Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1916-06-15
5000 men PUSH
RELIGIOUS ORDER
FIRST OF NEW sToNEMAN FELL
LoWsHIP PiLeRIMAGEs FROM
PHILADELPHIA
TESTS THE RAILROAD FACILITIES
The Pennsylvania Ability to
Handle Soldiers

Pittsburg, Pa.-When the Rev. H.
C. Stoneman an Episcopal clergyman
of Philadelphia, led approximately
5000 members of the Stonemen Fel
lowship, organized by him about a
year ago and which is named in his
honor, "Stonemen," to Pittsburg to
form a similar fellowship here, it was
a unique and impressive religious en-
terprise.
The excursion was also expected to
be demonstration of the facility with
which the Pennsylvania Railroad Co.
could move soldiers in the event Of q
hurry call from the War Department.
The Stonemen, whose distinctive
creed is the brotherhood of man and
who call every man whom they meet
brother" came to establish the order
here, and in this they succeeded to an
extent that enrolled several thousand.
The original plans contemplated oc-
cupancy of all the Protestant pulpits
in the city, but when it was reported
that it was a fraternity in which the
cohferring of degrees played part
and that the first degree could be cen.
ferred only by an Episcopalian clergy
man, some of the other Protestant
ministers withdrew from cooperation
and declined to yield their pulpits to
the visitors, claiming that the denom-
national limitation prevented formal
countenancing of the organization.
One of the visitors holding an official
position in the brotherhood denied the
report in this language.
at is not true. l will not deny it
officially, but it is not true. We
Stonemen do not deny these stories.
We have no quarrel with ministers or
anyone else. If the ministers oppose
us, that is up to them"
Music is conspicuous and effect
i've element in the invasion. There
was the Stone band of 100 members,
an orchestra of SO and several ward
| organization bands, and between them
| they kept the music going almost con-
| tinuously during their stay of one day.
The founder of the fellowship came
here with the expectation of enrolling
| 10000 men, which was not realized by
| far, yet the outcome was not the least
| discouraging to the idea of these big
| pilgrimages, which are already sched-
uled for Buffalo and other cities in
| the east, to be extended later to other
sections of the country. Speaking OF
| the membership expected here, DR..
Stoneman said:
"When we consider that 20 per cent
of that 10000 are without a church
home and in no way affiliated with
church organizations we can under
stand the Importance of our pilgrim
ages. We have received $4,000 appli-
cations in Pittsburg. We shall make
| pilgrimage to Buffalo and Niagara
Falls. Brotherhoods are to be estab-
!ished in those cities and in others
throughout the country as fast as the
| work can be handled"
The trains were all composed of 10
| coaches, with baggage car in the
center of each fitted up as a commits
| sary, to show that troops could he fed
in a similar manner while being rush.
| ed over long stretches of country.
| These cars carried sandwiches, coffee
urns, cakes and soft drinks. Every
man aboard, even the crews, was q
| Stoneman and all wore straw hats.
An electrical annunciator device, op-
Grated by push buttons on chairs thru
| out a hall is working successfully III
Holland tn auction epps witbn.,t tho