The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1911-05-08
PRELIMINARY STEP IN PROGRESS
OF NEW STRUCTURE IN.
SPRING CEREMONY.
BUILDING CORNERSTONE.
Or. Jacob Mills Of Helena breaches
Sermon-Dr. J. N. Maciean Delivers
Talk in Behalf Of Missoula's Sister
Churches-Superintendent Inch Gives
History.

\ new era of church building
dawncd I'm Missoula with the laying
Of the cornerstone of the Methodist
Episcopal church yesterday afternoon.
The solemn ceremony made a great
Impression on the crowd that stood
through the services which mark ed
the progress that Is being made on
the new structure. and when Rev.
Harold Grffis of the Christian church
pronounced the benedictlon there was
II feeling that great good was To come
from the ministration of the new
church.
The ceremony was opened by Rev.
III. s. Galley of the Episcopal church,
who delivered the ritualistic prayer.
DR. w. u. Hollingshead of Portland.
representative of the board of home
missions ana church extension in the
northwest. read the first part of the
dedication ritual. He was followed by
Dr. j. ~ Maclean. who spoke I'm be-
half of the sister churches of Missoua
Dr. Maccan said
Or. Maelean.
christian Breathrcn: With all sin
ccrity and heartiness congratulate
and felicitate you on this days event.
This is an event of great moment and
Significance In the religious life of
Missoula. II Is the opening of new
era. We are making history today.
The old things that have served Mis-
soula as churches all these years are
passing away. and the new churches,
representing the new times. the new
conditions. the new needs, are begin
ming TO be built. The laying of this
cornerstone today concerns more than
the congregation of the First Metho-
dist Episcopal church of Missoula; II
concerns the whole christian enter
prise In this city II IL an event OF
great civic importance. None greater
has taken place In this city In many n
year
1T IL an obvious fact that the Pro-
testnnt churches OF this city. so far as
church edifices are concerned. are far
behind the times and far behind the
needs of such city as Missoula. With
one or two exceptions, our churches
We're built 80 or 40 years ago, when
Missoula was q frontier village of a
few hundred inhabitants. They We're
phHt Ds ucNottu Hlen anu "oIeIi WHO
loved God and believed In the gospel.
and wanted Its ministries for them
selves and for their children. and for
the new city they were building here.
They We're builded with great sacri-
fices-all honor to the builders. They
were small. but they were adequate
for the needs of the town In those far
away years. They We're homely, but
they We're compatible with the homes
OF the people. and with their stores.
ai,! hotels. and school houses. and
courthouse. and jail. and livery barn,
They were, as matter of fact. appro-
priately enough. better buildings of
their kind than many of the other
buildings ! have mentioned, They
We're good enough for the times In
which they We're built; they We're good
enough for many years after; but they
became obsolete long since, and they
are intolerable now.
The frontier village has become a
modern city, bigger, we believe, than
the United States government Is will
ing to admit. with all the equipment
and all the improvements of a modern
city except paving and the commission
form of government, but we are going
to get them shortly. New homes have
been built. new hotels, new school
houses. new depots. new skyscrapers,
a new courthouse, new theater, new
street railway system, a new sewerage
system. new bridge. and almost
everything else except new churches,
To-day the new church building era has
dawned. In that lies the significance
af thiu In Whi1a
1oicing unfeignedly with you. our
brethren of the Methodist church, that
your new church Is rising before your
eyes, we rejoice for ourselves that the
time is come when Missoula Is to have
churches suitable to her needs and
worthy Of her proud pre- eminence In
other respects.
There is a fine fitness in that the
Methodists should have the honor OF
opening this new era. To them be-
longed the honor Of opening the old
church building era 1t was they who
built tie first Protestant church in
Missoula just 40 years ago. There was
opportunity enough, during the last
score or dozen years, for some of the
other churches to get the honor OF
opening the new era. But 1t goes to
the Methodlsts today. and they are
worthy Tie spirit of the fathers IL
In them. They are our leaders. Where
they 60 we feel we can follow. We
did II before and perhaps went them
one better. When they built of straw
we built OF wood; when they built OF
wood we built of brick; when now they
are building OF brick we may build o.
stone. The best Is yet to be, Denom-
national rivalry OF a wholesome sor
has a proper place in the building vi
OF the kingdom OF God In the moderr
world. We are not envious; we ar,
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