Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-11-11
BIG ROYEMENTS
First Methodist Episcopal Church
Win Be Elegant Structure.
WILL BIZ REOpENED NOVEMBER %
Sermon in Morning Will Be by United
States Congressman Washington
Gardner of Albion, Michigan, and in
Evening by Rev. F. L. Thompson.

On Sunday November %, the
First Methodist Episcopal church
viii be reopened for use by the
members of the congregation and
Sunday school after having UNI
dergone improvements that will
have cost, when completed, between
$4,000 and $4,000, and which will
make this house of worship the larg-
est and most handsome in the city In
brief, the improvements consist of an
addition three stories in height which
will be used by the Sunday school,
Gailery in the main auditorium with
seating capacity of nearly 400 when
necessary, an entirely new steam heat
ing system, new floors and carpets,
new frescoing and papering, new pull
pit and communion furniture, and re-
pairs to the seats.
The Opening Services.
The morning service on the day Of
the reopening of the church will be in
charge of Hon. Washington Gardner,
of Albion, Mich, member of the ma
tional house of representatives. Mr..
Gardner was formerly a minister in
the Methodist church, but for two
terms has been a congressman and
has this week been reelected He
was member of the church of which
DR.. A. E. Craig was pastor in Albion
before he came to Ottumwa to take
charge of the church in this city.
In the evening the sermon will be
by Rev. +. l.. Thompson, of Daven-
port. Rev. Thompson is a close per-
sonal friend of Dir. Craig. having been
classmate of the Ottumwa minister
when in college. He is pastor of the
principal Methodist church in Daven-
port and has been heard in Ottumwa
on one or two occasions, notably at a
meeting of the Brotherhood of ST.
Paul held at the church on the first
anniversary of the organization of
that society. Rev. Thompson is an
able minister and ranks high among
the Methodist preachers of Iowa.
The Improvements.
! One of the improvements that will
be appreciated the most is that which
has been made in order to add to the
convenience of the Sunday school |
This department of the church work |
has grown so much in the past year
or two that the entire church was re-
CURED in order to accommodate the
classes An addition has been erected
at the east and south of the church.
measuring about fifty-fve by thirty
two feet. for the exclusive nse of the
intermediate and primary classes of
the school. The primary department
VIII De conducted as aFschool in itself
on the first floor Of this part of the
huiidinss. The second story of this adj
citizen contains twelve class rooms, six
on the main floor and six in a gal.
lery, walls separating each room
A Vast Improvement.
This new structure will accommo-
date twelve classes. and the class
rooms viii be separated from each 9TH
er but during the closing exercises
the seats can be changed so that the |
members OF all the classes can face
the rostrum at the south side Of the
room, where the superintendent desk |
VIII be. and as the rooms are open in
front the members of the school will |
be able to join in the general exercises
as Ii they were all in one room This |
is vast improvement over the old
plan OF Having all the classes in one
large room, where the continual hum
OF voices made it impossible for any
one GROUP of scholars to derive as |
much benefit from their lesson as they
otherwise would have had.
The Plan.
The pan for holding the Sunday |
school Is 81 good one The primary
scholars will meet in their own room
and hold their school independent of
the intermediate and adult depart
meats. These two last named will |
meet for opening exercises together in |
the lecture room III the basement of |
the church, as formerly After the
opening exercises, however, the inter
mediate classes will retire to their |
rooms III the new part of the church. |
leaving the lecture room to the adult |
classes. And the study of the lesson |
and the closing exercises will be indie
pendently conducted.
Arrangements for Library.
The new addition, besides contain
ing the class rooms for the intermedi-
ate and primary departments of the
school, has two toilet rooms and a
room wh2ch will be used as the IL
brary. This is on the third floor level
with the gallery in the intermediate
department OF the Sunday school. A
table and shelves will be placed in
this room and it will be in a convent
emf place for the use OF the members
OF the school
The New Gallery.
In the auditorium of the church
vast improvements have been made |