Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-06-12
CITY WAS BUILT BY FAITH
Omaha the 0utgrowth Of the Trust Of Its
EARLY 0itisens.
Or. VAN ANTWERP RECALLS EARLY DAYS
Historical session of Trinity Cathedral
Parish's Jubilee one OF Remiais-
cent Delight and UnaIIOyed
Enjoyment.

Rev, W. II. Van Antwerp OF New York
City, who was rector at Trinity cathedral
from 1854 to 1868, delivered an address at
| a historical meeting of the parish semi
centenary jubilee last evening Despite
! advanced years Rev Van Antwerp is
| hale and strong and was delighted
in his "reminiscences. The offertory solo
was sung in a beautiful manner by Mr..
Gustsf Hilmquist OF Chicago, whom musi-
clans pronounce the finest basso ever heard
in Omaha.
we have been making history very fast
in America" said Rev Mr.. Van Antwerp.
These later days have seen the wonders
OF the ages consummsted in our country.
And no part OF our nation has made history
with more rapidity than the vicinity west
of the Missouri. There are parallels
In all the annals of the world.
'The lives Of men and women who have
played their parts we'll, who have been
strong in action and principle and who have
lett their impress on their fellows make
up real history. for history is great
summing up of biography.
Part Played by Faith.
The fundamental truth underlying the
whole, that which constitutes the blood,
the vitality of our national figure il faith.
1t IL this power than transforms and trans
figures. mean not merely the faith which
you hold, but the faith which holds you
and enables you TO aspire to something
better. The faith by which we live, for faith
is the life of man and when a man is with
out IL he dies to all intents and purposes.
BY faith men do the noblest things in this
world, heroic natures toll. overcome diff
fcultles and conquer doubts and fears; by
faith men level mountains and fll valleys
| 4-t,4. Al -,
God-faith in their cause. faith in that
which lies nearest to their hearts, faith
in their fellow men-in God. In every land
and church that has been great 1t is faith
that made it so, faith allied to fear of
Cod"
Invited to Omaha.
Rev. Van Antwerp then turned his at
tention to personal memories OF the early
| days of the parish. He told how he hsd
received letter from Colonel Lorin Miller,
the father of DIR. George L. Miller-"that
delightful gentleman whom the city hon
ored as mayor"-urging him to come out
| from the east and cast his lot with the new
and struggling parish in Omaha. This was
in the winter of 1864. Few Biographies
at that time knew Omaha. A banker and
leading man in his then congregation
came TO him with earnest advice not to
go into the wilderness. This banker was
man OF statistics, OF common sense and
E respected for his wisdom. He pointed out
e to the young clergyman that community
; to succeed must have commerce, manu-
fractures or agriculture, ana he demon
strated easily how Nebraska could never
have any OF them. The land was the
{ great American desert and must remain
Y so; the Union Pacific was Utopian dream,
e and 10 realized would be nothing but a
$ highway for the transportation of military
o supplies.
e The young minister at first declined but
( the congregation in Omaha did not give
o up easily. He was begged to come and
$ try It for year on salary of $3.50 per
y annum. At last he came Three days were
] used in the journey from st. Joseph alone.
- He was met by Messrs. Doane, Hughes,
: Van Nostrand and others at the river
t landing At that time the parish just
becoming self supporting for the hrst time.
: 1t had thirty-ive communicates,
o Between Then and Now.
'I contrast now your magnificent
e thoroughfsres and sumptuous and grand
l. buildings with the mud and the dust and
the habitations of a city Of not more than
$500 population at that time" said the
d orator, with your warehouses your places
of commerce, your banks and your opu-
d lence-everywhere evidences of wealth and
= refinement and the covering OF the golden
} mantle OF prosperity And all in less than
e half a century. Merely to consider the
d energy of it's people who built It,
= ."As my mind goes back to those days OF
g beginnings ! remember the greatest me-
: dunn for advertising and spreading far and
o near the existing advantages and the pros
I pective greatness Of the city and the state
e where to show that Omaha was not ar
= oasis in a desert. That paper did more,
hold, 60 advertise the city in those days
e than any other agency knew. Its editor
e DR.. George L. Miller, then young mar
like myself, was an enthusiast and he more
J. than once broke into promises. One morn
ing he actually came out with the prophecy
4 that there were persons in Omaha who
d would see a city OF 5000 people there. A
Il bold thing to do IL was, TO be sure. The
IT prophet always is adventurous and moi
o many live TO see their predictions not only
: filled but twice filled and more,
FarRam street Hunting Grounds.
1T was a magnificent prophecy in thos'
:, days-the days when not more than two
). or three sections OF sidewalk existed OF
: Fsrnam street. One might stand at th'
end of that thoroughfare and bag enough
|. grouse for his dinner without difficuity
4 Ana I'm the minds eye l range the picture
then alongside of that today with you
professions of trolley and your sys
, TENS OF railways and your population, anC
> l exclaim how wonderful and in such
space OF time. The people then had dim
II culties and discoura cement you cannot un
derstand now Remember that no one knew
Omahas future But many had faith and
none more faith than the young editor VIII,
came down from his tripod long enough t.
Il 20 about the streets and raise about $50 I,
y purchase the FIRST rectory, and the frs
= property owned in reality by the parish
> for the rector-myself II was down ol
/ Dodge street, and at first had two room
. aud a shed kitchen. Later an addition o
two rooms was added and were com
- fortably housed in what was a mansion.
g And not long afterwards We Outgrew ou
n first quarters and built a new church
~ When the ground was chOsen-the site upo;
l. which We are now assembled, IL was com
plained that q was too far on the edge o
~ town and l remember the young edito
again raised his voice and made anothe