Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1878-02-05
visit TO FEurDEy's Recruiting Ground.

LiocoIn Hall, Washington, Wednesday last,
at midday. presented the appearance Of a
church where . poruI2g preacher vas to hold
forth, tut will: toe additional favor of little
wcel: day freedom about it. Ga the arrival of
the appointed hour .cr commencing the eyer.
ciscs few seats were vacaut. Soon en- Individual
came On the platform, Bible in hand, who was
greeted with applause, which proclaimed him
the hero OF the hour A man of medium height,
powerfully bulk, with body very long in pro-
portion to the rest Of his person, grayish hair,
closely cut, large black moustache covering his
mouth, eyebrows 10 match, pale face, aquiIine
nose aud brilliant eye, clad 10 black clothes I'm.
e1cepiionable both in quality and cut, coat tail
and shirt collar of fashionable length and height,
white peck tic aud shirt bosom, which shone
Ike the friZ;n snow a man apparently OF
medium and Intellectual ability. but strong
physique sud great will power. Such is Francis
Murphy.
"Lot u3 commeuco this blessed SERVICE" is
the sttreotyped form with which he begins
every mcelilr. Then follows medley of Scrip.
lure readlog, prayers, tXhortations and sacred
songs by the choir or by Mr.. and Mrs. Wilson,
|
attraciveoess of the meetings. Everything is
short, rarely over five mioutcs. The uooo day
meetings have more Of the prayer clement about
them. but generally the congregation, or au-
dicrce, can have what they prefer. If Nj.
aud Mrs. Wilson sing usually well, Mr.. Muir
ply ro!s forward with, II will ask brother and
sister WIIGon to sng," &c. Let speaker utter
sense or NONSENSE, if the people applaud, louder
applauds Murphy, and The orator has the floor
again fur five miuu;es. The meeiiogs have
uniformity about them exeep: 10 the manner
of closing. Murphy never speaks loCg st 4
timc, and apparently without any preparation,
ottcr three or four times IN one meeting. tie
is not an educated man, bu! he possesses a
natural vein OF e!cQuabco and kumor which
lew Ilishuen are without. Two things he can
DO well, rad human nature and shake hands.
Let Il reporter come in late, Here, get chair
Tor this gentleman" is instantly uttered Let
one leave before the meeting closes and Muir
phys hand is extended to be shaken ere he can
20. His remarks abound With pathetic ap.
peas rather than With facts and arguments At
one time lie expresses his willingness to work
with men who drlk moderately, at another
wtth Sops Of Temperance aud Good Templars.
| He does not believe rlau eau reform without
conversion, but it Is to be noted that he does
not require profession of religion from his
adbcren!s Through all he utters there runs
the idea that lie las hit upon the plan for sue
cceAi3g il the temperance reform. He iorgcts
that other p3opIe before his day were of opin.
ion that it is unVisc to abuse liquor sellers, and
acted upon it, aud that Cough gathered sig.
natures by thousands The audience is watched
with eagle eye az the meeting progresses, and
everything doae to arouse turore. At the
| Il 81 Il,
Murphy. "dJld the Fort" seems to be his
favorlte but two tunes at once would make no
difference, for the louder they sing the louder
he shouts as be ruDs about the platform, Come
ca men Sign the pledge kingIy men Give
up the cup! Conc on men ~ his right arm
swinging over his head ct each exclamation.
All are fish that come to the net; church mem
bers, temperance men, rowdies, black legs, all
count. The following is the experience Of a
person in signing: 4 zen is thrust into the
hard, q little book jerked open before one, a
big blot, hasty scraw, ones coat grasped by
another individual who hunts for the button
hole with al energy which fcrcbodes i'll to that
useful portion Of ones dress bit OF blue rib
bon Topped 10, shove on the shoulder to get
Out Of the way of some one else, q vigorous
hand shake from Murphy over the edge of the
PLATFORM, and the thing is done.
Whether the clergy gl We much aid and coun-
teuancc is doubtful. Prison Newman, through
whom Murphy visited Washingtoo, sits 10 grim
silence, declining to utter word even whcn
cslG,l upon by the audience.
When the people are slow in coming forward,
% was the case On Wednesday night, eff goes
| Murphy from toe platform at a bound up
am6ug,t the :udlcoc2, shaking hands with
every body, using both hands at oGce, and had
he the hands OF Diarcus he would use them
all, as he urges men TO s'gD. The man who
wavars Is instaotIy captured, led down to the
taEl2 where the signing. ii he have but time 10
rccocct E!i3 name, acd labc!llog process are
put through with lightning speed. The entire
affair is q combination OF . revival meeting,
without the solcnlaty. and The appearance not
free pnd enlightened America, the House Of
| Representatives.
Many will laugh at these meetings. some will
ridcu!e, aiii lew will say Murphy is hum
bug, but urjnst}y, Tor there Is about him a
| transparency Of purpose, and an evident sin.
ccIlty whlah iinprcsses the bchclder most "a.
voratly, while bis humility and genial bearing
arc very attractive We may say what We will,
but IS m"n by the dcZ,n drlitcd forward to don
| the blue, upon whose faces poverty, lntemper
ancc, wee, aud crime had written their names
10 uami$takablc characters, the writer was forced
to conclude that Murphy was running big
"barshear" plough down into the lowest strata
Of society, and turning it up to receive the
light Of the blessed sun. Whcther it will stay
up is another matter. [: is to be hoped 1t will.
10 GO into the after meetings conducted by
ladies' in the Y NJ. 9. A. chapel and witness
man Of the same sort with tears in their eyes
besaeehiag tic prayers Of Christians was enough
to melt the hardest heart. A. V.
FAIRFAX G. H., Feb. 4, 1878.
| Louisiana Returning BOARD.
| Tx Governor Wells arrived in New Orleans