The Republican journal., 1909-09-09
Church Dedication in Hampden

services began Wednesday night, August
| 18th, when A. ]. Lockhart Of Winterport,
former pastor, preached to a good audi
ence most excellent sermon on the i'm
| portance of a sober yet rejoicing life.
Rev. Carlotte Garland of Bar Harbor,
also former pastor, delighted tlne
congregation Thursday as he unfolded
to them the duties devoIVing upon the
Christian. Friday evening occurred the
organ recital and concert, to which an
admission fee was charged to defray the
expenses of the dedication. The people
showed their appreciation of the enter
prise by filling the auditorium almost to
repletion and listened to one of the finest
entertainments ever given in Hampden,
Mrs. Frank Tuck of Bangor was the or
ganlst, and the sweet and powerful strains
of this beautiful instrument were brought
out by her deft fingers to the delight and
satisfaction of all. Mrs. Jennie King
Morrison Bragdon of Portland astonished
and delighted the congregation with her
powerful and melodious voice Mrs. Mat
thew Hodgdon, Hampden's own reader,
was at her very best and made some
splendid hits as she impressively showed
to the audience the duties and possibili-
ties in the management of the finances
of the church, and the nearness of all
denominations in the great work in which
they are engaged.
But Sunday was the great day. Bishop
Hamilton of Boston was the center of
attraction. He preached with vigor and
power upon the great subject of the
brotherhood of man. The impression
made upon each individual will never be
effaced. After the sermon he took up
the subject of church improvements and
said: ''you want to dedicate this church
free of debt. Rapidly the subscriptions
were announced and in few minutes
the interest Waxed hot, wiping out the
entire deficiency, which amounted to
nearly $500. Everybody seemed happy;
everybody gave expression of unbounded
JOY as they looked upon the beautiful and
comfortable edifce and said, "All this
for Hampden.' Mrs. Bagley of Bangor,
with efficiency and grace, presided at the
organ, and the singing would have done
credit to metropolitan choir The en-
thusiasm and spirit Of the forenoon lost
none of its vigor and spirit in the after
noon. Rev, M. S. Hill eloquently preach
ed from the text, eye are not your own.
Ye are bought with price, therefore
glorify God, showing the rightful claims
of God upon each individual. After the
sermon, Bishop Hamilton formally dedi-
Gated the church ediice to the God we
serve and earnestly called upon every
person to dedicate their hearts and lives
to His service.
A portending shower, and the people
wearied with the long services of the
day, did not deter large congregation
from assembling in the evening This
service varied in many particulars from
i, Io1l ]
report of the work done. He said 3d.
600 had been expended and the bills were
all provided for, and the people not only
ship God but increased facilities for
bringing about larger results and render
ing the service more delightful. He
spoke Of the great helpfulness of some
elect ladies who early espoused the cause
and co-operated with him in raising
large amount of funds and giving courage
and delight to the work he had accom-
plished. The names he mentioned were
Mrs. DR.. Thomas, Miss Ellen BUGGY, Mrs.
Susan Blaisdell, Mrs. Frank Brown and
Mrs Martin Reed. The beautiful organ, he
said. was made possible by the large gen
crosby of Andrew Carnegie and Mrs.
Martin Reed, and seconded by the persons
named above. He said that all the sacri-
fees made and the labors given We're lost
sight of in the great pleasure afforded
by the universal approval and kindly ex-
preston of the people. He spoke also
of the special gifts. The magnificent
pulpit set by one who was born in Hamp-
den and has risen to position of dis
tinction, now making his home in Phila-
delphia, but too modest to have his name
written here, but who has quietly and
unostentatiously written it upon the
hearts and the memories and the graft
tude of every person who loves Hampden
and the cause for which the church has
been transformed. His presence in
Hampden will ever be welcomed and his
praises will never cease to be sung The
Individual communion set was presented
by Rev. t. P. Humphrey and will be
lasting memorial of him. The $50 for
purchase of hymnals for the church was
the gift of the PASTOR niece, who lives in
Newton, Mass. He said when his rela-
tives prospered he was always glad, but
when they gave it made him proud.
Many others who once resided in and
remembered the place of their nativity
contributed to this laudable enterprise.
The other persons called upon to speak
and who responded in few we'll chosen
words of sympathy and pleasure were
Chap. Tribou, Revs. Garland, Humphrey,
Frost and District Superintendent Has
kell. Rev. Mr.. French of the Congrega-
tionalist church, who kindly suspended
his own work and whose congregation
with himself joined in the services here,
endeared himself to the whole congrega-
ton, by his fe1icitous remarks.
Among those who most highly rejoiced
in the success of the work was Rev. O.
P. Frost, who said if he had given express
sion to his feelings he would have thrown
up his hat, shouted Hallelujah and given
three cheers. The sincerity of his ex
preston was his very liberal gifts to the
enterprise which MANY thought were
beyond his means. But the browning
feature of the whole occasion was the
audacity of the Bishop when he said:
.'You have had enough of your pastor
for the present. l propose that you
raise here and now $25 and send him
away for long vacation. One of the
elect ladies seconded the motion by say
ing, make it $50 and l will give the last
$500 In few moments more than $50
were subscribed, his pulpit during his
absence provided for, with large con-
tribution of benedictions upon his heart
and life and that of his devoted wife
during their absence. Thus closed one
of the greatest occasions that Hampden
ever saw. The church will stand for
years, monument of enterprise, self
lox:cl c,,J Low, Gov ~, n oo,,c, ~ ~