Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1902-09-09
LETTER FROM NEW YORK.


Correspondence Of the Alexandria Gazette.
Some Of the readers Of the Gazett
may very likely enjoy a pen rambl
among Il few of the churches of this city
A propos of the touching oldpoem, 9Th,
Preachers Vacation" which the Gazett
has given us the opportunity of reading
again, we are glad to notice that nearl!
all the churches Of New York that W,
have seen are kept cpen for service dur
ing the summer. A few like Grace
Episcopal Church are closed for repair,
bat the chapels or lecture rooms belong
ing to them are open, and in other cases
two or three neighbOring congregation:
combine so that as far as we could see
the well merited condemnation of the
closed church in summer, so forcibly
conveyed by the poem, does not apply to
New York as perhaps it did some years
ago. Then the Protestants have learned
good lesson from the Roman Catholics
las the Gazette reminded its readers in
days gone by, whose churches are never
closed. OF course the rectors and chief
pastors of the several churches are out OF
town enjoying a vacation, but the GU
rates and assistants are at their posts, and
the sermons we have heard from these
have been practical and good. Although
in their places during the sum-
mcr, they change off with others
assistants or their rectors for a
rest at another time. Thus the churches
are kept open and all in turn get a we'll
needed vocation.
Summer is also a bad time for hear
ing good church music, as the choirs are
very much reduced in numbers, with
the exception oc Old Trinity and pos
sibly few others which keep up iJll
musical service throughout the year.
We always enjoy the services at Old
Trinity. They are much more elaborate
than Virginia Episcopalians are ac-
customed to, still they do not go beyond
what is known as a full choral service.
The associations Of Old Trinity parish
with its long history make it an object
of interest to visitors. Standing as it
does at the head of Wall street, its
beautiful spirc and open door preach the
permanence Of the eternal spiritual re-
lations of men to the deni2cns Of the
worlds great mart Of finance and COM
mcrce. Though so far downtown Trinity
has a large congregation, as it ministers
D the needs of the poorer residents of
lower New York, while it has nrmber
of old families attached to it, besides the
visitors who worship at its shrine from
Sunday to Sunday.
The old chnrchyard and around its walls
claims much more than passing glance.
This, together with that Of old ST. Paul's
a few blocks up Broadway, forms Gods
acre in the very heart of the commercial
life of this cOuntry's great emporium.
A short distance from the church in
the northern part of Trinity's sacred en-
closure and not far from the pavement OF
Broadway, you will notice spot where
visitors always linger for awhile. That's
the resting place of Charlotte Temple.
A simple flat slab marks the grave. The
only present insci 2tion is her name,
tho there is a vacant place where a
brass place must have been inser. I'd. 1t
is said that this was carried off years ago
bv some vandal relic hunter. Near the
entrance of the church on the south side
is a fine tomb to Capt. James Lawrence
who fell gallantly commanding the
Chesapeake in the action between that
vessel and the Shannon with the classic
words, ''Don't give up the ship" uDon
his lipl. Then rs one passes by the
monuments on the southern side of the
church there is another which rivets the
attention. You pause and read the
name of Alexander Hamilton who died
July II, 1904. Every school boy knows
the history of that ill-fated day when his
opporent, Burr, met him in deadly COM
bat under the veiled form of the code OF
nonOr, and laid the great statesman low
upon the field of Weehawken, farther
up on the opposite shore of the Hudson.
Fifty years later ai,er her long days of
widowhood his wife was brought to
sleep by his side. A fine monument
is placed over the grave OF
Hamilton while horizintal slab marks
that of his wife. Another tomb of
world wide interest is that of Robert
Fulton. Strange to say no worthy
monument marked the spot until last
year. The society Of mechanical
engineers determined that this condi-
ton of affairs should last no longer and
erected a handsome memorial with
bronze medallion of Fulton above the
inscription. This was dedicated with
an appropriate memorial service in
Triuity Church.
The bronze doors of the church
depicting scriptural subjects and cele-
brated occasions in the history of the
parish togethes.witn the Astor reredos
in the chancel are fine specimens OF
workmanship. The four inches IN the
tower two on each side, are now filled
with figures of the eyangelists, the
gii. of member of the parish, and were
put in position during the past year.
Another well-known church IN the
city is that of the TRANSPORTATION,
familiarly called the Little Church
Round the Corner" As some Of your
readers may not know the origin of the
name it may be well to repeat the story.