Evening star., 1898-09-03

| fields of usefulness In which they began,
ana Following the tide of fashion north
ward In the past fifteen years while u.s.
COO Increase of population has come into
the region south of 14th street. nineteen
churches have been removed from il. Trim
ity parish has never sold church or.re-
moved one from its original site, even
surrendered a churchyard save one that
was taken for public use under the power
of eminent domain
The way in which the business affairs
or Trinity parish have been conducted
from the nrSt has been a marvel of good
management and probity No individuals
or families or syndicates have been en-
riched by it. No defalca,iou or msIfe4e-
ence has occurred in its two centuries of
history. All income from the parish hiss
been scrupuously and persistently en-
pIoyed for those moral and religious pur-
poses to which originally the wild land
first given to this corporation was cefi-
Gated. 1t is a great business that this cor
pGratfon has to manage. It's houses oc-
eupy 40 city lets: there are the cemeteries
to be cared for, and numerous pensions to
be paid to retired clergy ard widows and
orphans Of deceased ministers: the taxes
on the property are s63, 600. A controller,
cserk counsel and eight bookkeepcrs are
required in the office of the corporation.
A Liberal Landlord.
In the management of its tenement prop
erty Trinity is a liberal landlord, but, I'M
fortunately, all of the houses; upon its lots
Much of the land is leased for long Pc
rods of time. and the buildings do not be-
long to the parish. AS the land comes grad
ualiy back into the possession of the cor
poration. model tenements are built, and
II oney has even been borrowed to meet the
expense of s,,ch construct ion. With regard
to Older tenements which cannot be imnie-
ciately replaced, they are put in the best
order possible under tne circumstances.
There has been one strange misappre-
hnr ion, nl<o,,
well-meaning and ordinarily Intelligent peo-
pie-the belief that il is the most fashion
able church in New YORK, ana THAI the
poor are not welcomed within it's dors. 1t
is, on the contrary, the most democratic
of churches Not anywhere are the poor
more cordially welcomed; nor anywhere are
they more regarded, more ,nougn.ful}y con-
sidered. In its very beginning Trin:ty's
work was among the least and lowiicst in
the community. The Indians and the Afri-
cans. the slave, the captive and the outcaSt
she helped, and gave them religious Ill
struction. Everywhere the parish churches
have been available 10 all comers without
money and without price. While other
churches and philanthropic organizations
have fitted uptown, the churc n@s OF TriLi-
ty parish have remained in their place, and
most of its work among tne poor is done
on the east side below Bond street IN the
center of the most crowded city district in
the world St Augustine and its great par
ish buildings IN Houston street stands, TIE
blazing cross of its steeple SHINING L hed-
con light to the wayfaretS that throng the
Bowery. 1t minister % the social and spi"-
itUal needs of a tenement population by
every method that can be used 10 attract
or arouse or inspire.
Under It's Present Rector.
The Rev Morgan Dix, rector of Trinity,
is the ninth rector of the parish since its
establishment in 1897. not including the
first rector, the bishop of London. During
the thirty-sx years in which DR.. Dix has
been rector of the parish there have been
built three chapels, Trinity school house,
St. Paurs building, st. Augustine's parish
building, St. Chrysostom parish house,
a school parish house and clergy house for
St. Agnes Chapel Trinity Hospital has
been established in the old rectory in Va
lius' have become chapels of Trinity. Be-
sides duties of his own parish, he has rem
dered invaluable service to churches at
large as president of the house of deputies
to which he was elected in general conven-
ticn in 1856. lie is accounted the best pre-
siding officer ever placed over any eccle-
astical body in the United States.
In the words of its rector the purpose
and mission of Trinity are expressed: I'VE
wish that Trinity may ever stand out as
the peoples church and the peoples friend:
identified with whatsoever things are hon
est. pure. true; one with all who stood for
Righteousness and goodness in the state;
helpful to the nation and the church: wide
earnest, comprehensive"