The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-07-13

services in honor of Mrs. Harriet Beecher
Stowe, the authoress of "Uncle Tom s
Cabin"
The little weather-beaten church in
which the memorable Starr King held its
first service and at which in his
early days some of the then
most prominent families attended di-
vine worship was filled during the SER
vices yesterday. They were tn ere to pay
respect if not generation to the woman
who through her work, the worldwide
read "Uncle Toms Cabin, "did so much to
bring the colored race out of slavery.
How well this noble woman succeeded
history and to-day's conditions are the
best witnesses.
This great work for suffering and down
trodden race is so fully appreciated by the
people who have been benefited by it that
an output of gratitude from joyous hearts
is the response over the broad land where
ever colored man or woman may be
found.
That Harriet Beecher Stowe felt In her
heart for the amelioration of the colored
slave there could be no doubt, and that
this race to-day feels deeply indebted to
her memory is equally true and sincere.
The services were opened yesterday aft
ernoon by 7. B. Morton, a gifted speaker
Every seat in the church was filled with
men, women and children. The latter, in
their handsome summer dresses of various
hues and up-to-date head gear, presented
novel as also a pleasant picture to be-
hold.
Mr.. Morton, in calling the meeting to
order, said:
Friends, ladies and gentlemen: We have as
sembled this afternoon to do honor to the great
Lie and work and to contribute our highest
mark OF respect to the memory OF one whose
true position in history will stand in the front
rank OF the noblest Chris tian men and women
that have ever lived.
For no one person, in no single work or argu-
ment, has spoken SO effectively to as many diff
ferent people in SO many different languages
and tongues in defense of the oppressed as did
Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe.
Mrs. Stowe was born at Litchfeld, Conn.,, on
June IA, 1872, and departed this life on July J.,
1896, in the eighty-fiftn year OF her age. These
exercises are appropriate and commendabie in
our people, and we take this method of show
ing our appreciation of her whose memory we
have assembled here to commemorate and to
pass down the lesson of gratitude and honor
10 our children for future generations.
Scripture reading by the Rev. E. T.. Cott-
man was attentively listened to, after
which the Rev. ]. j. Sitton. a white man
and minister of Cumberland Presbyterian
Church, offered prayer to the Almighty
Tor his blessings uDon his colored brethren
in this their hour of Joy and sorrow-ioy
for the blessings of freedom and sorrow
for the loss of noble woman whom they
loved.
A. A. Collins, president of the meeting.
followed in a panegyric on the life and
labors of Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe and
finished by exhorting his hearers to live
good lives and by so doing convince the
world that the emancipation of 1000, 600
human beings was not a mistake on the
part of those who offered up their lives as
sacrifice. He continued:
'The foresight given Mrs. Stowe was
nothing short OF an inspira ton from AL
mighty God, and to her, unoer God, must
great if not all credit be given for the free
dom enjoyed to-day by the colored peo-
pie.
1t was owing to her work and directed
by the same unseen power that the hand