The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-03-23

WE nave aA AeaTO OF the song 'Inere IL q
new coon in town." and so there will be moth
ing startling in the statement that there is
new evangelist" in the country. His name
is 'Lampasas Jake" and he is described as "a
cowboy revivalist" He breaches in frontier
saloons, beginning with describing his own
| remarkable Conversion" and then proceeds
to his call for the unconverted. A letter from
New Mexico describes Jake's doings as fol-
lows:
3Jake breaches nothing but repentance and
salvation. He lives off the country, he says
He takes up no collections and he asks few
favors. He goes we'll armed and never lays
aside his weapons, even when preaching. He
has fights frequently, and he sometimes
brings men to repentance by main strength
Wherever he finds three or four cowboys
gamblers, rustlers or adventures he begins
his services.
'Going into one of the hardest of the num-
erous hard saloons in this place, the other
| night, Jake mounted chair and commanded
silence The games and drinking came to an
end, and about twenty men, young and old,
| looked up. One fellow undertook to edge out
but Jake stopped him.
g No you don't, mister he said, pointing
his finger at him. No you don't. When you
get to hell you'll have chances enough to come
sneak on somebody, but you don't do it
| here Then, Strengthening himself up, he
| yelled in voice that made things creak:
How many of yous ready to die now with
Don't any of you drunken, swearing, fighting
disappearing, gambling thieving, tin-horn,
coffin paint exterminating galoots look at me
ugly. because | know ye I've been through
| the drive. You're all in your sins. You know
a fat, well-fed, well-cared for, thoroughly
branded steer when you see one. and you can
tell whose it is and where it belongs. There's
a man that owns it. There's place for it to
CO. There's a law to protect it. But the NAV
erick-who's is that? You're all mavericks
and worse. The maverick has no brand Oh
him. BE goes bellering about until somebody
takes him in and clasps the branding iron on
him. But you whelps, you've got the devils
brand on you. You've got his lariat about
you. He let's you have rope now, but he'll
haul you in when he wants irewood."'
| Further on in his discourse he says:
"Sofne of you can feel the lariat now, and
| all you old whisky-tubs here now can smell
| the fire. I'll bet you five dollars you're
scared. I'll bet you ten dollars you would
give something now to know that you
wouldn't get cooked. I'll bet you hundred
| dollars can tell you how to escape. just
you get down on your knees here now and
| yell. That's right; all Of you down. Won't
do it, ehg Well, you will get down. That's
right. Now, you yell. Cry out for help like
a Texas steer in snow belly deep"
| And still further, this:
'You're nice lot of rufians, amt your
You'd look nice gallivanting around in heaven,
wouldn't yous Wouldn't hell itself turn pale
| if it saw you comings You can get yourself
| in condition You can make your hides slick.
There is the grass of salvation that is green all
| the year round. You can eat Of it, and you'll
make flesh from the word go. You can refuse
| it, and you'll grow poor and miserable till
your old hides will flap on your bones like a
| bed-quilt on ridge pole
This is the perfect flower and fruitage of
| s'Sam Jonesism." Of course, SO soon as some
of our preachers read of this new and
powerful ''revivalist" they will at once meet
and invite him to Indianapolis, agreeing to
| close up their churches hire him big tent
and pay him a large salary for the season.
| Or, possibly he could be secured as an addi-
| tional attraction for some summer assembly.
| 'Lampasas Jake" is the coming Evangelist !"