Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-05-11

two extempore prayers. The Bible, Wfhch
is treasured in a tin case, Is now care
fully taken out, and one OF the miners,
with emphatic measured intonation, reads
q chapter Then another miner orerS
prayer, and surely his surroundings are
well adapted for communing with the
deity. The dead silence, unbroken even
by an echo, the remoteness from the out
side world, the perilous nature of the oc-
cupation. the common sense OF need ana
protection which must exist In the minds
Of the worshippers, all tend to accen-
tuate the veneration and devotion IN
herent in the Welsh character. Inc
Welshman Is always eloquent In his own
language, and dumb as an oyster In that
OF every one else. 1t is the way the celt
has. Welsh public meetings, like Welsh
prayer-meetings, are never In want OF
orators.
The service is impressive entirely from
It's spontaneity and simplicity. Neither
high mass at st. Peters nor a national
celebration at St. Pauls--in fact, no rite.
ceremony, solemnity, or sacrament In the
world aboye-could strike so convincingy
upon the mind and the imagination as
this simple service. Another prayer, an
other HYMN, and the little gathering,
which rarely lasts more than half 10
three quarters OF an hour. comes TO Il
close. The miners separate and 80 to
their working places-probably with a dis
tinctar impression of their dependence on
the protection of Providence. AT any rate
a scoffer is unknown at this little chapei,
and It Is admitted that the Mynydd
Newydd Pit contains an unusual proper
ton of sober, upright, thoughtful work
men, No special reference is made In the
prayers to the Golfers life. There is no
thought of sect or creed, and people who
think of Wales as being rent by Nom
confornist dissensions will be surprised
10 learn that Baptists, Calyinistic Me-
thodists. Congrega tonalists here take
turns heartily at the prayers, while the
hymns used are such popular ones as are
known in Wales by all denominations
alike.
The library of the little chapel Is very
small indeed The old Bible appeared 10
be In a very forlOrn state when the new
one was presented by a visiting scotch
doctor-Dr. MRitchie-a couple or years
ago. on the fiy-eaf the Doctor mad writ
ten in Welsh the text: faith' nope ana
CHARITY. these three; but the greatest or
these Is charity" There was no more al
msion to miners and coalpits In this
entry than there was in the mems pray
ers Rut probably the next implied dis
t,nct compliment TO the various sects VINO
meet. and IN the deep ways OF the eartn
dwell together in unity
Tho idea Of a place OF worship under
ground IS so novel and remarkable that,
after the service, / endeavored 10 siean
some idea as TO It's origin. Mynydd
Nswydd chapel, | learned, although pro-
badly the only one at present existing. Is
not without precedent. At another old
colliery. known as Tyr Canol, not more
than a couple Of miles away. there was
for many years a larger edifice than this'
at which the workmen regularly assem-
bled ftr worship. There, however, the
Dit has been flooded and abandoned, ana
the chapel is no longer necessary; there-
fore. Mynydd Newydd-the New Noun
lain"-enjoys. so far as Is known iocaily,
the distinction OF being the Iowest
church in the land. At the Pentre pit, In
the same district. workmen for years did
not neglect the assembling OF them
selves together" before work, but they
did II on a piece OF vacant ground near
the pit bank.
The Mynydd Newydd chapel has existed
and been in regular use for ffty-four
years. IL was started, so far as could
discover on August is. lsi5. two or three
wears after ths opening of the colliery.
II was one OF the first happy thoughts
that occurred to the newly-employed col
liers.
There are one or two men still working
In this coliery who were present at the
first service held there. They were. OF
course. boys at the time, and were allow
ed by the lax regulations of those days TO
start work below at 10 or u years OF age.
A son Of one OF the founders spoke of its
origin as follows: my father and several
other men who started work here to-
gether were not satisfied with thinking
OF this life only; they looked at this life
as a mere lodging place. and were al
ways looking TO the great beyond That
was how they lived and felt. and may
say that their only enjoyment was reli-
gion. My father was Thomas Jones. OF
Cwmbwrla. and some OF those With him
were (as far as I can remember) David
Evans. John Lewis. Thomas Gray. Evan
Griffiths, and Thomas Griffiths. They
have had plenty OF followers. and our
chapel Is now, In the last year Of the
century, as strong as ever II was"
w. WALFoRD MOORE.