The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-04-07
NBlTHODISTS m The BOWERY
THEY BUY THE FAMOUS GER
MANIA ASSEMBLY ROOMS.

eion on the boWery Tor East side SUM work.
1t is to be developed along the lines Of the
great mission Of the Methodists in Man.
chester, England. The famous old Ger
mania Assembly Rooms, one of the old
time institutions OF the East Side, In the
Bowery between Houston street and Firat
street have been purchased for the n 0
e.on. Possession will be taken on July =,
and the work of ministering to the masses
from a social. educational and religious
standpoint will be got under way.
The news of this movement became public
Yesterday morning at the business session
Of the New York East Conference at the
New York Avenue Methodist Church in
Brooklyn. The Rev, DR.. j. NJ. Buckley,
president of the beard Of trustees of the
conference, was presented to read the annual
report and attention was called to the fact
that he has a loud, resonant voice and would
probably be heard by all. DR.. Buckley adj
mitted that he had voice qualifications and
added:
Il have one stop that will crack a pane Of
glass. If | cannot be heard I will bring that
out
Then DR.. Buckley told of the proposed
mission. Two years ago the Conference
authorized the sale of the Forsythe street
and Willet street church properties in Man
haitian, because the congregations had so
dwiudlcd that they were practically non
existent The Rev. william NJ. Stonehall
was placed in charge of What il known
a. the East Side Parish. The denomina-
ton has supported a Chinese and an Italian
mission on the East Side, struggling affairs.
The anle Of the two church properties aggre-
gated S2O7 1851, They were purchased for
Jewish congregations. the Jews having
driven the old time Methodists out of the
neighborhoods. It was decided not to give
up the field, however. and plans were made
to establish a big mission for Stun work.
The result was that the Gernania ASSEM-
bly, Rooms we're purchased for 3285 900,
and plans We're perfected TO transform
them into a big mission, 1t will cost $500, 900
to transform tho building and the house
next door, which has also been bought.
Several buildings will constitute the mission,
and they will he known as the Wesley Mission
Buildings. There will be chapels for sev-
eral races and in time n native pastor will
be in charge of each chapel. h and
kindergartens will be opened and instruc-
ton will also he given to mothers and
fathers Of the children.
There will be several guilds, a library,
a great assembly hall and probably gym
nasiums for both sexes. The plan is to
carry on work something like that carried
on in st. Georges Episcopal Church, which
the Rev. DR.. Rainsford built up. Work
akin to the settlements will be carried
onandint time it is possible that ~dispensaries
may be opened. The idea is to make it a
decided factor in the social and religious
Improvement of the masses on the East
Side.
Although it will be the work OF the New
York East Conference, the movement will
he. on such broad lines that it will be a
'denominational matter Of national i'm
~portance. DIR. Buckley said last night that
the money to rebuild the Assembly Rooms
had been promised and that there would
be no difficulty in obtaining sufficient funds
to carry on the work, which will be begun
this summer
In explaining about the sale OF the two
church properties, DR.. Buckley told the Con-
ference that beneath the Willett street
church skeletons of bodies buried three
deep had been found. Fourteen boxes Of
bones were found The bodies were buried
there during the great cholera epidemic in
1882. There were also buried there the
bodies Of two Methodist ministers, one in
1895 and the other in 1910. The bones have
pt6H TtDuTl6u III d CctlltJ6Ty LIT. BUCK
ley's report was approved by the Con-
ference and the mission work will go on.
The Conference was enlivened yesterday
morning by a debate On two young men
who were about 10 take elders orders and
who we're unwilling to take the required
pledge to abstain from the use of tobacco.
They had given up tobacco, but were I'M
willing to promise never to Use it again.
Nine probationers were presented for
advancement. They were Joseph Beech,
ne, pronI Noah n HDnn~lI raA--o
W. Osmun, Dudley o. Osterheld, John
H. Palmer, Foster E.. Piper, Francis F..
Whiteside and Harold f. Wilson. Messrs,
Palmer and Whiteside stood out against
taking the pledge. Presiding Elder James
5. Chadwick championed the cause of the
young men in a long and earnest speech,
the upshot of which was that he did not think
it a grave question If two young men about
to enter the ministry, who had already
gwen up the use of tobacco, were unwill-
ing to promise never TO Use it again. He
thought this fact should not prevent their
confirmation. As a result OF the debate
the young men finally decided to yield
and all were advanced,
Having wreStled in a negative way with
the printers strike and the charges OF the
printers against the management of the
book concern, the conference had another
strike brought to its notice Yesterday.
The; glad news was sent out that it was
settled and that the visiting clergymen
would not have to go hungry for their
noon meal. Nearly three hundred of the
delegates get their luncheons at the Rre-
WORT restaurant near the church. Each
minister gives up one-half of 1 per cent.
of his salary for entertainment at the an
nuaI conference. This money provides
for the luncheons. On Wednesday the
negro walters at the Brevoort struck in a
body and the delegates had to get on with
very little nourishment at noon. The
Rev. DR.. w. W. Rowdisch has charge of
the commissary arrangements, and Just
before the noon hour Yesterday he ex-
planned that new walters had been hired,
hut asked the indulgence of the delegates
if the service should be slow.
Don't blame me-, he said. III the service
is slow to-day. The strike has been settled.
The walters went out yesterday and then
two dumbwaiters which were to bring up
the food and bad just been installed at IA
cost Of $35, broke down.
The conference received the news that
luncheon would be served even slowly with
joy, All hands got something to eat la ter.
Another matter which Interested the con-
ference much was a resolution presented
by the Rev. Edwin w. Caswell asking that
the conference indorse a petition TO the
State Legislature ~favoring the Stevens
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