The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-10-03
DR. LINDSLEY'S ADDRESS
AT ST. JOHNS SEMI-CENTENNI-
 AL CELEBRATION.

Retrospective Reminder of the Church's Early Struggles and Triais The Labors of Many of its Pastors Its Final Triumph Over DIHcuItIes- Appreciation ff Rev. MT. Whiting ham and NIT. Tremain.
 Following is the address of pr. Linds- ley at the seEni-annual centennial of St. Johns F. E. church Wednesday after noon. The doctor is the only surviving member of the first vestry of the church and the address delivered at the close Of it's first fifty years was retrospective, containing many interesting reminis- cences and entertaining biographical items:
 Friends and Fellow Churchmen: \
 have been requested to speak to you to-day, not because of any special fit- ness for the duty, but solely because I have the unenviable distinction of being the only survivor of the first vestry of St. Johns church. Having been ap- pointed therefore to discharge this function by reason of my antiquity l may justly infer that my discourse should relate to the early times of St. Johns career. That I am to refresh the memories of those of you who were old enough to know of passing events and to tell others of you of the trials, the struggles, the hopes and disappoint- ments, the successes and failures of those early times some thirty to fifty years ago.
 Before I proceed further I desire to express my apprehension of what may happen. You know when you start an old man, for I realize to-day that l am old-to relating "reminiscences, it Is very hard to stop him. I beg then when my garrulous talk gets to be tedious and tiresome you will remember that I am not here of my own option and put the blame of the trouble you are in where it properly belongs, upon those whose indiscretion and poor judgment have put me here.
 What I shall have to say to you will pertain to the time from the organiza- tion of the parish to the expiration of the rectorship of the Rev. MT. Whit tingham, when my personal connection with the parish also ceased
 MT. Huntington and I were in college together and we knew each other we'll It was the opinion of the boys then that he would make good ministerial timber if his inclinations took that di- rection and if he would stop smoking When learned that he was coming tc take charge of St. Johns mission I was very glad, and I at once determined that l would go over and help him. felt it indeed duty to do so because knew him so well that I thought he would need some discreet, sedate and sober minded person like myself to be with him and act somewhat as bal ance wheel to restrain his excessive zeal and impetuosity on occasions.
 was at that time a member of St Paul's church, but I felt that it was SC we'll established that it would probably get on very we'll without any further personal encouragement from me. had, however, some reluctance to com municate my intention to MT. Little john, the rector, and when l went tc him and began to express my regrets at leaving St. Paul's' and going to St Johns, he replied quite cheerfully, say ing, "Oh, I am glad of it; am very glac you are going: am very glad you are going, Doctor" It was not exactly tht kind of response had expected, but ceased to express my regrets, St Paul's church survived my departure Since then I have had frequent occasion to observe that few men are grea1 enough to create vacancy that cannot be readily filled.
 The church building fifty years ago was very modest structure in shape, al oblong parallelogram. To those of you who are not familiar with geometrica terms I would say it was a little longer than a modern trolley car and some what wider, and seated in the same way, a row of seats on each side with z central isle. But the seats were not re versible, because the true church wa' never intended to go backwards Neither was the building on wheels, al though it was afterwards called all ove town by irreverent sectarians "th' Wheel Barrow Church.
 MT. Huntington came to his charge il New Haven in all the vigor, hopefulnes and enthusiasm of youth. He was stil a bachelor. He never attained to thu personal dignity and variegated dis