The Savannah morning news., 1904-05-02
HUNDREDTH YEAR
OF ITS HISTORY
OCCASION OF CELEBRATION
BY sUNDAY-SCHooL OF INDEPEN-
DENT PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

FiEurcs-Chinese Scholars Repeat
ed a Psalm and Sang a Hymn, and
Class for Deaf and Dumb Gave
Hymn in Sign Language.
The sunday-school of the Independ-
ent Presbyterian Church celebrated IT'S
one hundredth anniversary last night.
The celebration took place in the
church, which was deliberately and
beautifully decorated. The programme
was a most interesting one, and the
attendance was in keeping with so i'm
portant an event in the history Of the
Sundav-school
The decorations consisted of cut
flowers, palms and other ornamental
plants, tall Easter lilies in pots,
screens of bamboo on the windows
and treIlises of the same vine on chan
deliers, pillars and gallery rails. The
main decorations were on the altar.
which, because of its hight, was Pc
culiarly adapted to the plan adopted.
This was a design furnished by Mrs.
NJ. c. Wilbur OF Washington, at one
time prominently connected with the
church. and it was conceived with a
view of being not only beautiful. but
symbolic, as well.
The altar was divided into three
panels, each representing a different
phase in the life of the Sunday school,
That on the left, indicative of the past,
bore at the top the figures 1904, made
of incandescent lights, below were the
ill., ~1rT.l IL ATW arg
PRAISE the Lord" and below that
motto. designed in white roses, a harp.
the emblem of praise.
Beauty Was Symbolic.
The second panel was emblematic of
the present. The date 1904 was shown
in lights. and below was the motto,
Christ the Light of the World" The
emblem of this panel was a represen-
tation of the globe done in sweet peas.
the Western hemisphere being shown
in white and red flowers on back
ground of purple blossoms.
The center panel represented the fu-
ture A huge cross of red roses orna-
mented its center. above that was Vic
tory" and Glory" each worked out
in roses, and above the whole design,
though forming a part of II, was a
superb crown of white roses. and still
peculiar significance at a centennial
celebration, and having qualities that,
later in the evening, Rev. DR.. j. Y.
Fair referred TO in his address to the
children.
The designs were we'll conceived, but
no small part of the credit for their
successful carrying out is due TO Mrs.
H. NJ Stoddard, and an able corps OF
assistants. consisting of the members
of the Sunday-school and church. An
other favor for which the Sunday
school was indebted to a former mem
Der was the words of the centennial
hymn of thanksgiving, which was writ
ten specially for this occasion by Miss
Isabelle Wilbur. a daughter OF Mrs.
NJ. C. Wilbur.
Hymn by Cinnamon.
The programme was marked by two
numbers Of more than usual interest.
the singing of a hymn by the class
of Cinnamon that has been part of
the Sunday-school for some years, and
another hymn. given in the sign Ian
guage by the members of the class of
deaf mutes, among whom, also, the
Sunday-school is doing a special work.
The teachers and pupils of the Sun
day-school gathered in the Sunday
school room and promptly at o'clock
the head of each class being borne
either banners or floral wreaths, that,
later, were to be used as part of the
decorations of the altar. AS they
marched they sang the professional
hymn, Praise Ye the Lord"
The remainder of the programme
consisted of an invocation, which was
sung; a prayer by Mr. c. C. McNeill;
song, Faith Is the Victory" scrip
tural lesson, a repetition of the XIII
Psalm by the class of Cinnamon; song,
1.-THE Son of God Goes Forth to War; "
responsive reading; song by primary
class; song. who Is on the Lord s
Side" Jesus Loves Me-" sung by the
Cinnamon; anniversary anthem; song,
gathering Home;" reports of the Off
GERS: floral offering; centennial hymn
of thanksgiving; Nearer, My God. TO
Thee" given by the class for the deaf;
song, BE Ye Strong in the Lord; "
pastors address; song. From Green
lands Icy Mountains" and the bene-
diction.
Hymn in sign Language.
In the class for the deaf there are
six members but only two, because
the most advanced, took part in the
exercises. These were Messrs. John
Kilroy and NJ ]. Kiley. Mr.. Kilroy
sign language. In the class of China
men are eight members, all of whom
were present They participated in
the march into the church. Some of
them wore their native dress, while
others had adopted the American
styles, but each retained his queue.
This was either coiled on top of the
head, or tucked down the coat collar
of its owner
~ M.
Robertson showed that the school had
had most prosperous year financially
and that it now has a membership of
$50 persons, 103 being pupils of the
senior and junior classes, so members
of the primary department and q
officers and teachers. A collection that
was taken up netted the Sunday-school
800.
Address by DIR. j. Y. Fair.
Rev. DR.. Fair in his address referred
to a magnificent oak that he had seer
at the Midway Church, Liberty county
which is of such an age that no one
knows just how old 1t is, or by whom
it was planted, or anything about IL
except that il has stood there within
the memory of all the residents of the
vicinity, that it has seen men come
grow up and pass away, has witnessed
the marching regiments of soldiers t
at least three wars, those of the Revo.
luton, the Mexican War and the Civi
War, and that it still stands green and
strong.
To this tree he compared the Sunday.
school. Its founders are unknown, he
said, even the exact date of it's com
mencement: the only thing of its early
history in this regard that is known be.
ing that 1t was an organization in 1904
and therefore to be on the safe side
that date has been adopted as the yeal