The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1898-10-04
RECEPTION TO REV. SILCOX.
WARM GREETING TO THE PAS
TOR AND WIFE.
A Very Pleasant Affair at the
Congregational Church Last
Evening.

congregation and friends, drew out a
| concourse of people which filed the
lecture-room Of the church to overflow
ling.
An excellent orchestra was in at
tendance, and rendered appropriate mu
sic, and nothing was lacking to show
the pastor that he had the love of his
brethren and the admiration Of his
friends.
The rear portion of the hall had been
set apart as a refreshment-room, and
fourteen young ladies presided over
fourteen tables which were loaded
down with ice cream, cake and fra
grant, hot coffee. The grotto, or din
| ing-room, was decorated in pink and
green. the tables being draped with
smilax, while roses and ported plants
occupied every niche.
The program Of the evening was
opened by Miss Helen Howe, who rem
dered two vocal selections with rare
ability, and received the plaudits Of her
auditors.
General L. Tozer acted as master of
ceremonies, and introduced DR.. Charles
Van Norden, who welcomed DR.. Silcox
for the congregation and society. DR..
Van Norden said he found it rather
embarrassing to welcome a gentleman
who had been pastor of the church sew
eral months, and who was decidedly at
home, not to mention the fact that he
had been here several years ago, and
was we'll acquainted with the congre
cation and the city when he returned
last May. He felt, with Mark Twain,
that while the welcome he extended was
very appropriate, it was rather late in
the day
DR.. Silcox, the speaker said, had been
welcome in Sacramento for eight years,
and would continue to be so for a long
time to come. He would not attempt to
catalogue his virtues, for that would
be embarrassing, and it was not neces-
sary, as the people all knew them. DR..
Silcox, he said, was ever fearless, and
never failed to give his congregation
a chance to disagree with him. Sacra
mento, DR. Van Norden said is the
| best city in the World-for churches,
because it is SO bad. Everything is
| open; gambling, poolrooms, saloons
and the field for pastoral labors is ex-
| ceptionally fertile. And the Congrega-
tional Church in this city, he said, is
one of the best in the world, and more
unified, kindly congregation he had
never seen. So long as DR.. Silcox fol-
lowed the Master, his congregation
would follow him, and on behalf Of that
congregati ton he Welco ned him back
j. H. Lawrence, for the young people
| Of the church, said it gave him pleas
ure to know that he was classed among
the young people. He thought 1t was
hardly necessary to speak words of well
come to the pastor when he could look
| upon the fringe Of girl faces surround
! ing him and see there a welcome that
| spoke for itself. The young people
loved their pastor because they under
stood that his heart went out to them,
and because he never feared to bring
| them back when they kicked over the
| traces. He welcomed the pastor in the
name Of the Christian Endeavorers, and
pledged him the support of that or
ganizaton.
| Rev. A. B. Banks, pastor of the First
Baptist Church, welcomed DR.. Silcox
on behalf Of the ministers Of the city
in his usually happy manner. He had
nothing but words Of praise for him and
/ for the church over which he presided.
! He facetiously referred to the grand
/ salaries paid to Congregational minis
| tiers and laid to that cause the reason
| for their always getting good, able and
! noble ministers. He referred to the
church as a strong combination of re-
| generated men, who would stand for
the right and assist their pastor in
| his great, good work.
Sacramento, Dr. Banks said. has
great future before it, but it has arrived
at the point when it's moral character
must be developed, and he knew of
none more capable Of assisting in the
! performance Of the task than DR.. Sill
! cox.
Colonel H. Weinstock welcomed DR..
! Silcox on behalf of the community out
/ side the church. The church, he said,
was peculiarly fortunate in securing the
services Of men like Hoyt and Silcox,
! one gentle, the other passionate and
| fiery, yet both peculiarly adapted to
making the city better, and the people
| in it purer and nobler. Such men
preach hate, but only against sin, and
preach love, but only for morality and
goodness and the betterment of man
! kind. Some congregations cover the
! grave Of their pastors with flowers, but
! ii was pleasing to note that the Con-
| gregationalists strewed flowers before
| the feet of their pastor while he lived.
| He expressed the hope that Dr. Sill
cox might go on spreading honesty and
righteousness and paving the way for
a broader love for all of Gods family.
Then DR.. Silcox returned thanks for
! the words of welcome extended to him.
lie said, however, that he felt much
as Mark Twain had when w. D. How
ellis, who had heard the humorist had
! died in London, telegraphed for par
ticulars. Twain's reply was charac-
| teristic: 1.-THE reports of my death have
been greatly exaggerated" He feared
the good things that had been said of
him had also been greatly exaggerated.
| DR.. Silcox spoke at considerable
length and outlined the work he in
tended doing. He had only good words
| for the members Of his congregation,
the city and the State at large. He ap-
preciated the reception which had been
| given him and his wife, who was the
| best part of the combination He
thought the congregation ought to be
! grateful to him for showing such good
! taste thirty years ago in choosing a
companion. He returned thanks for all
| that had been done and said, and when
| all had been said, refreshments were
| served and the social part of the even
! ing was resumed where it was broken
off before the speechmaking began.