Arizona weekly citizen., 1883-09-08
CAMP MEETING DAYS.
Immense Crowds but Little Religion by
 the SeashOre.

The grove at Sing Sing heights used
 to be thronged at camp meeting tune. Then it seemed as if densely populated
 tented city had been selzed with sud den religious fervor. It was quite dlf- ferent yesterday, the second day of this
 years meeting. Instead of ten tbous- and people in the grove, the most en- tbusiastie brother could not count more than few hundred.
 As the reporter turned from the dusty highroad into the grove he heard loud
 voice coming from the further end. Service was announced for that hour.
 By the dinner tent and tine soda-water
 and newspaper stands a number of
 pretty young ladies, clad in light fabrics, ! mostly pink and white, were stroii1g arm in arm with one another or with young men in every direction -Xcsp1 that from which the loud voice pro-
 ceeded.
 The preachers stand is a platform backed by a house. From the platform l Brother Morehouse was delivering an address, which was interrupted Dy emphatic amens from other Orethern on the platform. In front uf the platform
 was some clean straw, fanked by a tree, against which leaned Brother Reddy. On the benches sat some two hundred brother and sisters.
 Brother Morehouse concluded by ex- horting all who were troubled by sin to come forward and kneel on the straw. As no one came forward, Brother Reddy stepped from the roots of the tree 10 the straw and said:
 "Don't be ashamed to confess that you're sinners. It's no news to us. You'll only be telling us what we know already. So come along. We've all got to go through the mill We've all got to be ground over Come along and show that you haven't 5ack-slided wholly"
 About a dozen men and one woman came forward and kneit on the straw. Any more cOminy:' called out Brother Reddy. "Well, I guess we'll thrash out | this installment and then tackle another. O Lord, remove the bar of disbelief so | that We can float over 1t out into the | deep waters of Christianity
 Another brother prayed. Brother l Reddy went back to the tree, the broth | CTS and sisters to their seats, and l brother Warehouse started hymn. l Alter the second verse he turned to l brother Reddy, Don't you know thls hymn brother Reddy:"
 'Yes. brother"
 "Ihen why don't you sing, good | brother?' From this point brother Reddy sang uloud Co the end. Any body else want to unload:' arked broth CT Morehouse. As no one wanted tO the meeting was closed
 The reporter met brother who had attended these meetings some thirty years as well as meetings at Ocean grove and Sea Cliff. When asked whether at- tendance had fallen off at camp-meet- ings he said:
 "It's fallen off tt inland camps like this, but it's larger than ever ny sea. Those meeting by the seaside are poor substitutes for meetings like those We used to have here, when we got some fourteen thousand m the camp and made some five hrndred converts every meeting. It was ell religion with us, and still is. But there IS no religious fervor by the sen. It's pleasure they're after in those meetings
 The tents in Sing Sing grove are erect ed over wooden flooring. The tiays are fastened back on fine days and show the front part which is used as sitting room, the canvas partition between it and the back portion Ofthe tent being iraped back with curtains and occasiOn- ally adorned with gayly-colored adyer- using fans. In one parlor IS a cOlOred print of Lillian Russell and several boast melodaons. Immediately back of the parlors are bedrooms, divided by flaps, and still further back dining room, though many take their meals un- ger large tent-N. Y. Sun.