Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1923-06-07
COMMISSIONER OF ACCOUNTS SAYS
PR0-BRITISH ACTIVITIES ARE ALARMING
PITTSBURGH CHURCH UNVEILS
TABLET GIVEN BY UNSEEN
RADIO CONGREGATION

PITTSBURG, PA, June 4.-Epis-
copal Churches all over the Country,
last night made the announcement
that a bronze tablet, probably the
most unique in the world, contribut-
ed by and dedicated to the unseen
radio congregation of Calvary
Church, Pittsburg, Pa, was unveiled
during the church services last night
The Rev. Edwin ]. Van Etten, pas
tor Of the Church, who was the first
minister in the world to have his
services brosdcasted; Bishop Alex
ander Mann, Of the Pittsburg Epis-
copal dioese; H. r. Davis, father Of
radio broadcasting" representing
Station KDKA, Of the Westing-
house Electric & Manufacturing
Company. which station first broad
casted the church services; and other
prominent Pittsburghers took part in
the ceremony.
More than 4700 people, represent
ing 40 states Of the Union, five pro-
vinces Of Canada, Cuba and Bermu-
de-, London, England, even sailors
from ships sailing the Atlantic
Ocean contributed to the purchase Of
the tablet. The contributions came
in every form legal tender - silver
dimes, stamps, nickles, pennies and
checks. There were surprising
number Of Canadian dimes. A work
ier in the Southern cotton mill sent
DIR. Van Etten two cotton socks with
q nickle in each toe toe. A sailor
from boat on the Atlantic sent the
minister 120 pennies he had won
playing penny ante.
These, contributions came as 4 re-
suit Of Rev. Van Etten's idea that
his radio congregation to which he
had been preaching since January 2,
1921, might like to contribute to
some sort Of memorial. Accordingly
during the reading his regular
church announcements DR.. Van Et-
ten addressed, directly. his unseen
seen hearers and told them Of plan
to have small contributions from
such Of them as might like to parti-
cipate. The sum obtained from the
contributions was to be used for a
memorial dedicated to them.
Responses to this idea were al
most instantaneous. An hour after
they had heard his voice by radio and
left their contributions, even as he
was preaching by radio.
The first announcement was sent
into the ether one Sunday last Feb
ruary and contributions have been
coming into Calvary church ever
since. The amount obtained, all Of
it in small contributions has been
enough to purchase beautiful
bronze memorial tablet.
The tablet is 80 x "a inches in
size. On it is relief map Of the
territory where Calvary's church
has been heard and this includes all
Of the United States, and con-
siderable surrounding territory in
Canada, Mexico and the oceans. The
map is criss-crossed by jagged lines,
Indicative of radio waves, emanating
from the radio station at East Pitts
burgh, Pa, where the church ser
vices go out into the air. On the
tablet is the following inscription
which will undoubtedly read with
great interest in the years to come:
January 2, 1921, from Calvary
Church, church service was by
radio telephone by the Westinghouse
Electric & Manufacturing Company.
This tablet was placed in 1928 by
the Unseen Congregation"
In those early days Of radio, as in
dicated by the date on the tablet it
took pioneer in every sense Of the
word to agree to have the church SER
vices broadcasted by radio telephone.
It took a pioneer churchman and a
pioneer station to do it. Station
lneer, Calvary Church was the relig-
ious pioneer and the Rev. Edwin j.
Van Etten, the ministerial pioneer.
All these factors in the first church
broadcasting are now seeing the day
when there are many, many churches
broadcasting services and hundreds
IF radio telephone stations to broad
cast them. In 1921 there were per-
hans five or six stations and but one