Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-03-09
The Baltimore Conference Listens
to Reports.
WORK OF THE METHODIST UNION
Preaching Of the Annual Missionary
Sermon.
POINTS IN THE DISCOURSE

Special Dispatch to The Evening Star.
BALTIMORE. March o. Baltimore's
quota of the latest thing in cold waves
was responsible for slim attendance at
the opening Of today's session of the Bal
timore conference of the Methodist Epis-
copal Church, and, although by 10 O'Clock
there was as many members present as on
previous days, there was shortage of on
lockers, both on the floor and In the gal
leries.
Routine proceedings were uninteresting
as rule. the one bright spot being an an
nouncement by the examining committee
that Rev. L. NJ. Bennett, stationed at
Grace Church, Woodbury., had passed his
examination for elders orders with an
average of 100 per cent. He Is the Star
man of the year. and the statement to that
effect was greeted with applause that dis
turbed the repose OF several people. who
had concluded that little slumber would
be proper and profitable.
District Methodist Union.
When there was more of briskness the
Rev. L. T. Waterman presented to the con-
ference the report of Mr.. G. w. F. Swart-
zell, president of the Methodist Union of
the District of Columbia The report stated
that the object of the union was ito pro-
mote social AID religious union between
the members Of the Methodist Episcopal
churches of the District, to foster the
Methodist Home and to relieve embarrassed
churches" but regretted 4 lack of enthu-
s;iasm and less success than was looked for.
The principal work Of the union has been
to provide means for the relief of the North
Capitol Street Church, and for that pur-
pose a committee was appointed early in
the year to apportion a certain sum to the
various churches of the city, according to
their ability and their relationship to the
object, the apportionment, when paid, to
be applied to the floating Indebtedness OF
that church, which, when the union took
up the case, amounted to about $i,0OO.
The amounts contributed were. in the
order of quantity: Hamline, S215; McKen-
dree. Sl6723; Metropolitan, S1i7.25; Wesley,
$146 Foundry, s144; Ryland, $127; Trinity,
sG1.25; Twelfth Street. sA2; Grace. $40:
North CAPITOL. $50; Fletcher, 81. total
OF 81 $40. 49,
The sum of 1000 was borrowed from the
American Security and Trust Company,
and a contribution of 500 was secured
from the General Church Extension Soci-
ETY.. and with the aggregate most of the
floating obligations of the church have
been settled. The amount borrowed from
the American Security and Trust Company
a deed Of trust was given on the church
property. the union guaranteeing payment
Of the amount in two years. Members
dues are applied, as far as possible, to the
benefit of the Methodist Home, which is re-
ported to be in prosperous condition. The
subject of pooling the bonded debts of the
churches has been considered, and COM
m.ttee was appointed to ascertain the
amounts due upon such churches as are
not clear CT REMEMBRANCE, with a view to
the early liquidation Of the membranes.
The subject of placing some OF the older
churches upon a more prosperous basis
and that of looking out for locations for
new churches have been considered, but
nothing definite along the line of either has
as yet been done. The general financial de-
preston is referred to as exercising great
adverse influence upon the plans of the
union .z f4-:. -. q. q.
The missionary Sermon.
Shortly after II O'Clock business was sus-
pended, the order being the preaching of
the missionary sermon by the Rev. George
c. Bacon of Hagerstown. Mr.. Bacon's text
was Acts iv: II: Neither is there salvation
in any other; for there is none other name
under heaven given among men whereby
we must be saved
The discourse was the finished and eff
fective product of scholarly preacher
and at its conclusion DIR. Lanahan moved
vote of thanks by the conference, which
motion was agreed to.
Those who addressed the conference to-
day in behalf OF associate institutions were
DR.. Albert Hunt, secretary of the Amer
lean Bible Society: DR.. w. S. Kelly, editor
of the Methodist Review; DIR. Manley S.
Hard of the board of church extension
and Dr. Cooling Of Dover Seminary.
Mustnches ana WHISPERS.
Within the memory of living men there
was popular opinion to the effect that
whiskers and the clerical office were in
compatible; that minister of the Gospel
must either be clean shaven or permit no
more extensive hirsute facial adornment
than narrow and closely cropped side
whiskers, represSed as soon as they reach
ed the level of the lower lobe of each ear,
or thereabouts Such a thing as a mus
tache on the lip Of one of the duly or
dained was never dreamed of in those good
old days. and was for years only worn by
the younger among military men; while
not for long while had even the least
custom-bound of religious reformers in
dulged in a beard. Just what has wrought
the change in this country, and especially
in American Methodism is not now ap-
parent, but somehow or other conditions
have been SO turned around that 1t is no
longer heretical for ministers to abstain
from shaving, while some of the best of
them achieve spiritual and temporal sue
cess in spite of mustaches that range from
sparse limitations of the common thou
sand legs" to superabundant awnings that
interfere with eating and drinking. En-
deavoring to while away a rather dull half
hour of conference session, The Star cor
respondent took whiskery census of it's
membership. The figures may may not
be interesting to the general reader, but
they will be of incalculable value to the
ecieSldStlcdI StatiStlclan OF some later age.
1t will be admitted, of course, that those
minister. who wear only mustaches have
departed most radically from the barber
encouraging canons of the fathers, yet
more than half of the conference member
ship encourage mustacheS.
When the census was taken there were
Of these eghty-nine in all; one being
presiding elder, five of them conference
officers and the balance simply preachers.
AS wearers of full beard and mustache the
conference secretary, one of his assistants,
one presiding elder and twenty-four other
ministers We're on exhibition. One presid-
= ing elder wore a mustache and chin whisk-
ers, and so did one of his subortiinates.
In the matter of side whsllers, there was
opuIent variety; some-like these of the
presiding officer's-silvery, silky and ex-
tended as by an incessant breeze; others
of the brief and severe sort, always adj
missible.
In company with those two types were
others; the regulation "Dundrearys" at
one extreme, ''mutton-chops' in the CEN
ter and the u1yielding and altitudinous
''sideboards" at the other; in all, eight ex-
hibits. a ninth was he who combined the
mustache and the "Dundrearys" with fas-
cinating effect, while three other noble
specimens of sound manhood rejoiced in
mustaches and short "siders.'' Twelve
members consented to the growth of hair
on their chinS: eleven wore hirsute lambre-