Ashtabula Weekly Telegraph

Local.

The New Methodist Church.—The difficulty under which we have been laboring for some weeks past, by the reduction of our office help has thrown us upon the generosity and forbearance of our advertising patrons as well as contributors and readers. Mails have been missed on the usual day of going to press, and advertisements and communications have been reluctantly, but necessarily deferred.

This is our apology for the omission of a portion of the notice of the New M. E. Church two weeks since. We now insert what was then laid over. As it relates to the building and finances, and the action of the trustees, it has lost nothing of its interest, and will be read now with satisfaction.

The building is 75 feet by 52, the roof covered with slate, a well proportioned brick tower adorns the structure and the whole is most substantially and thoroughly built from foundation to tower, under the especial supervision of one of the most experienced architects in the whole State, Col. S. C. Porter of Cleveland. I mention this last, because a mischievous gossip has reported that the walls are unsound and would fail. The basement and audience rooms, with their rich frescoed walls in neatness, elegance, symmetry and style are seldom equaled by any of our city churches and all was built including the price of the lot at a cost of little short of $9,000. It was found that by subscription, the sale of the old Church and parsonage property and other contribution that there remained a debt of nearly $4,000 on the new building. There was pledged during the dedication efforts, by the large sympathizing audience, the liberal sum of nearly $1,500, leaving still a sum of some $2,600 on the Trustees of the society, and to meet which there seems to be a hearty willingness on the part of the people to take seats at an annual rent and raise means in part as a sinking fund in order to liquidate the balance in the course of a few years.

The efficient board of Trustees with their excellent and indefatigable pastor, Rev. D. Surrn, are deserving of great praise in carrying this noble enterprise through so successfully in the midst of many and formidable obstacles and discouragements—they have nobly battled and nobly achieved, and we are not unmindful of the aid and sympathy of many a kind friend of this community who generously stepped forward in our emergency and assisted in time of need. Then is when we know and feel a friend, and we say many blessings upon them all.

By the blessings of God we trust that this church edifice will stand a monument of christian adornment and truth, a beacon light of warning and salvation to ages yet to come.