The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1888-11-09

dry tongue from barreled- manuscript.
He doesn't say firstly, secondly, thirdly
and so on III the orthodox sleepy fashion.
He does'.'t think that he has got to yell to
make the people hear him. He simply
stands Up and talks as man to man. He
| hits straight from the shoulder He calls
spade spade. He doesn't try to be elo-
quent, or dignified in the pulpit. He
doesn't know what it is to be dignified
| He would die if he had TO be dignified
He just can't be that way
1t has been my observation that when
yon speak of q man as a very dignitied
man, It is a polite way to say that he is
| stupid and dull. Sam fairly rails at preach
ers who think more of their attitudes aud
| their words than of the message they are
delivering.
But he goes on preaching. Presently he
tells a simple story, and he tells it simply
Maybe 1t is from tt e Bible Maybe it is
something that has come in his own expe-
rience. lou feel lump in your throat
You feel very soft about the heart You
look about you. You see strong men try
ing in vain to check the tears. You feel
the seriousness of the congregation. You
feel the stiffness. Then, after waiting half
minnie, he invites all men who like the
religion he has been telling about, and are
willing to pray for it, to come up and give
him their hand And half hundred
men walk up and he shakes hands and
says, God help you, brother" and the
meeting is over. and after q song the peo-
pie 90 home 70 pray, some to critl
clze, and some to wonder. But they all
do SOMETHING. Sam Jones makes them
think about relgion-a thing that some of
them hayn't done for years.
The service is over What do you think
of him?' OF course you think sonnet hing
He makes you do that. 1t is a great thing
in itself to make one think
''W hat do you think of him." half
dozen Durhamites asked me as l came out
of the warehouse | responded: Il don't
know. | think a great many things. AT
first l was disappointed. Then l felt that
he was too coarse. Then thought he was
a most wonderful preacher. Then laugh
ed-and couldn't help it. Then felt like
/ ought to take his advice, ''Quit your
meanness~ l really don't know what |
think Of him"
know what | think of the unique and orig
| inal Sam except this: That while do not
, like many Of his expressions, l know, from
all the evidences. that, by the blessing of
| God, he has wrought a great work in Dur
ham among all of its people-rich and
poor, educated and illterate He brings
men together. He breaches that all men
are brethren. He ridicules the petty diff
ferences that divide men and heaps untold
sarcasm upon vanity, pretense and show.
He breaches a gospel of equality before
God on this earth and in heaven. He
l.arders to 10 class nor condition. He
speaks to the rich the same message he
breaches to the poor. He is tremendously
strong and vigorous. He Is literally shock
ing n his denuucatous Of sin. Some
times he is so shocking as to be coarse.
And yet he tells the truth, and if he is
sometimes eXtravagant, he is always di-
rect a d he hits sin wherever he finds it,
He is Sam Jones. He is likely nobody else
He would be failure if he attempted to
be anybody else.
Everywhere the preachers are lnquiring,
GLOW can we reach the Masses" Sam
Jones makes no such inquiry. The masses
| Il h,t hat to- nna
Sam Jones gladly l don't advise any
preacher to initiate Sani's odd and quaint
sayings. They would fail But, if l were
worthy of giving them any advice, would
| say, preachers: Get down off of your
stills. Throw away props. Unbutton your
coat Look at the men to whom you are
preaching Think only OF their pershing
souls and let rhetoric and attitudes and
propriety, so called go to thunder" Then
you will stop asking GLOW can We reach
the masses2" They will gladly hear the
gospel, and the scripture will be fulfilled
when it says, "And the poor have the Cos
pei preached unto them" Sam is no re
specter of persons, and the poor know il
and they hear him. And they heed the
gospel. Everybody may criticize and de
nounce MIN and his methods who want
to, but l cannot find it in my heart to com
plain of or abuse a man who is accomplish
ing so much good, and working so for The
betterment of his fellows. If | don't lk,
all his methods, I like the object he is aim
ing at and the object he attains.' l lool
not to HOW he does thing. look to The
WHAT he does. The results Of his meet
ings certainly make men and women'
lives sweeter, better, brighter, happier
| am therefore believer in Sam Jones.
SAM JONES NOTES.
The people of Durham contributed $26t
to the Sam Jones Orphan Asylum, and the,
gave 81 800 to the evangelist for his servi
ces OF this amount Julian S Carr CAV,
$3.50. W. Duke & Sons $3.50, Capt E. J
Parrish 500, W. T. Blackwell 500.
As one result of Sam Joneses meeting il
Durham, on last Sunday IL people joinet
the two Baptist churches; 154 the thre
Methodist churches; Is the Episcopa
church; and A. the Presbyterian church
80 ir all.
J. D.
Their Business Booming.
| Probably no one thing has caused sucl
q general revival of trade at Lee, Johnso