Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1901-10-03
EPWORTH LEAGUE
CONVENTION
Over Hundred Delegates Present Inter
esting Addresses.


over hundred had enrolled. About
fifty more are expected to arrive during
Tuesday forenoon. The delegates are as
signed to homes with families of the
three congregations-St. Pau's and
Trinity NJ. Z. churches of this city and
st. Peters of Riverside.
John r. Rote, of this city, is district
president; Miss K. Olive Thompson is
district secretary and w. P. Kemble, of
Mt, Carmel, district treasurer. Mrs. G.
f. Wilbur, of Bloomsbury, is superin-
tendent of the Junior League.
The convention opened at O'Clock
Tuesday afternoon with a conference of
Junior League Superintendents conduct
ed by Mrs. Anne Smiley, general super
intendent of Junior Leagues, of Lowell,
Mass.
The evening session began at O'Clock
with praise service conducted by F. B.
Hartman, of Bloomsbury. Mrs. r. J.
Allen, of Riverside, rendered solo, en-
titled "Fear Not, 0 Israel !" Miss Roth
rock, of Wiliamsport, accompanied on
the organ.
Addresses of welcome were delivered
by Rev. Harry Curtin Harman aud John
K. Rote. Rev. Harman was in his hap
piest vein. His address had its usual
ring of true eloquence and those to
whom the greeting was extended under
the influence of the good-feeling, and
welcome reflected in every sentence were
no doubt at once made to feel thorough
ly at home.
He introduced his greeting by re
marking that there were two other Meth
odist clergymen in Danville either of
whom were entirely competent to de-
liver the address of welcome and that
they were 'entirely welcome" to do so,
but in the immaculate unselfshness of
their hearts they delegated that plea
sure to him. Rev. Harman was follow
ed by John r. Rote whose greeting was
full of warmth and good feeling.
Fred l.. Smith, of Hazleton, respond
ed to the greetings. The address cover
ed the ground in a very effective way,
advancing a great deal that would serve
as food for reflection.
Herbert Wyle rendered a. yioliu SOLO
with the address of the evening.
The speaker was introduced by Mrs.
G. E. Wilbur, of Bloomsbury. She spoke
on the subject, "How to Win and Hold
the Boys" Mrs. Smiley explained that
she herself is a mother She has warm
place in her heart for the boys and she
handled the subject in motherly and
philosophical manner. Taking the boy,
she said no matter what his whims and
caprces, even though he may give of
fense and annoyance to some, he is rot
to be too harshly dealt with. He is
only living out the remnant of savage
life that survives in his nature. Citing
as an example the inclination to fight so
common with boys, she said he was
only yielding to an instinct that has
passed down by inheritance from the
savage state and it does not follow that
the boy is bad. He soon passes beyond
| the age when these influences assert
themselves Mrs. Smiley is a most pleas
ing and entertaining speaker and there
were, no doubt, many in the audience
much benefited and who in trying to
"win and hold the boys" will hence
forth take hold of the task in entirely
different way.
At the conclusion of the session the
delegates were rendered reception by
the three local chapters in the base
ment of the church. An hour was spent
in social way, during which refresh
ments in the form of ice cream and cake
were served.
The exercises of the Epworth League
convention yesterday took on very in
| teresting character. During the morn
ing an impromptu memorial service
was held relating to the death of Presid-
ent Mckinley. Most excellent address
es of five minutes or more were made by
Rev. DIR. w. w. Evans, Fred l.. Smith,
| of Hazleton, Rev. DR. d. s, Monroe, of
Shamokin, and Mrs. G. f. Wilbur OF
| Bloomsbury
To make room for this service several
numbers on the program for the morn
ing were omitted, among them being
the address of H. c. Pardoe, d. D., of
Remove, entitled "San Francisco, 1901,
Echoes" which was accordingly heard
for the first thing in the afternoon. This
address, which had to do with the In
ternational Convention of the Epworth
League held in San Francisco in July last
proved of peculiar interest, extremely
graphic in its description of the great
cosmopolitan asSembage and INTER
weaving many beautiful descriptions of
life and scenery on the Pacific coast.
The address of Rev. n. f. Cleaper of
this city on the subject of ''Practical
Methods" was feature of the forenoon.
1t gave evidence of ripe experience and
sound reasoning while in point of elo.
quence it was an effort seldom surpassed
on any occasion.
General Secretary w. ID. Lauwaster,
gave very interesting and helpful talk
entitled Fright Personal Relations with
God" He dwelt wholly upon thescrip-
lures, taking up quite number of pas
sages, which he explained in terSe and
lucid manner.
Miss Margaret zimmerman rendered a
solo very effectively.
There were two strong addresses de