Omaha daily bee., 1899-10-06
OMAHA PRESBYTERY MEETS
Session is Held to Adjust Business
Unfinished at the Bellevue Ses-
sion Last Month.

An adjourned meeting Of the Omaha Pres
bytery was convened in the assembly rooms
of the First Presbyterian church Thursday
afternoon to adjust numerous items of bust
ness unfinished at the Bellevue session Sep
tember 10. In the absence of the moder-
ator, Rev. T. S. Hawley pastor of the KnoA
Presbyterian church, presided.
The most important question brought be-
fore the presbytery was one embodied in
the report of the Board OF Home Missions
read by Rev DR.. Bradin regarding the pro-
priety OF a Presbyterian minister travelling
by railroad on Sundays. DR.. Bradin recon-
mended the grouping of two pastorates,
Blair and Florence, 50 that one minister
might fill the two pulpts each Sunday.
Such a plan involved trip by rail from
Blair to Florence, distance of eighteen
miles. The report was adopted, the recon-
mendation it contained being discussed at
great length.
Rev n. Chestnut of Fremont interposed
an objection. He said he had been taught
to believe that riding on the cars on Sunday
was desecration of that day. He thought
that the railroads, because they were oper
ated on Sundays, more seriously hampered
the efforts OF Christians than any other in
stitution. He expressed the opinion that
God does not wish men to do good at the
at Blair or Florence would be benefit to
some, they might better be dispensed with
than to be the cause of minister's having
to take a Sunday train.
Dr. Bradin replied that he believed the
Presbytery would not establish a precedent
in grouping the churches in the way.
planned. He said 1t was a good deal like
straning at a gnat and swallowing a camel
to decide not to hold services because
doing so involved travel on a railroad The
outcome of the discussion was that the
matter was left to the conscience OF the
pastor, Rev. Robert J. Graham who will
be given the opportunity to use his own
discretion as to whether or not he will use
the railroads.
A release was given to Rev. DR.. ]. NJ.
Wilson, pastor of the CASTELAR, Street Pres
byterian church, who has accepted call to
the church at Boulder, Colo, the seat or
the Colorado State university Mr. Wilson
will preach his farewell sermon October Is.
The report was read OF the committee
appointed to arrange for the establishing
in the city OF depository of the Presby-
terian board. 1t recounted the efforts of
the committeeman and expressed the
opinion that at present it would be i'm
practicable to try to secure a depository
Rev. DR.. Wilson announced that in ac-
cOrdance with the instructions of the pres
bytery he had written to George Lund,
student in the Union Theological seminary,
informing him OF the general assembly's
attitude toward that institution and advis-
Ing him to withdraw to seminary which
VIII meet with the approval of the presby-
terry Cambridge was suggested. DR.. VIII
son said he had not yet received reply.
DR.. Wilson then read the report of the
delegates to the
T. S. Hawley was appointed chairman of the
Ioung Peoples society and A. NJ. Mitchell
was licensed to preach The presbytery ad-
journed to meet at the call of the mod
orator or the clerk at the meeting of the
senate at Wayne next week.