Evening journal., 1908-06-08
ANNIVERSARY OF
OLD DRAWERS
CONTINUED from First PassS


we are tending; to take a glimpse, as
our lives have led further along the
way, into that future which is ever
opening up before humanity. bringing
new problems, new perils, and, thank
God, new rewards.
Under ordinary circumstances, Il
would be my appropriate task to un-
dertake to give the history Of Draw
yers Church; to tell the story OF its
founding, the names and what Is known
of the character and lives of it's sue
cessive pastors; of the individuals and
families who composed its congrega-
tion, and to call up for our reverence
and admiration the memories OF those.
whose careers were marked by emil
nence and distinction.
But you know that such a duty no
longer presents itself. Fortunately for
all, 1t has been already not only done.
but so we'll and thoroughly done that
any repetition OF IL Is no longer pos
sible. The memorable address Of Rev.
George Foot exhausted the subject. In
stalled as pastor over Drawers and
Port Penn November Is. 1899, at the
end Of only two years and a hall. on
the 10th Of May, 1912, he delivered his
historical address upon Drawers
Church. As again and again, we recur
to its fascinating pages. we wonder at
the sympathetic and affectionate spirlt.
the indefatigable and painstaking in
dustry, the wide reach OF historical in
quiry, and the splendid quality OF the
scholar which characterizes its prepar-
alton.
Born In Connecticut, educated at
Union College, in New York. and IN
the University of Georgia, and passing
the intervening period in Georgia, in
the state Of New York. and In mis-
sionary work in Illinois, Indiana and
Kentucky, and coming here an absolute
stranger to our State. he threw him
self into the discharge of this pious
duty, with an interest as deep as
though he were born 70 the soil We
cannot wonder at IL, however. for never
was. a more attractive field opened TO
the historical student. II always struck
me, in reading this address, as though
Mr.. Foot had suddenly found himself
in an ancient garden. full Of all fine
plants and fruits, but left untended and
grown up TO waste. They had fallen
to him to gather. Its material were
rich, and they were vanishing. Forty
six years had elapsed since the Revo-
lutionary War had closed. OF those,
who during their mature years had
passed through that eventful struggle.
but a few survivors remained; but
those Of younger age were left to fur
nish these precious stones Of tradi-
ton. which but for the providential
presence OF his hand would have been
I forever lost. The story of the early
. 60. To- L., tl.a
mists Of time. but these also he gath
cred up and garnered in his memorial,
at once invaluable and imperishable,
He not only harvested, hut he CLEANED
the ground and no hand win be found
bold enough to assume TO traverse il
again.
"The causes that led up TO the
founding Of this church viii never lose
their interest They were many. not
one. With national pageant Virgins
last year celebrated the first settlement
Of the English on this continent, IN
1907. AS the century proceeds, the
stately succession of such commemo-
ratlons will take their turn; of New
York. by the Dutch, in 1914; Of New
England, in 1920: of Maryland, by
Lord Baltimore and the Catholics. in
1884: of Wilmington, by the Swedes
in 1888; of Salem. New Jersey, by the
fifty families from New Haven. Con-
necticut, In 1910: of Burlington by the
Quakers in 1917: of Philadelphia by
Penn. in 1882. But 10 no one Of these
events does this church owe Its origin
nor can II be compassed by the story
of the coming of either the 5wedes. the
Dutch. the English. the Quakers, ths
lHugenots. or the Scotch Irish. Oul
lorigin was a blended one. our blood was
enriched by the blood OF all; all thes,
strains entered into the founding ol
the Presbyterian Church of the United
lStates-all of them were contributing
causes to the founding Of Drawers.
Because the Presbyterian Church o
America drew its chief strength from
the geat volume of the Scotch Irisl
migration IL does not follow that thos
who organized the earlier churche
were exclusively, or indeed, chief.
Scotch Irish. That migration did no
become really large before 1920, as
shall have occasion to show littl
,later on, and then found the forest
vacant for settlement only to the sout
and west Of the counties Of Pennsyl
vania, occupied by the Quakers and tn
Germans, while already the origina
church had been erected here for tel
years, and the congregation had bee
organized three years earlier still.
tAll Lands Have Contributed
Indeed, TO trace our origin, we mus
go to no single source, to no one coun
=, try, to no one moving cause; Sweder
Holland, England, Ireland, France an
, Germany, by movements and impulse
arising separately in each, and only /
qualified way relating to any othe
country, all projected their streams c
migration on this western shore OF tn
delaware. And then, too, the opeFatin
causes Of their coming were almos
. equally diverse; whether political o
economical, or religious. Those wer
=. the birth throes of the nations, VIII
were not TO see, or even TO dream Z
the outcome in the making of a ne'
, people on this western continent
whom God was to repose in the full
ness of time. the potency Of the fu
ture.'
Again, then. what were the mai
. causes that led to the early settlement
lupon the Delaware, TO the definitiv
formation of the distinct people. win
in the end constituted the "Thre
lCounties in Delaware;' and who hay
. ever since maintained their senhrat
existence as a State. for they were IN
same causes that led TO the foundatio
of this church?
"They may be widely classed q
8 three: The first. political and econori
in the establishment of colonies for tn
commercial advantages and power {
tho homo country. tha eacOnd limite