Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-04-28

disturbances while their pockets were
benefited. The jewellers were therefore at
liberty to fight, shoot and yell as mucha as
they pleased, without the fear of being
interfered with, until the hanging of
the gamblers at Vicksburg in July,
1885, took place, after which that class
found themselves driven from almost all
the towns on the river, Memphis being
rather slow, as usual, soon found herself
Over-run with them, when a meeting of
the citizens was called, and all gamblers
were notified to leave, or fare as their
fellowcrafts had done in Nicksburg.
This produced quite n flutter, some pre-
tended to approve of the proceedings,
became suddenly reformed, and were
going to work; others kept very scarce
and quiet for some days, after which
their mutterings began to be heard,
which gradually growing louder, be-
came soon defiant, when the reformed
threw off the mask and the ~abSentees,
with new recruits, came pouring in.
THE GAMBLERS.
Their triumph for a time appeared COM
plete, but another meeting, larger than
the first, was held and more determined
resolutions were passed. \ list of all
the known gamblers was made out,
who were warned ON their peril to leave,
and they did leave; but they only went
over the river, where, feeling that they
We're on their own territory, pretended
to organize, made out a list of the most
active participants of the meeting, and
notified them of the consequences of
their being met with in Arkansas. They
even threatened to come over and burn
the town. This. was looked upon as
mere bOmbast, and perhaps was; still 1t
was very ~imprudent to leave the place
80 completely exposed to their attacks,
which Don after occurred, in this wise;
THE CANIP-MEETING AND GAMBLERS.
A big camp meeting was being held
about midway between Memphis and
Raleigh, and as there may be some who
do not fully understand these meetings,
/ will state that they constituted the
largest gatherings that met in early
days. Races, fairs and mOnkey-shows
wereY cOmparatively small concerns as
these only drew the wicked, and were
suspended ON Sundays, while camp
meetings drew all sorts, particularly the
women, who, of course, drew the men,
especially when they found themselves
in a triumphant minority, as was the
case at the time. Why, sir, the very
commonest woman i'm the country could
get as many beauX rs she wanted, while
the beauties welded a sway that was
truly distressing. Your humble servant
can speak on that point eXpeTimentally.
The meetings always held a week, COM
meneing on Thursday and ending the
following Wednesday. Sunday was the
big day Of the occasion, when all the
great guns were brought out, and the
grand rally for mOurners came of. On
the present occasion, the whole country,
for twenty miles around, was in a man
ner depOpulated, and Memphis, on Sun
day, virtually deserted. The preaching
at the meeting had been gotten through
with and the cry for mOurners raised,
which was responded to by about one
hundred, followed by the faithful, when
a scenee nsued that will certainly never
be forgotten by any who witnessed it.
There were two spaces in front of the
stage, each about twenty feet square, in
closed by s~ide-railings and filled to the
depth of a foot or more with straw.
What the proper names of these inclo-
sures were / do not know, bat sinners
called them "~bull-pens,p and l wa told
that the straw was put there to prevent
the ground-and-lOfty tumbleTs from
hurting themselves, for it appears that
religion is unlike some other stimulants,
and don't suspend the nervous system.
These pens were 500 filled with the
seekers. The faithful, who seemed over
anxious to participate in the great work
of saving souls, with the exception of a
favored and probably trained band, We're
driven back with the cry of "don't
crowd the mourners, - which appeared
to cast a mOmentary damper on the ris-
ing flame, from which it however soon
recovered and broke forth with renewed
fury. The thing seemed well gotten
up. Each of the workers appeared to
know and have studied his or her part.
They distributed themselves through the
wailing crowd in about equal numbers,
and Immediately engaged in exhOrting,
praying, singing, clapping of hands, and
other demonstrations, no two of which
were in harmony, but an evidently-de-
signed discOrd pervaded the whole, eX-
cept that a rivalry seemed to exist as to
who could make the most noise, or ere
ate the greatest confusion, while the eX-
cluded laborers had to content them
with eXclaiming, "Amenu ~ ''Hal-
lelujah :" "GOd grant itv' and other like
expressions, which, mingled with
lunatic screams, piteOus groans and
dismal hOwls, to say nothing of the
violent gesticulatiOns of the converts,
was certainly calculated to upset any