The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-08-13
DUKES give 100000
TO METHODIST CHURCH
VIII Pay $4,000 Yearly TO Missions
Church Extension and Minis
teriai support
TERMS ANNOUNCED BY BISHOP
Messrs. j. Il. and Ii. N. Duke Promise
Great Sums to Religious Work OF
Their Church in Native state.
Bishop Kilgo Makes Plans.

Durham, N. c., Aug. 12.-In a let
ter made public here yesterday from
Bishop John C. kilgo TO the Metho-
dists of North Carolina, announce
ment is made that Messrs. j. Il. and
Il. ". Duke, the North Carolina mil
lonaires. will give annually to the
work of the Methodist Episcopal
Church, South, in North Carolina, OF
which they are members, the sum
of s35, 900, this being the interest on
fund of 100000. The announce
ment states that $4,000 year will
be used for church extension work,
$4,000 for home mission work, ano
$40, 600 for the relief OF aged Metho-
dist ministers. These gifts are In ad-
dition to the millions given by the
Dukes to Trinity College, the Metho-
dist College of North Carolina. The
latest benefactions to the college are
funds for the building of a stone
fence about the college campus. ana
other needed improvements of SINH
lar nature II is also thought that
at an early date II will be possible
for the college to have a modern new
gymnasium and a separate college
building for the women students of
the college.
Bishop Kilgo's letter is as follows:
"A Great Gift to North Carolina
Methodism.
1T was my good fortune recently
to spend day and night with Mr.
J. d. Duke and his brother, Mr.. B. n,
Duke. at the Duke Farm" in New
Jersey. Twenty years ago Mr.. j. b.
Duke went out into New Jersey and
bought a tract of land, which rrom
time to time he has increased. till
now II contains more than twenty
three hundred acres. He has develop
ed il into q place of such magnifi-
cenee That one would not dare even
O. modest attempt to describe II. II
il a complete encyclopedia of land
scape architecture. II has been my
privilege to see much of the worlds
greatest and most famous landscape
work, but this work stands without
anything In its class. He undertook
IT as a matter of taste. and truly lie
have given trees. grass, flowers,
shrubbery, rocks. water. mountains
sculpture. colors. shades. lines. and
forms their best chance. all of which
stand as q monument 10 the taste OF
tsais Industrial master.
but I did not intend to write OF
the Duke Farm" Sitting on the
porch of his great residence after
dinner he and his brother asked me
many things about our church and its
work. They grew up In strong and
loyal Methodist home, and while free
from every tinge OF excIusiveness,
they are strongly attached TO
the church of their father ami
childhood. Several months pre-
vious Mr.. J, b. Duke had said
that he wished to have such
talk with me, and the surroundings
made 1t a rare place and time to dis
cuss such questions. After consid-
cradle talk on various phases of our
work, he said in the quiet tones Sc
characteristic of his great father, q
have determined to give you annual.
fy thirty-fiye thousand dollars to be
used in North Carolina in our church
enterprises. Fifteen thousand TO be
used for Church Extension, ten thou
sand for Domestic Missions. and ten
thousand for the worn-out preachers
This is equivalent to five per cent
on 100000 endowment, a sum the
equal of which our church never be-
fore received for such purposes. But
as great as the amount lis, frankness
requires me to say I was more i'm
pressed by the serious, interested, and
gracious spirit in which he gave IL.
To my inadequate efforts TO properly
thank him. he simply replied, I wish
to do some good and / feel that this
is the best way to do 1t. l have no
other purpose. The church Is the
only institution that lasts. Other in
situations change and pass away. but
the church abides. and the good / try
to do / wish to do through the church.
And I have great faith and interest
in the country church. From 1t comes
the best we have in church. State or
business IL should be- kept strong
and active. I have thought much
about our country churches and wish
drifted with much freedom into many
lines of thought, and / am strongly
tempted for many reasons to repeat
many things these two brothers said
that night.
Elm the direction OF these gifts he
turns over the fifteen thousand dol
lars for Church Extension and the
ten thousand for Domestic Missions
to the General Board OF Church Elk
tension to be administered through
it; and the ten thousand dollars for
worn-out preachers to the Trustees
of Trinity College. TO be administered
by them In selecting this plan
was deeply impressed with the great
care with which his genius for busi-
ness went over every possible detail
In the various relations and complica-
tions and with what delicacy he dis
cussed them. The worn-out preacher
has strong place in his sympathies
and concern. He wishes me to dis
tinctly understand that ne did not
make this gift to lessen the gifts OF
the conferences to these causes, but
simply to increase them, and this was
one of the considerations in deciding
the policy OF administering his gifts.
He was much interested in the work
OF the Board of Church Extension. and
especially the management of 1t under
DR.. McMnrry, and expressed an earnest
desire to meet one secretary OF this
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