The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-09-09
A ROMANCE OF PROVIDENCE.
That is What the Founding Of the Church Has
Been Called
(New York Commercial.)


| fhe founding of the Church of the
! Strangers in this city has been most ap-
| propriately called "a Romance of Provi-
/ dence." and under that title an intensely
interesting history of the events leading
up to it's establishment was published
about fourteen years ago. But the story
OF the institution, as told by the Rev. D.
Asa Blackburn. the present pastor of the
Deems Memorial, in West Fifty-seventh
| street, and the successor of the founder.
Rev. DR.. Charles Force Deems, is of even
| more interest-first. because it isn't SO
long in the telling; and, second, because
the pastors originality and earnestness
possess charm that cannot be commune
Gated to the types.
DR.. Deems, then a preacher in the
Methodist church. came to New York
from North Carolina in 1865, and on small
capital began the publication of The
Waterman, a religious weekly, but was
unable to make it self-sustaining, and
after struggle of year abandoned the
enterprise. Meanwhile, through his ac-
quaintance with the woman who after
ward became the second wife of Com
modore Vanderbilt, DR.. Deems had met the
great financier, but had not been especially
drawn to him, regarding him only as a
man wholly absorbed in the worldly pur-
suit OF money getting. The old Commo-
dore's admiration for the clergyman had
however, been aroused at their first meet
ing, and he cultivated" him from the
start, although for a long time the preach
er was by no means approachable in this
particular.
In 1856 DR.. Deems organized a mere
handful of devout worshippers into a
society which held Sunday services in the
chapel of the old New York University in
Washington Square. and was known as
The strangers Sunday Home" 1t was
unsectarian and free to all comers," and
mad SO prospered in the next four years
that Its managers aspired to the acuuisi-
tlon of permanent home In 1870 the
Mercer Street Presbyterian church was for.
sale, and DR.. Deems offered $50 900 for it
relying wholly upon his ability to raise
the money with which, in time, to pay for
the property. The clergyman had often
been the Commodore guest at dinner, al
though the latter was not church men,
bef or even a church attendant but the
question OF money had never been discuss
ed by them. Impressed by the zeal and
the course Of the pastor in his undertake
ing, Vanderbilt drew him one Saturday
night after dinner into a little private Of
flee adjoining his bedroom, and, looking
the nervy clergyman straight in the eye,
said:
Doctor, III give you the church,
Describing the scene that followed, Dr.
Deems has placed himself on record as
saying: 81 was mad in a minute NY
first thought was that Commodore Van
derbilt desired to secure the Mercer street
property for some railroad or other project
and was bent ON using me, a greenhorn
parson from the piney woods, to get it for
him cheap. | fired up and facing him
boldly, shouted: Commodore Vanderbilt.
you don't know me! There's not a man in
America rich enough to own me for a
chaplain! He was dumbfounded, but after
many thrust and parry and mutual ex-
plantations, we came to understand each
either thoroughly, and 1 accepted the gift
in the name of the Lord
Some weeks later when the CONVEYANCE
had been signed, a clerk of the old Com
modore handed DR.. Deems $4,000 in cash,
declining, by his chiefs order, to take anv
receipt or acknowledgement for it; and
when, later on, the pastor suggested that
the property be placed in the hands of
seven trustees, the great Vanderbilt said
promptly: mo! You will hammer away at
some of these trustee fellows about their
sins, and they will turn around and be-
devil you so that you'll be glad to quit
No. The church is your own. l give it
to you personally"
This was lne origin of the Church Of
the Strangers. 1t was at that time by far
the largest gift that Vanderbilt had ever
made-and he never would admit that
there was any obligation about it.