The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-07-09
II Interfered With Chris
tian EldcavOrerS.
Tent "WillistOn" Was Blown
Over and Ruined.
Report of the General Secretary
Was Read This Afternoon.

WASHINGTON, July ga serious n1ishap
that will interfere somewhat with the
plans OF the program committee OF the
Christian Endeavor occurred at half past
this morning. During a rainstorm,
accompanied by high wind, tent "Wil-
liston," one Of the largest stretches can
vas on the White lot, blew down and
appears to be wreck. 1t is feared that
II will be impossible to raise 1t again as
it is watersoaked and torn, though an
effort may yet be ma lie TO do 30. This
tent was calculated to hold about 10, 600
people. A mass of telegraph and electric
light wires were torn down when the
tent fell. Tents Washington and Endeav-
or also suffered from the storm, but the
contractors were aroused In time to save
them from destruction.
When the convention finally assem- bled
the following report of tho general Sec
retary was presented.
General Secretary's Report.
Christian Endea vor.-'It is like q grain
of mustard seed which man took and
cast into his garden; and 1t grew and
waxed great tree; and the fowls OF the
air lodged in the branches OF it," (Luke
13:19.)
Those few lines give brief and most
accurate account of the beginning and
the progress of Christian Endeavor.
Wonderful indeed has been it's growth.
Paul has planted, and Apollos has watered,
but God has given the Increase. Yea,
verify, the mustard seed cast into DIR.
Clark's garden, the Wiiliston Church,
Portland, Ms. 10 years ago, has waxed
great tree.
j know very well that there is law In
the vegetable life which says that what
grows most rapidly generally decays ear
liest, and that some "good and wise men"
have for that reason likened Christian
Endeavor to Jonan's gourd, (which"
you know, "came up in a night and
perisLed in a night" Let me remind
those good friends IL their line ID still in
the earth, that the prophet says, "God
prepared worm, aud smote the gourd,
and 1t withered."
Ii has been said that "the least In
nature Is a better illustration OF divine
truth than the greatest object OF art"
and 1t seems to me that Christian
Endeavor, with its mighty, God-given
growth, is.more appropriately compare
BILE TO the life in the little mustard seed,
the least OF all seeds, than to the most
famous creation of art that skilled man
has produced. The whirligig OF time
has speed on these fifteen years, and
Christian Endeavor grows, and has
already waxed a great tree, and the. fowls
of the air lodge in It's branches; and l.
for one. am confident God has not pre-
pared worm with which to smite 1t in
night, or In year, or In decade;
no, never!
Now let us count the branches on this
great tree. 1t is task upon which we
enter with enthusiasm. Or the States
and Provinces that now have each over
1000 Young Peoples societies of Chris
tian Endeavor, the Keystone State of
Pennsylvania still heads the list with
2273: New York next, 2g71: Ohio, 2311;
Ontario has now passed to fourth place,
with 1917; Illinois. 1902; Indiana, 1852;
Iowa, 1902.
These figures do not include the num-
erous other kinds of Christian Endeavor
societies that are now fast becoming
sturdy branches OF the mother tree, such
rs the Junior, the Intermediate, the
Mothers aIsi the Senior.
Ihe Junior branch claims our first at
tention. God be praised for Its growth.
1t is said a root of corn will grow an inch
in fifteen minutes, and the Junior branch
bids fair to surpass that. There are now
10,064 Junior societies Pennsylvania
leads with l224, then New York not very
far behind with 1104, Illinois. S36; Ohio,
716; Indiana, 49S; Iowa 46S; Massachusetts,,
a61 California, 442. Notwithstanding
many Of the states have made splendid
advances in Junior societ les Pennsylvania in
will for the third time secure the Junior
"badge" banner for the largest gain in
number of Junior societies.
And the other banner, now in the
hands OF Assiniboin, must pass across two
imaginary, lines to our enterprising
neigh bors in Mexico, for her record for
the greatest proportionate increase in
number Of Junior societies is far ahead
of all others.
Next in numerical strength comes the
intermediate society. When this branch
first put forth its stem we know not; il
is but a few years old, nut promises
nj In Iar oh bar "a
need OF banding the older juniors to-
gether for aggressive work, preparatory
TO their graduating into the Young Peo-
pies society. There are now li5 interme-
diate societies enrolled, and many more
OF which we have no record. Illinois
leads with II recorded. California, Indi-
ana, and Ohio each have IL enrolled. An
ether years growth OF this branch will
be watched with interest, as Will that OF
still two other new branches, the Moth
er's society and the Senior society.
There arc 90 of the former and 20 Of the
latter. Illinois leads in both, having II
Mothers and Senior societies. New
Hampshire and Pennsylvania each report
3 Senior societies and Kansas IL Mot thcrs'
and Pennsylvania z.
These three last branches named, In
termediate, Motbers' and Senior, like the
Junior and Young Peoples, have great
promise OF power, athrill with life as
they.are. As the Junior Is for the boys
and.girls, the intermediate for the lads
and lassies, the Young Peoples for tho
young men and women, the thrlstian
Endeavor succession graduates into tho
Mothers and Seniors. As one pastor
says: lt.is rot too much TO hope and
predict that the churches Will gradually
welcome the application OF Christian En-
deavor principles to all thoir activities.
These principles underlie all Christian
work, and ty the force OF their inherent
reasonableness have the right OF general
application, and the day draws on apsce
when the church will foster the Christ.
ian Endeavor Idea ss another met hod,
like unto thesSundoy school, ruhoruinaie
to itsef, ana viii do through 1t its mani
fold work. !"
We have not time TO investigate the
branches In schools, In colleges, IN public
Institutions OF all kinds, in prisons, and
schools OF reform, in aimsbouies, Rsy-
1ums, institutions for the blind, etc, on
board ships, men-of-war, at navy-yards,
I'm life stations, and among lite-savers,