The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-10-02

convention Of 1869 the giving OF great
dinner parties being the favorite and
accepted form of entertaining. The !
Woman's Auxiliary had not been or
Sanized. but many OF the delegates
We're accompanied by their wives. and
the social life Of the convention was
one of its most enjoyable features. The
Exchange and Ballard House was in
the height of Its fame, this being the
year that the Prince Of Wales, now
King Edward of England, visited
hlchmond. and stopped there The
Spotswood Hotel, at Eighth ana Main.
was also a favorite stopping place.
and many visitors to the present con-
Ventlon who have have not been in
Richmond since 1859, have been writ
Ing for reservations at these famous
hotels, both of which have been out
of existence for years.
War Coming On.
Already the country was being
shahen64withf political considerations,
and stormy debates are said to have
taken place in the convention over
semi-politcal questions, the conven-
ton taking no action. however which
was construed as offensive to either
| side.
1t is significant of the trend of the
times that forty-eight years after the
| convention of 1859, the chief body Of
the American church again assemblies
! in Richmond, and that in this meeting
the principal subject Of discussion will
| be the devising of plans for bettering
the missionary influences put about
| the negro race in America. Aud While
there are grave differences Of opinion
/ as to methods. 1t is fully believed that
| no ina 1,ac yryh
be discussed without heat and unneces-
| sary bitterness.
Some Comparisons.
Some comparisons Of the state OF
4 the church in the United States at
the time of the convention Of 1858
and at present will be interesting.
! Baptisms reported in 1850 were
s9,2S2. and in 1904 1s2,G1s, more thar
double.
Marriages also Increased in ever
greater proportion. ministers OF tht
church solemnizing 2l,225 marriages IL
the three years preceding 1859
! against 67,636 In 1904. Dur!al
were 37,021 as compared with 1881
All Of these figures are for periods o
, three years preceding the General Con
ventlon. The statistics for 1907 hav,
], not been made public. y,
!, The whole number of clergy In 1856
a was .2,065. as compared with 1881 a
Z present. and the communicates hay
Increased In greater proportion, frol
il 1851 to S+S.974
Sunday school teachers have increas
v ed from 14,o29 to $4,000, and pupil
n from 1892 to 451.51l.
- Church edifices have increased frol
I'll 1896 to $3.50. In 1905, ninety min
!" years ago, the whole number Of clerg
IS in the American church was 100, ar
st there being no returns from several die
ID cGses. the number is estimated at 81
It. for that year
V, Churches of Richmond.
= The churches Of Richmond we,
: manned with force OF strong men
~ the years previous to the war, all d
"a nominations having men of strikir
J" ability In their pulpits. Dr. Moses
: HoEe. of the Second Preshyteri;
,d Church, was, perhaps, the most notab
he of the group. and DR.. II. V. Moore,
n the First Presbyterian Church. whe
n the City Hall now stands. was al
nc, doing an aggressive and permane
an work. In prominent Methodist pulpI
nd We're Rev. James, A. Duncan and re
e. John Il. Edwards. both men who ha
H. left their impress on their denomin
ell ton. The most prominent Bapt
NJ PASTOR WIS IVY. JUN IAITOWS,
the First Baptist Church.
There are still many people in Ric
mond who have a peculiar venerati
Ter and love for the memory of the rectt
CHI. of ante-bellum days. and in a partis
nd lar sense for those who were TIL
are spiritual advisers to the stormy dc
'ch of war and chaos which followed.
'ce For high character. for high spirit
SEQ devotion, for activity, for sympa,
cid snd for loving kindness 1t would
hard to match the group that fiji
re- the Richmond pulpits in the years y
IND ceding the War between the Stat,
ms ProHrcss OF City.
ere Those who remember the convent
her OF ashland there will he some
ter, Richmond who attended the sess!
sat of that body--cannot fail to be
uel pressed with the progress made
/ In Richmond in all lines in the past
and century, and that progress notwl
VIII standing the rayages Of warfare.
OF and carpetbag government, which
tried the patience and endurance
the R!chmoads population.