The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-10-16

ry on the work, which they did by
| giving festivals"
The first Kansas legislature was in
session and its members patronized
the cake dinners which were given.
When the walls finally went Up the
pastor raised $500 for windows by
visiting every prominent politician and
aspirant for office, most Of whom do
mated from 81 to $25. However, the
records say that this was an extreme
measure. Three hundred dollars was
secured to plaster the church by rent
ing the building in advance fer the use
of the legislature, the state owning no
public buildings at that time.
The seats of the new church were
used week days by members of the
legislature and were occupied by the
congregation on Sunday. About this
time the pastor went into the army as
a chaplain. At this time Topeka had
one Sunday school, nine officers and
brary.
Preached Iincoln's Funeral Sermon.
John D. Knox, the author of the
church history, acrived in Topeka the
night of the Saturday after Lincoln 5
assassination The following morning
found a small and gloomy congrega-
ton. He spoke upon the life of Lin
coin that Sunday.
Early Trials.
Some of the troubles of the early
church workers have been listed in the
history: Scarcity of eatablCs, grass
hoppers three years in succession,
with army worms one year and severe
drouths, corn at $3.50 a bushel, butter
once at e5 cents a pound. and coal at
20 to 80 cents a bushel-"
Probably the greatest excitement
that ever came to the Methodist
quake in 1867. on April "a. The house
was densely crowded at the funeral
of H. S. Herr, who died very suddenly.
He was a member of the Methodist
church and an active Odd Fellow The
pastor had just started to preach and
had mentioned the many monitors
of the approaching end-the whitening
grass and the fading flowers remind
ing people that they were marching
to their graves. At the word march
ing'' there was a strange rumbling
sound followed by a rocking of the
church. The bell fell crashing to the
ground, the ceiling bent up and down
and the lights commenced to swing.
Then came a crash and the floor
| heaved upward, the congregation
springing to its feet pale with fright.
| The lid of the coffin was not tight and
| it shook considerably. Some thought
that the dead man had come to life.
Some screamed in terror and one wo-
man shouted glory" thinking that
the day of judgment had arrived Only
a few remained comparatively calm. 1t
was SAID ldter lnal the preacher was
the first man out the window, but he
denied it. The services were thor
oughly broken up and the procession
moved away towards the cemetery.
The Present Church.
The present Methodist church was
built in 1885 on the lots at Sixth and
Harrison streets which formerly be-
longed to Colonel Morse. The church
at the time had 500 members and
these crowded the little church built
in the sixties. The new building was
erected with an auditorium which
would seat 1900 people as the church
at that time did not wish to split into
two churches on account of any in
crease in size. The parsonage and
lots cost $1,000 and the new church
cost 100000.
The Sunday school rooms of the
present church were built in 1911.
| Today the church is the largest