The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1904-10-01
0LNEYVILLE
CHURCH
CANVASS

Three churches out of five in Olney-
vile have completed their first canvass
OF their parishes, namely. the Broadway
Baptist. Plainfield Street Baptist and
Tabernacle Methodist. These three dis
tricts are contiguous and each is vot-
ing district as divided in 1890 while to-
gether they form a compact portion of
the city bounded by Atwells avenue.
Manton avenue, Pnanfield street, Pocas-
set avenue and the city line.
AS each district is canveassed and re-
ported one obtains from the tabulated
returns general idea OF the religious
situation which is interesting and profit
able and is able to compare this with
other portions of the city. This Olney-
vile group of churches is probably the
largest contiguous territory yet can
The entire number of cards returned
is 1913 475 OF these, or 33.5 per cent. are
Catholic Those who have no religious
seven per cent, This is twice as large
a proportion as that found in Wauskuck,
but is smaller than the lis per cent that
obtains in part OF the Fourth ward.
1t was found 93S are not Catholics 100
Of these or "a, nine per cent, prefer the
four leading Protestant churches In the
locality.
This proportion falls short of the "a
per cent, OF the Protestant population
secured by the three Wauskuck churches;
but more than trebles the Is per cent; cent
reported for the three down town
churches I'm the Fourth ward.
About @5 per cent OF the Protestant In
Olneyville prefer the Broadway Baptist
church az per cent ,i. the enurGheS oi naT rnT
cent. the Plainfield Street Free Bapust
church, and 81 per cent, the Tabernacle
Methodist church. The Second Prestpy-
terion church Is included in the Olney-
Vile group and will soon finish It's can
vass.
Remaining preferences for other Pro,
testant churches are l4o distributed
denominati tons giving small number to
each.
II is healthful sign that the neighbor-
ing population so largely choose inc
local churches.
CongregationaIists have fewer repre-
sentatives In Olneyville than In any other
part of the city.
There are 80 who prefer a denomina-
ton but do not indicate any one church
as chosen. OF the Baptist l246 per cent.
are thus without church home; OF the
| Espiscopalians 1879 per cent; OF the Meth
| odists 27.4 per cent; and of the Free
| Baptists AS per cent. These figures in
| dicate to each denomination. It's opport-
unity to reach its own natural constltu-
ency. The proportion not secured 20 tne
| individual churches is much smaller theH
/ I'm the Ath ward where II ranged from
| 20 to 30 per cent. for the leading denoni'
nations.
| Personal conversation WIN tue I'm 20 %
! tian workers i'm this vicinity suggests C
| the field secretary, the great need II
| Olneyvllle Of a branch Y. M G. a. or
plant for institutional church work. Foi
| a single church to provide TINS woulu p'
costly and to duplicate plants, unfortu
| nate and wasteful. =,
| III the four churches should cooperate II
| esta ablishing such an institution TX woul,
| he an advance movement and would SCI
| a splendid example to other communl
ties Managed by a joint board and al
reotly maintained by the churches, \
would contribute TO the efficiency OF al
| viii not the churches and mill owners
seriously consider this suggestion anC
| mt n In practice?