The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-05-05
NOTABLE EVENT
IN METH0DlSM
-A-
Opening Session Of the Thirty
first General Conference.
BISHOP MERRILL PRESIDED
DELEGATES FROM THE FOUR
QUARTERS OF THE EARTH.
BISHOP MERRILL PRESIDED

Los Angeles, May 4-The thirty-hrst
general conference OF the Methodist
Episcopal church opened at Hazards
pavilion in this city today. When
Senior Bishop stephen 81 Merrill
/ walked 10 the front of the stage and
/ raped for order me faced one of the
most notable gatherings of chUrchmen
/ in the history Of Professionalism ia
America Seated i'm the auditorium
proper were as represent natives Of
/ Methodism, gathered from the four
/ quarters of the earth earnest In their
zeal for the good Of a common cause
/ and eager TO discuss the problems OF
and 90 legisiate for The welfare of the
church Upon the stage were the gov
/ ornor of California. the mayor of Los
Angeles, representative citizens of
[ southern California and leaders of
N6thodism In this end of the conti-
1 uent. ready TO extend a welcome in
/ behalf of the state, the city and the
/ church. I'm the galleries were ex-
pectaut crowds of visitors and citi-
/ zens-
A Bower Of Beauty.
/ The great building was a bower of
/ beauty and fragrant with the bloom Of
( California flowers. Fifteen thousand
/ Gala lilies formed hedge extending
( entirely across the front of the broad
I stage. and beneath there a beautiful
/ frieze work Of snsilaE and ferns reached
I the floor. Around the railing Of the
| galleries, With flags and bunting for a
/ background, the same scheme of deco
/ ration had been carried out the whole
! forming perfect bower of bloom, be-
meath which the delegates sat The
/ ceiling had been hung with immense
i flags, dropping I'M graceful folds from
I the center TO the galleries and giving
/ the appearance of great sua shade.
! In the rear Of the stage an immense
/ rag or shimmeTiug silk fell from cell
/ ing 90 1ooy
Called to Order,
Bishop Merrill called the conference
I to order in a formal manner and
opened the day with "a brief prayer
/ Rev. ID. S. Monroe, ID. d., secretary of
/ The conference. called the rob- Of dele
gales. The entire morning session was
( given up 10 the assignment of seats
10 the various delegations tt was i'm
I possible TO transact any business dur
ing the first two or three hours ow-
ing To the CONFUSION that prevailed.
/ Owing 90 the fact that it was impos-
/ sibIe to secure any degree of quiet
and ComposuTe dmOug the delegates
and speCta tors. the speeches of well
come by the governor. the mayor and
representative California Methodists
I Ghis part of the programme having
originally been planned for the open
ing feature) was postponed until even
Committee Meetings.
/ There will be no afternoon session
fHT - ~ rer
Gus standing committees in which the
important work of the conference viii
he done viii meet I'm half dozen diff
feTeut meetings.
/ There are fourteen standing commit
tees, and their sessions viii be almost
as interesting as the conference #
self for IL is these various bodies that
largely determine both legislation and
/ elections in interest of the church. The
committee on egiscopacy viii have as
one of the first andmostimportaut
iects To consider the number Of new
I bishops 10 be elected at the present
Belated Trains.
/ BeIated special trains from the east
continue 10 arrive. The coI0red dele
gates came ON a finely equipped spe-
cial train over the Southern Pacific
There was some little annoyance and
delay experienced I'm securing hotel
quarters for part Of the Colored
delegation Two Of the prominent no
tells refused TO admit them. and at
another h0stelry they were assigned tc
q separate dining r0Om. This was dis
tasteful 10 the c0l0Ted ChUrchmeu and
they left the house 10 seek other quar-
tiers. All, however, were eventually
/ comfortably housed
Among the delegates were twenty
five women. seventy-three coiored men
and two native Chinese. the latter be-
ling To Chi Ming and Ding MisEg Ing
The former of these two Orientals ia
the first delegate ever sent to the con-
J ference from North China
+ The following bishops have arrived,
/ Stephen 81 Merrill. Edward G.. An
idrews. Henry 81. Warren, cyrus Il
Floss. John 81. WaIdreu. William T.
MauaHeU, Charles IT, Fowler. John II
Vincent. Earl Crdust0n Joseph w
Hamilton. Joseph q. Hartzeu FTans
W. WarHe and Daniel A. Coodseu
Bishop Moore of China is on his way
I here from san Francisco