The clarion., 1886-04-28
Sam Jons! Iyas.

10 the scene of labor of the great reyiv-
alist, the more the talk about him in
creased. :. Sam Jones' q Sam Jones
filed the air and was on almost every
lin. At the breakfast house at Artesia
a fast young man said that he was
going to hear Sam Jones, just as he
would go to a monkey show. No circns
or monkey show ever drew the people
like this man. Excursion trains were
run from Meridian, Aberdeen and from
points on the Illinois Central Rail
Road Before our train got to Artesla,
there was scarce standing room. Good
Judges estimated that there were 1000
people in Columbus on Sunday, drawn
thither by desire TO see and hear the
man of whom 50 much has been written
and said
Sam Jones and Sam Small preached
at different places each time, and people |
were packed into every available space
by the ushers, still there were hundreds |
crowiing around the doors or walking |
disappointedly around the streets. At
the early service at a. M, the house
would be packed, and at the popular
hours many would stand on their feet
during all the exercises continuing some
times for over two hours. After the
dismission people would linger in their
seats loath to give them up, for fear
they would be crowded out at the next
service.
1t is just impossible to report Sam
Jones: you may write down his forcefui
incidents and thrilling illustrations, yet
wanting his iuimitable manner and his
true mimetic art, they viii seem tame,
even coarse. A Uer5atim report of his
most brilliant flights might be given
and there are occasional bursts in every
sermon of genuine, soul-stirring elo
quence, but NO mere words can paint
his red-hot earnestness or the soul-ight
that flashes from his piercing eye. Often
times his audiences are moved to tears,
and sobs from hardened sinners can be
heard from all parts of the house. You
feel the irresistible power that sways
| the vast multitude, you are borne along
with it, but it is much easier TO realize
it than to describe it to others.
His power is felt not only by the
lowyr classes, or by emotionally religious
persons, but by the purely intellectual
as well, by the most cultered people in
the community. | went into the inquiry
( room after the preaching service on
Saturday night where ouly peni.ents
and those who would instruct them were
allowed. There were three hundred
seekers of religion present, and most
wonderful displays of divine power ac-
companied the simple and homely and
practical explanation of the way of life
by this remarkable man, who seems to
be utterly unmindful of self and just
allows himself 20 be used as voice in
the wilderness preparing the way of the
Lord. Under a proposition from him that
all who would pledge themselves in the
sight of God and that company to joiI
the church of tneir own choice at the
+ very earliest opportunity, should come
forward and give him their hand, on'
hundred and fifty responded. Anon:
them were some of the elite of society
t and some of the ring leaders in worldli
: ness. | was standing by a citizen o
/ Columbus, who would tell me of variou
parties as they thus took upon then
: VOWS of conservation. As distinguished
looking man with determined air an'
) fearful eyes pressed up to take the solemn
, vow, my friend exclaimed, "Ah! thert
goes Captain -, the most influentia
man in the city of Columbus, high il
: social and official position, and hereto
fore a leader in wickedness in high life
As he went back to his place of standing
his elegant ana accomplished wife, witt
= an expression of serene, religious JOY ol
: her handsome face, piliowed her hea,
! on his manly breast, and a thrill o
religious influence pervaded the au
e dience This gentleman is we'll know
= here at the Capital. My friend pointe,
t out another who had just taken tn
= hand of the evangelist, "do you see tha
lady with the high white hat? she
= regarded as one of the most intellectual
ladies in the city, but has been skeptical
her friends thought hopelessly so, bu
she was impressed from the first hearing
of Mr.. Jones and to night has deter
, mined TO come ont on the Lord s side.
There, look at that Young man with tn
flushed face and dissipated look. He i
! the son of one of the wealthiest families
has been struggling against his appetite
in vain Oh what blessed thing i
ne will only hold out in his vow"
a Among those who pledged themselve
e to join the church, was former candi
2 date for Congress from the Columbu
I District, also a high railroad official
/ also one of the wealthiest planters, VIII,
: had been prime mover in the anti-tem
n perance league. | mention these fact
= that it may be known that Sam Jone
: captures for Christ, the rich as well a
: the poor, the intellectual as well as tn
Il | oOI tbo oallo1
= pie as well as those who live in OF
scurity.
At the first service | attended, 10
pledged themselves to join the church
on Saturday night one hundred am
o fifty, and during Sundays service, oye
' two hundred; how many b I'd done 5
: before, I did not hear.
e Sam Jones preached to the negroes o.
e Saturday afternoon, from a stand erect
e ed before the court house door Th
n court yard and most of the street, to tn
y opposite walls were filled with blac
q faces; it was estimated that there wer
four thousand present. There were ais
s a large number of white people present
o ladies as well as gentlemen. The Cos
It pei trumpet gave forth no uncertai
s sound Hearty amens' frequentl
: were uttered by the appreciative throng
J That's so" oftentimes echoed to Sam
: unvarnished utterances. One old blacI
" amoor standing near me, voiced hi
: amazement by exclaiming, My Lord
just listen at dat man, how plain he d
a talkw
i He preached to men alone, on Sunda
I afternoon. The Methodist church, in
: Guiding the galleries, is estimated to sea
$ 2,200 people, but this evening the aisle
e were all full, and the doors and windows
d some said there must have been $50
|, present. | never saw such a sight. !
y looked ike sea of heads. The preache
d expressed himself as being oppressed b.
: a sense of the responsibility of the houl
e So many souls to be impressed 70
e Heaven, or left to perish. Yet he see me,
as utterly devoid of any self-conscious
{ ness or desire of display as if in ordinar
I conversation. He swayed that immens
mass of men at will; at one time arous
ing them to uproarious laughter an,
! then moving them % tears; they woul;
! sit with almost breathless interest rs h
arraighed in blistering periods tn
whisky vender, the licentious and th
profane, then they would arise and stan,
' up almost to a man in response to hi
call for pledge to do all in their powe
to put down these monstrous evils.
People, who have never heard San
Jones preach, set him down as yulga
aud low Well, there is no denying tha
he calls things by their names, and tina
men and women sometimes grow whit
and red by turns, while looking into th
faithful mirror that he holds up t,
nature. But then the vices, whose bar,
mention by him excites such condemna