The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1903-04-22

Large Audience-Addrcsse BY Prof.
A. l.. Wade, Hon. George G. Sturglss
and DIR. l. G. White = Breaking
Ground Done by Ladies and Gentis~
men Representing Church, City and
Il University.
Greatropnlar interest was manifest
, ed 10 the breaking Of ground for the
new Nj. Z. Church Tuesday evening
large concourse OF people attended
and staid U see the last part vi The
ceremonies performed till rain began.
TO TAN.
Tue large audience marched up town
, to the beat Of the drum OF the Uni
versity cadet band. The pastor Dr.
Compton carried on his shoulder the
pick and shovel with which the digging
was to be dune. These tools were pre-
scented by the Baker Hardware Co.
They will be gilded and hung up 10
the church edifice TO be kept as long
as the structure shall stand.
| The band played prelude upon ar
rival at the church site corner of High
and Wiley streets, and this was fol-
lowed by song by the M. e. Choir
and congregation. The pastor then
led in prayer. He was joined by the
audience in the Lords Prayer at the
close. Jesus Lover OF My Soul" was
then sung.
| Dr. Compton introduced Prof. A. L.
Wade as the first speaker. He had
written his speech, so as to condense it
within five minutes time. He spoke
Of the permaneuce with which this
| ediiice is to be built.
He said in part: The Bible tells US
that David said: sLo, / dwell In a
house of cedars, but the ark OF the
covenant OF the Lord remaineth un-
der curtains" Curtains were suffici.
emit for the ark of the covenant of the
Lord as long as the people dwelt In
tents. But David felt that it was a
reproach for even the King to live in
house of cedars while the ark Of the
covenant of the Lord was under cur
tains. David desired to build house
for the Lord but he was not permitted
to do SO, because he was man of
blood. lie was, however, permitted
TO collect money to buy material; and
am sorry to say, he had no La1ies'
Society to help him in his work.
The conditions which surround us
as church and congregation are not
| altogether similar to the circumstance
Of which / have spoken. We have a
church building which has stood for
more than half century, and it has
served well the wants OF couple OF
generations; but it can no longer &C.
commodate comfortably the growing
congregations which attend the Sab
bath services. We need more room
for our large Sunday School as we'll as
for our great congregation.
! may be permitted to mention an
other matter. Our church building,
when it WA erected, was, In architec-
tural sty nd beauty, far superior to
| the fro iaences in Morgantown |
| 2u' ~ . -. IA TT I of new resi- |
dences, of su -si' beauty; aud |
many member VI our church and con-
gregation have been, for some time,
anxiously waiting for an opportunity |
IT, help build new house OF worship. |
| We have met here this aftnrroon, in |
order to break ground upm, ne spot |
where the new church is to stand.
Three important elements will be |
kept in view in the erection of the
new church, namely, strength, dura-
bility and beauty.
The durability of the ne, uilding
| is assured by the fact tia Tor its
foundation ard calls w. ia seized |
lup = al ~ lal,
stoue, 81. az .~..usc. u .uild- |
ing OF Soiumaus temple. There are
stone churches and cathedrals in Eu |
rope which have stood for centuries,
and are good today. No one has sug-
pesJed the rebuilding of st. Paul's
cathedral in London, or of st. Peters
at Rome, or the Vatican. There are
ston bridges in Europe which felt the
tread of the Roman Legions, and are
good today. Thomas Carlyle, in
speaking of his father as an honest
stone mason, says: "The stone arch
which my father built" at certain
place, ''will endure when most of the
books which have been written will
have persisted"
The Bible everywhere emphasizes
beauty, and we cannot afford to be
unmindful OF this element in the con-
struction of our new church.
Thought the munificence of DR..
and Mrs. /. G. White we have most
desirable location for our church and
parsonage, almost ia touch with that
magnificent cluster Of University |
buildings. 1t seems to me that the
architect of Solomon's temple would
designed nothing to be placed upon
this lot less beautiful than the church
which we are about to build. have
in mind Morgantowh man of abun
dant means who believe, will at the |
proper time present to the church !
beautiful chimes,
Beauty of situation, beauty of ar
chitecture, beauty of color, and beau
ty Of sound are all emphasized 10 the
Bible.
We are giving to this church space,
strength, durability and beauty, suf-
| dcienJ to meet the wants OF genera |
tions yet unborn.
When the new church building Is |
complete we propose to dedicate it to |
the service OF our divine Master, |
whom we love, ''becausc he first loved |
as"
Hon Geo. G. Sturgiss, who knows
the history OF the Morgantown Meth |
odist Church, perhaps better than any
one else living, spoke very interesting
ly OF the history Of this congregation
and its houses CT worship.
Bishop Asbe.y, he said, was the
first Methodist to hold meetings here
in 1885. He made the long journey
overland from Baltimore to organize
mission congregations west Of the Al
llegheny mountains. In 1919 the first
church was built on the present site
OF the University Library.
The church of Morgantown was
separated from the Baltimore Confer
ence in 1926, and annexed to the
Pittsburg Conference.
Mr. SJurgiss said that in 1882 his
honored father, then young minis
ter aged 10 years, preached in this
section for year. This fact caus-
les MIR. Sturgiss' interest In the
Methodist Episcopal church OF Nor
gantown
| In 1S49 the old church now used as
a house OF worship was erected, and
In 1852 the FIRST Methodist conference
was beld 10 the then fine new church
on Peasants sIrAt.
The new house Of worship now be-
gun will be ila2nificent structure OF
stone, costing when completed, includ-
ing parsonage, about 800, 900. 1t
wtli nave a s,.atips capacity OF about