The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1908-07-18


haps not quite in the Sodom and
Gomarrah class New York Is almost
hopelessly an ungodly city, declares
Rev. Charles +. Aked, widely known
as the pastor OF the church of which
John d. Rockefeller is the most prom
inent member, Dr. Aked has startled
the somnolent quiet that usually de-
scends on Fifth avenue churches at
this season by pointing out in an ar
ticle which is to appear in the August
number OF Appleton's magazine that
church membership in this country in
proportion to population has fallen
off 5000 per cent, since the first half
OF the last century 1t is highly
significant in DR., Aked's opinion that
this loss OF position among the
churches has been progressive one.
AS he puts it. il their gain in proper
ton to population during the first
half OF the century is represented as
so, during the second half il is repre-
sented by 20, during the past 20
years by four, and during the past
ten years by one. At this rate il is
easy to figure ont the time when
church pews will be entirely tenant
less. Or. Aked makes the unqualified
assertion that il the present course
Of events continues the churches not
only OF New York but OF the rest OF
the country as we'll will have to close
their doors within another century.
He frankly avows that the church is
regarded by many persons as a
"back number" and he seems to agree
that this view is justified in many in
stances, for he says that the churches
must change their methods or they
will be Abandoned entirely, The ath-
letic English divine who breaches
every Sunday to the greatest aggrega-
ton of wealth gathered in any one
church in the country proposes to
follow up his first assault in Apple
tons with other red-hot attacks on
the inefficiency of the churches them
selves.
New York is going to build state
prison which will be a veritable
palace OF crime with all the modern
conveniences. 1t will include many
of the features which contribute to
the success of the city's biggest hotels
and in every way will be Jail so
tempting that it is feared that many
crooks will be moved to adopt the
new prison as a permanent home.
Sing Sing is famed in story and has
sheltered more notorious criminals
than any similar institution in the
country. but now it is to be suppressed
ed by a 100000 structure on the
opposite side of the Hudson. For
months a committee has been search
ing for site and the one chosen is,
lit is claimed, unrivalled in location
even by any summer hotel Around
this 100000 establishment will be
a mile-long stone wall thirty feet
Ihigh. on top of which it has been face
tiously proposed to install a promen-
ade which in criminal society would
correspond to the famous board walk
at Atlantic City. One Of the advan-
tages Of the new site prominently
mentioned in advocacy Of its selection
lis Highland Lake, which, within a
stones throw, affords fishing and
boating. There is to be a library
more fully stocked than that OF many
a city, and a series Of vaults for the
safeguarding of the valuables OF con
vict inmates. Whether these vaults
can be used for the storing Of plunder
with which a criminal may get away,
pending his release, remains to be
determined. Music, hot and cold
baths and telephones are only few
of the minor features. Altogether
this new center of the most exclusive
life Of the criminal 400 is expected to
prove so attractive that the police
declare there will be little difficulty
in making the arrests which will lead
to an opportunity to obtain a suite
in it.
~ ~
1t is now expected that the great
est point OF interest about this city
will soon be the revolving house
which is to be constructed by a New
Yorker, out on Long Island. This
newest thing in domestic construc'
ton, which in its own field will be
more Of a novelty than the forty
story skyscrapers are in theirs, is tc