The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-06-10

mate of C.eneraI Grant at West Point, Is
to preach the sermon on Trinity Sunday
upon the occasion of the blessing OF tho
new Holy Trinity Church, on the reserva-
ton of the United States Military Acade-
my. Il will be remembered that Secretary
of War Lamont gave permission for>the
erection OF a Roman Catholic Chapel on
the West Point reservation, and that
General Alger confirmed the act. n pro-
test having been made, Attorney-Generat
Mckenna gave an opinion In Whlch ne
stated it to be beyond the competent pow
er of the Secretary of War to grant the
same That settled the matter until Con-
gress was appealed to. and that body
passed the law prcticaIty without opposi-
ton The new chapel is French Gothic
and cost $4,000
On the same Sunday that is called
..Childrens Day III thousands OF
churches all over the country. there will
be he'd in the Zion Lutheran Church, In
Mannheim. Pa, a service that Will not ba
duplicated in any church in the world.
Ii is called the Feast of Rises, and
it is the occasion when the Church pays
the annual rent for the use of the ground
on which the church building stands.
Mannheim was founded by German
noblenan named Baron Stiegei. who had
left the old country when u young man
twenty years old. and had brought his
inheritance TO this country for invest
ment. He first settled in Philadelphia,
where he became interested in the manu-
facture OF stoves. In Il short time ne
became the largest iron manufacturer In
that part of the country. In 1l62 ha
formed, with several others the St'eSel
Company, and purchased over seven hum
dred acres of land where Mannheim, Pa.
now stands. The iron industries were
removed To the new site and Baron
Stiegel himself laid out the town which
has been built as planned by him.
INSTRUCTED HIS MEN
In a mansion which he built for him
self in the new town. Baron Stiesei had
chapel In which ne assembled his men
from Sunday TO Sunday ana instructed
them in Luther's Shorter Catechtsm and
the Bible. AT that time there WAS an
church In the place. In mo the Baron's
religious work had so grown that he con-
sidered it advisable that a church ba
built in the town, and he, therefore, gave
land sufficient for the purpose. the same
land that it now occupied by the Zion
Lutheran Church. In the old deed.
which is still preserved, the cousiderti-
ton for the transfer Of the property is
named as five shiIiugs, which was the
smallest amount for which the transfer
could legally be made. and the annual
rental of one red rose in the month or
June to me or my descendants forever
whenever legally demanded Whai
poetical fancy it was that impelied tho
Insertion OF the quoted clause in the deed
VIII probably never be known.
As 1t has turned out, that one provision
in the deed Of the church property Is tina
cnly thing that has kept the name OF
Baron Stiegel before men, for the latter
years of his life were spent IN much
poorer circumstances than the former.
He il said to have been e1travagant and
eccentric. although a true Christians
nobleuan. and his wealth was diSpeiied
by his generosity coupled with bad invest
ments. and he sank so low financially
as 10 he imprisoned for debt. He was re-
leased by the good offices OF some OF his
friends but could not satisfy his creditors
and was compelled to make seanty
living BY teaching the children OF his
former employees
Only twice during the lifetime of the
Baron was the rose rental for the church
property demanded by him and aatd by
the Church. and for many years after his
death, in 17S3 the matter was forgotten.
In the early ninetieS the old church was
torn down in order that a larger ono
might be built and the old deed vas
discovered. Inquiries were made for thu
descendants of the Baron, and every
year since some representative OF thu
family has gone in the month of Juns
to the church az Mannheim and received
the beautiful token provided for in thu
deed of the property. The service Is
always very interesting, and not only ID
the rental paid with appropriate cere-
monies. but the memory OF Baron Siege.
is honored and his good works recalled.