The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-10-27

man of fine culture, elegant speech, and pure nature William O. Armstrong was the prophet Jeremiah, a man en- dOwed with a peculiar and fascinating gift in prayer. All were hnshed into silence as he pleaded with God and all felt the atmosphere of both worlds. the sweet delights of paradise and the aw- ful warnings of perditiOn.
 David Hine was a young evangelist, earnest and tender in his appeals to i the unsaved. Bro. CaytOn Eas a class 1 Magnus Manson and many others, 1 Plumb was a great exhOTter. At times he would send forth words Of burning i eloquence, that would shake the con- gregation as a forest is shaken by 8 storm.
 While DT. Pullman was with this church a new parsonage was built. Also Wesley Chapel became charge, and sixty members were given letters to join the new church.
 In 1871 Rev. Samuel H. Smith came to George street. The church had be- come weakened by the withdrawal of so many members by letters. but the membership was still more than two hundred. E. Frank Snyder was the ef- | ffcient s. s. Superintendent. During Bro. Smiths pastorate there was quite a revival. resulting in a considerable addition to the membership.
 4 The year 1873 was successful one under the leadership of Rev. William T. Hill
 In 1874 Rev. George Lansing Taylor was sent to George street for two years On October II, 1875, a special meeting of the board was called to take action on the following motion; Moved, That the Quarterly Confernce be advised that it is the opinion of the board that | it will be for the best interests of Methodism to discontinue the church as an ecclesiastical organization at the end of this conference year.
 This motion was fully discussed, and, on being put to vote was tie, to 6. We are very glad that the church was not voted out of existence that even | ing.
 Rev. George A. Parkington took up the reins in 1876 and held them for | three years.
 During May, 1878, the third year of Brother Parkington's ministry in this church he received from probation to full membership twenty-six members,
 three of whom were John T. Manson and his sisters, Agnes and Mary.
 Brother Parkington passed to his re-
 ward in 1881. two years after leaving this church.
 In the spring of 1879 the Rev. William | H. McAllister came, remaining about a
 year and half, when he left to accept
 a call to an independent church in Bal
 timore. Rev W. R. Webster supplied
 the pulpit for the balance of the confer | ence year.
 Rev. William P. Corbit became pastor
 in 1881, remaining two years. The
 first summer he was given leave of ab-
 sence for three months to visit Surope,
 and he furnished the supplies for the pulpit during his absence. The spring of 1883 brings Rev. c. B. Ford to George street again. after an absence of twen- ] ty-three years. He says that the 1 church had increased in value from $S.- | 900 to $20,000. Only few of those to
 whom he ministered in 1860 remained,
 among whom were William O. Arm strong and wife Hebron T. Douglass,
 wife and son Ralph (these latter hay | ing joined by4letter during his former
 pastorate), David Hine and wife and
 about twenty others. At the end of 1 three years, the time limit then, Bro. 1 Ford left 205 members and church
 free from debt, $S,500 having been raised for this purpose. Bro. William
 o. Armstrong died suddenly about this l time, a man who was liberal support
 CT of old George street during his life, and who remembered it at his death.
 In the spring of 1886 the conference
 sent Rev. Joseph Baird to this charge. ] Owing to the removal of many pronli- | nent members, and the death of others, 1 the church became somewhat discour- 1 aged. Many of the people lived at long i distances from the church, and all were | compelled to think of old George street as "down-town church. During Bro. l Armstrong's lifetime the house in La l fayette street, which had been used for | a parsonage, had been without expense 1 to the church. Now the church found 1 itself compelled to pay rent for it. | Accordingly money was raised and the
 building bought. Soon after this it was
 decided to sell the church and build in a more convenient location. A lot was purchased at the corner of Howard av- ] enue and Portsea street and the pres l ent building was soon in process of erection. The cornerstone was laid l one evening, under the blaze of an cleo l tric light. Rev. Dr. George F.. Reed 1 Wielded the troWel. The committee in charge of selling the old church and building the new was r. B. Root, A Moorhead and s. H. Barnes. Later, H T. Douglass, W. s. Barnes and John T 1 Manson were added to the committee The church was sold to the German
 Lutheran society for $18,000, including the organ, possession to be given May 1, 1889. Through the kindness of the
 Howard avenue Congregational church, l for more than three months preaching services were held there Sunday after
 noon, and prayer-meeting on Friday l evening.
 The final services of the George street l society were held at the old George
 street church Sunday April 2S, 1889
 Bishop Goodsell presiding. Presiding
 Elder Beach and all the Methodist pas tors of the city were present in the af- l ternoon.
 The name of the church was changed I from George street to Grace at this i time. Rev. James Coote became pastor of the church in 1889, his first Sunday
 with the society being the last one