The morning times., 1896-11-24
IN 18TH ANNUAL SESSION
District Sunday School Union Begins
Its Convention.
HEARD REPORTS AND TALKS
First Congregational Church Was
Crowded by Those Interested in
the WOrk-RepOrt of the Field
Worker Submitted-SessiOns VIII
Last Three Days.

The SuDday-school Union OF The District
OF Columbia began its sixteenth annual
convention at 7 30 last evening at the First
Congregational Church. Tenth and Il streets
northwest.
The uniunis power in the Sunda -schoo ol
work of the District, though net claiming
any authority or exercising any sort of
supervision over the schools, nor, indeed,
taking the initiative in the organization OF
any mission schools, feeling its field to be
more particularly ytheelevationo of the stand
ard Of teaching To that end it has held
conventions and normal Institutes, and in
many ways has labored to keep the work
OF the District schools abreast of the Sun
day schools OF the whole world.
In this work 1T stands as the agent or
representative Of the International Sunday
school Association, which derives its pow
ers from the body known as the Trcnnial
Convention. This body, which held its
eighth III Getting in June in Boston, controls,
through its two great committees, the cN-
ecutiFe and The lesson, the organized Sun
day-sChool work of the United States and
Canada.
The lesson committee, composed of repre-
sentatives of fifteen evangelical lenumi-
nations, selects the lessons of all the schools
and has the work outlined two years in
advance. The expenses of the international
association are borne by the State and Ter
torlal unions, among whom it is apportioncd
nj the trlennial convention The District
anion is assessed $500 at present.
TO LAST THREE DAYS.
A program for this District convention,
which VIII extend over three days has
been arranged The exercises of last night
were TO Some extent introductory to the
work of the convention
Mr.. Pierson II. Brstow, who is the
president of the local union. presided over
inp aud hr .
directed the musical program
The church was crowded with the dele
gates and interested visitors, every avGil-
able inch OF space being occupied. The
exercises opened with the singing of
Coronation" by the entire audience, and
other Inspiring hymns selected from the
program of the International Christian
Endeavor Convention, held in this city
last July, constituted the praise service
of the evening" An Interpolation into
the program as arranged was suggested
by Mr.. Percy S. Foster, in the quotation
Of passages from the scripture by persons
in the audience of a character esp, cially
appropriate TO the occasion.
After prayer by the Rev. Dr. s. H
Greene, the presidents address was read
by that officer. II was IL short, sue
cinct review of the years work of the
union in which attention was called to
the responsibility resting on the Wash.
inGton Sunday-schuols in that the shifting
character of the population here gives u
wider meaning and influence to work
done here than in any other community
The president referred to the excellent
results that had followed the employment
of Mr.. Jerome F. johnson as field work
er in the District" and mentioned among
other events of the coming year in whicn
the union was Interested, the Christian
convention To be held in the City of
Mexico this winter, and the great inter-
national Congress of Religions in London
next summer He asked for the continu-
alton of the field worker" and suggested
that houseto-house visitation be made by
a committee to be appointed by
this convention, for the purpose OF extend
ing the scope OF the Sunday schools of
the District Union.
FIELD WORKERS REPORT.
Mr. jerome F. Johnson. the field work
er of the organization, read his report which
was an exhaustive resume of the unions
WORK in the past and u forecast of its use
fuiness in the future. 1t was replete with
interesting statistical Information as to
the condition of the union
After Mr.. Johnson's report was submit
ted, Mr.. William Redin Woodard addressed
the audience in behalf of the executive
Committee and asked for contributions
to hear some part of the expense Of the
convention. A collection was taken and
the audience responded generously TO Mr.
Woodard's appeal.
Rev. DR.. j. ID. Burrell of the Marble Col
legiatc Church of New York city was then
introduced and made the principal address
of the evening. DIR. Burrelrs wide reputa-
ton as speaker of the greatest elo-
quence and power was sustained by his al
dress Of last night Upont the subject, The
worker and his wage" he spoke for nearly
an hour and held the rapt attention of his
audience in every nome Mt
Rev. DR.. A. F. Schaufrler followed DR..
Burrell in n very short but happy address,
which he prefaced with an amusing per
sonal anecdote suggested by his introduc-
ton. He was eminently practical in his
suggestions to the delegates and teachers
present as to the best methods of utilizing
the ideas evolved during the convention.
He asked all present to make notes of re-
marks of all speakers So as to compare
results and systematize the work
The singing Of selections of Sunday school
music and the benediction by Rev. Dr.
PitZer closed the evenings exercises The
convention will meet at $50 this IN orning
to continue its program.