetings were held here each day and
at every service the great hall was
! / filled and in most cases the doors had
to be closed to prevent OvercrOwding
the hall.
This was truely wonderful, but won
t derful as it may seem, the tent erected
t about three squares away and seating
! as many more persons, was also
2 crowded to overlooking at every meet
!, ing. / hope you will understand that
services were arranged for the hall and
g tent at the same hour each day, so that
] each morning and each evening about
b. 10000 Christian young people were
: gathered together to listen TO the word:
= of instruction and encouragement from
e the speakers.
q Large as the tent and hall were they
/ were not able to accommodate all thos'
who wished to attend the opening
meeting on Thursday morning and the
closing service on Sunday evening
The committee announced that thu
opening service would be held in thu
It hall Only-that the tent wouli not b.
il used. Long before the opening hOu
= arrived the hall was filed and th'
l. leader announced that an overflow
"A | Ill
IL This, too, was filled and besides, tw
= churches were used to accommodate
those who could not get in either hal
l. or tent.
s. In his address of welco ome Rev. J.
! Tyler, chairman of the Cleveland con
. vention committee said, when he aske,
,e Gov. Mckinley to welcome the dele
IS gates, he told him he might want hin
IF to repeat his address in the tent shoul
t. the hall be too small to accOmmodat,
q all who desired to attend. The Gov
y ernOr replied that would be impossible
and added, they would be scarcely abl
ut to fill the Sangerfest hall. This illu
o. strates the surprisingly large attend
7, ance. For the closing oonsecratiOl
J. service on Sunday night arrangement
q = were made to open two churches 70
"a overflow meetings. This proved to
d. a wise move, for they too, were filleC
Mt This closing conservation service is RI
as garded as the most solemn and prof
able of all the meetings held. Fac
es States delegation attended in a bod
- " and responded together. One delegl
Id ton would respond with an appropria
verse of scripture, another by singing
A. | rNf ~
o. still others with promises in regard
at their life during the coming year. Th
S conservation service was no exceptiC
n J1 to the rule, and was without a dOul
as the most interesting and most prof
To- able meeting spiritually held durir
lot the convention.
g. Twelve early morning prayer NEE
II ings were held each morning at g.;
I M o'clock. A business mems nOondl
80 go meeting was held each day by Mr..
N. Hunt, of Minneapolis, Minn. {
n Thursday afternoon the Denomin
lin tiOnal rallies were held. Friday afte
far noon was set apart for "practic
or methods of committee work, "a separa
ier e meeting being held for each committe
he Saturday evening at each of the Sta
ire headquarters State rallies were bel
ms Through a misunderstanding the Del
be ware delegation held no State rally.
his At the DenOminational rallies l natu
m ally attended the one of my ov
my church. With US was the NJ. E. Chur
South and the Methodist Church
ee- Canada. Our rally was held in d
eet Epworth Memorial NJ. f. Church.
mo was in this church that the Epwor
us League was organized about Eve yea
ago. Over the door was banner rea
tho ing "Epworth Memorial Church t
to birthplace of the Epworth Leagr
,rs, Welcomes the Young Peoples Socie
of Christian EndeavOr." This meeti
a. at was not as we'll attended as some of t
9s ons others, probably because the M.
i'm. Church has not taken hold of t
be Christian Endeavor movement as 9th
ger denominations have. Rev. CHAR
OF Roads, of Philadelphia, president off
Ip- Pennsylvania State Union had char
my of this meeting. He opened the exc
he cises with a general hand-shake aft
ap- the order of brother GallOway's. The
son for half hour, there was general G
perience meeting. One delegate
the giving his experience said he rep
NOT sented the only Christian Endeav
'ass Society in an NJ E. Church in the ci
the of Baltimore, and yet there are 13l ;