Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-12-22

Recurring sessions of the medical
men of New Jersey keep alive the
memory of a prominent figure in the
history of Perth Amboy, one of that
long line of ~'firsts" in which this old
place may we'll take pride, Rev.
Robert Mexican, whose name leads
the list of medical missionaries sent
out by the Society for the propaga-
ton of the Gospel in Foreign Parts.
He came to Perth Amboy in Febru-
AIRY, 1868, and at once entered upon
his duties in charge of st. Peters
parish. The year before he had Off
ciated as the soeiety's representative
at P~iscataway and it was planned
to have him r for Perth Amboy
and Woodbridge and their spiritual
needs, but the vestry of st. Peters
evidently felt that local needs would
keep him fully occupied and his
work was thereupon restricted to the
city of Amboy.
At the same time, in his reports
to London in 1854, DIR. Mexican re-
ported between forty and fifty fami-
lies belonging to the Church of
England and a dozen or fifteen more
that attended services at st. Peters,
these together including neal two
thirds of the populations; the rest are
Presbyterians chiefly, and a few
Quakers." The communicates at st.
Peters that year numbered thirty
four persons.
DIR. Mexican served the church
until his death in 1857 and the
period was an important one in the
history of the own and of the
parish. A tower or steeple had been
directed to be built in 1742 and in
1854 a committee was named ito
carry on the outside walls of the
church as far as the end of the
steeple, and do any other matter the
vestry shall think necessary towards
completing the same.' This added
about twelve feet to the length OF
the church and made space for a
small robing room and a stairway
TO the gallery. The cost of these
improvements was betrayed by
lottery, authorized by the Legislature
in ,f762 and drawn two years later
under the direction of Messrs. Sar'
CANT and Smyth. Lotteries were
considered a proper way of raising
money in those days. Nearly forty
years later st. Peters held another
one. Several were held in various
parts of the country for the beneh'
of the College of New Jersey ane
many of the now important and in
,huential church parishes were giVeI
their start a century and a half age
by this since forbidden means O.
coaxing cash from the pockets o
otherwise reluctant giyers to worth!
causes. The report of the 1854 lot
terry was not finally made until 1857
Indicating that the dilatory tactieI
employed in similar enterprises a
the present day are by no meani
Inew. Then 1t was shown that of tn
total receipts of 1859 pounds, tn
sum of 1,772 pounds was paid out II
prizes. OF the balance, 5S1 pound
were expended upon the church, 30
on the parsonage, three on the LonI
Ferry property and the expenses o
the lottery, seven pounds. The Loni
Ferry property at that time wa
probably the ferry which gave tn
lsouthern section of the city a nam
(which clings to 1t to this day whei
old residents or their children men
ton 1t,
It was also during the time tina
DR., Mexican was in charge OF IN
parish that Governor Frankllns WI
presented a new surpliee to tn
church. thanks for which wer
e~specially conveyed to the lady by
delegation of the vestry. Shortr
after this, in 1857, it was recorde'
that the plate in possession OF tn
parish comprised one hagon' wv
chalices and one salyer.
It was not, however, as a minis
ter of the gospel alone that Dr. NC
Kean was to take his place in tn
miles. is ordinarily the farmers 10
-. cal unit, and the population OF
! township averages between oOo an
! 600 farm persons. The members @
! such a group may be individually a
we'll able to support institutions o
| city residents are but the per capt.
: expense is too great.
1t is now being suggested that IN
g countries, which average lO,oO
farm residents each, may be able !
e organize for development OF institt
: items in farm communitieA Al
r other suggestion is that the farmel
r might join with towns and cite
t having a population of 10000 {
. less to make new units for hnaI
Q cling institutions