New-York tribune., 1902-08-24

French Kills, that st. Andrews is older than
Trinity Church, in New-York The early rec
ords of the church were lost. and thereby hangs
q tale.
In the rectorship of DR.. Goddard the famous
Lancaster Shines grant excitement occurred on.
Staten Island 1t seems that for service or
other to one of the early Governors Lancaster
Shines received a grant of all the unsranted
land on Staten Island 1t caused a great zeal
of confusion at the time, and even more when
the attorneys of the Shines heirs appeared on
the island claiming property right and left They
settled most of the eases out of court the heirs
giving a quit claim deed for a small cash pay
ment. While this excitement was on Dr. God
dard died.
One day shortly after two men drove up to the
rectory and told Mrs. Goddard that the vestry
wanted the records. She gave them the two
cumbrous volumes, and thought more about
it until two vestrymen called on her for the
records
But the vestry has them" she said.
None of us have them said the chur n
officials.
Il gave them to two men a month ago said
the widow
1t was always supposed that the Shines grant
agents secured the records in order continue
their cases. one of the books returned TO
DR.. Yocum shortly after he took charge of the
parish. twenty-six years ago. 1t was expressed
from the Manhattan Club in this city. The
other. which contains all of the early records.
has never been recovered.
The church still has the original charter grant
ed 10 the Rev. Aneas Mckenzie by Anne. by
the grace of God Queen of Great Britain,
France and Ireland and Defender of the Faith"
II bears her signature and the royal seal in wax.
with the date 11l3.
At the same time the Queen gave st. An
drew's communion set of silver. bearing her
liy..i
that Staten Island was to be Staten Island and
New York very much greater, for the set which
she gave Trinity Church was much finer.
The congregation which fills St Andrews each
Sunday comes from every part of Staten Island,
by trolley. carriage and bicycle. II Is the most
scattered parish in NcW-N ork, as well the
richest outside the Manhattan district. The
salary OF the rector varies from 81 300 10 Si2 900
a year, according to the income from trust funds
and church property. The scattered congrega-
tion is not due to the age of the church much
as to the personality and power of its rector.
DIR. ioCum
The Low Church service is followed There is
no vested choir or elaborate ritual DR.. Yocum
never breaches in a surplice discarding il for
the black silk gown.
The surplice is the priestly garb and the
black robe the academic, says the old rector in
defence of his unusual practice. When /
preach To my people | become "A teacher. there
fore the black robe is most fitting" Then he
adds with smile: 1t is strange. isn't il, that
all the others have gone away from in this
regard"
The church in which St Andrews worships is
architecturally beautiful 1t has been burned
twice, but the southeast corner is as it was in
the original structure. being preserved in the re-
building a matter of sentiment. DR.. Yocum
made many changes in the interior when he took
charge.
1T was finished in poor imitation of stone
work" he said. This did not seem to be the
right sort of decoration for church; it
not honest. and quite as bad as wearing shoddy
clothes bogus jewelry. | had the walls
scraped and substituted simple frescos for the
interior decoration
st. Andrews Church has been long known for
IT'S steadfastnesS in regard to reCtOrs. DR.. Yo-
cum has been in charge of the parish for TWEEN
tv-siX years He succeeded DR.. Moore, who had
preached there for fifty years. on DR. MOore's
death the vestry voted his family the of the
quaint Old parish house for life, and several
members of the family still live there