Evening journal., 1900-12-31
NEW CENTURY'S
DAWN is NEAR
Churches Of City VIII Give II
Solemn Greeting
OLD CENTURY WORK REVIEWED
Pastors and Laymen Give Briei Re-
views Of Great Progress Made
by Civilization
OLD CENTURY WORK REVIEWED

w OAfnAAuAiVu
This IS the last day Of the nine
teenth century, and while there will bel
no civic celebration In honor Of It here |
nor none in celebration of the dawn OIL
the twentieth century. The churches
have given it a religious observance
Of much import In nearly all the
places of worship yesterday referenccl
was made TO the great even. Lessons
We're drawn in sermons from the OPP
poltunities for religious and CONNER
cial possibilities the century had open
ed to mankind. and of the great ad
vancement that has come TO the people,
of the world out Of those possibilities.
In Grace Church the three services oil
the day were devoted to restr0spectionI
of the old century. In the morning the
Rev. William Writ King, ID. d., preach
eG a special sermon. In the afternoon
the scholars OF the Sunday school pre-
sented their Christmas festival. Dr.
King addressed the little people
In the evening a platform meeting
was held.
Chief Justice Charles B. Lore pre-
sided. The speakers were City Solci-
tor Henry c. Conrad, Francis r. Hels-
Ter, Mrs. William M. Field and Profess
scr George w. Twitmyer
Mr.. Conrad spoke of Methodism dur
ing the present century, beginning W til
the work Of Francis Asbury and the es-
tablishment of Asbury NJ le Church in
l7S9 and continuing up to the present
time. There are now eighteen Metho-
dist churches IN Wilmington with ever
5000 members and 1000 members OF
Sunday schools. Mr.. Conrad also al
luded 70 the progress made by other
j denominations in this city.
Mr.. Heisler read an interesting paper
on the century, in which he spoke of
i the material progress which had been
made. He gave a brief, but compre-
hansive review of the work of the CEN
tury and spoke OF how avaricious coun-
tries had been plunged In war at the
| beginning of The century. while the
close Of the century saw them holding
a peace conference at The Hague.
Mrs. Field spoke of the work of w1-
men during the century. Special attsn-
ton was paid TO the work of the d6a-
i cOnesses and the Foreign ami Home
i Missionary Societies. Woman has
helped as she always did in all church
work, but in much foreign missiclary
work she has led because the work
could the more readily be done by her.
Professor Twitmyer gave an inter
esting review Of education during the
century, showing that great strides
had been made
In Central Church last evening the
Rev. Thomas A. McCurdy preached
i from the text: let all the earth fear
] Iafa ff.I.
world stand in awe Of Him." Dr. Nc
Curdy said it is time that The nine
? teenth century is the greatest and best
of all the centuries. save the first. VIII ch
u gave to the world the Christ of God
Il If it were not progress should have
! reached its limits and civilization
J would have written finished over It's
last stride. Marvellous progress Is the
? first phase Of the old century.
= The dawn of the new century will
break while Christian people Of the
b city are assembled in the various
places Of worship. Outside it will be
greeted with, a vociferOus shout and
kindred voices. Throughout the world
= Catholics viii assemble just before the
81 midnight hour join in mass and par
Y take of the holy communion. In ST.
e Paul's Church special music will b,
r presented under the direction of Louis
I b. Preston. Father Connolly will cele-
brate the mass.
, In St. Peters Church forty hours
e devotiOns were begun yesterday, and
e will be continued New Years Day. AT
midnight Vicar-General j. A. Lyons
viii celebrate solemn mass in the
S Transformed cathedral
Y Episcopalians will unite in a watch
:. night service to be held in Trinity
r Church, commencing at 1915 o'clock
= Bishop Coleman will preside. and tho
D combined choirs Of Trinity, St. John.
and st. Andrews churches will sing.
SERVICES AT BETHANY.
Watch night services in Bethan,
+. Baptist Church will begin at 1913
n o'clock, a half hour after following tn
r. Sunday school Christmas entertain
ment. The services Will be held in tn
main auditorium, and will consist o
special singing. some "reminiscences b.
Mrs Margaret Smith, familiarly know
!. as Aunt Smith" who is but ST,
y years short of being a centenarian
g with mental powers well preserved.
POrtiCls Of the article by J. i
Watkins, Jr.. on What May Happei
in the Next Hundred Years will b
D read; and there viii be a short addres
y, by the pastor, the Rev. o. G. Budding
Ia ton At the dawning of the new cen
j., tury directly after the midnight houl
the choir will stand upon the churc
steps and sing a New Years anthem
and "The Star Spangled Banner.
m In First Presbyterian Church ther
,n win be a union watch night serivc'
a Second Methodist Protestant. Eas
Lake and First Presbyterian ehurehe