Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-11-29
AN IDEAL HOLIDAY
Thanksgiving Observed in Vari-
Gus Ways by People of
Rock Island.
SERVICES LARGELY ATTENDED
Several of the Congregations Unite
DIR. Torrance's Ser
mon.
SERVICES LARGELY ATTENDED


Yesterday proved an ideal Thanks
giving day and il was made the most
of by Rock Island people. In a bus
mess way the observance was gem
eral. at least during the afternoon.
while most places of business and
practically all factories were closed
for the day. Even the drug stores
followed their Sunday custom of
closing from l to 6 in the afternoon.
Church services in the morning and
football and other forms of amuse-
ment in the afternoon drew heavily,
while there were many who spent the
day quietly at home or in attendance
upon family gatherings.
There were services at a. IN. at the
three Catholic churches. Sacred
Heart, St. Mary's and St. .Toseph's.
At Trinity Episcopal church there
were services at 10 n. m. The union
services, in which the congregations
of the First Methodist, Broadway
Presbyterian, First Baptist, Central
Presbyterian, Memorial Christian
and United Presbyterian churches
united. were held at the First Bap-
fist church beginning at 1880 n. m.
and drew n very large congregation.
Following was the program as car
ried out:
Union Service Exercises.
Organ prelude, Miss Alwilda Young;
anthem, choir; invocation, Rev. T. j.
Shuey; responsive reading, s4th
Psalm, led by Rev. Shuey; hymn.
Jesus Lover of My Soul" con-
gregation; recitation of 23d Psalm in
concert led by Rev. G. b. Simons;
solo, singing in Gods Acre." Miss
Josephine Woodin; responsive read
ing, 145th Psalm and reading of pres
ident's Thanksgiving proclamation,
Rev. ID. L. McNary; prayer, Rev.
II. Il. Williams; vocal solo,
The King of Love, My Shep-
herd" c. G. Taylor; sermon, Rev.
William Torrance, ID. D.; an
them, choir; offering for benefit of
the Associated Charities; hymn,
Nearer My God to Thee" congrega-
ton; benediction; organ postlude.
Dr. Torrance Speaks.
with the exception of ancient
Israel no nation has received such
remarkable and evident tokens of
the guiding hand of God than our
own" said DIR. Torrance in the course
of his sermon. I'VE occupy a pc
culiar position at the present
time. This is the first Thanks
We are in the position of trav-
elers who have reached the crest of
mountain range which divides two
great valleys. The past over which
we have travelled lies behind us. The
future all mist covered lies before us.
Nothing is more natural than to stop
and look back over the road we have
Travelled. AS we look back the guild
ing hand of God is so apparent in our
national history, that we feel inclin-
ed to put up a memorial stone and
call il Ebenezer with the device cary
ed upon it, hitherto hath the Lord
helped us The guiding and helping
hand of God is visible in the choice |
of the period when this nation was
planted.
The guiding hand of God is seen |
in the character of the people select |
ed. 1t was selected from the best |
stocks of the old world. They were |
for the most part freemen whom the |
truth had made free. They came at |
n wisely selected time. Had they |
come berore the Reformation, the |
new world would have reproduced |
the middle ages. Had they come af-
ter the Reformation, when the nations |
had settled into new groove the |
would have been but feeble
copies of the old world nations. But /
IL Il IL II. L
IN which they had run for ages, and
before they settled down into a new
1ne, the hands on the dial which
hangs in the council chamber of the
Eternal pointed to the hour, and the
fell. Its tones reused all
Europe. The enthusiasm for emf
grafton was so intense that sufficient
-essels could not be found to carry
hem. 1t is said that more than a
bird of the English people intended
o emigrate, taking with them much
IF the wealth of the country. The
became alarmed and or
lers in council were issued forbidding
his wholesale emigration. Oliver
'romwell was already aboard a YES
eel when these orders were issued.
Helping Hand In Resources,
The helping hand of God is seen
n the resources of the country
which He gave them. A virgin soil
hat no plowshare had ever broken,
forests waiting through
he centuries for their new owners.
n the laboratories of the rocks, all
he metals were stored up in rich
bundance. So rich in resources
hat the youngest nation of the earth
las bounded to the front as the
vealthiest nation. The guiding hand
f God is seen in molding the new ma
ion into shape and form. The Amer
can colonies before the revolution
rare the most loval mart of the Rrif- | {