Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1903-12-31

the :sanctity of antiquity is not the onl,
thing in which we should glory. Simply
because thing is old it does not de
serve our reverence. I'll
OF Wonderful AdaptabiIity. #
"The church of God has in it the
sanctity of holy achievement as one O,
its glories. Through all the ages il
has been the one great beneficent pow
er among men. You will find thai
through all the ages, as the church
was growing and building and taking
upon itself universally it has been the
supremest benefactor and beneficent
power to all humanity.
Self Sacrificing Power.
We should glory in its militant self
sacrificing service. The principal OF
selfishness is the strongest in human
1ty to overcome. The self-centered
aspect is the natural one of man and
Is the instinct which nearly allies us
10 the best. Men have to learn to
give and take before they can live to.
gether in society. The natural instinct
is to give as little as we can and take
all we can get. That is the way we
are constructed. The church strikes
at this strongest trait of the beast in
man and through all the ages self
sacflflce has been the distinguishing
mark OF the servants of the church.
Glory in Its Destiny.
1--WE should glory in the destiny OF
the church. Its future and it's end is
liked. 1t is absolutely certain. 1t cana
from God in eternity and it is destin:
ed to be with God in infinity."
Rev. McElroy's address was as fol-
lows:
Dr.. McEIroy's Address.
The passing of fifty years is marked
by many changes to communities.
families and individuals. The old peo.
pie OF the early period have all passed
away or those, who, fifty years ago
We're young, or even but children, a
large majority have already reached
the other shore. A new generation has
grown up, to whom the new things are
getting old, and the old things new. Of
the carly ministers of various denom-
nations Who proclaimed the gospel in
the little town of Ottumwa fifty years
or more ago, not one, SO far as we
know, is now living. OF the presbyters
who ordained the first pastor in the old
Congregations church building at the
corner of Second and Court streets.
only one, DR.. Thomas H. Dinsmore.
then pastor at Washington, is now sur
giving. Of the original members of the
church, only two remain among us,
while two residing at distance are
tn he still living
ottumwa Fifty Years Ago.
My labors in, Ottumwa date from
July 10, 1855, my ordination and in
stallation by the Des Moines presby-
.ery occurring on the sixth day of De
cember. My pastorate continued not
quite fourteen years, terminating in
April, 1869. The population of OF
.umwa fifty years ago was some seven
,r eight hundred, including consider
lble number who had drifted hither to
his frontier town, without any definite
him, not HON e-seekers, but adventur-
ers, waiting for whatever might turn
Up. The state of morals was low, and
he reputation of the place as to
aealthfulness was not favorable.
The Early Church.
There was considerable churchly
there being some six or
yanized churches-all of them with
very, small membership. We had on
our church roll twenty-five names, but
,nly four of these resided in the town;
six lived eight miles north near what is
now Highland Center, six lived eight
niles south near Ormanville, and nine
others lived from one to four miles
away on the other side of the unbridg-
ed river. We had no house of wor-
ship, and no Sunday school; and a con-
sregation of hearers and worshippers
was yet to gather. 1t took good
while for these people to find out who
the new minister was. Some guessed
that the young man was a physician
and called him doctor; by some he
was suspected of being connected with
The Des Moines Navigation Co. Others
him to be connected in some
way with the projected railroad, and
him with a view to en-
ployment.
"Leighton's hall, where we at first
held our services was not a popular or
even comfortable place of assembly,
and when a year later we entered our
own small church building, on Fourth
street near Green, those who did not
want to attend could easily make the
excuse that the place was too far out
Of town.
Had Many Appointments.
'sOur work for several years was
laying foundation, pile
driving. It took some time for
the people in general to learn that
there was Presbyterian church inl
The place and for them to find out that
The minister was not horse trader,
nor politician, nor an Office seeker,
nor scepulator, nor an ignoramus.
For the first two years / preached ev-
cry third Sabbath in Kirkville. For
several years held morning service
IN Ottumwa, an evening service eth
or in Heckart neighborhood, eight
miles south, or in the Gray and Brown
aeighborhood north. also preached
at Agency and Dahlone-
ga, and in a number of country school
houses.
Privations of Pioneers.
The first funeral attended was
hat of a child from the family of r.