The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-08-28
WITH THE QUAKERS
John Wanamaker and His
Sunday School.
A Raleigh visitor is Reminded OF
Scenes and Incidents OF His
Childhood in Green
County.
Special Cor of News and Observer

| Especial Cor. OF News ana OUSeIFei'i
| Philadelphia, Pa, Aug. 25.-De-
| tanned here some days to consult
specialist for an affection of my left
eye, which has given me much trou-
/ BILE, L have put in my time in the way
| that could give me the most pleas
ure. / was fortunate enough to find
room and board at a place that en-
ployed colOred servants. The colored
cook was very much like the one we
had at our house some time. | al
ways feel at home when waited on by
the kindly negro from the South.
When | was not busy with the
doctor and when it was not raining,
l was occupied in first visiting a few
parties with whom / had some bust
ness, then seeing the interesting
places about the great city. L viii
| only have time to mention a few
which | saw very hurriedly. / sup
pose it would be proper to mention
| first the city hall, which is said to be
the largest building in the world, de-
voted exclusively to municipal pur-
poses 1t is located at the intersec-
| ton of Broad and Market streets,
| both of these streets crossing each
other at right angles in the interior
They run under arches, leaving a large
|
| are Is feet wide and SO feet high. The
tower is so feet square at the base,
| falling off at the upper stages until
at the spring of the dome becomes an
octagon so feet in diameter A statue
of the founder of Pennsylvania, the
great William Penn 81 feet high,
crowns the structure and completes
the extraordinary altitude of SAT
feet II a inches. making it, it is said,
HIGHEST tower world
structure, which is as near fire proof
as human skill can make it, contains
ga rooms. The tower contains
great clock run by the pneumatic
system. Some idea of its magnitude
may be obtained from the following:
Diameter of dial over the frame, &c
feet. Inside the frame, % feet.
Height, from ground to centre of dial,
361 feet. Length of minute hand, 10
feet inches. Length of hour hand,
8 feet. Weight of the minute hand.
225 pounds. Length, of the hour
marks, 80 inches Total weight of the
clock, complete. so tons. Enough has
been said of this clock for one to in
fer that it announces the time of day
to hundreds of thousands of the
fifteen hundreds Of thousands of in
habitanst of Philadelphia. The city
of Philadelphia embraces the whole
county i'm which it is located, and is
about 80 miles long and about 20
miles wide.
Among the notable places of inter-
est might be mentioned is Cramps
shipyard, Girard College, Baldwin's Lo-
connective Works, American Academy
Sciences, Industrial Art Museum, His
torcal Society of Pennsylvania. indie
pendence Hall, Franklins grave,
Franklin Institute, William PENIS
house, Philadelphia Bourse. Washing
tons Monument, Fair Mount Park,
which is the largest public park in
America, containing so miles of drives
and 100 miles of walks. 1t contains
also the Geological Gardens, zaRid to be
the largest and finest in America.
Independence Square, where the
Declaration of Independence was read
to the public fer the first time, July
Sth, 1875.
l had visited Philadelphia a few
times, but this was the first oppor-
tunity 1 had had to visit many of
the places of interest among them
Paramount Park.
Directly after dinner on Sunday l
started for John Wanamaker's Sunday
school. 1t was after the school had
been opened that [ reached there, and
no more visitors We're allowed to en-
ter. | stood outside the rope, across
| the door, and saw the Honorable
John Wanamaker go through with
the closing exercises, and was very
much interested of course, in seeing
a man who is pre-eminently the mer-
chant prince of America. conducting
a Sunday school in a very large build
| ing, erected, as l understand, by
himself, at his own expense, and con-
Quoted by himself as superintendent
every Sunday evening when he is not
compelled to be absent from some
good cause. After the closing of the
Sunday school exercises, the great
Bible class building was opened. To
this l was admitted to a seat, and
had the pleasure of hearing an adj
dress to the great Bible class by it's
great founder. He is not as eloquent
as Sam Jones, for instance, but his
words are to the point without any
appearance Of frivolity or levity.
| think he occupied about thirty min
utes in explaining the meaning of the
Bible lesson of that day.
In the evening | inquired where I
could find a Methodist church. | was
Informed the location of one, the way
to which led through a section of the
city inhabited by Austrians. Runga-
rians, etc. They were very closely
crowded all along the street outside
the houses and many of them were
happy and did not need much dress
ing on this warm Sabbath evening |
found the church, and enjoyed very
nice discourse from q very cookbook
ing young man. / do not remember
his text, but the subject of his dis
course was the Importance of always
being in a good humor. He handled
it very nicely for a very short while
After he dismissed the congregation,
went up and introduced myself as
one of his brethren from the far
South, and gave him a vote of thanks
for my part of the sermon that night,
expressing the hope that the doctrine
and practice of it would spread
throughout the country. l informed
him that / could have listened longer
with pleasure. He stated that there
was another Methodist church near
by, where the service commenced
later, and would not be concluded vet,
and that l might enjoy the conclusion
of the services at that place 1t
proved to be the Seaman's Bethel, a
very large and a very handsome one,
erected and endowed as | learned. by
a mani think his name was Fowler
who had made a large fortune by
diving. AS | entered the church. they
were Just arranging to commence the
administration of the Sacrament of