New-York tribune., 1910-04-28
NEW ST. THOMAS'S SOON
TO RISE ON OLD SITE
Pledges to Church Near to
Amount Set for Beginning
Building.
EDlFICE TO COST S1.0O0,OO0
More than 100000 in Hand
Subscriptions from Million
aires Down to Work
ing Women.

Actual work on the construction OF the
new St Thomas's Church. Fifth avenue
and SD street. will begin within the next
thirty days. Pledges for more than
seo0. 600 Of the 100000 needed for the
new church and parish house have been
received ALREADY. and many more have
been promised. As soon as two-thirds of
the required amount, or approximately
500. 600. is assured the contracts now
under prepare ton will be signed and the
work begun. The Rev. Ernest NJ. Stires,
the rector will move out of the rectory
by the middle Of May. and his home. to-
gether with the parish offices. will be
a couple Of doors west Of the present
parish house. at No. west SD street
Six subscriptions OF $4,000 each have
been received. and the rector has every
reason to expect at least four more such
subscriptions within a few days Sew
eraI SIS. 900 pledges and many for $4,000
and $4,000 also have been received.
Wealthy Men in Congregation.
st. Thomas's Church counts among its
membership large number Of men
whose influence is felt throughout the
whole country. No fewer than five rail-
road presidents six presidents of ma
tionaI banks and several multi million
aires. besides other men Of social and
financial prominence, are TO be found
r, gularly in its pews-
The humber and less fortunate mem
hers Of the congregation are showing.
however. that they are not one whit be-
hind I'm their desire to contribute to the
rearing Of splendid monument to their
faith. They do not wish il To go forth
that they are dependent upon their richer
and more prominent neighbors to pro-
vide a place OF worship of which all viii
feel equally proud. or to act as depcu-
dents upon the bounty Of others.
a good many Of these subscriptions,
said the Rev. DIR. Stires yesterday. rep
resent real self sacrifice. In one case
trained nurse withdrew all her savings
from the bank and brought them TO me.
she had Sl35 80. and handed the sum TO
me with the 50-cent piece on top of the
lot. | demonstrated with her. and told
her she should not deprive herself of
bar hard earnings 10 the last cent, but
sta rerIied that she was well and. strong
and regularly employed, and intended to
make a further contribution when she
had earned more.
"A stenographer earning SO a week in
a downtown office brought me her saw
ings Of a year i'm the shape of "A new 500
hin and insisted that she would make
a like contribution each year for the two
Years during which the work will pro-
coed
The most striking instance. however.
was that of "A sewing woman, over sixty
wears Of age. who is partly crippled by
rheumatism When / demurred at her
offer Of SO she said I had no right to
prevent her from having the privilege
Of helping i'm the great work of rebuild
ing st Thomas's.
such evidences Of the faith and de-
yotion Of the people to the church, when
such feelings are popularly supposed to
have disappeared are indeed encouras-
ing. with all the members Of the con-
gregation displaying such spirit. the
vestrymen and myself feel that the sue
cess Of our work is assured in advance"
There was a question of replacing the
present structure, which was partly de
stroyed by fire in 1870, by an edifce
further up Fift havenue. The Rev. Dr.
Stircs and his advisers, however. have
come to the conclusion that the present
site offers the best strategical position
for the work ST Thomas's is called upon
to do. With Trinity downtown and the
Cathedral of 81. John the Divine ON
Morningside Heights. 81 Thomass viii
b., I'm the midst of what has become the
great hotel section, and will b" easily
accessible foT thousands Of visitors 10
the oity.