New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-06-02
The Latest Religious Sensation in New
fork.

York.
The New York San contains the following
references to an individual who was pretty
we'll known in this city some years ago:
The Fleet Street Methodist Episcopal
Church of Brooklyn, the Rev. W. G. Steele,
pastor, yesterday advertised that con.
verted Jew, Mr.. NJ. L. Rossvalley, of New
Orleans, would there tell and sing the story
of his conversion to Christianity at half.
past seven o'clock last evening. At the
time announced large congregation was
seated in the church. The pastor and
Mr. Rossvalley sat on the platform sofa
and merrily okatted. MIR. Rossvalley is an
unmistakaDle type of the German Jew. He
bears striking resemblance to shrewd
speculator, and is constantly on the alert.
He was q surgeon in New Orleans during
the war. He purposes to make his home in
New York.
After the usual preliminary church exer-
cises, the pastor introduced Mr.. Rossvalley,
and the latter said:
My Christian friends, if you could see
my heart to night l think you would find it
full of love for Jesus. Five months ago l
cursed him. Yes, for more than forty-six
years l cursed Jesus Christ. My soul
almost shrinks within me when l think of
the past. I went to Jesus at last, and am
happy; and now intend 20 tell you how l
found Him. In last February l was in
vited to sing in . Methodist church in
Albany. After the singing one G
the members asked that everybody
might pray for the conversion of that Is
| raelite-meaning me. l said to the gentle
man, "You might as well attempt to con-
| vert the stones in the streets to your no
tions of religion. will not be taken out of
the Jewish faith" The gentleman visited
me at the Delevan House one cold night,
and told me what Jesus had done for him;
how Jesus took him out of the gutter. gave
him good family and a nice home. The
gentleman was so earnest that l began
to think and say There must be
l was looking for something. but l
didn't know what it was. Then l
went to Philadelphia, to Baltimore, and
at length to Washington. My mind was
| uneasy. l saw an announcement that the
| Rev. +. P. Hammond was holding revival
meeting. l attended, and when the great
| revivalist began to charge upon the Sab
bath breakers felt that he was looking di
| rectly at me. Tears filled my eyes, and
| bowed my head. l listened to the beautiful
| song, "Jesus of Nazareth passeth by" and
! then turned to go, but Mrs. Young, of
| Washington-God bless her sOul-stopped
me, and asked that she might pray with me.
| l was led away like lamb. When she
| finished her prayer l went out of the
| church. l was dOwncast and miserable.
| Around the corner was a rum hole,
and hurried to it with the in
tention of drinking brandy; but when l
reached the threshold something stopped
| me, and passed on up the street. / went
| to my room, and for the first time in my life
| addressed myself to Jesus. Then l went to
| bed, but l could not sleep. l arose and
prayed again, and at halt-past two in tho
morning was walking the streets of Wash
ington. had found Jesus. and 1 was 90
happy. At eight o'clock l was at Mr..
Hammond's hotel. He opened the
door of his room at my knock, and
when I eaid, "Mr. Hammond, have
found the Messiah" !" he took me by the
back of the neck, and we knelt and
prayed. I attended all his meetin9s and
spoke in Calvary Church one day. We
! went down Pennsylvania avenue together,
and exhOrted and sang on the street cor
| ners. The day following was out alone.
l went into q Jews store and asked the pro-
prietor to loan me . dry goods box. He
gave me the box, and rolled it to the cor
| ner. Then l mounted the box. Previously
paid small boot black five cents to stay
and hear me sing. The boot-black was my
first congregation, and sang, "Jesus, Lover
of my Soul"
Mr.. Rossvalley related several incidents
of his association with Mr.. Hammond in
revival meetings, and told how one young
man threw his hat in his face when he Mr..
Rossvalley) asked him to become Chris
tian. The young man shouted: "What |!
he asking me to become Christian! That
fellows Jsw." Mr.. Rossvalley took pride
in saying that he afterwsrd converted the
young man. The speaker is an enthusiast