USA > Indiana > Vanderburgh County > Evansville > History of the city of Evansville and Vanderburg County, Indiana, Volume I > Part 36
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TRIBUTE TO THE WOMEN.
He paid tribute to the women of the north, that part of the army of the republic that stayed at home and fought with bandages and lint for men's lives, and who, instead of asking, "Are you friend or foe," asked "Where are you shot ?"
"Such women," he said, "as Mrs. Hodge and Margaret Breckenridge; such women as Mrs. Brady in the swamps of Chicahominy and Annie Ross in the old copper shop hospital, going to men whose wounds, undressed for days, lying on the battle fields, with pillows and blankets that made them think of home and mother, are deserving of as much honor as are the men who went out to fight with gun and saber. And the mothers, wives and daughters, the women's relief corps, who have pledged themselves to let no old soldier suffer are doing as great a work as was done by the women on the battle fields and in the hospitals."
THOUSANDS SEE PARADE.
The parade was formed at the corner of Second and Locust streets, and before I o'clock old soldiers were mingling and shaking hands, talking over the days of the civil war. Promptly at 1:30 o'clock the procession started, marching down Locust to First street, along First street to Main, turning
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GENERAL OFFICES OF THE EVANSVILLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
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in to Sixth street, and thence down Sixth street to Canal, where they boarded the dummy for the cemetery.
The parade was headed by a squal of Evansville police. Following them came Major Rosencranz, chief marshal of the day, and his staff. Then came Company E of the Indiana National Guard, followed by War- ren's band. Next came the old soldiers, 133 members of the Farragut post out of the 309 being able to participate in the parade. Following the vet- erans was a carriage containing Rev. J. M. Gaiser, Rev. J. H. Scheik, Rev. S. P. Sanson, chaplain of the post, and little Gretchen Leich, daughter of the regiment. A company of twenty-six veterans of the Spanish American war was the last in the line of procession.
WOMEN FALL INTO PARADE.
At the intersection of the dummy line and the car tracks the parade was formed again and marched the quarter of a mile to the cemetery gate where they were joined by the Women's Relief corps and the members of the graduating class of the high school who were to distribute the flowers over the graves. The parade was disbanded at the stand.
In the stand were seated the women of the relief corps, Past Post Com- mander of Farragut Post, No. 27, Major Rosencranz and his staff, the clergy, the speakers of the day, the high school students and the daughter of the regiment. Immediately in front of the stand seats were arranged for the veterans of the civil war. Conspicuous among the crowd of old sol- diers was a number, enfeebled in mind as well as in body, brought over from Woodmere, that they, too, might do honor to those of their comrades who have answered the last roll call.
SPEAKING AT CEMETERY.
At 3 o'clock the program, beginning with a selection by Warren's band, was rendered. There was an address by Post Commander Chas. Kretch- mar, prayer by Rev. H. J. Schiek, and the reading of Lincoln's Gettysburg address by Adjutant Aug. Leich. Dr. J. M. Gaiser spoke.
While the band again played, the procession formed in line and started for the enclosed section of the cemetery where slept those whose memory was being commemorated. With slow tread they marched single file and completed a circle around the graves of their dead, while Post Commander Charles Kretchmar, with his staff, faced the setting sun beneath the flag pole on which Old Glory dropped at half mast.
Following another selection by Warren's band, Captain Kretchmar read from the ritual of the G. A. R. the Memorial day rites, after which the vet- erans with bared heads, saluted their dead comrades.
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ROLL CALL IS IMPRESSIVE.
The roll call of the dead was by far the most impressive ceremony dur- ing the day. The base of the monument surmounted by an ivy encircled banner shield, was entirely covered with evergreens, and as the muffled roll of the drums answered to the name of each dead soldier, a small flag was placed among the vines by Spanish war veterans as they marched around the enclosure. When the last name had been called by Adjutant August Leich the base was entirely covered with the 189 small flags.
While the band played a dirge, Selma David, Marguerite Klauss, Irene Tolsdorfer, Jennie Covert, Margaret Schlaepfer, Lillian Ellerbush, Mary Fisher, Ralph Guthrie, Clyde Burns, Harry Strohm and Reuben Levi, the members of the high school senior class who volunteered, dropped a bunch of flowers at the head of each grave.
Following taps by Philip Klien, post bugler, three volleys were fired over the graves by Company E of the Indiana national guard, after which the benediction was given by Rev. H. J. Sheik, the post chaplain.
In this round of the heroic deeds of the soldiers of Indiana, I have had almost nothing to say about the war with Spain, for the reason that it could hardly be considered a war and the opportunities for fame were very few as were the deaths and casualties. Most of the men who went from this vicinity were young in years and the war was so brief and so quickly ter- minated by the grand work of the navy, that the field soldiers had little to do. Their chief loss was from climatic influences. Many a poor fellow went down there into that miasma-laden region and sowed the seeds of early death in his constitution. But as compared to any other war in which the United States has been concerned, the Spanish affair is really hardly worthy of mention and I am compelled to say that the great majority of the people of the United States today think that the war was utterly un- called for. It was simply a result of what is known as jingoism or in other words, professional politics. Matters have come to light recently which have made things very plain to thinking people and it will be a very bad thing for the professional politician of the future who, to further his own selfish ends, embroils this country with any other in a war of any kind. There never was a good war. There never would be a war in my opinion, if professional politicians would keep their hands off. There are many to- day who are opposed to the enormous outlay of money that is yearly spent on warships. They claim that there is absolutely no necessity for them and in this claim they are endorsed by almost all thinking people. The United States today is too strong to be attacked by any nation on the face of the earth. The implements of war are rapidly changing. As this work is being written we have reports of the successful solving of the airship problem. Of the daily travel of what is really an airship railway so to speak, between two cities in Germany where even meals are served while one is traveling through the air and the stops are made on schedule time. Solving the air-
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ship question solves the military question. There will never be any further need for great armies on land. The battles will be fought in the air. Just as the little torpedo boats can steer from one to another and ruin an entire fleet of vast steamships and fighting vessels costing milions and millions of dollars, so can a fragile airship hover over a city and drop bombs which will rend it to pieces. So, what is the use of vessels which can either be de- stroyed by a torpedo boat under the water, or an airship above? A single bomb from either of them would tear them to pieces. As to this matter of the war with Spain, I wish to put on record, some remarks by the late Speaker Reed. It will be admitted by all who knew this man, that he was a brainy men in the strict sense of the word and never talked about any- thing on which he was not thoroughly posted. So as stated, I wish to put on record, certain remarks about the Spanish war which Mr. Reed made while in company with Mr. Cummings. The account, which was published in all the big papers, was as follows:
"Mr. Reed and Mr. Cummings accompanied me back to my hotel. Af- ter we had walked out on the pier at the seashore I invited the two gentle- men into the cafe at the hotel to take a lemonade. We sat down at a table, and were there together perhaps an hour. Naturally the conversation drifted to the subject so much discussed at the time, the Spanish war. Dur- ing the conversation I said what was being so commonly remarked every- where, that 'After the blowing up of the Maine by the Spaniards in the har- bor at Havana nothing in the world could have prevented the war.' At this trite remark, Speaker Reed, in his well-known drawing voice and his most sarcastic manner, said: 'Lamb, does anybody out in Indiana believe that the Spaniards blew up the Maine?' I said, 'Why yes, nearly everybody I know believes it.' 'Well,' he said, I don't know about that, but they don't anywhere else.' This nettled me a little, and I said, rather sharply, 'Mr. Speaker, what do you mean by that remark?'
"He said, 'I mean just what I said. I mean that the Spaniards did not blow up the Maine. I mean that the explosion was internal and not exter- nal. I mean that the board of inquiry, which made the investigation knows that it was an internal and not an external explosion. I mean that Ad- miral Sampson knows the explosion was internal and not external. I mean that the naval committee of the house knows, and that Amos Cummings here, who is a member of it, knows that the explosion was internal and not external. I mean that President Mckinley knows that the explosion was internal and not external.
"'I mean further that on the Saturday before congress met in the spe- cial session, which declared war on Spain, that I was sent for by the presi- dent to come to the White House and read the message which he intended to send to congress on Monday, a message which advised that Spain's re- quest for arbitration be granted, and which I heartily approved. On the Sunday following, however, Mark Hanna, Stephen B. Elkins and a few others of that ilk went to the White House and persuaded the president
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that if he sent that message in on Monday the republicans would lose the fall elections and perhaps the control of the national house of representa- tives with the result that the message was destroyed and the next day at noon the message from the president was received by congress, which made the declaration of war inevitable.'
"Mr. Reed spoke with great emphasis and a considerable feeling and did not even suggest that the conversation should be regarded as confidential, but did say that 'the time had not yet come to talk.' Because of that state- ment I never repeated except to a few close friends, what he had said until now. Mr. Cummings alluded to it in a veiled way in a letter which he wrote to the New York Sun from Palm Beach."
I hope that this account will be read carefully. It is published without any desire to reflect on the republican party, but it simply shows to what extremes big politcians will go to achieve victories for their respective parties. Mr. Reed says plainly that the sinking of the Maine was an acci- dent; that the explosion was internal and not external-that the board of investigation knew this-that Trimble Simpson knew this-that the naval committee of the house knew it and that Mr. Cummings knew it. He goes further and uses the direct words, "And I mean that President Mckinley knows that the explosion was internal and not external." Mr. Reed then goes on to say that he went to President Mckinley and read a message which it was the latter's intent to send to Spain and which would have done away with any attempt at war and that the president heartily approved the message. But mark this closely. On the next Sunday, Mark Hanna, Stephen B. Elkins and a few others, went to the White House and persuaded the president that if he sent that peaceful message, the republicans would lose the fall elections and perhaps the control of the national house of representatives. They in- duced Mr. Mckinley to destroy the peace message and send the one which made war inevitable. Now what does this mean? Look the matter right in the face. These few men in their desire to gain political power, cared nothing whatever for what might have meant the loss of thousands of innocent lives by fire and sword. The loss of other thousands through the dangerous diseases that are so rapidly acquired by northern people who go to the miasma swamps of the south. Yet what did they care? There might be widows left with no husbands to support them; there might be families whose growing sons had been their pride since babyhood, who would be cut down and left in these swamps to fill unknown graves; there might be a sister who, with her brother taken away, might spend the whole of her life struggling to keep body and soul together ; there might be girls who kissed their lovers goodbye never to look on their faces again and whose whole future was ruined by the sundering of this first early tie. But what was this to Hanna and Elkins and those other great patriots? Instead of giving their names any honor-instead of ever speaking of them as honorable men, the stigma of eternal disgrace should be heaped on every memory connected with them. Any man who would willingly lend himself to sacrifice the lives
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of his fellowmen to keep his party in power ought to be shot like a common yellow dog. He has not, in his being, the first principles of manhood or charity to his fellowmen. He is a selfish, self-conceited cowardly cur and wolf, who would pull down the defenceless and fatten himself upon their blood. If this shocks any professional politician, let him understand that it is not his party that I am attacking, but the methods of any party that will permit such a crime against humanity as that committed by Mark Hanna, Stephen B. Elkins and those others who made Mckinley change his mind.
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CHAPTER XXII.
OUR CHURCHES-HOW THEY SPRANG FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS-EVERY CREED NOW REPRESENTED-THE OLD CIRCUIT RIDERS-THE METHODISTS WERE FIRST-THE OLD LOG CHURCH-THE VARIOUS SHIFTS FOR HOLDING MEETINGS-THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND ITS MISSIONS-THE JEWISH TEMPLES AND OTHER CHURCHES.
CHURCH HISTORY.
While Evansville can well be called a city of homes and also the city of schools, it can well be called the city of churches, for congregations of almost every denomination known to the civilized world have their beau- tiful churches here. The majority of them are beautiful buildings showing the best style of architecture and are roomy and substantially built. It seems to be generally acknowledged by everyone, that the little church that stood on the hill where the rear of the Strouse Brothers Building now stands, was the first real church in the town of Evansville. Next to it and almost on the alley, was a little white building which was used as the Sunday school for the church. I think that during the week there was always some kind of a day school taught there. For quite a number of years after Hugh McGary came here, there was no thought of building a regular church. The preaching that was done was by circuit riders, who traveled from village to village, their only baggage being a pair of saddle bags and usually a rifle with which they often killed their own game, and they held little meetings in the houses in the villages or often in the open air, except at the time of the camp meeting when a number of circuit riders were joined together and selected a camping ground and held joint meet- ings and at these times the differences in religious beliefs were all forgotten. The preacher of the early day was far different from the one of the pres- ent. The more stern his behavior, the more austere his bearing, and the fewer times he smiled, or showed that he had any warm blood in his being, the better preacher he was supposed to be. He was also long winded and when visiting at houses, instead of offering a short Grace before meals, he never missed an opportunity to indulge in a long-winded affair, while the viands were growing cold. This is not intended to reflect for one moment on religion but it simply goes to show how times change, and how the thoughts of people change as they become modernized and more famil- iar with what the bible really means. The old time preacher preached hell
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LITTLE CHURCH ON THE HILL IN 1832
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and damnation to everybody except the few who were like himself and imagined that this life must be a kind of walking graveyard in order to achieve any bliss in the hereafter. If one of these preachers attempted to preach an old-time sermon in these days, he would not have three people in his audience at his next meeting. People have learned to believe that God is Love instead of an iron-hearted taskmaster whose only joy was in bringing all kinds of affliction to the people. One has only to read the books and papers and even the religious papers of the present day and see how entirely these old beliefs are exploded. The preacher of today who is most loved, honored and respected, is a man among men and a man who does not believe that he is any better than you are. He mingles with your family as a friend and not as a sort of stern and cruel supervisor who sits at your table in judgment over every act even of your innocent little chil- dren. But this has nothing to do with the early churches. This little church on the hill was a one-story brick edifice. The seats were without cushions, save where the congregation made their own and the pulpit was at first a dry goods box from the store of John Shanklin; afterwards a primitive wooden pulpit with a small pillar on each side, on which to place the candles and afterwards the sperm oil lamps that were used. This first church was the foundation of what is known now as the Walnut Street church. It was constituted in 1821 by Rev. H. C. Banks, who at that time was pastor of a church of the same denomination at Henderson, or the Red Banks, as it was then called. Daniel Chute, James Goodlett, William Olmstead, Mrs. Fairchild, Mrs. Harrison, Mrs. Wood, Mrs. Chandler, Mrs. Butler, Mr. Smith, Eli Sherwood and Elijah and Mary O. Warner, were the original members of this church. For more than ten years there was no church building at all and this little congregation met at various pri- vate homes and sometimes in an old log school house that stood on Locust street. They also met at the court house on the south corner of Main and Third streets. The court house had no floors and the seats had no backs. The puncheon seats made out of split logs with four legs driven into auger holes were the only seats then in use. In the winter the fire was simply made against the walls and the smoke was supposed to escape from a badly built frame chimney, but for some reason it rarely drew and the congregation were many times forced to leave the building on account of the smoke.
In 1831 Rev. Calvin Butler of Princeton attempted to build a church but was unsuccessful. A year afterwards he moved his family to Evans- ville but still found that it was impossible to get the subscriptions necessary to build a church. It was decided to send him east and he went there and appealed to various men of means of his denomination and succeeded in raising $1,300 and this was what built the little church on the hill. At that time it was considered a marvel of architecture, though it was only 50 feet long, 30 feet wide and 18 feet high. It had eight windows, with forty panes of glass in each, 10 by 12 and two doors in the front. This building stood for a great many years until the ground was sold and the proceeds used
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as a part of the money for the building o fthe new church, which was the beautiful Walnut Street church at the corner of Second and Walnut. In 1825 Rev. Robert Parrett, who was born in England, but had immigrated here, established what was called "The Evansville Class," an organization of the Methodist church and this was the second religious society in this city. From our records we see that as early as 1811 circuit riders had pushed their way all through the wilderness in this section and held their little meetings wherever a little band could be gotten together. The pay they received was a mere nothing but while I may have been severe in speaking of their ways of imparting religious doctrine, I want to say that I know their hearts were in their work and if they received a bare living that was all they wanted. Their payment was in the approval of their con- sciences. It is stated that the first meetings were what might really be called church meetings, were held at Warner's tavern near First and Lo- cust. It is also said that while Mr. Warner allowed a great deal of drink- ing and carousing in his tavern, it was only necessary to send him word that there would be a religious meeting and the building would be quickly relieved of the crowd, the place swept clean and ready for the meeting and he also notified his patrons that they could not come back into the building while the services were going on.
In 1838 William Bayless came here and through his ability as a speaker, greatly strengthened the membership of the church and the Methodists soon had their own building. It was 40 by 60 feet and cost $5,600. They re- tained this house until 1865 when the great Trinity Church at the corner of Third and Chestnut was built. In December, 1835, Rev. Jackson Kemper, a misionary Episcopal bishop of the northwest came here to preach and a few Episcopalians who were here met at the store of Goodsell and Lyon, to see if a church could not be built. William Towne presided at the meeting and James Lockhart was secretary. An organization was effected which was called St. Pauls' church. In 1839 an edifice was erected and consecrated in January, 1840, by Bishop Kemper, acting bishop of the Indiana diocese. It was later enlarged and was the handsomest church building in this section of the country. It was torn down to make way for the present Episcopal church which occupies the same site at the corner of First and Chestnut.
The first Catholic organization south of Vincennes, was Assumption par- ish founded in 1836. This was the only Catholic church in the city until 1857 when Holy Trinity parish was organized. The first priest of Assump- tion was Father Deydier, who was a missionary who came on horse back from the city of Mexico in 1836. There were few Catholics here at that time, although Vincennes had always been known as a Catholic city, but in 1838 the sum of $1,200 was raised and two years later a church was built on the ground where the Waverly building, formerly the Business Men's Association, now stands. This was a two-story brick which stood up above a basement in which a Catholic school was taught. Later a Catholic sister's home was built on the corner of the same lot, while the home of the
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priest was on the alley where the Grand Opera house now stands. In fact, the Catholics gradually acquired this quarter of a square. The old church was afterwards sold as were the other buildings and it stood for some time before being demolished, and was actually used as a sort of playhouse before it was finally torn down. For many years it was one of the land marks here and the ringing of its bell took the place of watches for a great many who lived in that section of the city.
Returning to the little church on the hill, when I came here, Rev. Will- iam H. McCarer was the pastor, he having come here in 1849. He contin- ued with the church for 18 long years, in fact, until the time when old age crept upon him and he was no longer able to conduct the big church which had grown out of the little building. When he came there were only some 30 members but nearly 300 joined while he was in the pulpit. During the last of his life, he preached at the church on First avenue. His name will always be a household word among Presbyterians here, as he was a much loved and most conscientious minister, whose gentle bearing made him a host of friends. During the erection of the big Walnut Street church, meet- ings were held in the basement, and the church, as fully completed, was formally dedicated in February, 1863, Rev. Dr. Tuttle, president of Wabash College, preaching the sermon. A Philadelphia architect designed the build- ing which was probably worth some $60,000. It will seat 1,050 people. When first built, the choir loft was at the back of the building and in this Mrs. Lizzie Shanklin, Mrs. Cyrus K. Drew, Mrs. Blythe Hynes, and other noted lady singers, and Prof. Tinker, Samuel E. Gilbert, James E. Mason, Luke Wood, Constant DeLang, a brother of Mrs. E. T. McNeely, and oth- ers, formed the male part of the little choir. The choir is now grown to large proportions and occupies a place in the rear of the pulpit and is con- sidered one of the best in the city.
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