Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1898-03-10
A NEW $4,000 STONE CHURCH /,
Emmanuel Episcopal Church Prepar-
ing to Erect a Stone Edifice,


The rumor having been circulated
lately that a new church would be
erected by the Episcopalian congrega-
tion of this place, the following from
The Parish Ne,Ds, published at this
place, will be interesting to the friends
of the church, as well as all who love
to see new signs of prosperity and i'm
provements in our town:
While we are not able as yet to an
nounce that the Rector, Wardens and
! Vestrymen of Emmanuel Church have
made the final plunge in undertaking
the construction ofa new stone Church,
we are glad to say that the present
outlook for that project is very favor
| able. A short time ago the Vestry APP
pointed committee to take subscrip-
tions for the new church, and it is ex-
pected that this committee will be able
to report progress in few days. Def
mite promises aggregating more than
$4,000 have already been given. We
need $4,000, and the prospect of get
ting it is good. Just how soon the
work of construction will begin-pro-
V1ded the necessary amount is sub
| scribed-we of course are not able
to say, but we see nothing to be
gained by an unnecessary delay after
the funds have once been subscribed.
1t may be that we shall be able to begin
the work this spring. We hope that it
will be possible.
We may state briefly some of the
reasons for undertaking to build new
Church.
The present Church is an old frame
building and cannot be expected to
last an unlimited number of years
longer The time is sure to come
sooner or later when it will be actually
unfit for purposes of worship-at least
without expensive alterations and re-
pairs. But why not let the morrow
take thought for the things of itself?
Why assume the burdens of the future
in advance? Why not wait until the
old Church is actually becoming use
less before undertaking the construc-
ton of a new church? ? We answer
that the present is in much better
position to bear the burden than the
future is likely to be- 1t NAV not be
so easy to get $4,000 ten years hence
as it is now. By the time the old
church has become actually unfit for
stohh ftf hhR RaaEgSe nay G4 n2t bee in nt8a ve
building. At the same time we should
remember that in all human proba-
blllty Church will be need here for
all time to come. While the future
does not seem to have any phenomen-
al boom in store for our town, Empori-
um will always retain it's position as
the political and industrial center of
Cameron county, and it is inconceiv-
able that the Church will ever abandon
the firm foOtho!d which she has main
tained here for SO many years While
we do not advise crossing bridges be-
fore we come to them, we do believe
in making sure that the bridges will be
in place when the time comes to cross
them. In other words, it is our duty
to consider the future needs and
future resources of the Parish, and to
make the fullest provision in our pow
cr to insure something more than
bare struggling existence of the Parish
in the years that are to come.
But there are present as well as
future needs to be considered in dis
cussing the advisability ofa new church
Our parochial activities are handicap
ped for want of a parish house. If we
build new Church, the old building
can be moved to the rear the lot and
used for q parish house. We would
thus be provided with a suitable place
for holding our Sunday School, guild
meetings, festivals, etc. AS regards
the new Church itself. no one will
deny that it would be an advantage in
the present as well as a necessity in
the future We believe in an honest
and reasonable economy; we are op-
posed to extravaganza, whether in in
divlduals or parishes, we do not think
that clothes make man, nor do we
think that a fine church makes parish.
But is it not true that mans clothes
go great way in showing what he is?
And is it not also true that the church
building goes great way in showing
what the parish is? 1t is duty which
individuals owe to themselves, and a
duty which they owe to society as
we'll, to dress just as well as they can
| honestly afford to do; and it is duty
which q parish owes to itself and to
| the community at large to provide
| itself with the most substantial and at
| tractive church building that it can
! honestly afford to build
! 1t would not be fair, of course, to
hide from ourselves the sacrifices
| which this effort would involve. and
also the increased expenses in keeping
up two buildings instead of one. The
| property valuation of the Parish would
be considerably increased, and this
would mean increased assessments for
| the Convention and Episcopal Funds.
1t has been objected, too, that a parish
with stone church is expected to do
better by the various Church Boards
and charitable causes, and that
this parish has enough of such
appeals already. We shall leave the
Christian spirit of the parish to deal
with this objection. The sacrifices
which new church means will not all
be on the part of the parish. For the
Rector Is means that for the present
he must forego-what he would
otherwise be justified in asking-an in
crease in his small stipend.
DON'T squander $50 for a steel range
when you can purchase better one at
Walker, Howard & Co.'s for less than
half the money. DON'T be fooled.
First-class drugs? First-class Drug