The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-11-04
ADMIRAL DEwEY's PEW
One May be Given to Him in ST. Johns
Church, Washington.

Church, Washington.
Washington Correspondence New York
Mail and Express.
The vestry at st. johns are considering
the ACCESSIBILITY OF presenting Admiral
Dewey pew for life. Unless one knows
what very difficult thing 1T is to secure a
pew in st. Johns church one cannot appre-
ciate the extent of Ine proposition. The
church is very small, and is known as the
"cld Court church, for the reason that up
to the time of Lincoln every president who
had resided in Washington had ATTENDED
services in This edifee. Even President
Adams, who was Unitarian, always went
there as a matter of court etiquette. After
Lincoln President Arthur was the only
Chief executive WHO was a regular attend
ant at ST. Johns. After President Ar
thurs death the church put up memorial
window to the New Yorker, which is i'm
mediately above what is known as the
chez executives pew.
This pew DIS the only one in St. johns
which is not rented or put up at auction.
1t Is almost an impossible thing to secure
even half pew at this fashionable church.
1t is a quaint little edifee, very small, look
ing more like little Westinghouse in
southern town. Yet 1t is said that, next to
old Trinity it represents more money TO
pne square inch than any parish in America.
| Ii does tremendous church work, support
| ing over six mission churches, besides hav-
! ing established seven independent parishes
! throughout the District of Columbia. The
| pcws are not rented, as they are in most
] par bI1t nv families who
keep them from generation to generation
| Ahe annual rent of the pews Is not more
! exorbitant than that in any other fashion
| able church, but when one accidentally be-
| comes vacant it brings many thousands of
| dollars at public auction. In spite of the
reputation that it is a rich mans church,
! there are many impoverished families Who
| have pews there. These pews were bought
when the families were in affiuence, and
| are held 10y some of the proud old families
| in dle District vino have since lost their
fortunes
The only way that a pew can be secured
| is at public auction, which happens very
rarely. Only one pew mas been sold dur
ing the present administration. So valuable
| are these pews considered that when a
| family has inherited one it will make any
sacrifice to keep 1t. Occasionally some
| family leaves the District of Columbia or
| else the last member of the family dies,
| in which case the pew reyerts to the church
| and is put up to The highest bidder. 1t may
| dc only few months and it may be several
years before the vestry will have an OPP
| portunity eff presenting the admiral pew.
Next to the chief executives pew, and
| utlnio oil g
that owned by the British government 1t
| is directly across the church from the Ar
| thur window and usually has in it some
distinguished people, For years the British
ambassador tried to secure another pew,
| but has been unable to do SO. The one he
| has now is too small, even for his own i'm
mediate family, and when distinguished
| Englishmen are in Washington some of tho
| Pauncefotes have to remain away if their
| guests attend service.
The presidents pew is occupied during the
| administration by the family of Secretary
| Long and that of ]. Addison Porter, the
| presidents secretary. Whenever the pres
| ident belongs to another denomination the
| pew is assigned to any one whom he may
designate to occupy it. Secretary Long
himself is a Unitarian, but his wife and
daughters attend st. Johns. The president
and Mrs Mckinley also occasionally at
| tend St. Johns to keep the executive man
sion and the Old Court church in touch.
1t is customary for the families of the ex-
ecutive mansion to attend service in st.
johns on Christmas eve. Mrs. Cleveland
always occupied the presidential pew on
this occasion, and the president has done
so likewise. Last Sunday Rev. Mackay-
Smith made the morning service one of
thanksgiving for the admirals safe return,
and the latter was deeply moved by the
eulogy paid to him by the rector When
the offertory was taken up the admiral
voluntarily arose from his seat, and, taking
one of the plates, passed through the con-
gregation with it. The closing hymn was
the one they always sing in Annapolis in
the little church there, For Those in
Peril on the Sea- in which the whole con-
gregation Joined, an unusual thing fos
fashionable st. Johns.