The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-09-29

ly heard across the Delaware by par
ties on the Jersey shore, a feat no liv-
ing orator can repeat.
In the fields of England. from the I'M
lettered masses first awakened from
their spiritual deafness by Whitefield,
came the earliest contributions for
Bethesda. 1.-The willingness with which
the people gave, and the prayers which
they put up on throwing in their mites
were very encouraging" says a writer
of a century and a quarter ago. The
collection on Remington common for
the orphans was the first resulting
from direct appeal to the generosity
of the people. 1t amounted to EAT
and the subsequent one on Moorf1eld
to nearly a53, EGO OF which was in
half pence. ut was more than one
another collection made nearly E73 for
the day. BY the time the embargo was
lifted upwards of $1,000, an amount
whose buying capacity at that time
was considerably greater than now,
had been collected for the orphan
house, and on Aug. IA. 1889, Whitefield
set sail for America the second time,
with family consisting of eight men,
one boy and two children, and accom-
panied by his friend. Mr.. Seward. One
OF the party was John Merriam, who
became a teacher at Bethesda, and
whose experience is one of the most
unique in the annals OF Whitefields la
bors. Impressed by the reading of
Whitefield's sermon on regeneration,
Merriam, IL is stated, pray ] so long,
tasted so long and gave so literally"
that his family considered him de-
ranged and incarcerated him in an
asylum for the insane as one Meth
odistically mad" Here he was NAL
treated in accordance with the custom
OF a day when lunatics were publicly
exposed to those willing to pay for the
privilege OF viewing such unfortunates.
Through the efforts OF Whitefield IL
was arranged that Merriam should ac-
company him to Georgia. He proved a
useful and exemplary servant of the
orphan house.
Arriving at Philadelphia the cargo
brought from England was disposed OF
to advantage for the orphanage, a
small vessel was purchased, and, with
the exception of Whitef1eld, Seward
and two others, the party sailed for
Savannah, the evangelist continuing
on his travels slowly south
ward. preaching everywhere to inn
mense congregations, finally reaching
Savannah on Jan. II, 1740. Before his
arrival James Habershan, whom
Whiteheld had brought over in 1888.
colony, had selected a plot of FIVE hun
dred acres, about ten miles from the
settlement. and the work OF clearing
and stocking it had been begun, the
orphans still being lodged in a rented
house.
The Corner stone Laid.
Shortly after his arrival. deciding
that the care OF the orphan house and
the parish together would be too great
task. and probably not at all reluc-
tant 10 entirely adopt peripatetic
preaching, Whitefeld wrote to the
trustees surrendering the living and
requesting them TO provide another
preacher for Savannah. With this of
his mind he at once devoted himself to
planning for the home. He had decided
to have its location so remote from the
main settlement that the children
would be free from bad influences. 1T
In my design" said he, ito have each
OF the children taught TO labor so as
10 be qualified 70 get their own living"
On Jan. 80, i74o, he went with the car