The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-05-04
CHURCH BUILT IN 4 DAY.
NEW HOUSE OF WORSHIP RISES
RAPIDLY IN sPARTANBURG.
With All Material Ready. Workers
Ply Their Trades speedily and All
IL Finished ny Dusk.

spartanburg. May i.-Spartau-
burg's Methodist church was built
today between sunrise and dusk. In
a handsome building at the corner of
South Church street and Crescent
Avenue. not a stick OF which had
beene standing 10 hours before. 500
people worshipped tonight. while
three times that many stood outside.
vsinly seeking To enter. Although
built in single day. El-Bethei
church is as substantial structure.
the carpenters agreed. as u six months
had been devoted To- the job. 1t is a
far hsndsomer building. according to
Major Augustus H. Kirby. SO years
old. than the first Methodist church
erected In this city. which was dedl-
Gated In 1886 and took year to
buiid.
With carpeted isles. mission style
pews. an altar decorated with flowers
a piano In the choir loft and all the
other requisites In place. the interior
Of the church last night presented
as finished appearance as the ex-
terror. which was neatly painted In
white. with green trimmings.
Estimates of the number OF peo-
pie who watched the building Of the
church vary, but II Is believed b,
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 sec the un-
usual spectacle. Moving picture
men reeled off many thousand feet Of
film.
System. carefully prearranged. en-
abied the $50 carpenters. mechanics.
painters. paper hangers. plumbers.
electrical workers and other artisans
20 perform the feat. Every man
kntw exactly whero to get the ma
.terial needed and where to put 1t.
x -, = n Shell. who formerly
kiI5 stf the work Of the
= s01t " lifels< N the skction where
Ei-Bethei stands and who was one Of
the prime movers In the project. was
the frst man on the scene this morn
Ing. He reached the lot at Sis
o'clock. Five minutes later the Rev.
John w. Speake. pastor Of the Bethel
church. the mother OF Ei-Bethel: c
p. Hammond. chairman of the build
Ing committee. and ]. NJ. Crawford. Of
the Magness Trust Company. general
superintendent OF the enterprise.
reached the scene.
Maj. Kirby. patriarch OF local
Nethodism. 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 Tuesday even
ing. The building material had also
been sssembied on the lot. every piece
was numbered and laid where the
worSmen knew they would find 1t.
At g 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 hammer which
ne said. had been lost I'm 1Si5 and
not found again until 1865. Mai
Kirby made one OF two false strokes
and his grandson. A. NJ. Chreitzberg
offered TO hold the nall for him.
Mai. Kirby declined assistance. how
ever. and proceeded To drive the nail
without further trouble.
At noon all the rough work excep,
the raising Of the roof had been fin
ished. At this point the bugie sound
ed for lunch and the $50 workmen
fled To two long tables. spread on the
lot by the ladies OF Bethel church.
The Rev. DIR. 8. r. Hallman. pastor
Of the Evangelical Lutheran church
said grace. after which the men fell
TO the bountiful dinner with keen
appetites. While the workmcn's
beads were bowed the camera men
took motion pictures Of them.
McSwaiu's Baraca band had march,
ed 10 the scene at $50 O'Clock. play
inG Onward Christian Soldiers" II
took stand on the piazza of Jesse
Mahaffcy's house. opposite the church
and played lively airs all day.
At o'clock the pews were brought
completed. The staining Of the doors
and windows ard the installation Of