The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-07-19
MINdR MENTION.

BoY-PREACHER HARRISON must look to his
laurels, or, rather, to the stars in his crown of
rejoicing, or he will be outdone. According to his
own estimate, Harrison has converted between
forty and fifty thousand souls during his evan
geistic career. Now comes Evangelist Sam
Jones, and says that he has made between eight
and ten thousand converts during the present
year. This is much better showing than Har-
rison's, considering that the latter has been
engaged in the work for some twenty years,
Jones AYERS, Furthermore, and it is an assertion
which deserves particular notice, that 90 per
cent. of his converts remain true to their profes
sions after his departure. This is a remarkable
statement, and is calculated to attract the atten
ton not only of the rival revvalist the effect of
whose work is by no means so permanent, but
also of regular pastors who, though laboring long
and earnestly find no such full crops of spiritual
fruit as the result. Observant preachers have
studied Joness method and Harrison's method.
and have pretty clearly defined ideas
as to what constitutes the power
OF these two men in gathering in sinners; but
they will have trouble in explaining why the
teachings Of the latter should have such an un-
usually lasting effect. 1t can hardly be claimed,
on behalf of Mr. Jones, that his superior piety
produces the result since there is no reason to
believe that the Southern evangelist is more
deyout or earnest than many another worker in
the vineyard. The innumerable pastors who
labor patiently, and without ceasing
for the saving of souls, and count
the accessions to their focks by scores,
instead of hundreds or thousands, would be glad
know brother Joness secret. These pastors
are aware of their inability to reap such an
ample harvest as does the Georgia preacher;
but there seems to be no good reason why they
should not retain at least as large a proportion
of the souls which they do gather. Hitherto
they have reJoced when half of winters con-
verts remained true to their professions and
have even given thanks over a faithful
20 or 10 per cent, or even smaller part but
if Jones can retain 95 per cent, why should not
others do the same2 The average revivalist is
notoppressed by unseemly modesty when talking
of his work, and it is not improbable that the
Rev. Jones would disclose his secret for the ask
ing. If there is a recipe in existence for making
nnetyfive per cent. of the converts Of a revival
permanently religious in spite of their frail and
faulty human nature it is in the interests of
society that it be made known. Let brother
Jones speak out
THE chief OF police of Erie, Pa. is having hard
luck. While the mayor and Council were inves-
| tigating him for incompetency. small bow, who
was in Jail waiting to be taken to the reform
school, broke a lath from the ceiling of his cell.
poked it through the bars, and captured the
chiefs keys from his desk Unlocking the doors,
the youngster let himself aud three other prison
ers out without attracting attention and when
at some distance, kindly teephoned tho chief
where his keys could be found While the
| enragcd official assembled his force and engaged
in frantic pursuit of the fugtives, several other
prisoners scaled the jail wall and escaped. It is
| thought that at the next meeting the Council
will vote unanimously that the chief is ncom-
| petent.
THERE are no hod carriers in Germany.
| Bricks are passed from hand. The higher I'D
| the brickayers are, the more men are required
| to toss the bricks. Two men to a story is about
the average, with enough more to lead from the
| front of the building to the place where the
bricks are needed One may sometimes see
three men on the ground, eight on the front of
the building, and FIVE on the top, making sixteen
men through whose hand each brick masses
| before it reaches its place of destination Near
twenty years ago resident of this city was
passing the great national library of Paris. At
the time the old building was being torn away
piece meal and replaced by sections of the new
one--in order to keep the library in accessible