The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-07-25
UNIVERsALISM IN ST. LOUIS.


Louis. That they have had regular
preaching every Sunday, except during
the summer vacation. for the past eight
cen months. That we have among our
workers one or two who attended SER
vices here held by Rev. D,ssWeaver from
1852 to go. That there are many others
in the city who were identified with that
Society, who with their children and
grandchildren ought to be with us is
true. but when that organization went
to pieces under the stress of the civil
war, most Of the members who remained
In the city united with other churches,
and their children and grandchildren
are part Of the organic force of some
OF the strong, beautiful churches which
abound here, where transient visitors
to the city find trained chcirs and rich
toned organ music and all that wealth
can give to make Sunday worship at
tractive; no effort ever having been
made to revive that early organization
which had troubled existence from
1841 or AZ until its death in the COS.
Rev. @. Fl. Shinn came to st. Louis in
March '93. just when the present finan
cial and industrial depression began,
and had an audience of three persons
all of one family-at his first public SER
vice, in city of then 100000, now Gill;
600. At the second seven persons we're
present.
Most persons would have abandoned
the effort after such an inauspicious be-
ginning, but Bro. Shinn never says
fail" The word is not in his vocabulary.
Out Of the few he was able to hunt up,
twelve in all, representing six families. he
organized Ladies' Aid Society with
just members enough to fill the offices,
and pledged them to raise thousand
dollars toward church building, and
now after three years, three of these
four leaders are still true to the pledge
made.
Mr.. Shinn made frequent visits here
during the years '93 and "a and Rev.
Harry Garfield, Miss Titus, Rev. John
Hughes, and others held occasional SER
vices and representatives of Is families
we're brought together, few coming
from the churches in which they had
found home-but nearly all temporary
residents Of the city without church or
social ties. Four of these families re-
moved from the city in the winter of
1896. taking the children who had
been the nucleus of Sunday school and
y P. @. u, leaving but two children
and two persons who could properly be
called young people. The writer made
brief visit here in October, 1894. and
came to make permanent home here
in December, of that year, and has
preached most of the time twice each
Sunday since then, receiving some ad-
ditions to the members enough to make
good the losses occasioned by removals,
and inability to help in the work be-
cause of the continued industrial de-
preston.
In January of the present year the
Society secured at a low rental the
building now occupied, fitting up the
first floor for audience room and ladies'
parlor, for which it was we'll adapted,
having a seating capacity of $50. the
second floor serving as home for the
pastor. The current expenses were
slightly increased by this arrangement,
but the increased facility for the work
gave an increase in the Income up to the
present time so that all expenses have
been met. The difficulty which now
confronts US, is that of carrying the ex-
penses through the vacation months
when the usual sources of revenue are
curtailed, by the absence of friends from
the city and the inertia of the hot
weather. This would be easily arranged
If some Of our generous givers have only
had the means to give all that their de-
sires prompt, but none Of our people are
abundantly provided with this worlds
goods, and the cost of attendance upon
the services for the necessary street car
fare is often as much as many people of
similar means think they can give to
their church, where they have not
street car fare to pay. One reason that
the work has been successfully main
tsined 30 far is that only nominal sum
has been paid for preaching. nothing
which would be considered as a salary,
yet considerable in amount where the
ability and numerical strength of the
people is considered.
Nothing of startling import has been
accomplished. Yet the work has gone
steadily on with pleasure and profit to
the people; while growth is slow-and
will continue to be slow for the want of
money to push enterprises which might
help much-yetit is nevertheless growth;
but the harvest is not yet. When the
writer came here in 1894 it took three
days of persistent enquiry to discover
the society or any members thereof, and
the ignorance displayed as to our
UNCONVENTIONAL life seemed amazing;
and now after nineteen months in which
notices OF our church services have APP
peared every week in all the city papers
and the pastors sermons have been often
reported, | hear people say ii did not
know that thara WAS IInivarnalist Go