Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-02-20

Enlisted During ClVll war,
When Church Was Barracks
For Militia
The ffty-seventh anniversary of the
Pine Street Presbyterian Sunday
school to be held in Technical High
school auditorium tomorrow after
noon at 100 o'clock, will probably be
the largest rally of all the branches
of the school ever held:
Henry b. Mccormick. superinten-
dent, of the senior department, will
have charge of the services, and the
Rev. DR.. Lewis S. Nudge, pastor,
will extend greetings to the school.
The assistant pastors, the Rev. j. S.
and the Rev. ]. NJ. War
den, will assist; and reports of various
and branches will be read
by the respective superintendent.
r. u. Gross is superintendent of the
junior school, and ID. w. Cox is secre-
tary of the senior department.; Henry
Mccormick, superintendent of the
Bethany Mission, and John b. Corl, of
the Division street branch. The pro-
gram is as follows:
DoXology, hymn, invocation, the
Rev. DIR. Lewis Seymour Smudge; re-
sponsive reading. the school; hymn;
comment on the Sunday school lesson,
the Rev. j. s. Armentrout; solo and
chorus, George Sutton and school
choir; prayer the Rev. John NJ. War
den; hymn; report of Bethany school,
Henry Mccormick, Jr.. superintendent;
report of Division street school, Pine
Street Mission, John B. Corl, superin-
tendent.
Exercises of Elementary Depart
ments, h. H. Gross, junior department
presiding: exercises
by the kindergarten; cradle roll re-
port Mrs. W. B. Bennett, superinten-
dent; exercises, primary department.;
reports of elementary departments;
singing, junior department; reports of
advanced departments; remarks, Hen
ry b. Mccormick, superintendent of
the school; greetings to the school,
the Rev. Dr. Nudge; hymn; Benedic-
tion, the Rev. DR.. Nudge.
Had Forty at Start
Pine Street Sunday school was or
ganized in the lecture room of the
German Reformed Church, Third and
Chestnut streets. June G, 1858, just two
weeks after the formation of the Pres
byterian Church of Harrisburg, now
Pine Street Presbyterian Church.
About forty scholars were present with
the following officers and teachers:
Superintendent, j. +. Seller; librarian,
Burtnett; assistant, Edwin
Pollock; teachers, Mrs. Reynolds, Mrs.
Rittenhouse, Mrs. Frances Rawn, Mrs.
Ellen Whitehill, Mrs. Martha Pollock.
Mrs, Sarah c. Wyeth. Miss Margaret
Hamilton, Miss Elizabeth Simonton,
Miss Annie Hays, John Simonton and
James Mccormick.
OF the original officers and teachers
Mr.. Mccormick alone is still living.
His class, the Mccormick Bible class
antedated the birth of the school by
two years and was first carried on as
part of the English Presbyterian
Church, Second and Cherry streets, un-
til that church was destroyed by fire
in 1858, and disorganiZed, part going
to form the Market Square Presbyte-
rian Church, and others joining the
new Pine Street Church.
More Than 5000 Now
Originally. the teacher and twelve
boys constituted the class. Since then
more than 5000 men have been iden-
tilted with it and are now to be found
all over the United States and in for
eign lands. Thirty-five members serv-
ed in the Civil War. The class was
taught steadily by James Mccormick
until December, 1899, then for a time
by ]. f. Seller. then by the pastor, the
Rev. DR.. G. S. Chambers, until his
death. 1t is now taught by the present
pastor, the Rev. DIR. L. S. Nudge
The organized school first met in
small temporary house on the site of
the present church, with backless
benches, odd chairs. carpet of various
patterns and furnishings with no re-
semblance to church furniture of the
present.
No Session Ever Omitted
At several times during the excite
ment of the Civil War. the lecture
room and Sunday school room were
given over temporarily for the accom-
mediation of the militia who were
tiocking by the thousands to the city.
But at these Interruptions the school
was not closed, holding its sessions in
other meeting places. Many women
members helped as nurses in the mill
tary hospital, and during the war al
school volunteered in the army and
navy. No session of the sc nool was
ever omitted and only twice has there
been no study of the lesson.
The membership in 1862 was 306;
in 1865, 396, and in 1871 more than
700 were enrolled. The high water
mark of enrolment was in 1898 when
a grand total of 1867 pupils were en-
rolled in all departments and branches.
After that year the membership de-
clined to 1850 in 1907; but is now
more than 1000, being one of the
largest schools in the city.
From the day of organization the
school has been interested in mission
works, not only in contributions, but in
sending to the foreign field three of its
earlier members and supporting for a
a in, 10
The Bethany Presbyterian Chapel,
Cameron and Cumberland streets, un-
der the pastorship of the Rev. A. NJ.
Warden, was organized as branch of
the Pine Street Presbyterian Sunday
school in 1875 and hes been ever since
an active supplement of the parent
school.
EVANGELICAL
Harris Street-9.30, mems prayer
meeting; 1890 worship; 2, Sunday