, 1903-01-09
Friday, January 9, 1903.
Rev. craner Burns the Mortgage.

Rev. Craner Burns the Mortgage.
1t fell to the lot of Rev. James NJ.
Craner, of Rio Grande, to officiate alone
at the burning of the Wildwood Bap-
fist church mortgage last Sunday. Mr..
Craner arrived in town last Saturday
night with the expectation of assisting
in the services to the extent of making
q few reminiscent remarks only. La
ter in the evening he learned that Revs.
Sembower and Adams were unable to
be present and that he would be obliged
to prepare two ermon for the day.
MI. Craner was equal to the occasion,
as he always is, and preached an ex-
cellent sermon in the morning from the
ninth chapter of Luke and the third
verse, which was listened TO and appre-
clated by a good sized congregation, the
church being almost filled. Letters
were read from the pulpit from Revs.
Sembower and Adams, former pastors,
of their inability to be present. After
the sermon Mr.. Craner INDUCED in
some very interesting reminiscent re-
marks, warning the audience at the
beginning that he intended to say just
what he pleased on this occasion. He
said that he first landed i'm Wildwood
in the spring of 1892 with the object of
founding a church at Wildwood. Meet
ing a man in the street ~shoveling sand
he preached the subject to him but re-
ceived anything but encouragement.
He trudged on through the sand and
found Latimer Baker, not Mayor Ba-
ker, for Wildwood had not been organ
lied into a borough government at that
time. From Mr.. Baker the preacher
received much encouragement and was
referred to his brother Philip who he
said would be at Hotel Dayton in a few
days. : At that time the Dayton was
the only hotel in Wildwood, except the
Seaview, now the Aldine. And so
from this effort put forth by Mr.. Craner
the church vas built. He told of the
liberality of Baker Bros. in giving a so
foot front lot on Pine avenue and 500
in cash for the church building and of
the liberal contributions by the scant
community, for at that time there were
only two houses on Pine lie
said that he did not consider the mort
gage about to be burned an enemy, but
rather the holder of it as a friend, who
loaned the money in the struggling
days of Wildwood. Afterthese remarks
the $1,000 mortgage was burned. Two
wooden boxes were placed on a stand
in front of the pulpit and OF this was
placed q metal vessel, upon which the
paper was burned. and to which John
Newcomb, president of the board of
trustees, touched the match. 1t was a
very interesting service throughout.
Mr.. Craner preached another able SER
mon in the evening, and after conclu-
ding he invited remarks from any who
dasired-to sneak Mr.. NewcOmb spoke
a few words. D.. Melville VanHorn,
superintendent of the Sunday-school,
also gave an interesting talk about the
school work, stating hatthere were lots
of children in attendance but that the
school was handicapped by a lack of
teachers. MI. VanHorn made a very
touching appeal in behalf of the Sun
day-school, and also alluded to the
great credit due Mr.. Craner in his suc-
cessful efforts to establish the first
church in Wildwood.
In looking over the file of the FIVE
MILE BEACH JOURNAL the first allu-
sion we find to a church in Wildwood
is in the issue of March %, 1892, when
an item read as follows:
Rev. Mr.. Craner has been to Wild
wood twice during the past week look
ing after the details ofbuilding a church.
We copy the following subsequent
illusions:
MAY 4, aIc
nearly completed for the erection of the
church, which will he begun at once
Washburn q VanEiorn will do the
work. 1t will be erected on Pine ave-
nue. just beyond Pacific.
June s., lS92.-The contract for build
ing the church was signed III Monday,
and the lumber will soon be here. The
first Sunday-school at Wildwood was
organized ON Sunday at the Sea View
hotel.
June %, 1S92.-Rev. Mr.. Craner, OF
Rio Grande, came to- Wildwood on June
18th and closed a contract with Wash
burn d VanHorn for erecting a $4,000
church which will soon be opened for
services.
Sept. 81, 1s92.-Service was held in
the church for the first time, Sunday,
Sept. II. Rev. DIR. Wayland, editor OF
the National Baptist, preached the ser
mon. DIR. +. K. Smiley, of Philadel-
phia, made the opening prayer. There
was quite a large congregation, friends
from both Anglesea and Holly Beach
attending.