The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-02-05
THE sALyArfONARnY
opens the campaign In This city-Big
CroWdn I'm Attendance.


The Salvation Army, or that part Of It that
has located in Wheeling, resembles the West
Virginia militia in this reSpec.-thsre are
very few Of them aud they are all officers.
The Army made It's first attack yesterday;
1t paraded on the streets twice and gave
matinee and evening performance, drawing
crowds each time. It was not known from
what direction the Army would appear, but
1t was generally UNDERWOOD that the irst guns
would be fired from the south front OF the
State House about 2 O'Clock. An hour be-
small boy was there In large numbers and
howled and whooped TO his hearts content.
No one would ever have imagined that 1t
was Sunday, except that people were dressed
up o little more tnan usual. Every one was
anxious 10 see what the Army looked like
and the crowd continued to gather.
by 2 o'clock there was fully 1000 people
on the south plaza Of Capitol Square and the
windows Of the state House, each held three
or four people. The scene resembled an old
time political meeting. Afew moments after
the hour, the shrill voice OF the small boy
was heard over the hum Of the crowd, shout
Ing, Here they come, Here they come"
There was stampede towards Sixteenth
street and the army was seen approaching in
the following order: Captain Irons and Lieu
tenant Palmer came first, arm In arm.
These two individuals have been described
before by the IErELLI0EScEg. Irons is the
slim. young man with, mustache that
resembles real mustache about as much
IS the Salvation Army resembles q
real army. Palmer Is the jolly Halle
lujah Swede.n Both wore helmets, Irons
wore white band around his and Palmer
o yellow one. They were closely fol.
lowed by the "Hallelujah Lasses," Lieuten-
onts Smith and Claggett. These Lasses are
the original Lasses. One Of them Is fat, not
fair aud about forty, with voice OF tremen.
dous power. The other is not so old, looks
like relative OF the Captains and talks like
machine-that Is, there Is about rs much
expression in her voice rs one finds in a ma
chine. They were also In uniforms, wearing
dresses that were without one iota Of trim.
ming, except little military braid. On
their heads they wore black straw bonpe.s,
ornamented with red ribbon, on which
were printed in gold letters, salvation Ar
my" Bringing up the rear were Messrs. +.
J. Cartwright and w. 8. Hutchins-commis.
sions not yet issued.
The army charged through the crowd, and
gaining the top OF the stone platform formed
company front, then knelt In silence for u
few moments, while the crowd, which was
anything but silent, closed up solid. Rising
| TO It's feet, the Captain lined out hymn, one
verse OF which is given.
Ever trust 10 the Army and God.
We will tight In the name OF the King,
We shall win with the Fire and the Blood.
And the world TO His feet we shall bring.
CHoRus-l believe we shall win, we shall win.
There was no difficulty in hearing them.
The fat woman aud the Captain came out
strong, sang long and loud and got very red
In the face. They all beat time. The Cap
tain and Swede waved their arms frantically;
the small boys rang the changes on their shrill
street calls: the crowd divided Its attention
part OF the time to theArmy and then to small
boy who had IN some mysterious manner
climbed to dizzy heighth on one OF the pill
lars and was in danger OF falling and break
ing his neck every moment. The crowd
looked sorry when he managed to descend In
safety.
After the song came prayer, in which
Palmer led off and the Others followed In
turn, winding up with dismal kind OF a
chant More singing. Small speech from
melody, "oh! Lord have mercy on me-" was
warbled.
Then the Army started for Melodeon Hall.
and such scepe as It was. The boys raced
ahead, 80 as TO see the Army pass, and then
dashed forward again so as 10 secure good
seats In the hall. Nor were the boys the only
ones who did this. The main body OF the
crowd kept with the Army. II swept every
thing before It. Not satisfied with the attention
It was attracting, the Army beat upon tam
borines that they carried. II was altogether
to noisy aud disorderly for the day.
Melodeon Hall is not now what 1t used to
be. Once IL was the popular place OF amuse-
ment, and was crowded nightly with the
elite Of the city. Now reduced 10 one-third
Its size, It's long and narrow, papered with a
neat blue paper. It was filled with benches,
and will seat about 500. The crowd filled 1t
followed prayers, then more singing, then
the slst psalm.
Captain Irons then explained how they
lived-all they received came from the con.
tributions taken OF each meeting. They had
come to Wheeling to stay; bad engaged Me-
lodeon Hall for fourteen months, and were
going 10 make things red hot. A collection
came in at this juncture. The lasses passed
around the tambourines while the lads sang
"Roll the Old Chariot Along"
/. II the Devils in the way Wen roll itoyer him,
And we won't hang on behind N
q. II tho sinners in the way we'll stop and take
And We won't hang on behind.
8. And the Methodist will help US to roll It
along
Aud they won't hang on behind.
CMoRus-rhen wen roll the old chariot along
Aud we won't hang on behind
"Hallelujah swede" played tambourine
accompaniment and beattime with his feet
The air was lively one, and had the Captain
played the bones, q very creditable show in
the minstrel line might haye been given.
After more singing and exhortalion an al.
ter was improvised out OF an old bench and
several induced 70 come forward.
At 7:l5 o'clock another outdoor meeting
was held, this time at the poStofiice. II was
regular mob, blockading the pavement and
doors 80 that 1t was impossible TO get inside.
The police should see TO It, that this does not
occur again. It was very disorderly gather
ing.
At s CLOCK the hall was again filled with a
noisy and demonstratiye audience. One
that kept time with It's feet, and laughed and
talked. The singing wasn't so good as in the
afternoon. The army had gotten hoarse and
crooked badly on the upper notes. As In the
afternoon Tho Salvation Soldiers Song
Book price 10 cents' was sold BY the seyede
who also turned himselfin into newsboy and
sold tho War Cy.n
In the afternoon the Swede referred to the
INrELLloESCER man as "the nice, kind gen.
tleman who said I had jolly. pie.eating
face. Well, l am jolly, and It's because I'm
in the Army, ETC."
Last night while the collection was being
taken the "old Chariot song was again
shouted, greatly to the delight Of the audi.
ence, which caught on and came in well on
the chorus. At the end Of the verse relating
TO his satanic majesty the swede stopped
long enough to say, II guess the reporter
who met the other day don't like me, but
II the reporter Is In the way we will roll It over
him, lrepeat twicel,
And we WON'T hang on behind.
CHoRTs-Then roll, etc.
This was received with applause. This
desire 10 mash the reporter won't succeed
unless the army has some better looking wo-
men in It's ranks than the Lasses The lIasses
wouldn't "mash" any thing,
1 EIAE