Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-06-25
CONVENTION OPENS
oTTUMWA DISTRICT EPWoRTH
LEAGUE in SESSION.
ADDRESS OF WELCOME BY REV. BEYAN
Fourteenth Annual Convention viii
Continue Two Days at Main Street
Methodist Episcopal Churci1-Praise
Service Last Night.
From Tuesdays Daily.

From Tuesdays Daily.
The fourteenth annual convention of
| the Ottumwa district Epworth League
opened last evening at the Main street
Methodist Episcopal church with a
large number OF delegates and work
ers present. The opening hour was
devoted to praise service led by the
presiding elder of the district, Rev. j.
w. Lambert
The church was beautifully decorat-
ed for the occasion with red and
white bunting draped upon the walls
and festooned from the ceiling. Two
immense palms stood upon either side
of the pulpit platform and directly in
the center and over the pulpit was
suspended large Epworth League
emblem, with the word Welcome be-
meath 1t. The auditorium presented
very tasty and pretty appearance and
elected many words of praise for
the committee who had the work in
charge.
Following the short praise service
the address of welcome to the dele.
gates was delivered by Rev. D. G. Bev-
an, pastor of the Main street Metho-
dist Episcopal church and the response
was given by the district president,
George F. Heindel.
A short entertainment, consisting of
vocal and instrumental numbers and
some excellent impersonation work by
Rev. w. T. Howe of EddyvilIe, made
up the program.
The Program.
| The first number on the program
! was a song by quartet composed OF
Misses Ada Teeter and Fannie Cush-
| ing and Messrs. o. S. Palmer and Jap.
Stem. They sang CLOSE to Thee in
an excellent amer. Mrs. Stiles, wife
of Rev. d. F. Stiles, pastor of the NJ.
3. church at Kirkville, sang the
Holy City. Mrs Stiles has a beau
tiful voice and her singing of this pop,
ular favorite was great treat to the
| large audience.
| A male quartet composed of Judson
| Trenneman, Walter McElroy, Louis
Witter and w. C. Martin, sang "The
Depths of the Riches of Love-" in a
manner that won them hearty ap-
plause. The playing of Come Ye Dis
consulate" upon the mandolin by Miss
Mamie Nash OF Das Moines, was es.
peciaily deserving of mention. She
proved herself to be a most excellent
entertainer upon this difficult instru-
ment and her number gave great
| pleasure.
| The hit of the evening was made by
| Rev. W.T.. Howe pastor of the Methodist
church in Eddyville in his two imper
sonations. The first was entitled: THE
Man Who Apologized" and it kept the
audience in constant uproar of laugh.
! ter. The demand for an encore mum
Der could not be refused and another
selection entitled Ugly Sam" was Civ.
en-. The number was of pathetic ma
| ture andwas splendidly given.
Enjoy Social Hour.
A social hour followed the entertain.
ment. The delegates and the visitors
| passed down in the basement of the
quarters for the convention and pro
ceeded to get thoroughly acquainted
with one another The delegates ali
wore badges and attached to the
| badges were slips of paper bearing the
name of the wearer. Formal introduc
tons were dispensed with and al
present enjoyed what seemed to be 9
thoroughly good time.
rev. beVdn s ADDRESS.
! The welcome address by Rev. d. G
Bevan was strong practical talk upon
what the Ideal Epworth league member
should be and what he should stant
for. 1t was interspersed with interest
ing stories and made a very telling eff
| feet upon his hearers. The response
by George F. Heindel was given in his
usual pleasing manner and was a short
practical talk upon points in league
work resulting from some, of his eX
periences as district president. He
spoke briefly OF some changes in thu
Epworth organization that are to BIZ
considered at some oG.the business
| sessions of the convention.
DR.. Beyan's address was as follows,
Fellow Epworthians: You al
know me as an escape from Ft. Mad
ison. Some time ago political gov
ernor came to the penitentiary to ad
dress the prisoners He had one o
his political speeches with him. We'll
boys, ! am glad to see so many of YOU
here today. There was pause, ther
a coinmotion, and then a roar of laugh
ter. The governor saw his blunder
became embarrassed and then started
again. Well, boys am cordially glat
to meet you here
1--WE meet tonight under very differ
ent environment, and / can hearth,
and truthfully say that / am glad tt
meet you here tonight. Our good pre-
siding elder told us to prepare to eli
f1r 10; ~. XTN "