Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1922-06-08
MOST CHURCH
GOING CITY

| in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, writes:
This is the most church-going city
ever met-up with. A week ago at
tended services conducted by DIR.
, Frank Roach, of the Methodist per-
suasion, and had a most delightful
time. If anybody asks you about
the Methodist chuIeh in this city,
just tell him that there is the Meth
odist and the Methodist South, but
there is no such thing as Metho-
dist North. That is a misnomer for
the north church does not qualify its
name. 1t is either straight out
Methodist or Methodist South. And
the straight NJ. Els out-number and
out-influence the southern branch of
the organization.
To state the conclusion in plain
language, this is not a southern city
in any sense of the word. Oklahoma
is more of a Yankee city than is At
lanta, Ca, the so-called Yankee city
of the south.
In order to let the people of Sank
county know that / have not been
swallowed up by sectarionism, /
must tell them that on Sunday morn
ing, May 2Sth, l attended the mems
Bible class of the First Presbyterian
church at $50. 1t is held in a build
ing put up especially for the use
Of the Bible class on the corner across
Ninth street from the parent church,
and adjoining this tabernacle, as il
is called, is a like building for the
young people, in which a large class
is conducted for the youths. The
regular Sunday school is held in
the basement, or first floor, of the
church-so they run in reality a
"three-ring" show at the same time.
And it is a big one, surely.
Dr. Evans, formerly a professor in
the university was absent on yester-
day, but the lesson was given out by
Dr. Dutton, pastor of the Wesley
Methodist church. He is a man still
under 40 and a most sincere and
eloquent preacher. II is evident that
these preachers down here have a
most complete union, for they stand
for each other in a way that indicates
perfect understanding 1t was a
very delightful service, informal to a
degree, and at least one report was
made by one of the members who had
been out scouting among other mems
Bible classes. He told how he had
visited three other classes, in other
churches, and what splendid progress
he found. He had been in the Baptist
Christian and other denominations to
see how they were coming on, and
what he said told plainly that he was
out to learn, not to spy.
From the Bible class we went
across the street to the regular SER
vice of the First church, and it so hap
pened that it was the annual Memoir
ial Day event, with all the veterans,
both federal and confederate, with a
body of Spanish war and World war
survivors in a body. And the sermon
delivered by Phil c. Baird, Phi. D.,
pastor, was worth going long way to
hear. He is a man of high culture, Che
looks like a college president) and
after announcing his text, he left the
pulpit, stepped out in front of the
immense audience and went TO it. His
homage TO Lincoln was the finest ]
ever heard. The audience applauded
it. The whole service was simple and
impressive, beautiful in its simplicity.
The large choir lead the music, but
the audience sang as if it were one
choir. When the service was dismis-
sed, the audience stood while the old
boys filed out, and Dr. Baird shook
hands with each of them, giving out
the age of each. Like this: eighty
and half and no cane;" or seventy
nine, and happy" The old boys felt
fine when he got through with them,
and well they might.
Ii seems as if | have not written
anything, if / tell nothing about oil,
the one asset of this real city. A
merchant said TO me the other day
1--WE overbOught; / sure thought
trade would be better. But / took
flyer in OF leases, and the report is
coming good, so think my oil invest
ment will pull me through" And so it
is in this city. Not only have the for
tunes been made in oil, but the liquid
wealth is relied upon TO cover all
sorts of commercial accidents. Rain
ing down here.
V. S. PFASE
400 Herskowitz Bldg.