Fifty Years Old

Fifty yeats ago last Snnday, or on Sunday, March 28, 1347, the First Congregational oburch society of Add Arbor was organizad in the old court nonse with a charter merubership of 45. Of that number five persons are still alive, Mrs. Margaret Hill Taylor, A. R. Hall and Frederick R. Hall of tbis oiry, CaJvin Elisa and Addison P. Mills, ïiow of Detroit. The ohnrch was an offshoot fiom the Presbyterian society of this'city, every one of the 45 charter meinbers beiug given letters of dismssal from that chnrch, and two of them, Mr. and Mrs. Roswell Parsons, having helped to organi.e the Presbyteriau chnrch here in 1826. The Sunday school of the chnrch was organizad the same day as the chnroh with Deacon Loren Mills as its superintendent, and he coutinned to serve in that capaoity for 19 years. There were 30 scholars in that Sunday school. The celebration commenced on Saturday evening with a supper to the members of the sooiety and the pewholders iu the basement of the church and the 277 places at the tables were all of them filled. The rooms were tastefully decorated and the supper was one whioh all enjoyed. Rev. J. W. Bradshaw acted as toastmaster and the program of toasts, respouses and musical selections was as follows: Introductory remarks and reading of letters, by President Angelí. Responses on behalf of the original inembers of the cburoh, by Mr. Addisou P. Mills and Mrs. Martha Hill Taylor. Responses on behalf of the neighboring churches, by Rev. H. P. DeForest, D. D., of Detroit. Solo, by Mrs. R. H. Kempf. Response on behalf of the churches of tbe oity, by Rav. J. M. Gelston. Responee on bebalf of the Ladies' Aid Society, by Mrs. H. S. Dean. Solo, by Mrs. R. H. Kempf. Responses on behalf of the Snnday school, by Prof. M. L. D'Ooge. Response on behalf of the society, by Hou. N. W. Cheever Hymn- ''Biest be the tie that binds. " Impromptu remarks were also made by Rev. Dr. Ryder, of Andover Tbeological Seminary, and Rev. N. Boynton, of Detroit. On Snnday - the anniversary of the foundiug of the chnrcb - the semi-centennial sermón was preaohed at 10:30 a. in. by iïev. W. H. Ryder, D. D., wbo was pastor oí the cburch from 187? to 1888. He took for bis text John , 4:38, "I sent ye to reap that vphereon y8 bestowed no labor: other ïneu laborerl aun ye are eutered into their labors." The andience that listened to bis eloquent words was far too large for the , church to hold and many had to go away, being unable to get inside the building. Foilowing the services the Sunday school held its semi-oenteunial commeinorative service. At 4 p. m. conjtnuniou servioe was observed. Long before 7 :30 o'clock iu the evening every available space in the church was filleri and crowds of people had been turned away. It is estiiuated that fully 800 people listeued to the histoiical address of the pastor, Rev. J. W. Bradshaw, D. D., who had somehat singularly chosen as bis text the same one that Dr. Ryder bad used in the morning, John 4:38. In the couise of his addresu be gave a complete history of the society froru its inception down to the present time. The splendid program of music rendered at each of the services was a feature of the celebration. The full program appeared in last week 's Argus.