The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-04-20

msnt appeared in the ''church notices"
columns of the Chicago newspapers re-
Gently:
UNITARIAN.
All Souls Church The pastor, Jenkin
Lloyd Jones, will preach Sunday morning
at III A. m., ia Oakland Music hall. For
tieth street and Cottage Grove avenue, on
..The Bible in the Public Schools" with
reference to the Women's Educational
Union. At s p. IN at the church, Oak
wood boulevard and Langley avenue, ON
"The Bards of Norseland," lecture
recital and concert by w. Waugh Lauder
and assistants. Admission 20 cents.
Bicyclists invited. Wheels taken charge
OF at the morning service.
1t appears that no charge is to be made
for the storage of the wheels in the build
ing used for morning services which is,
we believe, situated right among the
parks and boulevards of Chicago's South
Division, where thousands OF bicyclers
whirl to and fro on Sunday mornings.
The Rev. Mr.. JONES believes that not a
few OF them will be tempted TO rest a
spell in his congregation hall IL their
worshipping is not handicapped by fear
of some sneak thief coming along and
stealing their wheels. The notice that
wheels will be checked at the "morning
service" only is because OF the fact that
the evening service OF All Souls Society,
Is held at another place and II the scheme
proves successful it is proposed also to
offer similar inducements to hicyclers to
attend service at that other place. which
is the church building. -
"The bicycle, said Rev. Mr.. JONES In
discussing his plan with a Chicago re-
porter, sis every mans carriage. An
ever increasing number of people are
bringing it into their personal service.
It's attractions are many. 1t undoubtedly
will come into open competition with
the church services on Sunday. From
this on IL IL Is 'the church or the wheel
one needs no prophetic eye to see which
will win I'm thousands OF lives. All Souls
Church, Chicago, would fain avert the
conflict by saying 'the church and the
Wheel 1t IL trying to arrange to care
for the wheels of all those who desire to
attend its morning services at Oakland
Music Hall. All wheels left at the door
will be checked by an attendant and cared
for during service hours"
Some OF our clergymen have held that
the bicycle, like the Sunday newspaper,
took people away from church, and per
maps It does. But the bicycle ,and the
Sunday newspaper have steadily grown
in popularity, nevertheless, and the day
is past when protests from the pulpit are
powerful to suppress them. 1t is thus in
cumbent upon the pulpit to meet them
ana, so far as the bicycle is concerned,
the plan Of tho Rev. Mr.. JONES would
appear to offer a fine solution. Good
folk ride to church in their carriages, why
not on the bicycIea And bloomers and
knickerbockers need not be barred from
the congregation either They are not
unseemly, so long as they are neat and
clean. Said a prominent divine: "The
bicycle making the church a desert where
ministerial sweetness Is wasted on mere
airi Oh, no. think the pastors should
give the bicycle makers a vote OF thauks.
It's a sermon on optimism ana good ma
ture to see the wheelmen glide along and
fall In line-or down--snd get up in way
to suggest hope and determination. It's
a great invention, and bound to have its
effect on church attendance for the bet
ter. The wheel is the institution. We
shall have to adjust the church to 1t, and
then all will be well."
Some day church architecture may have
to take into consideration store room
for wheels, Just as out in the country dis
tricts, we find a line OF hitching posts
or shed buils across the way from the
church ediiice to accommodate the horse
and rig of tho farmer.