The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1908-06-04
RECEPTION TO p

tlSt cnurcn gave q reception
day evening in the basement of the
new temple to express their appre-
citation of the assistance, both moral
and financial, rendered by the Ladies
Aid Society. There were about two
hundred persons present, mostly mem
bers of the Baptist church. Others
had been invited, but the notice was
too short to attract many outsiders.
However, the formal dedication of the
new church will take place Sunday
morning next, when the finest audito-
rum in New Mexico will be thrown
open, and it is hoped that the gen.
eral public as well as the member
ship will come out and see what has
been accomplished in the erection OF
a temple to the glory of God.
There was not much Formally about
last nights reception, even the speech
making being somewhat free and
easy. The Norve1l-Croft orchestra, al
ways popular, played at intervals
throughout the evening, and light re-
freshments were served. Visitors were
| greeted at the door by the pastor,
Mr.. Divers, Mr.. Kemp and other Off
Gals of the church, n instructed to
course was not difficult, since the
basement of the church has been in
use for several months as a place of
worship, and not many of the visit
ors were strangers to each other. The
main auditorium was not open for
inspection, but will be ready Sunday
morning.
Rev. Mr.. Vermillion called the as.
semblage to order about $50 for the
purpose of receiving two new mem
bers int the church, after which r.
H. Kemp, of the building committee
took charge as master of ceremonies
and after explaining the purpose of
the meeting called upon various per
sons for three-minute talks. The re-
ception, Mr.. Kemp said, was in honor
of n of the noblest bands ever org
anized, the Ladies Aid Society. This
society had done much more thar
they promised and much more than
was thought possible. They had rails
ed over $4,000 toward the erection
of the new building. But this labor
and sacrifice was nothing to the sup
port ald encouragement len in other
ways. Mr.. Kemp gave Mr.. Divers
credit for bearing the lions share as
a member of the building commit
tee. Mr.. Denning, the contractor, as
a member of the committee had been
compelled to take the contract just
as dictated by the other members,
and had faithfully carried out the
contract in every detail, even inprov-
ing upon the original plans, often at
his own expense. The building was
now virtually completed, n it was
honestly constructed in every respect,
the carpenters, the painters, the
bricklayers, the p1asterers and every
mechanic and other person employed
in the undertaking being entitled to
some of the credit. This is the finest
church building in New Mexico, with
the best lighted and finished audito-
rum in the entire southwest, and Ros-
well has reason to congratulate her
self in its possession.
After a selection by the orchestra,
Mr.. Divers, chairman of the building
committee, vas called upon. He felt
that there was not much to say. The
women of the church had proven
themselves truly an aid society, and
this entertainment was an effort to
tee. They had done the best their
minds could conceive-all i'll their
power-and the whole church had
helped to build a temple which should
stand long after all those now active
in the church have gone to their re-
ward.
S. NJ. Kng, introduced as one of
the old guard" looked back over the
eight years of his residence in Ros-
well, ans compared con1::oEs in inc
church now with what he found them
eight years ago. When he came there
was a small building and a few scat
tered members who would hardly
speak to each other GA account of
factional strife, and not enough money
could be raised to pay the salary of
half a preacher. EVERYBODY knows the
other side-the present day picture.
This noble temple was erected to
the glory of no individual man. The
work done here at a sacrifice will
stand as a monument to point the
way to the Lamb that takes away the
first in very good cause, so they had
been first in this.
j. P. Collier, superintendent Of the