Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1895-06-14

societies are reported from 173 church
es with a membership of 1918, an in
crease of II societies and 4S0 members.
During the year a new church, the
! first ever in town. was erected at Wet
more, at a cost of So. 900. ST. Albans has
dedicated new $1,000 church, free from
! debt At Swanton, 50, 900 has been ex-
pended in repairs upon the church there.
| Eight hundred dollars has been expend-
ed in repairs upon the Union church at
North Thetford, and 800 at Weston, and
among eleven other churches reporting
repairs are Middletown Springs and
Pittsford.
The church at South Woodbury. has
received the gift of bell; that at Dandy
and Island Pond, an organ. The church
at West BrattlebOro has raCeived a leg
acy of $4,000. Six churches have cele-
brated the centennial of their organiza-
tion, and one, tho First church of Bur
! lingtOn, has commemOrated with espec-
| ial services its ninetieth anniversary.
| Pastor Hazen of NOrthtield, has COM
memorated the thirtieth year of his pas
| torate there, and the fOrtieth anniver-
sary of Pastor WheelOck's first pastOrate
at Cambridge has been observed; also
the forty years uninterrupted pastOrate
of Father Pratt over the church at
| Dorset. Three churches, East Barre,
Marsbfield and Richmond, have become
incorporated according to the general
law, and WilliamstOwn by special act Of
the general assembly.
Three churches are now in use which
were built prior to 1900; 133 churches
own parsonages; 81 have invested funds,
and forty are free from debt.
Considerable attention and space are
also given to reports of revivals, etc.
The report of the treasurer of the Yer
mont Domestic Missionary Society
showed that during the year there was
received for State work, S, 900 by con-
tribu ion, and $1,000 was drawn from
the legacy fund, all of which had been
used. The report of the Secretary, the
Rev. C. II. Merrill, showed that the re-
suits of the year were the most hopeful
of any in the history of the Society,
which had shown net gain every year
during the past 90 years.
Miss Collins, missionary among the
Indians, also gave a very interesting ad.
dress of "Work Among the Indians"
The afternoon services, which were
mostly of an historical character, were
held in the Old First Church at the Cen
tre The services consisted entirely of
addresses: one by the Rev. Henry Fair
banks, entitled, "The Influence of Con-
, gregationaism Upon Vermont" essay,
"The Early Religious Papers of Yer
mont" by the Rev. f. II. Byington, D..
D.: and papers, "COntTasts Between
the Old and the New in Preaching,' by
the Rev. w. S. Smart, d. D.; Contrasts
Between the Old and the New in Pas
tOral Life" by the Rev. G. p. Byington,
and Contrasts Between the Old and the
New in Worship" by the Rev. G. N.
Thomas. These were followed by rem
iniscences by different members.
The Bennington and Rutland Railroad
ran a train from the Main street crossing
in the village to the crossing near the
church in which the services were held.
The evening services, held in the Sec
ond Congregational church in this vii
lage were of a missionary nature and were
among the most interesting of all held.
Interesting addresses were made by Dr..
w. A. Duncan of the Congregational
Sunday School and Publishing Society,
the Rev. f. l.. Ferguson of the Congre-
gational Education Society, the Rev. j..
L. Barton of the American Board. The
choir of the church furnished the music.
The Vermont Branch of the Woman S
Board of Missions met in session in the
Second Congregational church at 30
o'clock, Wednesday afternoon, and lis
tened to an interesting address from
Miss Chamberlain, a missionary at Sill
as, Turkey.
The following officers for the general
convention were elected: president, Rev.
DIR. E. T. Fairbanks, st. Johnsbury vice
president, n. G. Williams, Bellows Falls;
secretary, Rev. S. L. Bates; correspond.
ing secretary, John NJ. Comstock, Chel-
sea; treasurer, David NJ. Camp, Newport.
The next meeting will be held in Brad
ford the second Tuesday, Wednesday
and Thursday in June, 1896.
The preacher selected was Rev. V. NJ.
Hardy, Randolph; substitute, Rev. E.
A. George, Newport. Resolutions were
passed endorsing the so called New Jer-
sey platform. for church union, also in
favor of the movement for better Sunday
observance. The historical sermon by