Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-03-19

years e to Mrs. McIllwaine, Cf Kentucky.
For several years he was hayward in his
life, and dissipated periodically, but ON the
death OF his father in 1872 he was brought
to a knowledge of his situation and was
converted. Since then, having Joined the
Methodist Church, North Georgia Confer
ence, for about nine years he was engaged
on circuit and station work in Georgia,
and was everywhere known as u faithful,
fearless preacher.
He has always had his present style Of
preaching, INC it is not a master OF recent
development or growth, but natural. The
last three years he confined himself to con.
ference work. The fortunes OF the North
Georgia Orphans Homo were in n preca-
rious condition, and the conference made
began to travel beyond his conference
bounds to build up his present fame and
power as a preacher. SO rapidly has this
been done that he is now i'll demand in al
most every city east OF the Rocky mount
aims of any considerable population. He
redeemed the Orphans Home from debt,
furnished it with new buildings, and still
maintains it by his own efforts. 1t cares
for a very large number OF the orphan chill
drcn OF the poorer classes. Hc has held u
great many successful meetings, prominent
among which were those at Talmage's
Brooklyn Tabernacle, January, a year
ago.; at Waco, Tex; Memphis, Tenn;
Nashville, Tenn; Plattsburg, Mo-; st. DO
seph, Mo-; Birmingham, Ala; Knoxville,
Tenn; st. Louis, Mo. and Cincinnati.
Sam Jones is OF snallish stature, rather
slight, dark complexion, dark hair, light
dark mustache, clear-cut features and
bright piercing eyes. His firm.set under
:, a.. ! ,-,E,, 4l, ,,- .-l a,-1,,x:o> 81
the man. He is full OF natural wit and
humor, in the pulpit as well as out OF it..
He has not been Il great reader as to guam
tity, but has read many OF the best works
in the English language, and is familiar
with the best moral essayists OF the world.
His vocabulary is almost purely Anglo
Saxon, and in that TACT consists the great
pungency and strength OF his speech.
Jones is very plain and outspoken in his
dealings with religious and moral ques-
tions. He has an intense hatred fer all
shams and hypocrisy, and believes in peo-
/! pie living up to the apostolic standard OF
righteousness. His crmon and methods
OF work have made a good many critics,
and sometimes make people mad. but the
carnestness and lrotherly love OF the man
triumph over all these things, and they
come back and hear more. Gradually
he gets u wonderful hold upon them.
His idea in meetings like these is always to
get the church people right first. He says
lie wants the Lords crowda and the devils
crowd separate before he brings on the bat
tic, and heis as mcrcjless upon the sins and
sham OF church people as he is upon those
OF non-profrssors. He is a hard-worker in
all his meetings, preaching two and three
times a day, and has great powers OF phys.
ical endurance. His habits are simple and
regular. His health is generally good. He
is very popular throughout all the com
munities he has ever visited, and is admit.
ted now, through the size OF his congrcga.
tions, the reports OF the newspapers and
the circulation of his sermons to be preach.
ing to more men and oftener than amy man
now living.