CHURCHES AND CHURCH SERVICES.
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With a large portion of the people who remain in Chicago over Sunday
the desire to attend some sort of divine service, as well as to see
some of the principal edifices devoted to religion, is the first
thought on awakening. The finest churches are located at a distance
from the business centre. Before the fire there were a number of
churches in the heart of the down-town district, but when they were
once destroyed they were never rebuilt and it is along the residence
streets that the handsomest structures may be seen. The transient
population is cared for, however, by clergymen who hold services in
certain of the theatres Sunday mornings--of whose work more anon.
The churches of Chicago represent every Christian denomination, there
being nearly 500 places of worship the total Sabbath attendance at
which is estimated at 120,000. Among these are many splendid specimens
of architecture, but the two great Catholic edifices, the Church of
the Holy Family, corner of May and West Twelfth streets, and the
Holy Name cathedral, corner of North State and Superior streets--are
the most imposing from an architectural standpoint. Other noteworthy
churches are the Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul, Grace and Trinity
(Episcopal), Immanuel (Baptist), Second Presbyterian, Plymouth and
New England (Congregational), St. Paul’s (Universalist), Centenary
(Methodist), Unity and the Church of the Messiah (Unitarian).
There are some very eloquent preachers in Chicago and a visitor who
does not attend a church solely for the purpose of getting inside of it
and seeking forgiveness for his sins may enjoy a very profitable hour
in listening to an admirable sermon in any quarter of the city he may
choose to select. There are several clergymen in Chicago who receive
$6,000 to $8,000 per year, and at least three whose salaries, it is
said, are $10,000.
The principal churches of the West side are located for the most part
along Washington and Ashland boulevards, and there is a cluster of them
in the vicinity of Jefferson and Union parks--small breathing-places a
couple of miles from the business centre. The church district of the
North side is between Clark and Dearborn streets and north of Ontario.
On the South side the principal religious edifices are east of State
street and south of Twenty-second, the buildings growing finer, as a
rule, the further south one goes. There are several very fine churches
in the recently-annexed suburb of Hyde Park if one cares to travel that
distance.
It is a peaceful feeling, if nothing else, to find oneself within
sacred walls on a bright Sabbath morning, and if it is merely for
sight-seeing that you find yourself there--which it is to be hoped is
not the case--you will not be disappointed. If there are ladies in
your party they will be on the lookout, as ladies always are, for fine
clothes worn by other ladies, and if so, why it is very certain they
will not be disappointed. Some of the South side congregations are very
wealthy. In some of them a dozen of the male worshipers could raise
between them enough ready money to buy up several adjacent blocks--say
a million dollars apiece--which, considering that, according to Holy
Writ, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle
than for a rich man to be saved,” or words to that effect, makes the
spiritual outlook for these wealthy gentlemen a poor one. However, it
is always interesting to watch how rich men behave themselves in church
and one of the ushers will not be likely to refuse to point out to you
a devout millionaire or two if you ask him to do so.
Speaking of high salaried preachers (though the highest-salaried are
not always the most popular) suggests the mention of a few of the
most celebrated divines of the city: Rev. S. J. McPherson, pastor of
the Second Presbyterian church, Michigan avenue and Twentieth street,
always preaches to a full church. Dr. McPherson is not a poor man
himself, having been bequeathed a little fortune by the late John
Crerar. Then, too, he has a large income for wedding fees, for he has
such a charming manner in performing the ceremony that he is in great
request with prospective brides. Dr. Gunsaulus, pastor of Plymouth
Congregational church, is also very popular. For a time he conducted
Sunday evening services at Central Music Hall, State and Randolph
streets, but abandoned that field to the Rev. Flavius J. Brobst, who
in turn retired. The famous Jewish pastor of the city is Rabbi Emil
G. Hirsch, of Sinai congregation, Indiana avenue and Twenty-first
street, who is also a writer of some renown. Many Christians attend
this church for the sake of the Rabbi’s eloquent sermons, which are
liberal and large-hearted enough to suit all denominations. A preacher
of the good old, stern, denunciatory stripe is Dr. Poindexter S.
Henson, of the First Baptist church, corner of South Park avenue and
Thirty-first street. Dr. Henson’s sermons are pitched very frequently
in a topical key. He would just as soon discuss politics as the Bible
from his pulpit, and whenever the city administration stands in need of
a little “roasting” the Rev. Poindexter is tolerably certain to supply
the need. By reason of these sermons the Rev. Poindexter succeeds in
getting himself into the newspapers about as often as any divine in
town, and it is quite safe to say that the stranger who selects his
church as the one to visit will not regret the selection. For those who
admire a high church service the Episcopal cathedral, at the corner
of Washington boulevard and Peoria street, will be found to answer
all requirements; the Right Reverend Bishop McLaren is the pastor.
Dr. Clinton Locke presides over Grace Episcopal church, 1445 Wabash
avenue, with dignity and grace, and Bishop Cheney fills the pulpit of
Christ’s Episcopal church, Michigan avenue and Twenty-fourth street.
The Rev. J. P. Brushingham, a clergyman whose record was once marked
by a particularly stormy series of events, draws good congregations to
the Ada Street Methodist church. Dr. William Fawcett, another eloquent
Methodist divine, preaches at Park Avenue church, on Park avenue, at
the intersection of Robey street. Rev. Frank Bristol, pastor of Trinity
Methodist church, Indiana avenue and Twenty-fourth street, is noted
for his great store of learning as well as his flood of eloquence, and
so is Dr. N. T. Meloy, pastor of the First United Presbyterian church,
Monroe and Paulina streets. Rev. M. Woolsey Stryker holds forth at
the Fourth Presbyterian church, corner Rush and Superior streets, and
the very aristocratic congregation of St. James’, corner of Cass and
Superior streets, is presided over by Dr. Tompkins.
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The clergymen above mentioned are among the most famous in the city,
but there are many others almost equally prominent. The wayfarer,
however, will be interested in learning of the popularity of the
services at “Central” church and the People’s church, conducted at
Central Music Hall and McVicker’s theatre respectively by Prof. David
Swing and Dr. H. W. Thomas. Both these gentlemen possessed large
followings when their congregations were formed. Prof. Swing is one
of the leading personalities of the religious life of the city. He
is a man of exceedingly plain exterior but his sermons are sound and
forcible. It would be difficult to analyze his creed or that of the
people who go to hear him. Central Music Hall is filled every Sunday
morning with a large gathering of well-to-do people whose religious
ideas could not, perhaps, be very accurately defined, but who would
not go anywhere else under any inducement. There is also a large
sprinkling of outsiders. The manner in which Prof. Swing’s followers
appreciate his ministrations in their behalf is evidenced by their
paying him a salary ample enough to enable him to build a palatial
summer home at Lake Geneva, a near-by hot weather resort whose grassy
banks are lined with the villas of Chicago millionaires. Dr. Thomas is
a little more orthodox in his tenets, perhaps, but his services are no
less popular than Prof. Swing’s. At both of these temples of worship,
operated, as they are, in places devoted throughout the week to public
amusement, chance visitors are made heartily welcome and many strangers
who would not inconvenience themselves to ride out to one of the
orthodox churches take advantage of the nearness of these two to their
hotels and drop in on Sunday morning for an hour or so of spiritual
enlightenment.