Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-02-08
Meeting in the Interest Of Same
Held Monday Evening.
REV. MCDOWELL ON EDUCATION.
Miss HInsay Presents the Matter From
The Standpoint Of Student-Small
Amount of Money Pledged AZ
Che Meeting Lust EVENING.
From Tuesdays Daily.

81 LIE tWcutlcGl CS&llufy luONcllcuG OIL
Che Methodist church did not receive
9 very great impetus at the meeting
held at the First Methodist church last
evening, altho some of the greatest
lights Of the church were present. To
just what cause this may be attributed
is hard for the layman to tell, but it
is certain that whatever that cause
may be it should be removed and OF
tumwa should come forward with the
rest of the world in support of the
work. The Methodist church has set
for itself the task of collecting for edu-
cational purposes the sum of $4,000, 00y
of which $2,500,0OO has already been
raised in eight months. The workers
have met with success in their efforts
in other towns, and took for an eX-
ample before soliciting subscriptions
last NIGHT, the town of Nit. Pleasant,
where the students of the Iowa Wes-
s1eyan university alone raised the sum
of ST. 700, and brought the total amount
raised in the college city up to 49,
300. The speakers of the evening were
DR.. p. ID. Blakesley, president of the I.
w. u; Miss Louise Hinsey, of this
city, at present student in the uni
yersity; Rev. DIR. Mills. secretary Of the
twentieth century thank offering fund,
and Rev. DR.. Mcdowell, corresponding
secretary of the board of education OF
the Methodist church.
Rev. Lambert, presiding elder of the
/ Ottumwa district, presided at the meet
ing, and after few preliminary re-
marks, introduced DR.. Blakesley.
The speaker said that he felt like a
bank president in this: That he was
presenting to the people their own
interests; that the Iowa conference
was interested in the success Of the
I. W. U. and that Ottumwa was part
of the conference. He exhibited photo
graphs of the different buildings, ex-
planning the cost, use and appearance
of each and asked funds for their
maintenance, not only now but for time
TO come.
Miss Hinsey.
Rev. Lambert then introduced Miss
Louise Hinsey, of this city, but now a
student of the college, who spoke in
behalf Of the movement from the
standpoint Of a student. Referring to a
remark made by President Blakesley,
who said that they charged for board
and lodging at Elizabeth Hirschey hall,
the dormitory for women, she said that
1t was true buff the audience Judged
by her appearance, the students got
their moneys worth. Coming to the
object Of the meeting she enumerated
the many advantages possessed by the
university and dwelt especially upon
the Christian atmosphere of the insti-
tuition. Her remarks abounded in wit,
and served we'll to illustrate the point
she wished to emphasize in enumerat-
ing the advantages possessed by the
\. ". u.
Rev. DR.. Wills.
The secretary of the twentieth cen
fury thank offering, DR.. Mills, then
spoke. He began by repeating the
4 question asked by many as to why this
offering was solicited, and said that the
cause was gratitude to Omnipotence.
BY way of illustrating the point he
said that people were prone to put John
Wesley upon high pedestal as the
product OF the last century and put
John L. Sullivan on lower one, and
then point to the degeneracy Of man.
kind. On refutation of this argumen,
the speaker said that slavery, dueling
and many other evils that existed one
hundred years ago had been abolished
He cited the fact that at intervals for
eight years it had been his privilege
20 preach in the reformatory at Elmira,
A. r, where 1000 young men We're con.
fined for offenses, any one of which
one hundred years ago would have
been the cause of a judicial execution
The treatment Of the insane, com.
parison Of the literature and dishon.
esty OF people in general are less now
than one hundred years ago. OF the
latter fact statistics were produced
I that showed that of all money passing
thru the hands of employees in mon.
eyed institutions and mercantile houses
but one-thousandth of / per cent was
lost by reason of dishonesty. "Out Of
these mercies," said the speaker, s'ou1
chief shepherds have summoned us to
give thanks. The Methodist church
may be big, may be powerful, but
without her educational advantages she
y will not be able to hold her own" The