The record-union., 1897-07-09

the coming of the Kingdom?
THE seventeenth year of Christian
Endeavor, whose white, unwritten page
We now turn with the opening day Of
this convention, VIII show how you
| have answered this question"
Mayor James D. Phelan was intro
| duced, but said only a few words of
| greeting.
"Mr. Chairman and Ladies and Cen
tlemen,' said he. this is a proud day
for San Francisco. We feel compli-
mented that you should have come
that great distance. but we trust that
your trip shall not be in vain. We
of the Golden Gate have thrown it
wide open to you and have thrown
| the key away.
For many months the Committee of
| 81 has labored for this convention,
and in behalf of the city I thank the
members of it for their work"
J. DR.. Ollie introduced John Willis
Baer, though he said that the bears
upon the badges and decorations
showed that California belonged al
ready to the Secretary of the Chris
| tian Endeavor Union.
| Mr. Baer said he had just come
from Woodward's Pavilion, and wished
| to advise people to go there rather
than Hnger in the corridors here, as
| the programme was just as good as
here, and the auditorium was quite as
! comfortable.
The principal points of Mr.. Baer
report follow:
| Careful observers of the onward
sweep of this river of Christian En-
deavor have noted that it has widened
| during the past year. Since last we
met, this great current has been
swelled by 5000 new societies. Re-
jofce with exceeding joy, for the world
wide enrolment is now 50,141 local
societies. What a swift and mighty
! flood In 1881, one society and fifty
seven members. In 1897, 90, 1S0 socie-
| ties and a total membership of 3,OOO,-
! 900.
"Of it's large tributary State and Pro-
vincial streams in this country that
have over one thousand local socie-
! ties, Pennsylvania still leads with B.
443; New York, 3,049; Ohio, 1888; Illi-
nois has now passed to the fourth place,
with 2,013; Ontario, 1,1S3; Indiana,
i 1887; Iowa, $50; and Michigan, with
1.071, for the first time is entitled to a
place in this class. These figures do
not include the Junior societies, with
their boys and girls, the intermediate
| societies, with their lads and lassies,
the Senior and Mothers societies for
the fathers and mothers and those who
in years are no longer considered
young.
"The Juniors now claim our attention
the springs that feed this mighty riv-
er. The keystone State, Pennsylvania
still leads with 1897; New York, only a
little behind with 1,2SS; Illinois, 993;
Ohio, go; California has made
mighty leap, and passed into fifth place
with DOL Indiana, $40; Iowa, SIS;
Massachusetts, 517, this ending the list
Of States with more than five hundred
| Junior societies enrolled.
The Intermediate societies next
claim attention. The first society was
! organized a few years ago by Rev. A.
| z. Conrad, D. D., of Worcester Mass
There are now 366 Intermediate socie-
ties enrolled. California leads the
States with 81: Illinois has A; Ohio,
81; Pennsylvania, 81.
Already the Mothers societies num-
ber 40, Illinois having 80, Pennsylvania
| 20, Kansas II, and the rest scattered
here and there. California, New Hamp-
shire, and Pennsylvania each have
three and Connecticut two Senior socie-
| ties.
Our river is international and inter-
racial, and bears upon it's bosom this
exchange Of high personal example:
England has 1925 societies, Australia
2,124, Scotland 433. Wales 311, India
go, Ireland 169, Madagascar 90, France
6S, Mexico 100, Japan Sc, West Indies
63, Turkey Al, China 53, Africa 80, Ger
many 81, and so on through a long list
with total of 1919 societies. In ad-
dition, all Canada has 1890 societies.
Our attention is now attracted to
the trees that line the banks of the riv-
er Christian Endeavor In the United
States, the Presbyterian trees are more
numerous than any other, there being
| 5,531 Young Peoples societies, and
2.934 Junior societies. The Congrega-
| tionalists are next, with 4, 4,156 Young
Peoples and 2,407 Junior; the Disciples
! of Christ, third, numbering 320S
Young Peoples societies and 800 Jun
ior; Baptists, 2,640 Young Peoples So
! cieties and 1,0S0 Junior; Cumberland
| Presbyterian, S61 Young Peoples soci-
! eties and 361 Junior; Methodist Protes-
tants, 911 Young Peoples societies and
231 Junior; Lutherans, 500 Young
| Peoples and 324 Junior. and so on.
until we have enumerated nearly forty
different varieties.
I'm Canada the Methodists lead with
1,062 Young Peoples societies and 10
Junior; Presbyterians, 1,056 Young
Peoples societies and 146 Junior; Bap-
lists, 16S Young Peoples societies and
35 Junior
I'm the United Kingdom the Congre-
gationalists. with 1,216 lead the Bap-
! lists by only six societies. Then the
Presbyterians and Primitive Methodists
follow. Under the Southern Cross in
Australasia, the Wesleyan Methodists
are the most numerous"
The next incident was attended with
wild demonstrations of enthusiasm II
was the badge banner for the greatest
| proportionate increase in number of
| societies during the last twelve
months, which has been in possession
of Scotland during the past year. It
was won by Ireland. and was present
| ed in behalf of the United Society bv
! Rev. Charles A. Dickinson of Roston
1t was a long time before the aprIause
subsided after the victory of the EN-
| erald Isle was announced