The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-09-14
D|V|NES GATHER
At PACIFIC GROVE
M. E. Church Conference
Opens To-Day.
MANY NOTABLE MEN ATTEND
CITIZENS PREPARED TO ENTER
TAIN THEM.
Elaborate Programme for Anniver-
sary Celebrations Aside From
the Business of the
Ten-Day Session.
CITIZENS PREPARED TO ENTER
TAIN THEM.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

PACIFIC GROVE, Sept. 13.-The Cali
fornia Annual Conference Of the Method
list Episcopal Church, which will be for
mally opened at this place tomorrow
morning by Bishop John F. Hurst, DID,,
LID, of Washington, d. c., will have
the largest attendance of any session In
it's history, and will be of unusual impor-
lance to Methodism on the Pacific Coast.
A large number of the members and other
ministers who are to take part in the ses-
sions of the conference have already ar
rived, and the committee Of entertainment
is put to It's utmost efforts to manage the
housing of those who will arrive during
the coming two days. Some of the prom
inent divines. who are or will be here are
but, DID, and Rev. c. II. Payne, ID, of
New York; Rev. w. A. Spencer, DID, of
Philadelphia; Rev. E. S. Chapman. ID.
of Oakland; and Chaplain J. II. LoZier,
DID, of Chicago.
An elaborate programme for the ami
versary celebrations of the various con,
ference societies has been arranged, and
this, together with the regular daily bust
ness of the body of ministers, will make a
very full ten days for those in attendance
ssting of Rev. Drs. j. \. Beard, z. P.
bennett. F. D. Boyard. H. 3. Heacock, W
q RPG1s D. Y. G n Wo0 W d craDo' s
Woodward. Robert Bentley, M D. Buck.
Alfred Hummer, c. H. Beechgood, A. T.
Needham, NJ H. Alexander n r. q. Wenk'
Case. A. Gustafson, A. Anderson. F. J.
Masters, Chan Hon Fan, M. c. Harris. 7.
Ikeda, that examines candidates for ad-
mission to the conference, has already en-
tered upon it's work, but other than this,
all yet remains to be begun tomorrow.
daughter, arrived to-day. Conference will
be formally opened at a. m. tomorrow
with the administering of holy communion
to the members by the Bishop and his cab
met of presiding elders, after which reg
ular business will be taken up. An address
by the Bishop will also be given.
Many members of the conference were
accompanied by their families, and they.
together with members of the various
conference societies, laymen and others,
who are guests of the conference, consti-
tute an unusual crowd to be disposed Of
by the entertainment committee.
Quite an interesting hustle ana stir were
occasioned when to-days train brought
their loads Of visitors to this quiet little
city, the stir being prolonged by the
pleasure of friendly greetings and the
making of new acquaintances IN the
hearty Methodist style.
A notable guest of this conference is the
venerable Bishop William Taylor, whose
long and successful career as Bishop of
Africa Is SO widely known.
Bishop Taylor will be present at all the
sessions, but will take no active part in
them. He will arrive here tomorrow.
Among the prominent members of the
Drs. w. w. Case. S. G. Gale and John
Kirby, presiding elders respectively Of
San Francisco Napa and Oakland dis
tricts; DR.. F. J. Masters, who figured SO
prominently in the crusade against the
Chinese slavegirl trade in San Francisco;
C. H. Beechgood. DR.. Alfred Hummer
and others