USA > Pennsylvania > Lycoming County > Williamsport > Chronicles of Christ Church Parish, Williamsport, Pa., 1840-1896 > Part 8
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MR. ECKEL'S RECTORSHIP
love, and of a sound mind. And while we plant and water, do Thou give the continual increase ; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
(*Here intercessions may be made for special persons or objects.)
Mr. Eckel had a card placed at the tower door, "Come in, rest and pray," and had the church open all day for private devotion, many not of our communion availing themselves of this privilege. He had daily services in Advent and Lent, and on the great festivals the services were as inspiring as elab- orate ritual and music could make them, accompanied by crowded congregations. In 1898 he instituted the custom of the Midnight Eucharist on Christmas Eve-a high celebra- tion with elaborate music and ritual. This service has always been largely attended and is evidently dear to the communi- cants of the parish. He was the first rector to introduce the use of wafer, or unleavened, bread.
A very interesting and profitable service was held on the evening of Maundy Thursday-a service of self-examination and devotion in preparation for the Easter Communion.
The cards now in the tower of the church regarding The Ceremonies of the Church, The Holy Catholic Church, The Anglican Church and The Apostolic Succession, were placed in position by Mr. Eckel, as well as the appeal: "Whosoever thou art that enterest this church, leave it not without one prayer to God for thyself, for those who minister and those who worship." The photographs in the vestry-room of the rectors and curates of the parish were also obtained by Mr. Eckel.
Mr. Eckel was a brilliant preacher, a clear thinker and an absolutely fearless champion of whatever he believed to be right. He also had the rare gift of accepting failure cheer- fully. He never bore malice and was always ready to try a new plan to forward the work of the Kingdom of God.
He was also interested in all civic matters. It was at his instance that city elections ceased to be held in the saloons, and he organized the Williamsport Branch of the Bureau of Asso-
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ciated Charities, which relieved the parish of many of its pen- sioners.
Mr. Eckel was chaplain of the Actors' Alliance and fre- quently ministered to members of the profession while in the city, and on more than one occasion prevented the presenta- tion of undesirable plays on the stage of the opera house.
Mr. Eckel also belonged to the Ministerial Association of the city (in addition to the Clericus of our own Church), and at one time invited all the ministers and their wives to a tea in the parish house, which was followed by a fine musical ser- vice in the church, arranged by the organist, Mr. Frank Gat- ward, for their enjoyment ; one of the numbers sung being the "Sanctus," from Gounod's St. Cecelia, the solo being sung by Mr. William H. Deibert.
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THE REV. WILLIAM NORTHEY JONES RECTOR 1905
. f
CHRIST CHURCH PARISH HOUSE SUNDAY SCHOOL ROOM AND AUDITORIUM
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MR. JONES'S RECTORSHIP
favorable for an increase in the numerical strength of the parish.
In some respects the chronicles of the five years of Mr. Jones's rectorship must consist in records of large sums of money spent in buildings and improvements, of gifts given and received, of clubs and guilds organized, of financial resources placed on a sounder basis. But from a higher standpoint all these things must remain of secondary interest and signifi- cance as compared to the life of the parish, perhaps best evi- denced in the number of baptisms and confirmations.
As a Churchman Mr. Jones belongs to the school which holds the Catholic faith ; but which, while admiring the ornate, considers ritual beyond that demanded for order, decency and dignity, as a non-essential; a school which in the pulpit eschews as far as possible the politico-ethical questions of the day, that have here and there dragged the pulpit into politics ; but a school which, by preaching the whole gospel of Christ, and Him crucified, seeks not only to minister to the soul but to furnish guidance for the solving of the complex problems that confront present-day men in their dealings with each other.
It would possibly be in bad taste for the writer of the present chapter to do more than mention the present rector's ability as a thoughtful and helpful preacher ; his persistent selection of the old biblical narratives to enforce the lessons to which he woud have his congregation give heed ; and his rev- erent and impressive reading of the services of the Church. A better and a truer estimate of the value of his work can be given by the mere quotation of the parish records, which show that in the past five years the baptisms numbered 246 and the confirmations 239. It is worthy of note that in 1906 the class presented for confirmation numbered 75, the largest in the his- tory of the parish by nearly 50 per cent.1 As an evidence of the strength of the Church to attract not only the children
1 The largest previous classes were presented by Dr. Paret in 1870 and Dr. Hopkins in 1879, both numbering 47; but of these a number came from Wadleigh Chapel, now St. Mary's Church.
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whose parents are members, it is not out of place to add that 26 of the candidates for the rite were of sectarian1 upbringing.
On February 4, 1906, by the Rt. Rev. James H. Darling- ton, Bishop of the Diocese, Mr. Jones was instituted as Rector of Christ Church Parish, the ceremonies being in accord with those prescribed by the Church. The Rev. Harry G. Hart- man, whom Mr. Jones had engaged as assistant,2 acted as chaplain to the Bishop, and carried the pastoral staff ;3 while Mr. Jones was escorted by Mr. C. LaRue Munson, Senior Warden, and Mr. Allen P. Perley, Junior Warden, the former, on behalf of the congregation, accepting Mr. Jones as rector, and presenting him with the keys of the church. After the Bishop had presented the new rector with the Bible, the Book of Common Prayer, the Constitution and Canons of the Church, and the Canons of the Diocese of Harrisburg, and had spoken to the people as to the significance of the rite in which they had taken part, the Communion Service followed, over one hundred persons receiving the Sacrament.
Among the early work undertaken by Mr. Jones was the revival of the parish paper4 under the title, "Christ Church Messenger," in the form of an illustrated monthly,5 designed
1 This class is also the banner class in the history of the Dio- cese of Harrisburg. In addition one member of the Roman Branch of the Catholic Church was received into the Church.
2 The Rev. Harry G. Hartman came to Christ Church on August 1, 1905, after graduating from the General Theological Seminary. He was given special charge over St. John's Mission; was advanced to the priesthood Trinity Sunday, 1906, and resigned October 1, 1906, having received a call to the rectorship of Trinity Church, Shamokin, Pa.
3 Bishop Darlington's staff was made from a design prepared by Dr. Hopkins, and it was first carried before Bishop Howe by Dr. Hopkins himself, when he acted as Bishop's Chaplain on the occasion of the consecration of Christ Church in 1879.
4 Reference to this paper is made in some of the previous chap- ters and a summary of its history given in "Summary Notes, 'The Parish Paper.'"
5 Editor, Rev. W. Northey Jones; Associate Editors, George P. Crocker and Henry C. Parsons; Advertising Manager, Frederick W.
CHRIST CHURCH PARISH HOUSE
BOWLING ALLEY LADIES' GUILD ROOM
MEN'S CLUB ROOMS CHOIR ROOM
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MR. JONES'S RECTORSHIP
to enable the members of the parish to keep in close touch with all its affairs; and the establishment of the "Knights of King. Arthur," an organization of boys, which has developed into a sound and useful club.1
Of greater importance was the maintenance of interest in the probationary chapter of the Brotherhood of St. 'Andrew, organized shortly before Mr. Eckel resigned, under the presi- dency of Mr. A. Thomas Page. This work resulted, Septem- ber, 1907, in the granting of a charter, No. 1962, to the "Christ Church, Williamsport, Chapter." Twenty-five men were en- rolled as charter members, with Mr. Washington Righter as Director, Mr. Robert Field, Secretary, and Mr. Jasper Nichol- son, Treasurer. The Chapter continues active and is of much service to the Church.
Of great help, too, was the organization of a choir of girls' voices, in December, 1905, to assist at the services when the regular choir could not be present ; daily during Lent, and on Wednesday evenings during the rest of the year. Origin- ally it was hoped it would sing first at the early communion service on Christmas Day, but it did not take part till the first Monday in Lent-March 5, 1906.2
Zahn. The present staff (1910) is: Editor, Rev. W. Northey Jones; Associate Editors, George P. Crocker, Augusta Wilson, Wil- liam U. Mussina and Henry C. Parsons; Circulation Department, A. Thomas Page; Advertising Manager, Hugh Gilmore; Assistant Manager, J. Raymond Geiger.
1 Originally the "Knights" were boys between the ages of 9 and 14, assisted by 25 patronesses, of whom Mrs. C. LaRue Munson was President, and Mrs. W. H. Kilbourn, Secretary-Treasurer. Later, they became the "Junior Knights," owing to the organization of the "Senior Knights," who were boys over 15 years of age, assisted by 36 men of the parish. These "Senior Knights" had but a short existence, and on January 2, 1908, the Junior Knights were reor- ganized as "Knights of King Arthur," under the direction of Mr. Edgar Munson, who still remains in charge. The boys conduct their own meetings under parliamentary rules, and when in session wear picturesque capes as the insignia of their knighthood.
2 The sacrifice of time and comfort in coming daily, no matter what the weather, is greater than is usually appreciated. The time
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A number of other clubs have been organized and have been more or less effective in accomplishing the purposes for which they were created; while the older clubs, such as "The Parish Ladies' Aid Society," "The Woman's Auxiliary to the Board of Missions," and "St. Mary's Guild," have continued towers of strength.1
From the beginning Mr. Jones had impressed on the Vestry his opinion that the parish house must be enlarged if successful work was to be achieved, and to a man they not only sympathized with him in his desire, but set to work to realize it. By March, 1906, St. Mary's Guild, to which no task seems impossible, commenced the work of raising funds, and the Vestry co-operated, by agreeing to set aside the Easter offering for the purpose to which they were now com- mitted. On March 29, 1906, the architect submitted plans covering alterations the estimated cost of which was about $10,000. That sum was not in hand, neither were the altera- tions and additions sufficiently extensive for the work that was being planned. The matter went over, the Vestry appointing Miss Lucy O. Scott, Treasurer of St. Mary's Guild, as special treasurer of the building fund till a sufficient amount had been accumulated to justify proceeding with the work.2 The Easter offering in 1906 was about $3,400; in 1907 it was about $3,800. The money collected justified commencing work and the plans had been elaborated till they seemed adequate. Bids were asked for in September, and obtained, and in the October "Messenger," the editors record that they have been driven out of the parish house, it having been turned over to the contrac-
and help given by Mrs. Gatward, the Misses Lumley and others to the choir is acknowledged in "Summary Notes, 'The Choir.'" The Oxford caps and materials for their vestments were donated by Mrs. Allen P. Perley.
1 It would seem that in Christ Church, as elsewhere, for length of service and unremitting effort, the women's guilds form exam- ples utterly unmatched by their male collaborators.
2 For convenience the funds were actually handled as by the St. Mary's Guild.
1
CHRIST CHURCH PARISH HOUSE
KINDERGARTEN ROOM KITCHEN
RECTOR'S STUDY PRIMARY ROOM
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MR. JONES'S RECTORSHIP
tor.1 Apparently they were not absolutely homeless, for the School Directors of the Franklin Building generously loaned - them a room in which to meet.
With the commencement of work gifts poured in. The plans called for store-rooms, lavatories, club rooms, and a bowling alley in the basement ; hall, infants' room, choir room, and a Sunday-School room on the first floor, the last named with regular stage and paraphernalia; and for club rooms, kitchen, study and an auditorium on the second floor. The furnishings for such a plant must of necessity be costly, and for some months the "Messenger" seems a mere chronicle of gifts of furnishings, windows, fittings, rugs, etc., by members of the parish, who availed themselves of the opportunity to both help the project and erect memorials to the memory of those they loved.2 By the date the parish house was opened, October 12, 1908, the value of the gifts so made must have equalled nearly $6,000, while the sums paid by the church it- self totaled a little over $24,000. The Easter offering in 1908 had reached $4,200, and in the succeeding year $3,300 more was realized from the same source. All bills were paid and by the middle of 1910 the parish house, which, with furnish- ings, must have cost $30,000, was paid for with the exception of about $1,500, which will be wiped out next Easter.
Hardly had the parish house project gotten well under way, than an unexpected gift was made for St. John's Mission on the South Side. Mr. Henry J. Lutcher and Mr. G. T. Bedell Moore, the latter the son of a former rector of the parish, pre- sented to the Church a lot on Market Street, splendidly situ-
1 Samuel Larrivee was the contractor; G. W. Talley, clerk-of- the-works; the Vestry Committee-the Wardens and Messrs. C. B. Farr, John F. Laedlein, Joseph C. Righter and William C. Rob- inson. The contract was for $14,500, exclusive of lighting, heating, windows, etc.
2 The individual gifts are itemized in "Summary Notes; 'Gifts, Memorials, etc.'" Every room was completely furnished through the generosity of some person or family immediately on its com- pletion.
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ated and of ample dimensions to permit the erection on it of a church, parish house and parsonage.
The possibilities that this gift suggested were tremen- dous. At the beginning of his incumbency Mr. Jones had re- quested the Vestry to increase the salary of the curate to $700, which they had done, and he had then insisted that the curate reside on the South Side, among the people to whom he was supposed to minister, instead of living in the city and "visiting them," as in the past. Only by perpetual contact and com- munity of interest did he believe the Mission could advance. On the resignation of Mr. Hartman, in October, 1906, he had secured Mr. Thomas R. Yates,1 who was the type of man he was looking for, and who threw himself so whole-heartedly into the work as to soon win the affection of his people. The chapel was a wooden building, erected by Dr. Hopkins 23 years previously, and naturally was not on the lot presented. To move it would be expensive; from the standpoint of the future, unsatisfactory. While the matter was being considered Mr. G. T. Bedell Moore, who with his partner, Mr. Lutcher, had just given the lot, solved the problem. Writing from his residence in San Antonio, he informed the Vestry he desired to give St. John's a church in memory of his father, and placed the matter of its erection in the hands of Wardens of the parish, only asking that the foundations be put in before cold weather. The plans drawn by Duhring, Okie & Ziegler, calling for a church of brown mountain stone up to the eaves, above which there was to be English open timber work, were accepted, and the necessary excavations commenced. The cost was esti- mated at $10,000, but before completion the bills paid by Mr.
1 The Rev. Thomas R. Yates was born in England, but came to this country as a young man, laboring in a coal mine in order to secure money to get through college. He spent four years at Harlem Springs College, Ohio, and then entered Mt. Union Col- lege, Alliance, Ohio, graduating in 1891. He spent one year at the Western Theological Seminary (Methodist) and one year trav- eling in Europe, before becoming pastor of a Methodist church at Pulaski, Pa. Mr. Yates was ordained deacon by Bishop Dar- lington, September, 1907, and priest March 17, 1908.
ST. JOHN'S CHAPEL: INTERIOR
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MR. JONES'S RECTORSHIP
Moore, and after his death by his widow, Mrs. Moore, totaled nearer $20,000. The Vestry, on its part, promised to see that a parsonage was erected. Early in the next year, on May 14, 1908, the corner-stone was laid by Bishop Darlington, the Grand Lodge of Masons assisting, while the Rev. Mr. Graff, a former rector of the parish, came in person to tell his remin- iscences of the Mission's early history. The clergy, preceded by the vested choir, at the head of which was carried the pro- cessional cross, left Christ Church fully vested, and followed by the Bishop in his robes, in front of whom was carried a pastoral staff, proceeded out Fourth Street to Market Street, and thence down Market Street, across the bridge, to the site of the new church. The procession was a dignified one and doubly pleasant, as demonstrating that, excepting in the larger cities, the Church can still perform her rites with some of the pomp that befits them, without fear of ribaldry or interruption.
The building operations proceeded steadily and on March 28, 1909, the new church was used for the first time; being consecrated by Bishop Darlington shortly after, on Ascension Day of that year.
The completed building is so beautiful that it adds to the sorrow felt throughout the parish that Mr. Moore did not live to see it. He died suddenly and unexpectedly on October II, 1908, his body being brought to Williamsport for interment in the lot which contained the bodies of his first wife and two children. His sisters, the Misses Gertrude, Sarah Vir- ginia and Emily Salter Moore, desired the permission of the Vestry to erect a window to Mr. Moore's memory in the chan- cel, but before it was completed, death again stepped in and claimed Miss Gertrude Moore. The window depicts six scenes in the life of St. John, and is probably the finest piece of stained glass in Williamsport. Upon the death of her husband Mrs. G. T. Bedell Moore assumed his interest in the Memorial Church, and to her kindness and interest much is due. The rood, altar, reredos and sedilia constitute her tribute to Mr. Moore's memory.
As promised, the Vestry proceeded with the erection of a
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parsonage, the contract price being $4,400, Mr. Yates with his family moving in in March, 1910. The financial problem was so far simplified through the sale of the old church and lots that to-day, despite the fact that it cost $5,000, the only encum- brance on the property is a mortgage for $1,500.1
The two large building operations have in a way over- shadowed, so far, the story of this rectorship. But an im- mense amount has been done in other ways, the most far- reaching act being the decision of the Vestry to rent the pews. When, in 1866, Mr. Wadleigh accepted the rectorship, he did so only upon the understanding that the church should be made a free church; and it has been recorded how he and Mr. Grange spent an afternoon carrying down into the cellar the doors of the pews, in order that it might not only be free, but appear so. Yet the history of the church since his time, as well as before it, is largely one of financial difficulties, of endless borrowings and payments of interest, of difficulties experi- enced in persuading each member of the parish to pay his share. After the erection of the Diocese of Harrisburg, and the election of Bishop Darlington, who is a strong believer in pew-rentals, the Vestry, after much anxious consideration, de- cided to make a trial. The Bishop visited the parish in 1908 and spoke plainly to the congregation, pointing out that, though in theory the free church was most excellent, it gen- erally failed in practice. On April 27, 1908, therefore, the pew-rent system was authorized to take effect July I. A dia- gram was drawn and published in the "Messenger," in which the rent of the pews was shown to vary from $15 to $120, each pew containing five sittings. A person desiring a single sit- ting could have one assigned, and if this sitting was in one of the $15 pews, it would cost him but 5 4-5 cents a Sunday. Free seats were provided for the inmates of the Girls' Training School, and precautions taken to prevent those unable to con- tibute even the nominal sum named from feeling that the new
1 The Mission is rapidly becoming self-supporting. Christ Church pays $400 of the curate's salary; the Mission pays the balance and all other expenses.
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rule affected them. The committee having the matter in charge - went to work and has been so successful that at Easter, 1910, but two pews and fifteen individual sittings remained un- taken, and the "Messenger" reported that the income of the Church had been increased by $1,500.
In the early part of 1907, after careful consideration on the part of the Vestry, an amended charter1 was submitted to the congregation at a parish meeting. Being approved, it was forwarded to the President Judge of the Court of Common Pleas of Lycoming County and subsequently approved by him.2
Work of all kinds has gone forward during the past five years, but none has done more to beautify the church itself than the presentation of memorial windows. When, at the April, 1905, meeting of the Vestry, Messrs. Robert Hallam Munson and C. LaRue Munson requested permission to place in the church a window in memory of their parents, and Mrs. Elizabeth H. Doebler, at the same time, requested permission to place a window in the church in memory of her husband, the nature of the windows, and the cumulative effect to be ob- tained, was seriously considered, and it was decided that donors should be requested to have the windows depict scenes from
1 The amendments were of a nature to enable the Vestry to better administer the financial affairs of the parish.
2 In every rectorship losses by death are inevitable. On No- vember 19, 1908, Mr. John B. Dayton, who, confirmed in 1860, had become Superintendent of the Sunday School, and later, 1892, a member of the Vestry, passed away, after attending Christ Church for 48 years. The officers of the Sunday School met and passed suitable resolutions, the Vestry taking similar action.
Mr. William Humbert Kilbourn, who had attained manhood before entering the Episcopal Church, died suddenly on March 14, 1908. Though only connected with Christ Church since 1899, he had worked so indefatigably for her interests-especially in the Sunday School-that his loss was a severe one. The officers of the Sunday School met and passed suitable resolutions.
On January 31, 1907, Miss Sarah Ann Damant, the sister of Mr. James Damant, who served the parish in so many capacities, died peacefully in her home. She was much loved in the parish and had recently celebrated her 101st birthday.
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the life of Christ, while the windows themselves should be so placed that the scenes would follow each other in chronological order.1
Of the four windows in the church, given during the present rectorship, the first to be unveiled was the "The Na- tivity," given in memory of Edgar and Maria Curtis Munson2 by their sons, Robert Hallam and Cyrus LaRue Munson. It was unveiled by Robert Hallam Munson on All Saints' Day, 1905, in the presence of the Bishop of the Diocese, a number of clergy and a large congregation, to whom Mr. Cyrus LaRue Munson read a paper commemorating the lives of his parents.
The second window to be placed in position was that of "The Ascension," presented by the legatees of James Van du Zee Brown3 to his memory, and unveiled by Mr. Edmund B. Piper on June 4, 1906. The ceremonies were simple, but gained dignity through the presence of the Bishops of Harris- burg and Maryland, the latter, Dr. Paret, having been the rector who first appointed Mr. Brown warden.
In 1905 Mrs. Elizabeth W. Doebler had made arrange- ments to place a window to the memory of her husband, but before they could be completed she herself was stricken by death. So it was not till the 17th of October, 1907, that the window, "Christ before the Doctors," was unveiled by Mr. John Doebler, who on behalf of the family presented it to the church in memory of Valentine Smith and Elizabeth Hepburn Doebler.
1 Mr. Eckel had suggested the scheme to the Vestry during his rectorship and warmly advocated it. Unfortunately the condition of the older windows made the moving of them such a hazardous proposition that they remain as originally placed.
2 Edgar Munson was for years a warden of Christ Church and a short notice of his life has been inserted in the chapter "Mr. Graff's Rectorship." His wife, Lucy Maria Curtis, whom he mar- ried in 1852, was as devoted to the interests of the church as he himself. She passed away February 10, 1902, less than a year after her husband's death.
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