The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1921, Page 44

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44 The Lutheran Pioneer.

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hand to serve. At the table Pastor von Schlichten
presided as toastmaster. The following persons
represented their respective organizations, each with
a short speech. Mr. Wm. Carter, Trustee Board;
Mrs. Ottilia Doswell, Luther League; Mr. P. W.
Mott, Sunday-school; Mr. Wm. Doswell, Men‘s
Club; Mrs. Bertha Carter, the Choir; Miss Beatrice
Lytle, Ladies’ Aid; Mrs. S. E. Monzon, Lutheran
Education Society. Short congratulatory addresses
were made by Prof. R. W. Heintze of Bronxville
College; Mr. J. F. E. Nickelsburg of the Lutheran
Publicity Bureau, and several representative citizens
. of Yonkers. An enlarged picture of the first Board
of ‘Trustees of the church was presented to the con-
gregation. ‘The members of the congregation pre-
sented to the pastor a traveling bag. Pastor 'Trink-
lein made the presentation speech. ‘The pastor, in
thanking the people for their splendid demonstra-
tion, summed up his gratitude and that of the con-
gregation in the words of Jacob (Gen. 32, 10),
“T am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and
of all the truth which Thou hast showed unto Thy
servant.” He closed his remarks by inviting the
entire assemblage to the fifteenth anniversary, to be
held at the corner of Willow and Cottage Places,
where the congregation owns lots and intends to
build.

Thus closed the biggest event in the history of
our congregation. To say the least, we are sincerely
thankful and greatly encouraged. We are thankful
to the good Lord for the many, many blessings
which He has showered on us during these ten years.
We are thankful to the many faithful Christians
throughout our land who have, through. their
prayers and gifts, supported us in this cause. We
are encouraged by our success of the past, and by
the promising prospects of the future which this
occasion has revealed. We can only consecrate our-
selves here anew to the glorious work of our Heav-
enly Father, and ask Him to be with us in the
coming years as He has been in this first decade of
our work. W. O. H.

An Urgent Need:
A Chapel for Plaquemine, La.

Our mission in Plaquemine is at ‘the present
time housed in the local Odd-Fellows Hall, a build-
ing that was erected long before the Civil War.
Originally it was the home of a slave-trader. The
basement of the building was then used for slave-

quarters. After the war it was bought by the Odd-
Fellows. ‘The place has for years enjoyed a very
lad reputation because of the dances and concerts
that are given there. Various lodges meet in the
building, one for every night in the week and
several on Sunday. Many a time a Lutheran ser-
vice, a lodge-meeting, and a dance are going on at
the same time in the building!

Our Sunday-school is held at 2.30 in the after-
noon, and we have a large number attending. ‘The
service immediately follows the Sunday-school. ‘The
school is held in the large auditorium of the Hall
on the second floor, which is reached by a long flight
of outside steps. ‘This auditorium is used by us for
Sunday-school and services, and by others for
dances, concerts, moving-picture shows, and public
mass-meetings. On the left side, near the entrance
of the auditorium, is the door which leads into the
lodge-room.

Sometimes while the Sunday-school is going on,
the people will rush up the stairs and into the audi-
torium, there to sit down till it is time for the
meeting of the lodge to begin. ‘That these people
have little respect for what is going on in the front
part of the room and that they show little considera-
tion for the Sunday-school and its work is self-
evident. ‘They whisper and talk without shame to
the great disturbance of teachers and pupils. And
what is the ease when we have Sunday-school is just
as true when we have services. Isn’t it actually
surprising that any one should come to our services
under the circumstances? Several months ago a
stranger atiended our services. We noticed that
he took an active part in the singing and also re-
cited the Creed with us.
in the lodge-room were particularly noisy. In the
midst of the sermon there came an almost deafening
burst of laughter from that part of the building,
greatly disturbing the preacher and his hearers.
After the service the undersigned went up to the
stranger and sought his acquaintance. His name
was Seymour, and years ago he had attended our
mission-school at Napoleonville under Mr. Jber-
hardt. Among other things he told us this: “Some
time ago I heard that there was a Lutheran church
in town, but I looked in vain for it. Several days
ago I was informed that the services were conducted
in this hall. When I first heard it, I could hardly
believe it, for you must know that this place has
a very bad name. It seemed impossible that the
Lutherans would have services in such a place as

On that day the people .