The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-09-27
For Eighty-eighth Time, Larg-
est Body of Quakers in the
World Will Discuss Affairs
Of the Church.
TIMOTHY NICHOLSON
MAY BE MADE CLERK.
If He Followed Own Prefer
ence He Would ReIinquish
Position Reports Are
Looked forward to.

For the eighty-eighth time, Indiana
Yearly Meeting of Friends, the largest
body of Quakers in the world, will
meet next Tuesday in annual session
at the East Main street meeting house,
the deliberations to continue up to the
evening of October g. In the eighty
eight years since the organization Of
Indiana Yearly Meeting all the an
nual gatherings have been held in
Richmond with but single exception,
that of four years ago when Marion
was the meeting place.
Timothy Nicholson of Richmond has
served as clerk of the Indiana meeting
for the last three years, and there is
no question that he will be again chos-
en- next week, if he will accept the
duties for another year. 1t is known,
however, that Mr. Nicholson would
il his own preference were consulted
relinquish the position. He is in his
eightieth year, and though exception
ally vigorous for his age, and undoubt-
edly one of the most thoroughly
equipped members Of the Indiana
meeting for clerk, he feels, it is said,
that a man of younger years should
assume the duties at the head of the
meeting. Mrs. Anna M. Roberts. re-
cording clerk; Edwin P. Trueblood
and Edith j. Hunt, reading clerks, and
Hiram Harvey, announcing clerk, will
probably be rechosen for another year.
Growth in the Puget Sound Region.
The statistical reports of the Yearly
Meeting. which always receive much
attention, will this year probably be
more accurate in detail than ever be-
fore The growth of the meeting has
been slow in recent years; in fact,
there have been some indications that
it is actually dwindling. The church
extension movement. however, has CIV
en- impetus to the general growth of
the Quaker church, and Indiana Year
ly Meeting stands in the front rank
in this work. The Puget Sound coun-
try, invaded several years ago by ev-
angelists of the Friends church. has
brought new members into the denom-
Ahotiohs anu thouSh thdI pdAt VI ehO
country is far removed from the great
bulk of territory composing Indiana
Yearly Meeting, it is nevertheless part
and parcel of the Indiana body and
will be such until it is turned over to
one of the far western yearly meet
ings. Puget Sound Quarterly Meet
ing is composed of monthly meetings
ix, L. oil -,
Washington. and each of the three
bodies has shown great growth. There
seems no question in the minds of
many of the leaders that the north
west is to prove a great boon to the
Friends church.
Temperance Movement Pioneers.
The temperance committee of the
Indiana body will probably have much
to report concerning the fight for To-
cal option in Indiana. as well as to re-
fleet the growth of the temperance
movement in all sections of the coun-
try. The Quakers in Indiana are the
pioneers in the temperance movement,
not only of their own state. but of the
western country. 1t is matter of re-
corded history in Wayne county that
the first temperance society estab-
lished in Indiana was that organized
by the Quakers at Fountain City,
north of Richmond. some seventy-five
years ago. That society was also the
first regularly organized body to fight
liquor west of the Allegheny mount
aims. There has never been a session
Of the Indiana Yearly Meeting in its
more than eighty years of existence
that the body has not gone on record
for temperance reform.