Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 22, Number 105, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 September 1901 — An Eloquent Invitation. [ARTICLE]

An Eloquent Invitation.

Address of Rev. C. 1». Royse, to the 1 Northwest Indiana Conference. ... The following is the eloquent and able but not loss truthful summing up of the advantages and attractions of Rensselaer, made by Rev. Clarence D. Royse, pastor of Trinity M, E. church, of Rensselaer, before the Northwest Indiana Conference, at Brazil, Monday. The occasion was the choice of a location for the conference, for the year 1902. As has already been stated by this paper, Mr. Royae’s efforts were successful, and next year this great jand important religious gathering will be held in our city. Following is Mr. Royse’s address. Rensselaer invites the Nojth West Indiana Conference to hold its next session there. The invitation is the unanimous and enthusiastic action of the quarterly conference and has been officially concurred iu by other churohes of cur city. We are not asking the conference to come to us simply because we believe the time has come that it is our duty to entertain it. We count it our PRIVILEGE to entertain you and YOUR DUTY to accept the invitation. Of the many reasons why you ought to come to ns I will mention only a few. The conference has never met in our city. In 1902 it will have been seven years since it was held in our district. It has been in every other district once and in two of them twice since the last meeting in oar district. And yet in this period the district has extended two oordial invitations neither of which was accepted. Six of the last seven sessions have been at points not farther north than Lafayette. We believe that the conference of 1902 ought to come north, it should come to Valparaiso District, and if you do this you muet come to Rensselaer. We believe, further, that a meeting of the conference with us would be a great up-lift to Methodism in our community and will advance the spiritual interests generally. And lam sure also that it will be a pleasure to you to oome. So I not only think you ought to accept our invitation but I believe you will want to do so. As to railroad facilities, we are on the main line of the Monon road north of Monon so that we have the trains of both divisions. This gives ns six trains each way daily. I have looked up the route of overy preacher to Rensselaer and I find that 61 members and 14 supplies can reach there without change of cars. Only nine will have to travel on more than two lines and none will have more than two changes of cars. Compare this with the fact that only 29 can reach Brazil .without change of cars. While Rensselaer now has only one railroad yet we are booked for an important east and west line part of whioh is already built whioh we hope will be in operation within the year. Bat even with our present facilities more preachers can reach Rensselaer without change of oars than any other city in the conference that is not on the Monon Railroad. In this regard we outrank Terre Haute, Lebanon, Attioa, Plymouth, Valparaiso, South Bend, LaPorte and Miohigan City. And leaving now the question of how to got to Rensselaer, I will say that when you do get there you will be delighted. We have one of the prettiest plaoes in the state. It abounds in handsome residences and these are increasing rapidly in nnmber. The lots are large, the lawns magnifioent and well kept. The streets are broad and well paved. We have many miles of oement side walks with broad grass plots between the walk

and curb on the principal streets* Our school system is one of the best, well manned and equipped* We are progressive in public enterprise and offer to our preachers a study iu municipal ownership in our excellent plant by which we are furnished with light and water and by which also our school buildings are heated, all of which is the property of the city. Jasper County has without question the fiuest court house iu the state in proportion to population and one of the handsomest without regard to population. And last, but not least, the public spirit of the church and community is shown by the fact that they have just completed the finest parsonage in the conference. Bat that is the way the people of Rensselaer have of doing things. Whatever they undertake they will do well.__!l can assure yon that toe invitation we are now extending is given with open-handed and open-heart-ed cordiality, and in this matter as in other things we will do well what we undertake. Come with us and we will do yon good.