The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-10-29
ST.JOHN'S BEAUTIFUL
The Remodeled Church
Thrown Open to the
Congregation.
THE DIGNITY OF LABOR
DR.. Stoddard's Wise and Eloquent
Tribute-Excellent Music and
a Pretty Picture.

st. Johns Protestant Episcopal Church
on Summit avenue, closed since May last
for renovation and extensive improve
ments, was reopened yesterday, and
there was scarcely a vacant seat in the
church at the morning services.
What with the increased space in the
nave, the new choir stalls and the decor
atoms the church has an extremely hand
some appearance and one which every
member may feel justly proud of. The
extension has been so artistically car
ried out that the style of the building is
immensely improved.
Inside, the walls up to the clerestory
and thence to the top Of the high
pitched roof are beautifully decorated
with floral and figure patterns on a
warm soft tone of Indian red. In TINS
as in every other change, the INCEST tasue
is displayed. All is not yet finished, now
ever, in the establishment of st. Johns.
There are still some memorial windows
to be put in, the pews carpeted, WOOD
work polished and a few odd things 10 De
done before the building may be said to
nave reached the condition aimed at IN
the plan of remodeling and improving.
Practically, though, it is finished and a
very imposing and graceful structure 1t
is, only lacking a belfry and steeple to
make it a mode of the cary Engilsh
type of church architecture.
OPENING SERVICES.
To s~ignalize the opening services, the
rector, the Rev. DIR. E. L. Stoddard, in
vited the Right Rev. Bishop Starkey
and other clergymen to be present at yes
terday's services. The Bishop mad an
other engagement, but the Rev. Dean
Millspaugh of Kansas and the Rev Dr.
Rice of this city occupied stalls in the
chancel. The Rev. Father +.
of st. Patr;ckts r. C. Church and the
Rev. DR.. Brett of Bergen Reformed
Church sent cordial greetings by letter.
Punctually at the usual time for st.
Johns mornings service the door OF
the sacristy opened, and into the church.
two by two, came the vested CHOIR, foi-
lowed by the rector, I'M MS clerical
visitors. All eyes were fastened on the
ladies' of the choir, each for the hrst
time wearing a neat lite black velvet
cap and a white cape. When they were
seated in the newly built oak stalls IN
the chancel the effect was pretty, IN
deed.
DR.. Stoddard, before beginning his regu-
lar discourse, said it seemed to him
proper that some mention should be
made on the occasion of meeting in the
church after it's renovation. He paid
great compliments to the architect, the
builder and every one connected with
the work, even to the men who worked
as laborers on it. Commenting on the
/ Individual skill of the workmen the rec
tor, in his customary scholarly style,
pointed out the dignity of labor anc
remarked tina it would be better for
many young men today if they had to
take their coats off and work at an hon
est, manly rade rather nan sauh,el
idly about the streets. DR.: Stoddard
\ then delivered a sermon on The GLORY.
! of the Lord Filled the Whole House"
in which he again reverted 70 the
out the service the music was simply
! admirable. Solos and choruses Were
| s~plendidly rendered. The performance on
a worthy one, exhibiting great execu-:
| tive ability and artistic taste. =
DIR. STODDARD'S ADDRESS;
Following is the text of Dr.. Stoddaras
ct seems fitting here to make some
acknowledgment of respect and gratitude
| to the me who for more than six months
4 nave D6ttl L " ANA
| a church home for our congregation,
| and this is more especially fitting, as De-
/ lieye the labor has been more hearty
| and more devoted to our interests than
| could have been included in any business
| contract. Our architect, Mr.. Herman
Kreitler, is not only a most sympathetlc,
tasteful n able designer, but a most
| courteous gentleman. l understand that
there have been no words, no d~lIfefences
| between him and any of the contractors,
| but that this work has gone on IN per-
ra14 4x.aaru fo itc hpq1tifuJ ful611rnnnt
I extend to our architect my personal
| regard and the appreciative thanks OF
| st. Johns parish"
DR.. Stoddard then mentioned all the
| contractors and others connected with
| the work, one by one, with words of
| praise. He explained the delays In the
completion of the work, and then went
on as follows:-
| especially favored in the gentlemen who
| have superintendent the work, but in the
unfairness, no difficulty, that l am ware
| of. If any kind. We should be, 1 trust we
| are. perfectly thankful for these facts.
DIGNITY OF LABOR.
II do not wish to talk buncombe oil
| this occasion. but l cannot help saving
that my oversight of this. six months.
1 for manual labor. Why Go many young
| men shun it and hate 1t? The masons,
| with their swift and dexterous labor, ex-
| cited my admiration. How much better
| in the free air, under the open sky,
Ethan behind a counter or bending over
| a ledger. The stone workers. fitting to-
| gether those blocks of granite of which
| the foundations of the world are built,
| building so strongly anG molly these mas
sive arches and buttresses were doing
| great deeds. They were adding to the
| permanent value of this world n lay
Ling foundations that may last for years.
THE man who did most of this brown
] stone work and oversaw 1t all, while
| strong and stalwart as a bronzed giant
| was as careful, as delicate, as fine in his
adjustments as a lady decorating a piece
of china, a splendid specimen of
q man, a churchman. Nor would
overlook the humber artisans.
whose patient endurance and her
| culean strength were marvellous.
One named, dfthink, Jim with a back like
the leviathan and muscles OF steel. would
for nine hours run up and down a thirty
foot ladder with huge granite blocks upon
his shoulder and hods of mortar which |
could not raise from the ground. n at
five O'Clock, on a boiling July day, would
wash his hands with a joke and hurry
home at a gait faster h i should want
to use coming down a mountain. What
splendid force, what im~perturbable good
nature, what u~ntfring energy, Jim and
9Th and Pat all had. +
rWhatsshould we do without these sons
/ of Ireland? Who, I thought, would build
our cathedrals and carry our giant bur-
deus and heave our granite boulders.