Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-03-20
SAM JONES.
How His Expenses Are Paid During
Bis Revival Meetings.

now his Expenses are Rat0 Durlng
Bis Revival Meetings.
From TIE Chicago Rssos.
The Rev. Sam Jones' means Of support
is unlike that OF most revivalists. The
practice of nearly all Of them is to charge
a stipulated amount per week for their
services. This is agreed upon in advance,
and is often good round sum. For in-
stance, Harrison, the so-calIed boy
preacher, gets from $3.50 to $500 week,
and makes nearly as much more from the
sale Of his song books, his autobiography,
and several other books. Sam Jones
adopts different plan. 1t is not gen.
orally known that he is a novice in con-
Quoting meetings such as are now in pro-
gress. This is the fourth or fifth place in
which he has attempted such thing. At
St. Louis, as-he himself admits, he made
a comparative failure. He undertook
to conduct meetings there with only one
pastor and a single church behind him in
the way of moral support. The other
churches withheld active cooperation,
and many pastors and laymen criticised
him severely. Then he tried it in another
church there with little better success.
After a brief rest he went to Cincinnati,
where his success was almost phenome-
nal. He began moderately, but with
quite general support from the churches,
and before he got through even the great
Music Hall was too small to hold the
throngs that fiocked to hear him. For
some time before going to st. Louis his
practice was to hold his meetings In a
large tent which he carried about with
him. He relied upon collections for sup
port, and these, after the people had been
aroused to great religious enthusiasm,
not Infrequently brought him from $500
to S., 900 a week.
In Chicago sam Jones is not entirely
dependent ON voluntary contributions for
the support Of himself and family. The
Western Methodist Book Concern at Gin
cinBati has acquired copyright on his
sermons and the exclusive privilege OF
publishing them in book form for the
next three years. How much was paid
| for the copyright was not learned. 1t is
! said that the sum was not large, but the
| firm agrees to pay Jones a royalty on
each book sold. 1t is his intention when
| his engagement ends, or perhaps before,
to take up collection for him. 1t is ex.
peeted that after the people have been
stirred up more and the moral support OF
the churches has become more united
and pronounced there will be no trouble
in collecting 81. 900 or more for that pur.
pose.
Sam Small, it is said, came here under
promise of a definite sum, the negotia.
tiOn being made through Mr. Revell, OF
the Chicago Avenue church. He will
continue 10 assist Sam Jones next week
on the south side, and il is prebab BILE that
a collection will be taken up for him also.
AT Cincinnati a collection was taken
for Sam Jones in the Music Hall. which
| gave him $500. How much he received
in addition to that, if anything, was not
| learned. At st. Louis he spoke evenings
| for a week or 10 days In the Exposition
Hall, which seated 1900 people and for
which a rental Of $250a night had to be
paid. The collections never amounted to
more than 800 night. This was found
to be too expensive, and the meetings
were thereafter held in various churches.
The night before he left a collection OF
$3.50 was taken up for him. He held
meetings there for about four weeks. At
Nashville it is said that he received from
collections and several munlfcent gifts
nearly $4,000. A $1,000 house was
offered him n he would occupy IL, but he
declined. 1t is reported that he received
$500 at Knoxville and Chattanooga and
$1,000 at Birmingham. From his earn.
ings he has bought fine farm for his
family near Centeryille, Ga.