New-York tribune., 1901-04-09
A MISTAKE, Not A MTR1CLE.
MISUNDERSTANDING OF INSTRUCTIONS REL
ATIVE TO CARVING OF CHRISTIAN
SCIENCE CORNERSTONE LED
To TIE ERROR
TO THE ERROR

In his address at the dedication on Sunday OF
the building of the Second Church OF Christ.
Scientist, at SiXty-eighth-st and Central Park.
West, John Carroll Lathrop. one Of the readers
OF the church. said that "A miracle had been
wrought at about the time OF the laying OF the
conversions. These facts were published in
The Tribune yesterday They attracted wide
spread attention particularly in religious circles
1t now appears that what Mr.. Lathrop thought
to be a miracle only error which brought
about result that desired by those inter
ested in the church. To be more explicit, orders
We're given that a certain inscription be engraved
on the cornerstone. Soon afterward another
design for the cornerstone made, and this
contained a change in the wording OF the in
scrption That such change had been made
was not generally known to all the leaders OF
the church.
1t so happened that those who did not know
about the change should be the very persons TO
receive a letter from Mrs Eddy that the in
scrption that was to be put on the stone was
not the correct one. She wrote telling what
should be carved on the stone The persons who
got the letter asked the contractor OF the build
ing II 1t was too late to make a correction of
the wording Of the inscription. 1t then
few days before the laying Of the cornerstone,
and the stone. carefully boxed. was ready TO be
put in place. The man who had carved the let
trrs on the stone was then busy I'm a quarry at
Concord. y. H., from which quarry the stone
cut. II he had been here when the stone
was inspected. and when II found that the
lettering on the stone was just what want
ed he would have quickly dispelled all thoughts
Of any miracle having been performed. He
would have said that the last orders he received
about the inscription were that it should read
Second Church OF Christ. Scientist" and not
New York Second Church Of Christ. Scientist"
These facts were given TO Tribune reporter
yesterday by one Of the most active members
OF the church.
William II. Parmenter. member of the board
Of trustees OF the church said at his office. at
no 1133 Broadway. yesterday regarding the
matter;
No miracle wrought. nor do we say that
any marvellous change occurred. The original
title Of the church the New York Second
Church of Christ. Scientist" When the plans
for the building were given TO the contractor
IL was thought that he had received orders to
place the cornerstone. "New-fork Second
Church OF Christ, Scientist" But II turns out
that he was ordered by the proper persons 10
put on the stone Second Church OF Christ,
Scientist" The man who engraved the stone
received similar orders and when the stone left
the quarry on II were the words second Church
OF Christ, Scientist
Mr. Parmenter said that he knew the details
OF the case, and that the contractor should have
been instructed to have "New-York" carved on
the stone before the word Second" and that
he would have received such instructions had
not an error been made. After the first plans
for the church drawn, the under
which the church was Incorporated was changed
by legal action, that the proper title OF the
church Is now the Second Church OF Christ, Sci
enlist, of New-Yo City.