The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-06-07
THE OPENING MEETING.

THE OPENING MEETING.
| Mr. Small Gives Some Information About
| How the Services Will BE Conducted.
| At the opening of the Jones-Small revival, at
| Tomlinson Hall, yesterday afternoon, i'm
mense crowd was present An hour before $3.50
o'clock, the time at which it was announced the
meeting would open the people began to assem-
ble and when Sam Small stepped upon the
stage. promptly at the hour appointed. every
| seat in the immense hail. except part of those
on the stage, was filled. Even the second gal
| Jerry was crowded. The difference between the
gathering and the audiences which assembled
during the musical festival was very marked.
Among those present yesterday was large
number of well-known church goers. the Meth
odists seeming to be in the majority. These
came up in front, taking seats as near as posi-
BILE to what might be regarded the stanen" cor
ners The galleries and rear seats were chiefly
| filled with persons who had come merely
through curiosity.
| Mr.. Small came upon the stage with Dr. Nc
| Council, pastor Of Roberts Park Church. and
Mr. M. j. Maxwell. the musical director.
| Shortly afterward Revs J. E. Gilbert of the
Meridian street NJ E. Church, H. L. Haines. of
| the First Presby terrain, and James Mcleod, Of
| the Second Presbyterian Church. came upon the
stage and took seats. Mr. Small is tall,
very slender and graceful perfectly
straight, has light brown hair and a
| reddish nustache, and is evidently about
| thirty years old. He has refined, though
rather strong and intellectual face His eyes
are somewhat dark, and he has the general ex-
| preston of gentlemanly good fellow. The
| quizzical. good natured expression about the
| eyes indicates that he is inclined to look at the
| funny side of things He carried in his hand q
Bible. and sat part of the time with one hand
to his head. He wears a neatftting Prince
Albert suit, all of black, a standing collar and
| white tie.
| The meeting was opened by Mr. Maxwell
| who, together with the chorus of over 200 voices
and the audience, sung 'Old Hundred" Mr.
Small then advanced to the front of the stage
and offered simple prayer. Mr.. Maxwell then
| asked the audience to rise and sing from 1.-THE
Great Awakening" the song-book used by
Messrs. Small and Jones. the familiar sone "All
Hail the Power of jesus Name" etc. He wanted
all to sing. The choir was designed to be only the
nucleus of the singing, and if the audience didn't
know the tune that was being sung, they might
| sing by some other.
Rev Mr.. Mcdonnell, after offering prayer,
| said he gratfed at the size of the audience.
| The Christian churches here the Presbyterians,
Baptsts, Episcopalians Congregationalsts,
| Methodists and others, had invited the distin
gu;shed revivaiists to be present He hoped
| the members OF these churches would worship
| together. weep together and rejoice together, as
/ they had done in other cities The revival was
needed to strengthen the churches and to con-
vert the unbelievers. To accomplish this con-
| version, the ordinary means of grace had
failed. and something in the nature
| Of moral cyclone was necessary.
| An awakening was needed which would make
hard times for the saloons. Time, labor and
money were needed to run the meeting The
| people would listen to men whose fame was as
| wide as the continent; they would be amused
edited, and perhaps stirred to tears and if the
evangelists had the same success they had else
| where they would stir some Of the people to
wrath. Those who came should, therefore, see
that the collection was a rousing one and should
! 60 deeper in their pockets than to the pennies
and nckels.
| The choir then sang alone two hymns, Tell
1t to Jesus Alone" and .Fall into Line Brother,
| Fall into Line after which Mr.. E. 0. Excel,
of Chicago. who is to Mr.. Jones what Sankey is
| to Moody, sang solo entitled "The Lilly of the
Valley" with fine effect He has been with Mr..
Jones since the beginning of the revival in Bal
timore, and his singing is much like that Of
/ Professor Towner, who sang at the Moody
meetings in this city. His voice has great
strength. When he had concluded Mr.. Small
rose from his seat, stepped deliberately
down to the front Of the long plat
form. which was occupied during the
| festival by the orchestra. and began his
| preliminary talk. His voice is not musical, but
is strong and distinct. He stands straight, and
| walks from side to side while speaking He ges-
| ticulates great deal. His accent is that of an
| educated Southerner. His RS are not much
sighted, though he says "hyeh" Tor "here." He
is not eloquent, but he holds the attention
of the audience by his earnestness of
manner and by what he says. He
speaks deliberately, and frequently pauses
| to give emphasis to sentence. He sometimes
assumes careless manner or pronunciation Cor
effect, but it is evident that he is not to such
| manner born.
| de said, Ladies and gentlemen, have few
preliminary remarks to make which Brother
Jones would make if he were here. We come
here as strangers to the greater part of you,
though we are strangers only in person.
| for if any two men ever were well
advertised by the press, Rev. Sam Jones
| and latterly I, in connection with him,
| have been those men. You have heard much
| truth about US, and you have heard other things
that were very far from the truth. There are
some people in the world who like to tell the
truth, and there are others who take delight in
| seeing how they can't do it. Laughter We
are willing to stand for what we are. One
thing you need not be afraid Of We
| You must not be embarrassed. We are moved
| by the cause. by what have to say for Col,
| and in His cause and we look to Him for His in
| dorsement Numerous voices "Amen.'1 We
only ask you to cooperate in the saving of souls.
/ in the upbuidng of the church. AS long as you
see that God is with the work, it is your duty to
| give it your support. Whenever you that
| God is not moving in these meetings we want
you to withdraw. We going to talk and
| preach, and sing as we may think best,
| and we do not expect to be con-
| trolled by the likes dislikes. preju-
dices or opinions of any person. If there
is anything to make you laugh, we want you
to laugh, or if there is anything to make you
cry, we want you to cry. There is just as much
religion in one as in the other and there is no re-
| iigion in either, except as it is related to the
| work If there are any sentiments you want to
| anuaud wa want Won To applaud Them When