The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1902-04-10
TILE PRINCETON UNION: THURSDAY APRIL 81 1909


HJJRSD .AY ], PRIL. / O,
more outspoken. It now found III his
vote against having the Wamplers be.
fore the session what unconsciously II
had long been waiting fora point Of
union and onset. The pastors friends.
however, were in the main stanch, and
open opposition only intensified their
ardor. The session divided again about
evenly, but the opponents of the pas
tor were the cunninger faction and
finally persuaded two of his supporters
to disregard personal preference and
join them in voting a request to Mr..
Holt for bis resignation.
with his session thus become practi-
cally unanimous, against him and
good third of the congregation fiercely
urging the session on, the poor minister
would gladly have yielded up his
charge and fled away, but this, it SEEM
ed to him, would be moral weakness,
clear violation of his. duty to the
larger faction who devoutly besought
him to stay, so he refused to comply
with the sessions request. Appeals
followed to higher bodies, and a tedi-
GUS, complex, exhausting contest re-
suited, ending in defeat for the oppos-
ing minority, which thereupon with
drew from the church in body and
organized new society.
And this is the origin of what is since
known in Osceola as the New church,
the church which in recent years has
been so marvelously blessed. But it
had a hard struggle in the beginning
1t began to prosper only after the Rev.
Mr.. Holliwell took charge He is a
| natural pulpit orator, a man thorough
~ abreast of the times. He began by
pretaclng his sermons with a familiar
talk on current topics, and every three
months he preached a sermon exclu-
sively for men and another exclusive.
| ~ for women and one for the young
people, and by these and other novel
ties he soon awakened an interest
which has continued until now the New
church congregation is much the lar.
gest and wealthiest in the town. Then
Andrew Jarboe, rich old bachelor
| farmer, died and left the church $1O,.
600, and that was a great help to it.
In Life Andrew had not been a notable
supporter of churches, but Mr.. Holt
had once rebuked him sharply for fail.
ing to supply a due weight of but.
ter, and it is supposed that this had
somewhat to do with determining hi.
| surprising bequest to the New church.
Poor Mr.. Holt after the New church
began to come up so conspicuously suf
fered certain decline in the regard of
his congregation. The members were
| still free in expressions of devotion to
him, but it became evident that in their
feelings they had little cooled, and
Mr.. Holt finally sought another charge.
And his departure is not the least i'm.
portant item in general change which
has now made OsceOla wholly differ.
! ent town from what it was at the time
when Hamlin Wampler disinterred
Mrs. Luther Gears holly sprig spoon
| from the turkey stufing. Winter at it's
visitations is still profuse, but the
householder and shopkeeper now sweep
and shovel the snow from their walks
down almost to the last flake, and but
a slight moisture under foot deters the
ablest bodied men from going abroad
without their rubber shoes.
Even the REVEALS are not what they
were. So much have they suffered in
| their old time fervor that to the one
church in which they still maintain
their former lustihood people now re.
sort in crowds out of mere curiosity to
view the spectacle. Here as regularly
as winter comes the best known repro
bates of the town are brought under
tumultuous conviction. But when come
the spring thaws, little by little their
new virtue relaxes, and as the year ad.
vances and all nature grows jocund
and voluptuous they slip back for the
most part into their old wild ways.
Thus one winter opens with no less
occasion than another for a stentorian
| eVangel Last winter hOwavor ornon,