Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-03-27

Being Agitated in This City BY the
Rev. C. Colder,

Being Agitatsd in This City BY the
Rev. c. Colder,
ASSISTANT EDITOR OF THE GER
MAN APOLOGIST AND PRESI-
DENT OF THE MOTHER HOUSE
AT CINCINNATI, CONDUCTED
THE SERVICES AT THE GER
MAN M. E. CHURCH YESTER-
DAY-THE HISTORY OF THE
MOVEMENT.
Rev. c. Colder, of Cincinnati, assist
ant editor of the German Apologist
and president of Methodist Episcopal
Deaconess Motherhouse in that city,
preached at the German M. E. Church
yesterday morning and at the evening
leryice explained the deaconess move
ment. The movement is one OF COM
parative newness in this country.
Rev. Colder was seen yesterday af-
ternoon by a Register reporter, and in
speaking of the subject Of the move
ment said:
''The movement was first instituted
in Kaiserwerth, Germany, by the Rev.
Theodore Fliedner, in 1885, and at the
present time there are in Germany
over one hundred Motherhouses, over
5000 stations, and 1850 deaconeses.
In 1865 Rev. >Fliedner, accompanied by
two deaconesses, came to this country
and established a Motherhouse in Pitts
burg. The institution, however, was
short-Iived, and after about two years
time it was given up.
The movement was not melted in
this country again until 1886, when the
German Lutheran Churches in Phila-
delphia started a Motherhouse, and at
the present time they have in connec-
ton with it seven stations and one
hundred deaconesses. In 1887, under
the auspices of the Methodist Episcopal
Church Miss Louisa r. Meyer institut-
ed training school in Chicago. In
1883 the NJ E. General Conference took
in America siXty-five deaconess houses,
with thirty hospitals in connection,
and some seven hundred and fifty dea
conesses, embracing property valued at
over $1,000
The Motherhouse at Cincinnati was
instituted about four years ago. In
connection with it is a hospital at Az
ondale. There are thirty deaconesses,
of which number ten are already grad
uated. There are stations at Terra
Haute, Ind, Milwaukee, Wis, and Lou
isville, Ky. The course each candidate
must take before becoming a deaconess
consists of two and one-half years of
practical and theoretical training. In
structiOns are giWenin several branches,
consisting of nursing the sick, kinder
garten work, visiting deaconess course,
or city missionary work, in which the
deacOness acts as a sort OF assistant
pastor; foreign missionary work.. and
the work of taking charge of different
institutions. The staff of physicians
at the hospital consists of about fiji
teen eminent doctors, and the faculty
is composed of eight doctors and min
listers and several lady instructors.
The theoretical instructions given con-
siSt of about a six months course, dur
ing which time the candidate must put
in five or six hours daily of hard study
TIE other two years is composed of
solid practical instruction.
A woman to be eligible to become a
deaconess must not be less than twen-
ty years of age, nor more than thirty
five. In some few cases exceptions
have been made. The costume worn
by the deaconess is black bonnet, and
dress, with a white tie, except when
on duty in the hospital, when a blue
and white uniform is worn. If the
deaconess stays in the work she is
taken care of by the institution for life.
All classes of women are eligible. Each
deaconess receives 81 monthly allow
ance, with which she must clothe her
self. She gets a yearly vacation of one
month, which she may spend as she
chooses. @
The deaconess work is much like that
of sister of mercy, but the former
differs from the latter from the fact
that after she once enters upon the
work, she is free to leave the institu-
ton whenever it pleases her to do so.
We do not place any time limit on how
long a candidate must serve whether
she be graduated or still in training.
1t is our aim to have them contented
and happy. So at any time they think
they have mistaken their calling they
are free to do as they please.
The institution is self-sustaining, ir-
respective of the church. 1t is sus-
tanned by endowment and by the dea-
coness societies all over the country
The Cincinnati central home has in
connection with it societies with a total
enrolment of 1900 members. Each
member pays one dollar yearly dues"
1t is Rev. Golder's desire to start a
deaconess society in Wheeling, and he
hopes to secure several candidates from
this place. At some future date he
homes q ho o hln To lOnatn ct horo