The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1915-04-23
1880 of Persons Reached
by Home Visitation Pro-
fess Membership in Some
Religious Organization.
1850 ARE IN DOUBT
High Percentage of Church
AffiliatiOn Revealed Graft
flying to Members of Min
isterial Body.

Richmond's Home Visitation. the
largest and most systematically con-
Quoted work ever done In this city in
the interest Of religion, conducted un-
der the auspices of the international
Home Visitation and the personal
charge of J. Shreve Durham, Sunday
school superintendent. was held be-
tween two and four o'clock Thursday
afternoon.
It was an unqualified success In the
opinion Of Mr.. Durham and every pas
tor, priest and committeeman who
took part In the organization and
watched the results as they developed.
A partial classification of the statistics
which we're obtained bearing on the
religious status of the city, has been
made:
Cloudy and slightly inclement
weather did not dampen the spirits
of the more than eight hundred visit
ors who went from home to home.
Considering the magnitude of the un-
dertaking, the leaders afterward said
that it was conducted with surprising
ease and smoothness.
Visit $4,000 Persons.
In the city Of Richmond proper ana
the suburbs, $4,000 persons were visit
ed and of the 4SS blocks which were
diagramed, 4S2 reported. The remain
ing six will be covered in a short time.
There was sufficient number OF
visitors to cover the entire area
mapped out but in some districts
there were more than enough visitors
to canvass their respective territories
and they left their headquarters be-
fore they could be notified that they
could be used elsewhere.
OF the total population in Richmond,
DO per cent claimed connection with
some particular religious denomina-
ton. This makes q total Of 1880
people who assert church membership,
leaving a balance OF AZ per cent or
1850 people who have no church
association. This is an unusually high
percentage and would be extremely
gratifying, If it was not thought likely
that there were some who claimed
membership of church when they
really had no connection.
There were 12,5OO invitation cards
distributed and 12.7O0 record cards
used in the campaign. The number OF
cards filled out was $500 showing an
average Of 1-16 persons to family.
Few Decline Data.
Less than three per cent OF the
people in Richmond failed to express
a church preference and only few
declined to give information. At near
ly every home the visitors were re-
ceivei cordially and courteously.
In many instances, the visitors heard
pathetic stories at the home they visit
ed Some persons said they hadn't
been to church in twenty years.
All the visitors met promptly at l: 40
O'Clock Thursday afternoon in the var
ious headquarters Of the districts to
which they had been assigned. The
chairmen then gave final instructions
and distributed the cards and invita-
tions.
In two automobiles a committee
composed of J. Shreve Durham, A. F.
Sittloh, John Hasemeier, George II.
Dilks, John F. Mccarthy, Professor H.
G. Lawrence, J. H. Wilson and Pal
ladium representative went to five OF
the district headquarters where Mr..
Durham received reports of the
proeress. At the First Baptist church
where the committee arrived before
the visitors had departed, Mr. Sittloh
was introduced by Mr.. Durham and
made a short talk, emphasizing his
pleasure in being here during the cam
paign. In his estimation, he said the
Home Visitation was the most un-
selfish, most cooperative and the
greatest movement which the churcnes
have ever conducted.
Durham Directs Moves.
After visiting several of the head
nod tn
the office Of Mr. Durham in the Ma
sonic Temple where the superintend.
ent ke1t in telephone communication
with the various chairmen. Mr.. Sittloh
after the results had been partly
learned expressed his qualification
that Richmond had made SO good a
showing. He left last night for Chi
,ago and will later return to his
home in Denver
Mr.. Durham in speaking today OF the
campaign said 81 think the work con-
Quoted in Richmond was a splendid
success. Your city has reason to be
proud of itself. The confidence and
co-operation which has been evidenced
throughout the organization and cam
naien in the visitation by the leaders,
and visitors assured its success. The
pastors and priests and other religious
leaders can now follow up the vista
ton campaign.
II want to thank all the priests, pas
tors, chairmen, leaders, newspapers
and friends who have assisted in
bringing about success OF the vista
ton and particularly the hundreds OF
visitors, without whose effort we
would have been helpless"
The total cost Of the campaign was
s4S936 which is being secured by
committee which met this afternoon.
DEAD FROM INJURIES.
SHELRYNILLE, Ind, April %