The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-03-17
rAsIOR SHORT SAYS FAREWELL.
Harrison Street ChnTcn lie;nbership and
Congregation Wish Hin God Speed,

| NUuRftBRitOu =" "lrn Efu tEGu spcO0t
Rev.F. Burgette Short closed his nv
years pastorate of Harrison street NJ 4
church on Monday, aud that tho member
! ship and congregation was loatb to seve
| the bonds which had been SO strongl!
formed during that period was evidoncet
by the large attendance Of members VIII
shook the hand OF their retiring paste
and in regretful tones wished him 6ot
speed in whatever field he should be sen
by the present Conference. However un
pleasant the seyering OF the pastoral re
lations were there was a degree of salts
faction among both pastor and people
by the people, because of the support they
had given their leader and by the pastor
because OF his untrng efforts to place
the church in the front ranks OF Method
ism,
To this end Rev. Mr. Short has been
abundantly successful and to no Other
pastor In the city can there be attributed
so much faithfulness to the duties OF hi!
Master and people than can be to Mr.
Short, Harrison Street Church has sur
passed the most sanguine expectations oi
its early members and to-day its work
outrivals any church in the city.
Sunday evenings affair was farewell re
ception to the pastor. 1t began shortly
after o'clock and was presided over by
Howard l.. George. The program was
made up of selections by the choir, solos
and duets and reports on the working
of the different departments OF the church
VIM. E.Stimmel invoked the divine bless.
Ing upon tho retiring pastor and congre
CATION after which DR.. Benz. II. Neascy
was called upon to report tho affairs of The
Board Of Trustees during Mr.. Shorts
pastorate. Among other things the doctor
said:
At the beginning of Brother Shorts
pastorate, now nearly five years ago, he
found this congregation, then about one
year old, housed in low peculiar look
ing building, sitting down on the corner
OF Chis lot, which, though WAS very dear to us
then, and Is still dear to us in memory be-
cause OF the sweet associations begun
there. Yet tho stranger viewing This
building for the first time was apt to smile
and say is this the Harrison street church
of which we have heard SO muGhl" 1t
was not built with any consideration for
artistic effects or outside adornment, but
with the idea of getting roof over the
greatest space for the least money Be-
tween the chapel aud the street was IL
deep ditch, wdehcd by each succeeding
freshet and splnnDd by q plank thrown
over it..
"This plank was liable to tip with u
stranger but tho members Of Harrison
Street Church became 50 agile and expert
with continued practice that they could
run this plank every time oven on the
darkest night without failing into The
ditch. As for our now pastor lie had no
ue for the plank but simply stepped
across as if there was no ditch there.
AS to the interior OF this wonderful
building it was arranged on the Aghten-
ing change plan Tho chairs were movable,
the partition was on hinges aud castors
and could be folded away and tho very
pul pit and It's belongings were on castOrs
and could BIZ rolled about the floor to any
part of the building, and so many and
varied were the uses 10 which this building
was put and 50 often were Changes made
in the whole interior arrangement that the
preacher was never just sure whore he
would find his pulpit when hn came to
preach whether facing north, cast, south
or west.
This building WAS heated bY big st)ya
in one corner and there was Il wonderful
system of ventilation.
I'm the low ceiling were trap doors work.
cd up and down by ropes and pullrys In
tho loft above were windows hinged, and
opened and closed by other ropes and pull
leys so that we Wer5 able i'll Winler to keep
II good supply Of Ice cold air in the loft.
IL lDe HeLb DGCHlllt tOO RIcui, SOME bHt ~
the back Of the church would pub y rope
and up would.go Il trap door. Woe, to the
bald headed man who CHANGED to be seated
directly under this silently opened lii
The blast of icy air that came down upon
him would drive all thoughts Of sleep
away and he would soon begin to turn up
his coat collar and look toward the stove.
But there was no uiiance to chan 80 the
location. We had such a method of seat
ing the audience that IL man once planted
was there to stay until the service ended.
iiG could not get out without moving the
whole congregation.
"FUr strange to say in spite Of the dis.
comforts, crowds came to hear our young
preacher and even sunday night
we would run short of large chairs and
huvc to press the little infant chairs into
service. Surely ii was II proof OF tho earn
ISJuess of this congregation that they were J
willing to turn their backs upon tho cont |
Portable churches OF the city and cast in |
yheir lot hure because duty culIou Them.
The first great Undertaking which con
rUntrd tho new pastor and his board of |
.rlIStec5 was tho work OF planning to
Juild the now chapel and no preacher or
,rustee5 cvor had II more courageous self
'Gliant little band DaCk OF LhenI than the
congregation thut raised the money to
AIRY on.the work.
This same spirit is manifest in tho fol.
owing extract from the minutes of the
rustaes June 20, lSQ3 The great Dues
ion of building the chapel upperInu5t
II every mind was now brought up and
he " hen how aud where discussed in all
heir hearings.
"lhe meeting became an cnt thusiastic ones
very member present expressed his feel
ngs on the subject and Brother liud IUn,
ormer president of the board made a stir.
ing address urging immediate action.
'The general expression Of the members
vas that we could look for little help from
utside hut must strike out aud depend
IpUn ourselves.
"luu all know how this spirit Of puttins
ur shoulders to the wheel has carried Us
ht ough this enterprise.
Previous to Brother Shorts coming the
congregation had raised a total sum of
T. 403 O3 and this had been expended In
lnklng the first pnymont on the loG
uilding the old chapel and paying the
unnlug expenses.
"Over $500 came to the trustees from tho
rent Ola pudrda held in the rink iu lSy9 |
nd on this nucleus we worked
Subscription books were issued enter
iunlents given. big snriunus preached
nd untir;ng personal work WAS done By :
worry member. Every department uI the
rustees with money to carry the building
Jrward The SUNDAY school in both dc .
the Elwuith buague, tho Wo.
len Workers. the vhur-all arc to he rep-
scented here tu.n4hL and their speakers
ill tell yUu what noble records they
ave IN this great work. There is M
thcr society whose aid we must not for.
ct even though they are now disurgun q
Gd--tho MstlGtOe Club, which gave I
nong other things the handsome pulpit
iruturo Outside friends also gave Us
lbStantinl aid believing that We We're "
.AkIng no mistake by planting method. a
Ill in this spot.
$50 from all these various sources there
AS passed through the hands OF the truS
cs $3l ,U3S II; of this sum 5000 was from &
,c mort gage and about s. u0O from dis. r
united notes in bank leaving n balance
:tually raised by the congregation for tho
SC of the trustees of SIS O3S IA C
THE contrast between our old quarters Y
ID new is commentary enough.
"Onu Of the strongest influences toward
the strength of our church Is
10 course our pastor has takcu in allow
z each organization to attoud to its own
fairs and face its responsibilities aud in.
,p0ndence This has been bis course
ward his trustees and while his presence
our meetings Is always aplrusant event /
ith US and his counsel always gladly re.
lived he has never tried to cuprrn the
,ard into measures which they did not ap.
'ovo or intlUonCU them IGsS their own
dgnIont +
Hubert A Roop spoke for tho Board Of