The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-08-18
THE OPENING DAY
or zee MouNpayIILE AIEEEINe.
Rev. Sam Small fails to put in his Appear.
Rnes, Much to tho Disappointment of
the Psopls-A Very Successful Open.
Ing Nevertheless Bright Promise.

The evening train from Wheeling took
down to the Moundsville Camp Ground a
large number OF people, many Of whom
were attracted by the announcement that
Sam Small would open the camp meeting
season with u characteristic sermon.
When the train reached the Camp Ground
Presiding Elder Hite and Col. Sterling, Of
the committee to receive Mr., Small,
stood on the platform asking whether
anybody had seen the missing Samuel in
Wheeling. Nobody had seen him. Mr.,
Hite was confident that the evening train
from the West had carried Mr., Small past
Bsnwood aud that he was in Wheeling,
They began to make arrangements to
bring him down on a special locomotive,
but seeing the impossibility Of get
ting into communication with him,
they gave 1t all up as a bad
job. Still believing that the evangelist
was here, Mr., Hite announced that he
might be expected 10 preach this
morning at 1880 and in the evening. IN
TRLLIdEEcRR reporters made the tour Of
the hotels and inquired about town gem
orally, but "0ld 81" was nowhere to be
found, There was a rumor that he was al
hotel In the afternoon, stopped a few
moments to get information and went out.
He is expected on the camp ground to-day
with as much confidence az he was looked
for yesterday, The management has done
its best to get him and made its announce
ment by authority.
There was great disappointment when
the conviction settled on the people that
Mr., Small was not to preach, But the
auditorium was well filled, and In spite oil
the disappointment tho Camp Meeting
opened auspiClously. On the platform
were Rev, Messrs, Hte, King, Cotton,
RiheldaGer, Randolph, Stewart, Sanford
and Battelle, After prayer by Rev. IL, o,
Sanford, Rev. s. King, pastor Of the Yves,
ley n. h. Chapel, aud vice President oil
the association, read as text Romans
6; %; "But not being made free from sin,
and become servants to God, ye have your
fruit unto holiness, and the end everlast'
ing life."
Mr., King then stepped In front OF the
pulpit and for about forty minutes
preached an old.fashioned Methodist ser.
man which took q wonderful hold on his
audience. A man Of massive frame, loose
jointed, lacking In grace Of movement
using lew and not always appropriate ges
lures, his fine head rolling US though II
were set on q pivot, q iOrCelul earnestnesl
craven deep In his bsardless face, u pow
erful voice with u proneness to yet into q
high pitch and crack, he soon had the
sympathy OF the people, who would glad
ly have listened to him for an hour. HiI
ideas were strong and presented In Logical
order. AS epRced up and down before the
pulpit his Language flowed with wonderful
ease, well'Chosen, sometimes eloquent
often pathetic, always elective. The
farther he went the more he won upon his
audience, His marked eCCentriCity was
itself q charm, but not the only charm
There was combination OF brains, earn
estness, biblical learning and strong com
mon sense which entertained the people
and went to their hearts. II there can bs
such sermon at every service the meet
ing will be q grand success though the
famous preachers who have been an
nounCed were not to appear at all.