The San Francisco call., 1899-09-11
ALMOST CAUSED
AN ATTACK Of
HEART FAILURE
Carnegie's Gift Was
So Sudden.
OAKLAND FEELS STRANGE
B. FAY MILLS MAY AGAIN SEE
HIS TABERNACLE.
City Council Faces a Dilemma From
Which II Can Be Extricated ONLY
BY Rare Diplomacy-Rocks
II the oHng.
OAKLAND FEELS STRANGE
B. FAY MILLS MAY AGAIN SEE
HIS TABERNACLE.
oakland once San Francisco can.

Oakland Office San Francisco Call.
s0S Broadway, Sept. 10
The little letter from the obscure Scot
tsh castle containing about 100 words
and promising z generous sum TO Oak
land 11r G free library has taken the city
surprise. This is quite excusabIe. Il IS
strange experience for OakIanders TO
receive anything from wealthy men
ss1ce It's birth in 1S52, when Horace Car
penCer and his associates laid the
foundation for drawing from the city OF
the future its last drop OF lifehlood. Oak
land has received few gifts The late
Anthony ChabCC gave the city and OBJ
cattonal department. The late Dr. Mer-
rttt presented a clock to the City Hall.
tns poserVatory. Most OF those who are
indebted to the city for all they lay claim
70 nave considered that their duty was
performed L they gave the city 6 black
eye. Consequently when little note
was received from Andrew Carnegie, who
probably never was IN Oakland in his
life and never was seen by more than one
Cakander, L Is not surprising that the
city should feel as Il something unusual
almost Uncanny, had happened. Up to
Cats no one seems 70 nave ulstrusCed the
sincerity OF the Lord OF Homestead
which would not have been the case had
NJ Carnegie been graduate OF the
Oakland political school His example
SHOULD Be productive Of similar Efforts
Nj Carnegie. so far as known. never
=
men charming 70 be miIuonaires paradlng
her streets. who while they may never
have made q dollar out o. Oakland by
the sweat Of their brains or their brOws,
have IN some manner or other, derived
vast fortunes from her and her people.
To these men is referred the act OF Mr.
Carnegie with the suggestion that Il be
taken under advtsement-
Al Twelfth and Webster streets IS
large tabernacle. Many years ago II was
On 30 u rf7 -rz~
fitting building be prepared to receive
Rev B. Fay Mills, an evangelist credited
with a record Of starting thousands OF
hating and undecided young Christians
In the straight ard narrow path. The
building was filed each morning after
noon and Tar into the night with a crowd
numbering from 5000 70 5000. Several
times during the stay OF the evangelist
all 11e local churches were closed 50
that every member Of their congregation
l-gEr derive the fullest possible benefit
from the words ot Mr.. Mills Daily this
evangelist gathered round him the
Eu-e-ec and practical men who filed
the gsiSrorat t7s or me local c1urc1es- II .
= manner most dlctatoriaI Rev. 3. Fay .
1li.s would iDpart TO the pastors MS .
IDEAS gI cc--letinS reElFat- 1ners
must Be 2 certain amount or mechanical /
work done doors must De opened and
closed only at a certain uDe; ushers must /
perform their duties IL Just such q man
re-- 1T no event must anything be done
q disturb the uLteraEcz Of .. Fay Mills +
=
l- necessary Tor tHe success OF MS
evangelical rsvlvais, that ne must, with
lis musical leader. absolutely control the
singing IN snort. Mr.. NILS caused IL 10 .
he ErCl-ed abroad that he had studied the
practice and science Of exp5ditiously and
thoroughly exploiting rhe pure gospel Of
the Saviour. Of the at01ement and OF
salvation through the blood spilled OF
Calvary, and that any interference with
his plans would be fatal 70 the best
Rzv B. Fay Mills also succeeded in F.
dong what no other man has ever done
g. Ookand- he inaugurated mid week
sz5batE~ and every merchant who did /
-lL close his doors for q large portion OF .
-lis special day was almost adJudged 70 I
F= hereto or worse. The experiment
was declared 70 be a great success. and 50 {
Il was from the standpoint OF Rev. B.
Fay Mills. When the evangelist closed
Ets laoCrs In Oakland, ne lald the Iouhda-
-.or OF 4 system Of visitation and IN
sosctiou that should be developed after
his departure 50 that the fruits OF his
-abors might not decay For years after
the great Mills revival was the great
topic of discussion in religious circles.
Now an effort is being made to bring
again Rev. 3. Fay Mills 70 Oakland. Some
time ago Mr.. Mills became convinced
that the great fundamental principles OF
the doctrine with which he enthused Oak
land and many other cities years ago is
al wrong After much deliberate thought
he pronounced to the world that the real
religion OF humanity and OF reason is
that OF the Unitarian church. In the
ardor Of his new faith he became z min
tsrer OF Cnitarfanism. To-day the prom
fnent Unitarian Church OF Oakland aC-
Cepted the resignation OF its pastor and
several mem mbers expressed the desire
that Rev. 3. Fay Mills could be induced
70 come to the church for few months
in order that his intellectual force might
infuse new life and ambition into the
congregation. Should Mr. Mills ever come
TO Oakland on such mission l would
like 10 be able, IN the ciearest or Ian
E1IaEe 10 express the thought that must
run through MS mind as he gaZed upon
4ra old tabernacle thought of the mid
week Sabbath of his many eloquent dis
courses to the youth and aged Of the bay
cities and Of the effect his presence on
this his second mission must nave on
the minds OF those infuenced oy MIN
under such ostentatoUs conditions years
ago Il would be q rare study III theology, /
such as seldom comes within reacn of /
STUDENT. Doubtless many of Mr.. Mills /
former converts are now praying tnar
the wool may be pulled from AIS eyes ana
that Satan may uot De permitted % b..nd
L.u for more tlL1u q niue season i ne
"a erracle II Mr. Mills religious views
be now correct Is simply q monument TO
his past errors
II is very evident that there Is no rule
by which the value of property either
real or personal can be determined In this
county. During the past month IL has
been recorded that a mortgage IS no cri-
teriOn Cf worth a deed Is often merely |
a -use, aDpraiseueut is generally biased, I
ass essment fs a whin and even the sell
ing price is often subjected TO such Jug
giery that a man Of experience will pay
no attention 20 It, Il is even on record +
that a merchant oath regarding the :
value OF his personal property may often (
be Il excess OF what Ii is worth, and +
there. 3re the amount Of taxes any one
shah -ay depends entirely on his ability /
10 scE-u1e Such Is the natural deduc- i
ton Il n the sworn testimony given re- /
sardinE the assessment rolls Of Alameda !
County. The man who can obiterate such I
2 chaOrie situation with a reasOua bic and /
fusr syst m is the man most needed
PrObab' r there IS no other city on earth
where q man could assert that he had
been offer u a large sum OF money 70 at
tempt 10 windIe the United States Gov
eruTnert and where such an incident
would merely give rise 70 z smile The
seriousness f the situation does not ap-
pear 20 have appealed to anybody. Poll
rfciars smiled merchants took II as a
matter of course and the vast mass OF
tie peope who do not understand public
Affairs pissed it by as something with
which til y had no concern. At Wash
tugton this IittIe incident seems TO have
had great weight. Willy Uncle sam has
not lived more than hundred and twenty
years without acquiring much wisdom.
and 1t is safe to say that when he Sc