Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-01-23
ANNIVERSARY OF BIRTH
FRIENDS OF DIR. POWER UNITE I'M
CELEBRATION.
Pastor of Vermont Avenue Christian
Church FiftyFour Years old-Fe-
licitations of His Friends.

The members of the board of deaconesses
of the Vern ont Avenue Christian Church
were the hostesses last night at a dinner
given in the lecture room of the church in
honor of the fiftyfourth birthday ami
Versary of Rev. Fred. D. Power. who has
been pastor of the church for twenty-nine
years. There were about two hundred per-
sons gathered about the board all intent
on doing honor to the guest of the evening
The menu served was most appetzng and
wholesome, and when the dishes had been
cleared away an intellectual feast was pre-
sented which has seldom been equaled in
the District.
Mr.. Powers personal popularity through
out the District was attested by all who
spoke. 1t is seldom that a minister of one
denomination of religious belief becomes
so thoroughly identified with all the great
humanitarian movements of a city like
Washington as has Dr. Power during the
twenty-nine years of his residence here.
He Is, perhaps, better known in Washing
ton among the people of other creeds than
he is outside of the city in his own church.
The speeches made last night dealt with
many phases Of the work of DIR. Power
along the lines of literature philanthropy,
as pastor, humorist and friend and his in
fuence with the official world in Washing
ton. Stories were told illustrative of all of
these points. His biography of President
Pendleton of the Bethany College was pro-
nounced by Representative Champ. Clark
of Missouri one of the best biographies
ever written. One speaker told of time
when DR.. Power gave his overcoat to
man who seemed to need 1t, and another
recited an instance when DR.. Power had
parted with his last cent and had walked
to the navy yard in order to relieve what
he believed to be a case of suffering and
restitution.
Representative Clark's Address.
Rev. E. B. Bagby of the Ninth Street
Christian Church was the POSTMASTER. Mr..
Bagby made an excellent presiding officer,
his introductions being particularly witty
and apropos. The principal speech of the
evening was made by Representative Champ
clark of Missouri. Mr.. Clark was called
upon to speak for the congressional friends
of the guest of the evening. He congratu-
lated the church on having such a pastor
and then congratulated the pastor upon
having such church.
He spoke of DR.. Power work during the
twenty nine years of his pastorate and gave
it as his opinion that the reason he was
so superior to the general run of ministers,
and he included Mr.. Bagby In this comp1-
ment Also was that these two men had not
permitted their clerical duties to crush out
all the humanity with which Providence
had endowed them.
II think a great deal of Dr. Power he
said He was the first citizen of Wash
ington who called on me after I arrived here
a member of Congress and failed to tell
me that he wanted an office. And L think
he's the only one of that description who
has called on me during the nine years l
have been in the House.
Anyway, 1 want to say that it is a re-
markable thing that DR.. Power has held
this pastorate so long. I venture to say
there are not two score preachers in the
United States who have held one pastorate
for thirty years The reason he has been SO
successful in his work here is that he has
not allowed his work to squeeze the human
ity out of him"
DR.. Power as a Friend.
Justice Pritchard of the District Supreme
Court spoke of DIR. Power as a friend. He
said he had not known the pastor very long,
but he was willing to give his testimony as
to his value a friend. Judge Pritchard
told several stories descriptive of his opin-
ion of the guests of the evening and then
excused himself from further effort on the
ground of being sufferer from rheumatism.
Speeches were also made by Rev. w. J.
Wright, Mrs. Schel, Rev. w. S. Hoye of
Virginia, Mr.. Andrew Wilson, Rev. B. A
Abbott of Baltimore, and finally by DR..
Power himself. The pastor thanked his
parishioners heartily for the tribute paid
him, and said he would endeavor to deserve
it. The assemblage dismissed after the
Singing of AUD Lang Syne."