The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-04-23
AN IMPORTANT,
conference
BISHOP MERRILL AN IDEAL
PRESIDING OFFICER.
New Commission to Consider the Ad-
visibility of Reducing the Number
of Districts from Six to Five-It Is
to Make It's Report at the Early
Stages of the Next Conference.
Rev. DR.. j. B. Sweet the Recipient
of a Shower of Congratulatory
kilograms.

Perhaps the most satisfactory session
OF the Wyoming conference has just
closed. In ffty-two years no more i'm
portant annual gathering has been
chronicled in the history of the church
In this region.
In the first place there are more nice
people in Waverly than in most places,
and then Bishop Merrill was the ideal
of presiding officer despite his ad-
vancing years. No official leader in
Methodism could have evnced more
beautiful and sweetly attuned spirit
than this veperable man. Gentle and
apply to his rulings and his general at
titude toward the conference.
In the midst Of the fierce discussion
over IL readjustment Of the districts,
and Notwithstanding the dismay with
which he regarded such an innovation,
sprung on him the last day like the call
of a snap convention, he was mild and
calm and kind to both sides. While to
most members of the conference in the
Wyoming district such radical change
made without more consultation with
the laymen was considered with appre-
hension, the younger element from the
upper end of the conference that suffers
most from inadequate support, were
vehemently determined in their stand.
Rev. A. F.. Chaffee and DR.. Hard had
the majority with them, and they very
nearly carried the day and Scranton
churches very nearly woke up yester-
day morning to find themselves in the
Honesdale district. 1t was Il good op-
portunity for such coup for they knew
the gentle temperament Of the bishop
who would have yielded to their insist
ent demands.
TENDENCY OF THE DAY.
The tendency of the day is toward
fewer districts and the time will come
when Wyoming conference will doubt
less be changed as to it's districts, but
to force such a change with all it's con-
sequent disturbance on a bishop and his
cabinet the final day was rather too
much for the conservative. Among the
clergymen who opposed such radical
measures We're DR.. M. D. Fuller, Rev.
G. o. Beers, Rev. III. H. Wilbur, Rev.
c. H. Newing and Rev. G. c. Lyman.
In the commission DR.. II. c. McDer-
mott opposed the decision of the MAJ jor-
ity report.
The commission stood seven to five
in favor of reimbursement. The new
commission will consist Of six minis
ters and six laymen who must report to
the next presiding bishop early in the
year, and bring the matter before the
next annual conference, early in the
season.
m 1,n
cipient of shower of congratulatory
kilograms yesterday upon his appoint
ment as presiding elder Of Binghamton
district. Many of these came from the
people of Simpson church, with whom
he is SO popular. DR.. Sweet made no
canvass of the conference and did not
urge his own cause. but there was con-
interest in his appointment
because Of the Importance which Car
mel Grove, the Chautauqua Of this
region, occupies and the necessity Of
having some one at it's head who would
be active and aggressive in its behalf.
DIR. TUCKLEY'S RETURN.
1t is not often that a transferred man
is looked upon with great affection and
by the native" members
of a conference. The resident minis
ters who see a new man brought in
from elsewhere and given the best
places naturally feel little resentment,
but there is one transferred man who is
exempt from this rule. He is Rev. DR..
Henry Tuckley, who was formerly at
the Centenary church, Binghanlton but
whose breaking down from overwork
resulted in his retirement for a year.
He has now returned completely re-
stored in health, and is received with
open arms by all the brethren. Few
clergymen have a more lovable person
ality and has made more friends in the
Wyoming conference. He is man of
attachments and u high order
of ability, both as a preacher and
writer. His recent letters from the
old world We're syndicated widely. His
new pastorate at Oneonta Is to be con-
Among the men recognized as 'com-
ing are Rev. w. L. Linaberry, Rev.
s. Guy Snowden Rev. r. w. Lowry
and Rev. j. w. Benninger.
Rev. j. w. Nicholson received an ova-
tion the other night when his name was
read off in the list of appointments.
people lllleu sucH applause
that the bishop was obliged to pause
for several moments.
The appointment of DR.. ]. II. Race to
Centenary church Is received with great
pleasure all over the conference. He
Is one of its own sons, of whom 1t Is
very proud.
Four important charges in the con-
ference simply 'swapped" pastors. w.
G. Simpson exchanged with c. A. Ben
jamin. and G. C, Lyman exchanged