THE OMAHA ILLUSTRATED BEE.
April 29, 1MO.
Half-Century of Activity of
REV. REUBEN GAYLORD.
MEMBERSHIP of nearly 6.00 in
jt1 I 2tl churches; the largest deiumi-
I lnatlonal school urouortv In the
state; one college and four
Nourishing academies; a property
amounting to ilTS.ifctS, with a telal endow
ment of $106,000 and a spiritual influence
In proportion, . la the rexird of Congrega
tionalism in Nebraska, which will celebrate
the semi-centennial anniversary of Us
founding May 4. The history of the Con
gregational church in Omaha dates back
almost to the beginning of the city itself,
while that In the state, which was the out
growth of this beginning, is an Insepar
able part of the record of the hardship
And struggle of those sturdy, steadfast
pleneer men and women who extended a
Christianity broader than the denomlna
tlonallam that directed It and that con
tributed some of the most substantial in
fluences to the very foundation upon which
Nebraska was built.
Coming; of Reuben Gaylord.
It was In 1S66 that Reuben (Jay lord, a
graduate of Vale college In the class of
1834, for seventeen years a m.-slonary in
Iowa and one of the first trubt os of the
Iowa State college, was sent i :iaha by
the American Home Mission uclety to
begin his labors at the munificent salary of
$WQ a year. Undaunted by discouragements
and physical hardships such as only the
pioneer missionary can know, he laid the
foundation for the Congregational church
In Nebraska. During the winter of 1&6
be preached in the assembly room of the
territorial legislature, and May 4 of the
following year the Congregational church
was organised with the following mem
bers: Governor and Mrs. O. D. Richard
son, Mr. and Mrs. B. H. Chapman, James
W. Seymour, Mrs. Allen, Miss Sara Oay
lord and Rev. and Mrs. Reuben Gaylord.
It was to Reuben Gaylord that Dr.
Oeorge I Miller referred as "that brave
Christian soldier who brought Sunday into
Omaha and the transmlssourl eountry."
Dr. Miller was one of the first trustees
of the church and a valued worker and he
tells the following Incident in the early
work of Rev. Gaylord: Passing the Im
provised chapel one morning he heard a
man's voice raised In prayer. Looking
In he saw Rev. Gaylord on his knees pray
ing that the Lorld would send him an
audience.
missionary IUee's Effort.
However, the way had been been pre
Battle of
I us this year we naturally recall
aroused national Interest as few
crises In our personal memory
have done, and gave us one of our national
heroes George Dewey, who will proba
bly live In our memories and our chil
dren's memories when the other men who
distinguished themselves In military or
naval command during our short wars
with the Spanish and the Filipinos are
forgotten.
We hear little of Admiral Dewey today,
but that Uttle Is to the effect that he is
quietly but efficiently doing his duty and
doing It well. According to the old
maxim "young men for action, old men
for counsel," the admiral is sitting as the
president of the, naval general board; and
none can say that any other officer Is
today performing more valuable service
for his country. We have at hand the
official .correspondence of the Navy de
partment with Commodore Dewey at the
time of the Spanish war, and all of it
Is Interesting. Some of it will be recog
nised as having been published at the
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REV. A. F. SHERRILU
pared for it. . beginning by Governor O.
D. Richardson, for four years lieutenant
ifcoverm r of Michigan; Dr. George L. Mil
ler, then a practicing physician in Omaha,
and Rev. George G. Rice, pastor of the
Congregational church in Council Bluffs.
Governor Richardson had come to town In
1864 and was an earnest Congregatlonollst.
It was Rev. George Rice who preached the
first Congregational sermon In Nebraska,
and the story of this sermon, together with
much Interesting information, is best told
by this venerable and venerated clergyman
himself, who still lives In Council Bluffs,
In the following letter to the compilers of
a history of the church In Nebraska, and
which settles several disputed points:
"Dr. D. B. Cole, secretory of the Ameri
can Home Missionary society, wrote me In
July, 18E4, requesting that I keep the so
ciety Informed regarding the settlement
and needs of Nebraska. August 4 I re
plied: The Indiana have not yet been
removed to their reservation, and until
that time the territory will not be open
to settlement. The agent Is hastening the
removal of the Indians and the territory
will likely be open to settlers In a few
days. September 19 I wrote again: "The
Indians hnve been removed snd there Is a
brisk movement Into the territory. Omaha,
Just across the river from Council Bluffs,
Is to be the capital of the territory. A
steam ferryboat Is conveying materials
across the river for the capitol building,
which Is already under way. Omaha should
have a minister as soon as a suitable man
can be found, for, being tho capital. It
will build up rapidly. Another man should
be sent to the territory as general mis
sionary.' t
"About this time I secured two lota a
gift from the Omaha Land company for a
Congregational church. When the church
was built one of the lots was sold for
S700 and the money used In building. The
latter part of January I spent a, Sabbath
In Omaha and preached morning and even
ing In the . legislative hall, and Monday
morning I officiated as chaplain In the
same hall. This was the first Congrega
tional sermon preached In Nebraska aflei
the territory was organised. There were
a few Congregatlonallsts In Omaha at that
time with whom I was frequently In con
ference, trying to aid. them In securing a
minister. In September, 1856, Reuben Gay
lord came across the state on a vacation
tour. I went with him- to Omaha and we
called upon Governor Richardson and made
arrangements for Brother Gaylord f
Manila Bay Told by
close of the war, but a good deal will be
new to the readers.'
American Sympathy for Cuba.
The excesses and outrages Incident to
the Insurrection in Cuba stirred the peo
ple of the United States to the heart, and
developed a strong sympathy for the
Cubans. The demonstration of the in
ability of the Spanish to put down the
insurrection and maintain a permanent
peace in Cuba showed the condition to be
hopeless and engendered a strong desire
In the people of 'this country to end a
situation felt to be Intolerable. For some
reason it was thought advisable by our
government and that of Spain, both of
which were averse' to war between the
two countries, to send naval vessels to
exchange visits of courtesy. Many, n
official as well as private life, desired
war between the two countries, though it
Is believed that the two governments
were sincere In their attempt to avoid lt
Many Americans desired to make war out
of sympathy with Cuba, many to put an
end to the Intolerable restraint exer
cised by the condition of perpetual, war
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V. & a OLTMTIA, PEW EI '8 rT-AGSIirP.
ROT. O. W. RICB.
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FIRST
preach In Omaha the next Sabbath after
noon. After Sabbath morning service in
Council Bluffs we rode down to the river,
tied our horses In the willows and were
conveyed across the river In a canoe. At
the close of that afternoon's service sev
eral persons expressed a wish that Rev.
Gaylord would come and be their minister.
After considerable correspondence he re
signed his charge In Iowa and came to
Council Bluffs with his family, December
22, 1S5, on his way to Omaha, where he at
once commenced his missionary labors."
For eight years Reuben Gaylord served
in that island. Some Spaniards were Im
patient of American assistance and sym
pathy for Cubans, and thought that Spain
would be able to chastise us. Others be
lieved that the situation in Cuba was
hopeless for Spain, and that they could
save prestlve 'by yielding to the United
States what they were too proud to yield
to the Cubans.
Sinking; of the Maine.
The Spanish visit, that, of the armored
cruiser Infanta Maria Teresa to New York,
was marked by no unpleasant incident, the
usual official courtesies being exchanged.
But the return visit of the armored cruiser
Maine to Havana resulted in a tragedy that
made the war inevitable. The- Maine was
destroyed at 9:40 p. m., February 15. There
was a strong and almost general belief
that the work was due to Spanish assassins,
but the Navy department decided to con
duct such an Investigation as would leave
no chanoe for reasonable doubt. A
Spanish naval board of Inquiry reported on
March 22:
Fourth That the Important facts con
nected with tha explosion in its external
apoearances at every moment of Its dura-
V
Omaha's
RBV. JOSEPH
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CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF OMAHA.
as pastor of the Omaha' chprch. A vigor-
ous weekly prayer meeting and a flourish
ing Sabbath school was maintained and
women's work In the church Inaugurated
and the work was well on Its feet when
he resigned themlnlstry In 1864 to become
superintendent of missions la the terri
tory. He died In 1880 at Fontanelle, Neb.,
and was buried from the church he had
founded twenty-four years before.
Eight Pastors In Fifty Years.
During the fifty years of its existence
the First Congregational church has had
Dewey
tlon having been described by witnesses,
and the absence of all circumstances which
necessarily accompany the explosion of a
torpedo having been proved by these wit
nesses and experts, it can only be honestly
asserted that the catastrophe was due to
Internal causes.
Before the report of this board was made,
the Investigation of the United States naval
court of Inquiry developed unquestionable
evidence that the explosion was due to
external agencies that a large mine had
been exploded "under the '' bottom of the
ship at about frame IS and somewhat on
the port side of the ship;" but It 'was at
tempted to Veep secret the discoveries of
the divers and the Investigation was con
tinued and completed. Of course the Navy
department knew that war would neces
sarily follow the publication of the evi
dence of the divers or the findings of the
court, so that as complete advantage as
possible was taken of the Intervening time.
Arrangements for the purchase of war
ships In Europe were begun in February.
It was necessary to purchase some vessels
In order that Spain should not get them,
and even then Spain did better than we,
for she got the fine new Argentine armored
cruiser that as the Cristobal Colon crossed
the Atlantic to find a grave.
Congress on Arrll 26 declared that war
had existed since April 21.
Dewey's Tremendous Taste.
We know now that Dewey's task was
easy, as far as the first of May was con
cernedthe result of the first of May de
pended upon the previous preparation of
the squadrons but neither Dewey nor any
body else anticipated that It would be
easy; and even after the first of May he
was almost constantly threatened with at
tack by forces nominally superior to his
own first the Germans under Admiral
Dlederlchs and then the Spanish squadron
under Admiral Camira. which started out
for the. reoor.quest of the Philippine seas.
The question of the Filipinos the Insur
rectos was another of the thorns that
made his bed a poor one for sleep. At first
Agulnaldo Imposed upon his susceptibility,
and the Insurrecto leader seems vto think
that the commodore imposed somewhat
upon him. It is noticeable that Aguinaldo
arrived at Cavlte May 13. on the naval
collier Nanshan, that on June 27 the ad
miral hat considerable confidence In the
natives and Agulnaldo. On August 11 the
city of Manila capitulated to the Joint
forces of army and navy (the day after
the signing of the peace protocol), and tho
acting secretary Intimated that the presi
dent was about to summon the admiral to
Washington for advice. In reply the ad
miral cabled: "I trust that It may not .be
necessary to order me to Washington.
Should regret vyry much to leave hers
while matters remain In present critical
condition." The critical condition at that
time was the question of Agulnaldo and his
men. There is many a man ?j Nebraska
today who could give personal testimony
as to that critical condition; soldiers' pho
tographs in other homes that give their tes
timony where ths loved ones fell victims
to that condition. It was not unrll tha
Firs! Congregational Church
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eight pastors and Its congregation, num
bering almost 1.20Q, has worshiped Jn three
churches. ' -
The ministers, who have succeeded Ren
ben Gaylord have all been scholarly men
who have retained In the congregation a
goodly proportion of the city's foremost fam
ilies. During the six years following Rev.
Gaylord's resignation the church had three
pastors: Rev.. A. D. Shotwell, Rov. W. W.
Rose and Rev. .E. S. Palmer. In 1870 Rev.
Sherrlll, D. D was ordained and entered
upon a pastorate of eighteen years, during
which the church grew steadily in numbers
and Montojo in Their Reports
following- February that the plans of the
natives to massacre the Americans In Ma
nila were discovered and hostilities com
menced at Marlqulna.
Dewey's Story of tho Fight.
U. 8. Naval Force on Asiatic Station,
Flagship Olympla, Cavlte Philippine
Islands, May 4, lh9. Sir: I have the honor
to submit the following report of the oper
ations of the squadron under my com
mit nd:
The squadron left Mies Bay on April 27,
immediately on the arrival of O. F.
Williams, United States consul at Manila,
who brought Importnnt Information and
who accompanies the squadron.
Arrived off Bollnao on the morning of
April 30 and, finding no vessels there, pro
ceeded down the coast and arrived off the
entrance to Manila bay on the same after
noon. The Boston and Concord were sent to
reconnolter Port Subic, I having been In
formed that the enemy Intended to take
position there. A thorough search of tha
port was made by the Boston and Concord,
but the Spanish fleet was not found, al
though from a letter afterwards found In
the arsenal (enclosed with translation) it
appears that it had been their Intention
to go there.
Entered :he Boca Grande, or south chan
nel, at ll:3o p. m., steaming in column at
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REV. F. A. WARFIELD.
and spiritual strength. Dr. Sherrlll ap
plied his energy unsparingly and In 1M
the church gave from Its congregation Its
first colony for the organisation of St.
Mary's avenue church, Plymouth, Hillside
and Park Place, or afterward. Pilgrim,
following as the city and the denomination
grew.
Co mine of nr. Dnryeau
In 18S8 Dr. Sherrlll resigned to accept ft
call from Central Congregational church
of Atlanta, Ga. After an Interval of sev
eral months Rev. Joseph T. Duryea, D. D.,
of Boston accepted the call of the church
and until 1894, when falling health com
pelled him to resign. Dr. Duryea's mag
netlo Influence attracted the largest au
diences In the history of the church. The
congregation had Just moved into the au
ditorium of the present church and Sunday
after Sunday this, with the lecture rooms
adjoining were filled to the utmost and
on several occasions when special popular
subjects had been announced, people were
turned away unablo to be admitted.
For two years following Dr. Duryea's
resignation the church was without a pas
tor except as supplied, but In 1S96 Rev.
Frank A. Warfield. D. D of Brockton,
Mass., was called. Though his pastorate
lasted but two years. It covered one of the
most difficult periods In the church history.
In common with other churches of the
elty the First Congregational suffered se
verely from Uie financial depression of those
years, but by his practical sagacity Dr.
Warfield guided the church through. Dr.
Hubert C. Herring, D.D., succeeded Dr.
Wurfleld In 1R9G, and Is still pastor, having
reclaimed all that the church lost during
the years following Dr. Duryea's term and
the financial depression.
Homes of the Charehv i
Since the year following Its organization
the church has taken pride in Its houses
of worship and each of the three buildings
that It has occupied have been centers for
educational and other progressive move
ments In addition to those emanating di
rectly from the church.
The first building was erected In 180
at a cost of 14.500. part of which was fur
nished by the Congregational union, part
resulted from the sale of one of the church
lots and the remainder was supplied by the
congregation and townspeople. The build
107 was a modest little brick structure,
27x36 feet, with basement and audience
distance (1.200 feet from mainmast of one
sl.lp to that of ship next ahead) at eight
knots. After half the squadron had passed,
a battery on the south side of the chan
nel opened lire, ncne of the shots taking
effect. The Boston anil MeCullough re
turned the fire.
. The squadron proceeded across the bay
at slow speed and arrived off Manila at
daybreak, and was tired upon at 6:16 a.
m. by three batteries at Manila and two
at Cavlte and by the Spanish fleet an
chored In an approximately east and west
line across the mouth of Bakor bay, with
their left In shoal water in Canacao bay.
The squadron then proceeded to tha at
tack, the flagship Olympla, under my per
sonal direction, leading, followed at dis
tance by the Baltimore, Raleigh, Petrel,
Concord and Boston, in the order named,'
which formation was maintained through
out the action. The squadron opened tire
at 6:41 a. m. While advancing to the at
tack two mines were exploded ahead of
the flagship, too far to be effective.
The squadron maintained a continuous
and precise range at ranges varying from
6,000 to 2,000 yards, countermarching in a
line approximately parallel with the Span
ish fleet. The enemy's fire was vigorous,
but generally ineffective.
' Early in the engagement two launches
put out toward the Olympla with the ap
parent Intention of using torpedoes. One
was sunk and the other disabled by our
fire and beached before an opportunity
occurred to fire torpedoes. At I a. tn.
DEWltl'B FLETET TU HONTJ EXTNO HARBOR,
REV. HUBERT II. HERRING.
room. It stood on the west side of Six
teenth street about ninety-five feet north
of Farnam street. It had a seating ca
pacity of 226 and was the source of much
pride to tho townspeople In general. In
1870. at tho beginning of Dr. Sherrlll's pas
torate, a new church was enected at
Nineteenth and Chicago streets. This was
of frame and much more modern In Its
equipment. This building cost $10,000 and
seated on the floor and In the gallery about
$00. The congregation removed to this
building In 1871, but in 1887 this building
was sold and torn down, the congregation
moving to the chapel of the present church
at Nineteenth and Davenport streets, which
was completed and dedicated In 1888 at a
cost of 180,000. Dr. Duryea and Dr. Frank
Gunsaulus of Chicago officiated at the dedi
cation. For some time previous to this,
however, services had been held In the
chapel adjoining the church auditorium.
The present church has a seating capacity
of 650 In Its auditorium and 300 In the lec
ture room. In addition to these audience
rooms there Are parlors and class rooms
on the main floor and Sabbath school rooms
and a completely equipped kitchen in the
basement.
lues of the Aodltorlom.
For several years the Omaha Woman'i
club has used the auditorium and class
rtioms as club rooms, and these are con
tinually In demand for lectures, publlo re
ceptions and like things.
Among the men and women who have
made up Its congregation have been soma
of the most prominent who have lived In
Omaha, and their loyalty and service have
demonstrated their affection for the insti
tution. For twenty-five years Mrs. Charies
Squires was a member Of the church
choir, commencing when a young girl, and
later, after a prolonged season of voioe
culture, returned, singing for years. Later
Mrs. Squires, with Mr. Nat Brlgham and
Mr. and Mrs. Henry D. Estabrook, formed
a quartet that was one of the best In tho
city, and with Mr. Tabor at the organ was
one of the musical attractions of the Sab
bath day services.
P. C. Helmbaugh, who started the sub
scription for the first Young Men's Chris
tian association building, was another
staunch member, while General O. O. How
ard was also prominently Identified with
the church during his residence here.
the Spanish flagship Relna Christina made
a desperate effort to leave the line and
come out to engage at short range, but
was received with such galling fire, the
entire battery of the Olympla belna; con
centrated upon it, that It was barely able
to return to the shelter of the point. The
fires started In it by our shell at this time
were not extinguished until It sank.
At 7:35 a. m., it having been erroneously
reported to me that only fifteen rounds
per gun remained for the five-Inch rapid
fire battery, I ceased firing and withdrew
the squadron for consultation and a redis
tribution of ammunition if necessary.
The three batteries at Manila had kept
up a continuous fire from the beginning
of the engagement, which Are was not re
turned by this squadron. The first of these
batteries was situated on the south mole
head of the entrance to the Paslg liver,
the second on the south bastion of the
walled city of Manila, and the third at
Malale, about one-half mile further south.
At this point I sent a message to tho
governor general to the effect that If the
batteries did not cease firing the city
would be shelled. This had tha effect of
silencing them.
At 11:16 a. m., finding that the report of
scarcity of ammunition was Incorrect, I
returned with the squadron to the attack.
By this time the llagHlup and almost the
entire Spanish fleet were In flames, and
at 12:30 p. m. the squadron ceased firing,
(Continued on Page Seven.)
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