The Ekalaka eagle. [volume] (Ekalaka, Mont.) 1909-1920, 1916-01-21
Religious
Built Church by Lantern lioht,

Built Church by Lantern Light.
All Edgely, Pa, went to sleep to the
tune of the hammer for some little
time, but no one objected. The entire
community built a place of worship.
While the men We're mailing the boards
the women We're plying the needle,
their handiwork being sold at q bazaar
as the means of raising money for the
church erected by the light Of oil lam
terms.
One of the active residents of Edgely
thought of the church building project.
and he consulted with others. Charles
L. Blackboard donated two lots on
which to erect the building. This was
the first step.
Then an organization was formed
and 5000 was borrowed from a build,
ing and loan association. Plans were
drawn for the building by Jesse Betz.
1T is a frame structure % by 45
by II feet, with a basement. A vesti-
bule 8 by 10 feet forms the front en-
trance and is surmounted by q tower
in which q bell is to be placed. The
bell is the gift Of Thomas G.. Hawkes..
MI. BetZ had entire supervision over
the men who gave their services. They
labored night after night for weeks
with Ratchet, hammer, saw and trow-
el. At . O'Clock. quitting time. one Of
the men would whistle and work cease.
All of the masonry work was done
by Albert Nanzandt, who gave his la
Dor along with others.
AS completed the building, it is
said, is valued at about $1,000. 1t
cost in the nc%i@hDorhool of 500
for material which was not donated.
John Horner gave the iron piers and
Charles 7. Blackford all of the sand
used. The building OF the inside is
finished III cypress. The roof is Of
shingles. y marble stone. with the
name and date upon it, is placed in the
end of the building.
The Ladies' Aid, which was organ
lied by the women of the neighbour
hood, played no small part in the work.
The members met frequently in the
homes OF the n%cighborS, where sewing
bees We're held. Others spent their
evenings at their own homes and made
articles which We're sold at a bazaar
given on Dec. II.
The Sunday school is in a thriving
condition and is composed Of persons
of various denominations. Numbered
among the men who built the church
is II who is studying for the ministry.
The average attendance on a Sunday is
nifty. The school has been organized
three years, and weekly services are
held on Sundays at 1870 a. II.
Four Million Methodists Now.
According to the Methodist year
book. the Methodist church, the north
crn body Of the name. has passed the
-four million mark in its membership.
That membership now stands at 4,O333.-
12@. making it the largest single
Protestant body in the world. Its
years increase, net. was O 1853. This
increase fell off from the previous
year, when it was 100000. The year
before that it was 155.0oO. \ united
effort is under way to secure an in
crease of 100000.
According to the report. Methodism,
is losing slowly in New England. and
it is just about holding it's own in the
New York district and also in and
around Kansas City and in the south
west. In Philadelphia, Chicago, Oma-
ha and Minneapolis it is growing most
rapidly.
Christians Of Modern BabyIonia.
Throughout Mcsopotamia YOU will
find the descendants of the ancient
~Rabylonians still living. They call
themselves Nasrani. or Christians. I,u-
ropeans frequently call them Chal-
deans. says the Christian Herald.
Though they all speak Arabic, they
still retain among themselves their
Gladden. language. which is similar
to the ancient Ra%bylouian. They are
IL large, Well built people, with light
skin and with features resembling
those upon the sculpturcd figures from
the walls of the ancient palaces. They
arc by far Tie most prosperous and
progressive people i'll the valley.