Quaker Hill N the Nineteenth
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Q ' A' ER H I L L N T H E N I N ET EEN T H C EN T ' R Y SECO ND ED ITIO N R EN H WI L SON E WA R . R V . I I READ AT THE FO ' RTH ANN 'AL MEETING O F THE ' ' LL CO F C S PT MB R Q A ER HI N EREN E , E E E THE S ' ' AN D TWO I TH . NINETEEN H NDRED P ' B LI SH ED BY TH E Q 'A'ER H I L L CO NFERENC E ASSO C I ATI O N ' A' ER I LL N Ew YO R' Q H . 1907 Publications OF TH E Q ' A ' ER H I L L CO N FER EN C E ASSOCI ATI ON M . H al l A C r iti c a l Stu o f th e B l the Rev. ewton d y ib e . by N S fi Ma of . p ring eld , ss The R e l at ion o f th e Ch u rch a t Ho me to th e Ch u rch a r i ' D of New . A . G Will am x D bro d . by Rev eo ge no . York A a l o o f B l a l I ra t Pr f. rvin Ten b e The ry ib ic ns p i ion . by o I g F a Ph D of t am t Ma . r ncis Wood . , Nor h p on , ss D of New B F r r Ph . m dwa d H . J The ook a er . by E enkins . H aven . Conn . L OCAL H I STOR Y SER I ES D a d I A M m au t r Mrs . P o vi rish e oir , by his d gh e , h ebe T . a z of ua H . W n er Q ker ill , N Y u a l l th e E t t tur i C . Q ker Hi in gh een h en y . by Rev Warren . S E t H of B . Wilson rooklyn , N Y ' econd di ion ' ua l l th e N t t tu r arr C . Q ker Hi in ine een h en y , by Rev W en H . of B . E t . Wilson rooklyn . N Y 'Second di ion' m B S o l E w L . Hira . ones and His ch o . by Rev . d ard C t r of arts da le . hiches e . N Y R R M n O o r A m M r t B . o ichard sb n e iniscence . by a gare ua r H . S t of E . ahan Q ke ill , N Y . ' econd di ion' Al t A i A r u t r r H . of ber J , k n T ib e by Rev . Wa en Wilson B rooklyn , N . Y . A t m s E l D a t u r H ll ncien H o e and ar y ays Q ake i . by Ama a A St of ua H ll l . nd kin earns Q ker , N Y o m a E w S v A R e m in is c e n c e Th s Taber and d ard ho e , m B a of New o . by Rev . en' in Shove Y rk S m G l m o f th e P s t A a H Ta r of o e i p ses a , by lici opkins be P w . a ling . N Y h e P u r M t m oo Mt o T b J of . ' chase ee ing . y a es W d isc . N Y n L o R m m of A n n r r I b M s . ving e e brance Hay es . y Wa ren H of Br . Wilson ooklyn , N Y ’ W i t o s H u t r a t F r e de ri c ks bu r h b ash ng n ead q ar e s g , y S P t of M tt Lewis . a rick arine e , Wis is t ri l L m r th e ow o f S rm b ut H o ca and a ks in T n he an , y R h r of S ma C . Roge s her n , onn Any one of these publ icationsdnay be had by addressing the ‘ r tar REV . BERTRAM A. ARREN Sec e y , W . u r H l N Q ake il , . Y . r ts w l C n o P ice Ten Cen . T e ve e ts P s tp a id Q ' A ' E R H I L L I N T H E N I N E T E E N T H C E N T ' R Y . The world changed in passing from the eighteenth to the nineteenth century , and Quaker Hill changed with the world . It could not remain apart and it did not stand still . From a religious center the Hill became a focus of business . In the eighteenth the saint and the soldier , in the nineteenth the saint and the capitalist give color to the story . Instead of the united meeting of the earlier years there is now to be considered a divided Society of Friends . The leaven of modern thought was at W ork , inducing some to make bold and daring ventures in philosophy and religion ; the practical spirit had come into the quiet devotions of the saints , leading others to desire to be like the vigorous , successful fl Christians of other sects . Every in uence tended to rob the Hill of its peculiar relig ious character , and to take the Quakers farther away from George Fox . Divided and separated by these two forces , the rationalist and the pietistic , the worship pers in this house were perplexed and fear — ful what these world forces might mean , and at last in a time of contagious panic forgot the principles for which they thought they were contending and did many things unworthy of their grave and gentle character . 3 RE M E F EVE TS F EN T RY S' O N O C ' . The events of the nineteenth century on' H ill , w hich Quaker , are worthy of mention ' are first , the business growth and character of the Hill , taken on in the earlier years of the nineteenth century as pronouncedly a s the Quaker worship in the earlier years of T the eighteenth . he business development of the Hill is a necessary outgrowth of its As being a Quaker community . surely as Irish Catholicism produces politicians and n a the Church of Engla d st tesmen , so surely does a Quaker community come in time e to produce acute busin ss men . I regard Albro Akin therefore , as a product of the o human forces that w rk in Quakerism , as true and appropriate as David Irish or Paul Osborn . The second event is the division o f the meeting into Orthodox and Hicksite u Societies of Friends . As a b siness de vel o ment ter minus a uo p must be the q , the separation shall be the ter minus a d quem o f this paper . I find myself unable to deal with the whole century , and am sure there has happened in the one hundred years' nothing more interesting or more valuable to the historical student than the great sepa 1 2 ration of the friends in 8 8 . Third , the Hiram Jones Academy , from 1828 - onward , o f which we hear to day , from Mr . Chichester . Fourth , the relation of the Hill to Slavery ; the testimony of the preachers ' ' against it , and the operation of the nder ' ground Railway in the homes of the a e Friends here and in the meeting . There r those living who have seen fugitive slaves - hiding in this meeting house . Fourth , the new relation of Q uakerism to Seces war, as developed in the War of the sion . Then the Quakers were no Tories , as in 1778 they were ; and the story of that time is necessary to complete the story of the doctrine of peace on the Hill . Fourth , the coming of the railway in the valley below wrought great business changes in the place , removed the stores to the village , and sapped the neighborhood en of some of its most energetic blood . It riched some an d impoverished others . Yet through it all the Quaker Hill character remained the same . Fifth , the coming of the Hotel guest and Summer boarder , the founding of Mizzen top and the development of that delightful and unique institution , the Quaker Hill boarding house ; which is n ot a boarding house at all , but a hospitable Quaker home . Sixth , the founding and development of be Akin Hall , the ministry of Mr . Ryder , loved and lamented , the beginnings of the library ; the regime of occasional preachers ; - the growth of the Sunday school , Endeavor , C Church , onference ; the building o f the Manse and the Library ; all the benevolent designs into which God has led a rich man of sound heart, who is a true son , in his character and deed , of the nineteenth cen tury on Quaker Hill . All these should be written , and recorded t by this Conference . I have only streng h and you have only time to - day for the first two , the business prosperity and the relig ious separation of the first thirty years .