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Freeman

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ESTABLISHED FOR A HALF CENTURY.

Interesting Services at the Rondout Presbyterian Church Last Evening.

The semi-centennial of the Rondout Presbyterian church was very pleasantly celebrated yesterday afternoon and evening, and called together a large number of people and some of the most distinguished individuals in the secular affairs as well, and the gathering was such as a church which stands so high in the estimation of the people of the city is entitled to call forth. The exercises began in the fine chapel of the church of Abeel street, where the ladies of the congregation had prepared a fine collation. When the time arrived, the guests and members of the church and congregation were invited to be seated at the tables, and a blessing was invoked by the venerable Rev. B. T. Phillips, the beloved pastor of the church from the year 1847 to 1861, at which time he left the service of the church to join the army. After all present had partaken of the excellent supper provided, the pastor Rev. Dr. Magee, called the assemblage to order and informed them that after dinner speeches would be in order, and after warmly welcoming and eulogizing him, called first upon Judge T. R. Westbrook, who made a very eloquent speech in which he bore witness to the fact that he was a member of the Reformed Dutch Church and spoke of the similarity between that church and the Presbyterian as related to church government and in most other matters. He was who followed by District-Attorney A. T. Clearwater, who in his able remarks pointed with pride to the fact that he himself had once been a member of the Rondout Presbyterian Church and the great pleasure it gave him to be convinced of their prosperity and of the great good that had been accomplished during the half century they had been organized for Christian work and effort.

The pastor then called upon the venerable James S. McEntee, who has lived a dozen years over the alloted span of life, who arose and paid a tribute to those who first instituted the church, in which he said he only knew of them at that time as citizens, as he was not one of their number as regarded membership in a church.

After the elder Mr. McEntee had concluded his remarks, the pastor spoke of the life work of his honored son, Mr. Jervis McEntee, who was present, and introduced him. Mr. McEntee made a pleasant speech but declined to enter into any reminiscences of the past, and was followed by Mr. James G. Lindsley, who has long been identified with the religious and business prosperity of Rondout as the Agent and Superintendent of the Newark Lime and Cement Manufacturing Company. 

Mr. Lindsley's short speech was a very interesting one and ably delivered. In it he gave much prominence to what had been done for the best interests of the place by those who established and carried forward the Rondout Presbyterian Church and eulogized its members. He said that the first time he knew of such a place as Rondout was while in the post office at New York city in 1832, at which time the place asked and received a post office through the influence and instrumentality of Congressman George Root of Delhi. When information was being elicited as to what kind of a place Rondout was, some one had compared it to "Natchez under the hill." The work of the Rondout Presbyterian Church had done much to change the character of the place from what it was then to what it is now, and he knew that its work and usefulness were not yet ended.

At the conclusion of Mr. Lindsley's well received remarks letters of regret were read from General George H. Sharpe, Reuben Bernard, Hon. William S. Kenyon and from Rev. E.D. Ledyard, a former pastor, now at Steubenville, Ohio, and from a former ruling elder in the church. A poem in commemoration of the semi-centennial was also read, the author's name not being made public.

The letter from Rev. Mr. Ledyard was interesting to his many warm friends present, and in it he spoke of his love for the church and alluded to the old canary-colored church across the way where he was ordained as a minister of the gospel, and said what he had done for the Rondout Presbyterian Church was little when compared with what the church has done for him individually and collectively. 

The time to be spent in the chapel had lasted half hour longer than was expected when the program was made out, and it was after 8 o'clock then the people made their way to the large audience room of the church where many others who had not been in the chapel were already seated. The pulpit had been embowered in flowers and evergreens by the young ladies of the church and presented a pretty effect, while at the rear of the pulpit desk and in front of the large organ there were cut flowers placed. The able choir of the church had been strengthened for this occasion by the presence of Mrs. S. Lefever, the charming soloist, and Mr. Robert Blaxley of the choir of the Wurts Street Baptist Church. The exercises opened with the singing of the anthem "How Beautiful Upon the Mountains," with "Auld Sang Syne" as a solo sang by Mrs. Lefever interspersed at intervals.

The Scripture reading was by the Rev. F. Washburn, of the Church of the Holy Spirit, and the selection was from Rev. xxi, beginning with the ninth verse and ending with the eighth verse of the succeeding chapter. Prayer was then invoked for God's choicest blessings upon the present and future of the church by Rev. A. Schriver of the Wurts Street M. E. Church, and a hymn sung, after which the pastor, Rev. Dr. Magee, made an eloquent address of welcome to all present. The most beautiful and modest part of which was the reverend gentleman's especial welcome to the three former pastors who were present, Rev. Mr. Phillips, Rev. Dr. Irwin and Rev. Isaac Clark. There was at this time such a feeling of sympathy with what he was saying at the time by his auditors, especially those who felt the ties that bound them to the past and to these former pastors, that their emotions were visibly affected, and the pastor's eloquent words were entirely in accord with the thoughts and feelings of their hearts. He assured them that he was only giving them what was their own, and he considered it a high honor to walk to such worthy footsteps.

Mr. Walter B. Crane, who for so long has been ruling a ruling elder in the church, and whose connection with its success spiritually, practically and financially is known to all who know of the church, then gave his historical reminiscences which were deeply interesting, and which, with all the other addresses made on this occasion, will be given to the public shortly in printed in pamphlet form. Mr. Crane, as is known, was one of those who instituted the church 50 years ago, and has contributed to its welfare with purse, voice and work until the present. He has been for 43 years the superintendent of its Sunday School, and for a great number of years the leader of its choir. His recollection of Rondout dates back to 1829, in which year he first took up his residence here. Rondout when he first came had in it only 10 or 12 houses and a population of only about 100 people, many of whom were ships carpenters and only boarding here with their families stationed at other places. He landed at Kingston Point from the old steamboat North America, not the one at the time owned by Romer & Tremper, but the one that had a compound engine and ran between Albany and New York. His walk through the woods up to where the residence of Dr. David Kennedy is not situated, was a long and tiresome one. The Del. & Hudson Canal Company brought to tide water that year only 7,000 tons of coal. He read the subscription list containing the names and amounts of those who contributed to the building of the first church, which brought up many memories of the past. There were thirty-two who contributed, and the amount was $778, but the total cost when completed was $5,000. In Mr. Crane's remarks it was elicited that the house owned by A. S. Staples was the second built on Abeel street. Mr. Crane said that the prayer meetings when the church was instituted were attended by from eight to ten persons, now the attendance averaged from 100 to 150, and that prayer meetings were the life of any church.

When Mr. Crane concluded his remarks there were greetings from the pastors of the other denominations present. The first one to speak was Rev. J. G. VanSlyke, D. D., of the First Reformed church of this city, who could point with pride to the fact that the church which he represented was established in Kingston in the year 1656. His remarks about the Dutch blood were very amusing. He spoke of the close affinity of the Presbyterian church with what was once known as the Reformed Dutch, and said that he was impressed with the fact from what he had learned from travel and research that the Presbyterian church must in time be dominating church in the United States.

The next speaker introduced by Dr. Magee was Rev. Dr. Osbon of the St. James M. E. Church, who said he regretted he was not a Dutchman, was not a Presbyterian and had never lived in Rondout. He said he had preached in a suburb of Rondout——Eddyville——where they generally "broke in" Methodist dominies in this conference, when he was young. He spoke of the progressiveness and told of the great pleasure it gave him to be present on such an important occasion and he knew there were still grander things in store for this church.

The pastor then introduced Rev. A. K. Fuller of the Wurts Street Baptist church, by saying that he would introduce a representative of a denomination that was not founded on an individual, but an idea. The reverend gentleman, on arising, informed Mr. Magee that he had forgotten John the Baptist who led the Bible class. Mr. Fuller was inclined to humor at first, and stated several points wherein he himself differed from his friend Magee, one statement making that gentleman blush, and which was that he had a baby boy at this house, and Magee had not. Mr. Fuller said that all people should first be Christians and then sectarians, but not first sectarians and then Christians. He knew this church was building for the future with a stalwart faith and a searching heart. Sometimes he thought it should build broader and "stretch further over the water," but as long as the structure was plumb with eternal truth and build toward heaven it would have God's blessing.

The next speaker was Rev. Mr. Washburn of what is thought a very exclusively denomination church, the Epicopal, and his remarks were deeply interesting and characterized by much religious fervor.

After the singing of a hymn written for the occasion, the former pastors were called on and the first one introduced was Rev. B. T. Phillips, who though bent with age and infirmity, and having to sit in a chair while speaking, made an address with much of his old-time fervor. His talk about his pastorate was deeply interesting and listened to which much attention despite the lateness of the hour. His being sent in the country for the benefit of his health was the means, he said, of getting to Rondout, which was one of the most fortunate events of his life. He came on the steamer Norwich in 1847, and landed at Kingston Point and made an allusion to the road to the Point, which not only in 1847, but for many years afterwards, was a veritable slough of despond. He spoke sf the first church and its many disadvantages for preaching, how the walls had a bad echo and how the crooked stove pipe made his ideas crooked. He had never regretted coming, however, and gave many evidences of his love for those who then and now comprise the membership and congregation. He paid a high tribute to the memory of Maurice Wurts, the then agent of the Delaware & Hudson Canal Company and told an amusing story about his own connection with the "under-ground railroad" before the extinction of slavery. He said that in conversation with Mr. Wurts, the latter assured him that it was not right to harbor fugitive slaves, and they should be returned to their masters. Soon after this conversation at dusk one evening, a colored man came to Mr. Phillips' house with the necessary papers, to show that he was a fugitive slave and worth of assistance. Mr. Phillips, who was sure he knew Mr. Wurts' heart, thought this would be the time to try him. He took the colored man and went to the residence of Mr. Wurts, and the result was that before they came away Mr. Wurts had given the fugitive enough money to get to Canada with, and more than he had ever before had in his possession at one time. Mr. Phillips spoke of his own labors during the cholera season, when he was the only Protestant pastor present, and said that he was the first to establish yearly Thanksgiving services, which was in 1849. Rev. Mr. Phillips' parting words were very eloquent, and his whole address was characteristic of a man who was never afraid to speak the truth in a Christian spirit.

Rev. Dr. Irwin was the next speaker, and he said that when he came to Rondout he was perfectly satisfied to come with the Huson River Railroad and did not know why the former pastors had preferred steamboats unless it was the fact that there was no railroad when they came. He spoke of all the many kindnesses that had been shown to him while pastor of the church and spoke very feelingly. He said he could say with Rev. Mr. Ledyard that the church had done much for him and he had given them poor payment. His address, like all others, was excellent, but had to be much abridged on account of time, as the audience had already listened to speeches for at least five hours.

Rev. Isaac Clark was the last of the former pastors to speak and the church soon began to ring with the earnest remarks of a man who was always in earnest remarks of a man who was always in earnest and through whose instrumentality a large and costly church was completed and a debt of $43,000 lifted from the shoulders of those compelled to bear it. When Mr. Clark ceased speaking it was nearly 11 o'clock but as Rev. Dr. Magee said, the speeches had been so pleasing that the time had passed pleasantly away.

The doxology was then sang and the benediction pronounced and the first fifty years of one of our city's largest and most progressive churches passed into history. [[/clipping]]

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an intense love of life I had come not to fear death believing it was not the great change we had been accustomed to regard it, but rather the awakening of a new and fresher life in the same direction and with the same affection and interests that made life lovely here. 

This notice of Bellons death I cut from the Tribune today. We were in England together and crossed on the same ship.

Monday Nov. 26" 1883 Went downtown and had my hair cut and saw Meyer about painting and putting in order Manners little cutter. Today occurs the centennial celebration of Evacuation day in N.Y. It began to rain before noon 

Transcription Notes:
Had trouble deciphering some words that were hand written on the right side of the document. ---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-04-22 22:06:55 .