The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-04-23
The OLD FOLKS DAY.
zRey. David +. Blaine, the Pho
neer Preacher, in the Pulpit.
MEMORIES or FORTY YEARS AGO.
eUemaa GiorIasd" ard 90 Model
woman ~ . Wife" the Subjects
Of Tive Able sermona

The First ". T. church Vas beautifully
xsccrated yesterday With lilies. rosss,
v.nes and pains in honor OF the oder
xembers Of the congregation. and IA
whose honor an .'old folks service w.s
hid in the morning. in which osa-fasa-
5sned hymns were sung and al old
fashioned sermon preached by the Oldest
minister in Seattle. Rev. David T. Blaine.
xAo was the frat pastor OF the church IN
she early SIS A special MUSICAL pro-
frsmme was ataed TO the services. The
| choir rendered with splendid effect DR..
Adam Clarke's beautiful anthem, How
Beautiful Upon the Mounta'ns," and Ar.
II. IT. Grcut sang ~ solo with exquisite
sssse, the favorite lynn. "Searer Ny God
toIhes" Prof Sharp played an irnprovisa-
Goa Of the same hymn during the osfertory
composed By himself which attracted
mach attention. Rev. w. A. Shankl.n,
tie present pastor. offieIated, being as
s;yted by Rev A. Atwood, another Of tho
ministerial pioneers OF Puget sound. The
yensrable Rev. Mr.. Blame, who has lust
psssed the 10Th milestone on hts journey
through life. was listened TO with deep rev.
seence and his sermon throughout breath ed
~ earnest. ripe Christian. whose life
Nd been devoted TO tho interest Of Others
His iexi was from Romans, viii:2s: 1--WE
kpow that all things work together for
eood 10 them that love 6o6--to them that
~ the called according TO bis purpose.
As Rev. David E. Blaine Is so closely
connected with the history OF the First
etusch bret sketch OF his career will be
ii interest in this connections:
De- nauiN uIafw. "
Seneca county, N. Y. March S. is24.
During October. 1853. Mr. Blaine and his
wife we're sent out By the missionary So
ssty TO report ut Olympia. They came
ssonnd By way OF Panama. and ~ Olympia
Mr. Blaine was assigned to labor i'm Seat
", which was then little village, having
shout twenty houses. little square, roughly
bsiis, implanted homes, scattered in q
ANAL district bounded by Second street on
ths east and Madison street ON the
scrtb. outside OF which all was
isnse forest. There were about one
Aandred white inhabitants and between
- and 500 Indians. Mr.. Blaine erected
tbs frst church building in Seattle. which,
~ the way. still exists, and stands now on
Cherry street. between Second and Third
streets. having sadly degenerated from its
original purpose. This building was
erected on the corner of Columbia and
Second, where the Boston block now
stands. and dedicated in May, 1855. by
Rsv. William Roberts, OF Salem, Or, who
vas the presiding elder. with Rev. Mr..
Riaine rs pastor in charge. As it was the
only church in the village IL was well at
isnded by the God-fcaring villagers of ali
denominations, the average attendance
being twenty-five. The Indian troubles
in the winter OF 1856 decided Rev. Mr..
Blaine to leave the Sound. Mrs. Blaine
Of the time Of the attack on Seattle had q
baby six days old, and she and her hus-
band took refuge on the warship Decatur.
md the then young mother now wildly
fecalIs the Smelling of the woods by the guns
q the Decatur. Mr.. and Mrs. Blaine went
70 Portland. where they rem aimed doing
missionary work in the Willamette valley
for seven years. after which they returned
70 their Eastern home. In 1853 they re-
turned to the Coast. and finally located
permanently in Seattle In 1891. Speaking
Of the value OF property in the early days
Of Seattle, Mrs. Blaine mentioned the fac,
that the lots where now the New York
block stands, were offered her for $40
apiece with no takers. and that s., 600
would have bought out the entire town.