St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1886-08-19
THE sALvATIoNIsTs.
The Attack ON st. Johnsbury.

Central market building on Eastern
avenue, lighted up well and were filled
with settees. At 7.30 o'clock the
''army," consisting of Captain Staples
and his Hallelujah wife of Franklin
Falls, N. H., Capt. Drake of England
Capt. Willie McGann of Rhode Island
and Walter Rodcliffe of st. Johnsbury
walked quietly down to the corner OF
Railroad street and Eastern avenue
near the band stand. Capt. Staples
bugle call brought crowd in short
time and the army Joined in singing
I'm a soldier bound for glory,
I'm a soldier marching on
| Come and hear me tell my story
| All who long in sin have gone.
A half hour was spent in singing,
praying and exhorting, the soldiers
kneeling in the street during portion
of the time.
At eight the barracks were crowded
and the service was carried on here
until after 10 o'clock, the army doing
the singing, accompanying themselves
with the cornet and violin played by
Capt. Staples and a couple of tambo-
rines that were vigorously ratified by
Mrs. Staples and the other soldiers.
The singing, speaking and praying was
much after the order of the old fash
Toned camp meeting, indeed, one of
the speakers declared that the first
salvation army was the primitive Meth
Odists of years ago in England. Mrs.
Staples was full as active as any of the
company.
Capt. Staples expressed the opinion
that even though St. JOhnsbury was a
very nice place, still the devil was
here all the same. The army he said
hadn't pipe organ because they
couldn't afford it and couldn't play it
if they had one. David told the fol-
lowers of God to praise Him on every
instrument and they took the fiddle
and tambOrine because they were
cheaper and easier played. The sal
walton army knows but two forms
uniform and penitent form and to the
latter verybOdy was invited. There
were few Testimonies" from the au-
dience, two or three young people rose
for prayers and the service as whole
was much like the ordinary revival
meeting of the most sensational sort.
Sunday morning they were out
bright and early holding services at z
o'clock, again at III and 3 and in the
evening at 7.30. The latter service
was crowded, many members of the
local churches being present and join
ing in the meeting, which was not so
very different from any other ''lively''
meeting.
Monday night the rain kept the
crowd away but Tuesday a new re-
cruit appeared wearing a gorgeously
embroidered flannel shirt and in the
evening hallelujah meeting was held
which can hardly be compared to any
thing so far as externals are concerned
but minstrel entertainment, though
the singing and speaking was wholly
of religious character. Hallelujah
John was particularly wide awake and
the soldiers put in two or three hours
of solid work.
1t is the purpose of this detachment
of the army to hold services every
evening at 7.30 o'clock and on Sun
days from to 8 u. NJ, to 5 and Z. 81
to until they get through in the even
ing. Capt. Staples and his wife re-
turn to Franklin Falls the last of the
week and Capts. McGann and Drake
will hold the fort for the present. Nc
Gam is a lad hardly out of his teens
as yet. Mrs. Staples was modestly
dressed in black, wore hallelujah bon
net and there was no improperly il
any thing said or done at these two
services.
There are at present three Othe
commands in this state, at Burlington
Rutland and BrattlebOrO and it is pro
posed to establish others at Morrisvill'
and Newport. They depend for sup
port on the collections and sale of TIN
hymn books and copies of the eva
Cry" and when these fail them the,
call on headquarters for supplies.
Electric Lights.
The new building at the scale works
which is about completed, is intended
for general store house and for tn,
exhibition of the dynamo-electric ma
chimes and other apparatus of TIN
Standard Electric company. One O
these days they will have an electri
light in operation and then will be tn
time for st. Johnsbury to consider TIN