The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1912-05-09

to-day between sunrise and dusk. IN
a handsome building at the corner of
South Church street and Crescent
Avenue, not a stick of which had
been standing IA hours before, 500
people vorshipped tonight, while
three {; 'es that many stood outside,
vainly seeking to enter. Although
built in single day, El-Bethel
church is as substantial structure,
the carpenter agreed, as if six months
had been devoted to the job. 1t is
a far handsomer building, according
to Major Augustus H. Kirby, S3 years
old, than the first Methodist church
erected in this city, which was dedi-
Gated in 1886 and took a year to
build.
With carpeted aisles, mission style
pews, an altar decorated with flow
ers, piano in the choir loft and all
the other requisites in place, the
interior of the church last night pre-
sented as finished an appearance as
the exterior, which was neatly paint
ed in white, with green trimmings.
Thousands Watch Work.
Estimates of the number of peo-
pie who watched the building of the
church vary, but it is believed by
some that as many as $4,000 persons
visited the place during the day.
Many people came from the country
in buggies and wagons to see the un-
usual spectacle. Moving picture
men reeled off many thousand feet of
film.
System, carefully prearranged, en-
abled the $50 carpenters, mechanics,
painters, paper hangers, plumbers,
electrical workers and other artisans
to perform the feat. Every man
knew exactly where to get the ma
terial needed and where to put it.
The Rev. J. NJ. Shell, who formerly
was in charge of the work of the
Methodist church in the section
where El-Bethel stands and who was
one of the prime movers in the
project, was the first man on the
scene this morning. He reached the
lot at 5:15 o'clock. Five minutes
later the Rev. Jno. w. Speake, pastor
of the Bethel church, the mother of
El-Bethel; G. P. Hammond, chair
man of the building committee, and
J. NJ. Crawford, of the Magness Trust
company, general superintendent of
the enterprise, reached the scene.
The First Nail.
Maj. Kirby, patriarch of local
Methodism, who was to drive the
first nail, arrived with a number of
carpenters, about $50 o'clock. The
brick foundation was already in
place, having been completed Tues
day evening. The building material
had also been assembled on the lot,
every piece was numbered and laid
where the workmen knew they would
find it.
At 6 o'clock Mr.. Shell invoked the
divine blessing on the undertaking
and prayed that there would be no
accident. Five minutes later the car
penters raised the first corner post
and Maj. Kirby drove the first nail.
He used an ancient hamer which,
he said, had been lost in 1S45 and
not found again until 1865. Maj.
Kirby made one or two false strokes
and his grandson, A. M. Chreitzberg,
offered to hold the nail for him.
Maj. Kirby declined assistance, how
ever, and proceeded to drive the nail
without further trouble.
At noon all the rough work except
the raising of the roof had been fin
ished. At this point the bugle sound
ed for lunch and the $50 workmen
filed to two long tables, spread on the
lot by the ladies of Bethel church.
ne rev. LII. ,. L. 11dlluldu, pdSlOl
of the Evangelical Lutheran church,
said grace, after which the men fell
to the bountiful dinner with keen
appetites. While the Workmen's
heads bowed the camera men took
motion pictures of them.
McSwain's Baraca band had
marched to the scene at $50 o'clock,
playing Onward Christian Soldiers.
1t took stand on the piazza of Jesse
Mahaffey's house, opposite the
church, and played lively airs all day.
At 5 o'clock the pews were
brought in and the work on the drop
ceiling completed. The staining Of
the doors and windows and the in
stallation of the molding was finish
ed by 7 o'clock. The carpet was then
laid in the aisles, the pulpit furniture
installed, a piano was carried to the
choir loft and carnations and lilies