The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-11-17
AT TABERNACLE CHURCH
THE. CITY THE STORM CENTRE
OF THE NATION.
CHURCH NOT FULFILLING ITS MISSION
DR.. Hall Says People in the Large Cities Do
Not Attend the Churches. Points Out
Particulars in Which the Church
Has Failed.

ftaS faeo.
The special Quarter Centennial Cele-
bration services were continued at the
Baptist Tabernacle last night with an
address by Rev Dr.-J j. Hall, now of
Norfolk, but formerly a pastor of this
church.
His subject was 1.-THE City and the
Church. and his thoughts ON this topic
formed most interesting discourse Of
an hour and !: quarter.
Before entering upon discussion of
his subject DIR. Hall said, by way of in
PRODUCTION:
II can truly say it is good to be here
As | look upon your faces | feel quite
at home. / miss some faces that were
always here, then there are some new
ones. but most of you seem just as /
left you This is notable event in your
church life and though | found it very
difficult to leave my own field just at
this time. / felt that | could not miss
this occasion. for | knew it would never
occur again in my life"
Then coming TO the discussion of his
subject ''The City and the Church." DIR.
Hall said:
'..As go the cities so go the nations;
and as 80 the United States of America
so go the world.
$50 completely did the Greeks identify
the city with the State that they used
but one word for both.
The city was originally some elevated
spot where men gathered to defend
themselves from the enemy, around
which they built a wall on which they
erected forts. Then it became the home
of social order, the seat of government.
and the centre. of trade. Thus citadel.
civil and civilization. all come from
city,
The United States is pre-eminently a
land of cities and of city builders.
The migration into cities is one of the
most serious problems of today, and
should awaken the most profound
thought of the statesman. the philan-
thropist. and especially the church. THE
cities of this continent are destined 70
be the greatest centres of the worlds
population.
/ call your attention to a few startling
facts.
The census of 1890 showed in the
United States 13 cities only with more
than 5000 inhabitants. and not one with
more than $4,000 persons. In 1880 we
had 494 cities exceeding 5000, and 40
exceeding a population of 10000, and 20
exceeding 100000 inhabitants; and IN
1890. we had % cities going beyond the
100000 mark. and some of them rum
ming into the millions. OF the nine larg
est cities in the world three are in the
Sfafa
Chicago and Philadelphia.
1t is true that the growth of the
United States has been phenomenal, but
the increase of our cities has been pro-
portionately far beyond that of the
country or of the nation itself. In 1870
the percentum of the inhabitants of the
United States, living in cities of more
than 5000, was per cent. While in
1880, % per cent, but today it is more
than % per cent; so that more than one
fourth of our people are massed in our
cities, and this in spite of the liberal
policy of National. State and Territorial
Governments to give grants of lands to
bona fide settlers.
TIDE OF IMMIGRATION.
Such an amazing creation of cities on
this continent show plainly two facts:
That the population for the cities
comes largely from the rural and country
portions of our own land.
The city takes from the country. and
in many instances farms are abandoned;
churches are closed and country schools
are not supplied with scholars. Life in
the agricultural districts is reduced to
an undesirable condition. 1t is the
,.rrl,4 IN no
leaves the country home ard seeks his
fortune in the city. And | am sorry to
say that many a country home has Gut
few attractions to hold the children.
was in such one short time ago. l
was told the man was well-to-do farmer
and worth quite a sum of money, but
there was not a piece of carpet on the
floors. nor scarcely a book in the house,
and as for a musical instrument | do
not suppose that anything. beyond a
whistle or farm bell had been heard
in those parts.
Do you wonder that the noys and girls
with brains leave such an old house IN
the country as soon as possible ana make
for the cities?
Frequently whole families move from
the country TO the city.
Many person is not able to farm On
large scale, nor to procure modern i'm
plernents, and finding himself wholly in
adequate to compete with his wel-to-do
neighbor he gets discouraged and leaves
the country for the city. And then, the
man with a family gets Disguised with
the meagre educational work of the
country schools and he moves to the city
to procure a better education for his
children. Others find it we'll nigh impos-
sible on the small pay given to farm
hands to provide for a family. and the
outlook is indeed gloomy for his house
hold, so he comes to the city, bringing
all with him.
/ often wish / could stay, il only for
a little while, a breathing spell as it
were, this mad rush to the cities. No