The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-10-15
A HOST OF CHRISTIANS
SEVERAL THOUSAND VISITORS TO
MISSIONARY CONVENTIONS.
Reception to Delegates at Central
Christian Church Last Night-At
Least 1880 Expected.

yet every train brought in large-szed par
ties from the most distant well as near
by points. Cheap rates prevailed on all
railroads, and the gathering may bring
three or four thousand strangers to the
city. AS fast as the delegates arrived they
were escorted to the English Lutheran
Church, which is used as headquarters by
the reception and assignment committees.
The lecture rooms of the church We're filled
all afternoon by a busy throng, and as
speedily as possible the visitors We're reg
istered and taken to the homes thrown
open to them by the members of the local
Christian congregations.
Accommodations for 1.5O0 have thus been
provided, and the committee states that
these accommodations have already been
exhausted or nearly So A large number
of the incoming visitors have engaged
quarters at the Denison, Grand and other
hotels, and it is confidently expected that
at least $500 members of the church will
be in attendance at the different conven-
tions. This attendance will be by far the
largest in the history of the church.
The greater portion of the visitors now
arriving are members of the Christian
Woman's Board of Missions, or the G. w.
B. NJ, as it is usually called. The ladies
come from nearly all the States in the
Union, most of them being state or ma
tional officers of the organization They
readily adapted themselves to their new
environment and enthusiastically entered
upon the work and pleasure of the week
before them.
The annual reception extended to visiting
delegates in the evening was a success. The
Central Christian Church, where the recep-
ton was held, was crowded to the doors,
and hundreds could not obtain entrance.
The auditorium and Sunday school rooms
were thrown into one and when as many
as possible entered the church the place
was SO jammed that to move around was
quite impossible. This somewhat interfered
with the purposes of the gathering, that of
becoming generally acquainted and bring
ing together the visitors and their hosts.
The beauty of the church was enhanced by
liberal decorations of autumn leaves and
golden rod, while prominently displayed
was the c. w. B. M: motto: THE Love of
Christ Constraineth Us"
DR. D. r. Lucas opened the social by
mounting the pulpit platform and COM
mencing to sing Bring Forth the Royal
Diadem." Within few minutes every seat
was occupied and the great audience was
singing the familiar hymn with enthusiastic
spirit. Dr. Lucas introduced Rev. Burris A.
Jenkins, the chairman of the local execu-
tive committee, so that everybody might
know him, and then performed the same
function with respect to Mrs o. A. Burgess,
the president of the c. w. B. M.
Mtto. % - w E1COhE4.
Mrs. Burgess made neat speech of well
come to the visitors. She was particular to
state that there was nothing formal about
the meeting, it being intended simply for
handshalxing and the extending of mutual
greetings. She said: MY heart is SO full
that l can scarcely summon words to bid
you welcome welcome to our beautiful city
and also to our headquarters on Delaware
street. Although our homes may not be as
large as some in other cities, yet we have
many of them and we will try our best to
entertain you If you find that you are
little crowded in the places where you are
assigned, we know that you will make al
lowance6." The speaker then briefly re-
viewed the programme for to-day Broth
err Jenkins, as DR.. Lucas called him, was
the next to make q brief expression of well
come. Our hearts and homes are open to
you" he said. Indianapolis may not be
diamond in the sky, but she is like spider
web and we now have you in our meshes
and you can't get away. we nave assigned
/ 600 visitors to various homes so far and
as this exceeds all expectations and is over
double the assignment at any previous con-
vention you will have to bear with us if
the accommodations are not as commodious
as they might be and If any mistakes oc-
cur Mistakes must happen and we ask that
you will make the best of it.
Mr.. Jenkins also urged the members of the
local organizations to come to the relief OF
the committee and extend the number or
1--WE are simply overwhelmed" said he
land heaven only knows where we are
going to put them all.
DIR. Lucas then announced that the meet
ing was for the purpose of getting aequaint-
ed. and of introducing the visitors to their
hosts for the next week. I'VE don't want
any delegate" he said Ito get lost and not
know where he is going. If you are wander
ing around the streets late at night the
po1ice will look you up and we certainly
don't want YOU to wind up in the lookup.
The hymn, Praise God from Whom All
M 4Iz,Nt mr. 70
social proper began. The words OF Dr.
Lucas about the lookup were facetiously
commented upon, but how the various hosts
were to discover their guests IN sucn an
unwieldy crowd was a conundrum that
nobody seemed able to solve. Inc local
people all wore red padges anu rnSy Wens
to this person and that, but as locomotlon
was difficult very little Roadway could he
made The result was that the page boys,
of whom there are about fifty had their
hands full taking the visitors TO tnelF
homes and while the evening was nlghly
enjoyable many of the hosts ana hostesses
failed to meet their guests until they were
brought to their homes during the night.
Taking all things into consideration, now
aver there was much less trouble than
might have been expected and the members
of the local committees performed their
work excellently The reception was char-
acterized byf a general lack of restraint, ana
every one seemed anxious to engage his
neighbors in sprightly conversation. AS
MANY acduaintances were made as possible,
and fba monument personageS were centers
Of compact masses who wanted 10 snake
their hands All evening people kept COM
ing in droves to the church while as many
were constantly leaving it. 1t was one OF
the most successful church socials ever
held in the city and it was late hour
before it was ended.
AT ENGLISH LUTHERAN CHURCH.
THE lecture rooms of the English Luther
an Church a block away were also crowd
ed all evening Here was the registering
and assignment committee headquarters, as
well as a general information bureau. The
number of registrations during the evening
reached about six hundred.
The Denison received about fifty delegates
in the evening and the Grand and other
hotels also have a number OF them. Many
of the visitors are not expected to arrive
until to-day or tomorrow.
SOME Personal MENTION.
Bits of History About Few of the
Visitors.
Miss Birdie Farrar, of Danville, Va, was
one of the prominent arrivals yesterday.
She is state organizer of the work in Vir-
ginia and is a sister of Miss Bessie Farrar,
one of the c. w. B. M. missionaries at
Deoghur, India. Miss Annette Newcomer,
of Des Moines, Ia, was another prominent
arrival She is state secretary of her State
and is chairman of the committee on West
ern work.
Miss Ella NJ. Maddox, of Elyria, o., is a
center of interest, she being under appoint