The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-29
SERIES OFF SURPRISES.
Gossip About the Assembly and Its
WorI<-The Selection of WinOna.

OE
Gossip About the Assembly and Its
WOrI<-The Selection of WinOna.
Special 70 the indianapolis Journal.
WINONA PARK, Eagle Lake, May %
The e-hundred-and-ninth General AS
sembly of the Presbyterian Church has
been a series of surprises from first to
last. The choosing of Winona for the next
meeting place has, perhaps, been the great
est surprise at least to all except the
Winona directors themselves. The assem-
bly, has had an unwritten rule never TO
hold it's session in the same place two
years in succession, and the departure
from this custom is the first cause of Won
der. Then with all the talk about the lack
of accommodation at Winona, the sneers
of few commissioners from the East, and
the narrow margin of time by which WI
mona was got in readiness for her visitors,
there is additional cause for surprise. All
the talk was for Philadelphia, it was
known that $4,000 had already been pledged
in that city for the entertainment of the
next assembly, and all the odds were
against the Hoosier resort Still 1t
triumphed
Another surprise has been in the assem-
bly's method of procedure. People have
learned to look for wrangles and disagree
ments at this great gathering but this
year the word went out that everything
would be calm and placid. And for the first
few days it was so. Under the beneticent
influence of DIR. WithrowS opening sermon
a serene and Christian spirit seemed to
have settled on the assembly and the on
lockers said: Surely this year the fathers
and elders will meet, deliberate and depart
in peace. Then came the Wrangle over
the New York building and the discussion
of home mission matters; Harsh ana per-
sonal remarks were made, bitter feelings
engendered, and the body seemed utterly
unamenable to reason, still less to parlia-
mentary order. Just when the spirit OF op-
position and strife appeared to have gained
control of the assembly and discord
reigned among the commissioners, another
felicitouS and calming speech from Dr.
Withrow brought the gathering TO IT'S
been marked by good will, Christian Eel
lowship and business method OF proceed
ure. 1t had been thought that by no
chance could the assembly finish its work
before Monday or Tuesday, the long dis
cussions of the earlier sessions having oc-
cupied so much time. But to-day it was an
nounced that by holding n night session the
assembly might finish it's work tonight:
The night session was voted at once and
the commissioners stuck to business all
day and adjourned at a late hour.
EXODUS OF COMMISSIONERS
There was an exodus of commissioners
from this place all day long, especially of
those who live great distances away The
departure began in the morning, before it
was known that the work of the assembly
was so near done, and even at the morning
session there were many vacant seats This
afternoon and evening the vacancies We're
more numerous and the trains out of here
especially those for the East, were crowded
A good many of the commissioners object
to travelling on Sunday, and so left to-
day in order to reach home before the Sab
bath arrives. There are great many who
have the same objection to Sunday travel,
but who wish to see the close of the as
Sembly, to take the excursion to Bort
Wayne tomorrow afternoon, and to be here
for the memorial exercises Sunday. This
was made possible for them by an order
granted this morning emitting them to their
expenses for the rest of the time.
BY Monday the beautiful grounds will be
almost deserted and the little lake will en-
terrain no company until the visit of the
Indiana Federation of Literary Clubs, June
8. After that there will be nothing until
the Indiana Sunday convention, June
There was a great deal of discussion to-
day outside of business hours regarding the
selection of Winona as the place of the
next assembly. At the Winona Hotel,
where most of the Philadelphia people are
stopping, the talk was all one way-that is
TO say, it was a united, concentrated Kick
They were not i'll natured about it. save
that here and there a bad-tempered brother
failed to repress a sheer, but they could
not for the life of them see why the
sembly should have selected this place.
There were some fine arguments made in
the little informal gatherings about the
corridors and Verandas, but, one jolly
minister told group of orators who were
lifting up their voices in praise of Phia-
delphia: Why didn't you fellows say all
that when ii was timely, instead of boring
every one with your hard-iuck stories
noW?'
The chief argument against the selection
which has been made is that Philadelphia
is the ancestral home of Presbyterianisrn,
ar he nj IN iVcr tn
there celebrate the northumberland
anniversary of the adoption of the West
Minister standards. Then. toe, the new
Presbyterian building, erected as 4 mer,o-
rial to John WithCrspoon. will be done then
and an appropriate dedication would be the
holding of the ne-hundred-and-tenth Pres
byterian General Assembly in its audi
forum. The complaints ones say that
these claims were not properly presented,
those who spoke for Philadelphia deVoting
their time to the eloquent description OF
the delights of the new trolley cars and the
enticements of John Wanamaker's big
store.
WHY WINONA WAS CHOSEN.
But when all is said and done it cannot
be doubted that Winona has made a favor
able impression on the great body of the
commissioners. and that most of the 400
who voted for her would have voted in the
same way even if there had been no
speeches made. They say the accommoda-
tons have been as satisfactory as can be
expected at any great gathering. and that
next year they will be even better; even
now they say Winona is fully as satisfac-
tory as Saratoga as place OF holding the
General Assembly They are delighted with
its fine trees, its shady walks and green
grass the beautiful little lake. and the
splendid auditorium which they all unite
in commencing as one of the best rooms
I'm which the assembly has ever met Per-
haps the most weghty argument for
Winona was the one brought forward by
Rev. DIR. Hays, when he said that an as
sembly held at Winona insured a large at
tendance, there being no opportunity for
the commissioners 10 go sightseeing In
the minds of most this consideration by
FAR outweighs the argument that IN a large
city the assembly comes into touch with
larger number OF people, and in that way
has a greater influence for good. IL is
thought by the advocates of Winona TO be
more important that the comnlissi0pers