The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-07-28
AT THE PLAINVILLE CAMP
aHIRTY-FIRST1N 1NNUAL OAMPMEET-
 ING BEGUN YESTERDAY.


 About Four Hundred Persons Present. Many Improvements in the Grounds Several New Cottages-one Built for the Presiding Elder-Yesterday's Meetings The thirty-first annual Plainville camp meeting opened yesterday with about 400 persons from various parts Of New Haven district in attendance. The grounds have been much improved this year, and the inner circle" i'm mediately surrounding the auditorium, which once was single array of tents erected annually on the old frame, is now a continuous sweep of fine society houses capable of accommodating any Where from twenty five to seventy-five persons each with comfortable lodging during the camp meeting season. The more modern ones have the upper half done off Into small rooms, each con- taining small furniture sets and the old straw mattresses filled for the occa- sion have given place to the modern wire mattress. and almost as much comfort can be had at camp meeting as at any modern seashore resort or summer hotel. Some of the houses are fine substantial buildings.
 For weeks past families have been counting on and making preparations for this annual gathering, and already more than half hundred families are comfortably domiciled in cottage or tent. Four large new society houses have been erected during the past few weeks and will be formally opened sometime during the camp meeting ses- sion. First church and East Pearl street church of this city are each erecting fine large structures. and First church, Waterbury, has completed one. Naugatuck also will show forth with a good looking house not quite as large as the others, but quite as pretty and comfortable The particular boom, however is in pretty cottages, and within the past year about dozen new cottages have been built.
 Among these is charming cottage which has been erected during the year by the young people of the district for Presiding Elder North This cottage will be known as the tElderage."
 A bell at 6 o'clock in the morning arouses the campers from their slumber and from then on until the 10:30 bell at night, the signal for lights to go out, there are meetings every hour. The rules and regulations of the camp are followed out as strictly as they are in a military camp, and the gathering is one of the most orderly possible to imagine.
 The praise service and prayer meet ing yesterday morning was led by Rev. B. F Meredith of Naugatuck. The tes- timony meeting aroused much interest, among the speakers being D. J. Clark of Meriden, who spoke strongly against church bicycle clubs.
 The song and prayer service was fol- lowed by an address by Elder North. Last evening a sermon was preached by Rev j. J. Forest of Thonaston.
 The program of each day is as fol- lows:
 Rise at s, breakfast at z, pray at B, and have gospel tent meetings at S:30 which will last until 10, when sermon will be preached: dinner at 12 m, and the afternoon hours will be filled with services commencing at 1:30, with chil- Jlren's hour and preaching at 2:30; young peoples meeting at 6:30, and tent meetings at the same hour, with preaching at 7:30 and the retiring bell at 10 p. m
 The special program for to-day will be as follows:
 1o a. m. RevaG w. Todd, East Ber- lin; 2:30 p. m, Rev. T. E. Gilbert, Wa terbury: 7:30 p. m., J. P. Wagner of Higganum.
 The singing this year is under the di- rection of Professor L. w. Harvey of Hartford, who for several years has served in like capacity.