The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1888-11-09

The revival meeting which began three
weeks ago, closed last Sunday night in VIII
liams' opera house. At 7:3O O'Clock on Sun
day night the house was filed, all seating
capacity was taken, yet the congregation
continued to pour in. Where to store them
away was the question. Mr.. Williams, the
proprietor Of the opera house, stood near the
entrance to the main auditorium, and chair
after chair was handed down to him from
floor space was covered. The galleries were
well packed alLO. About a half hour was
| spent in this way in arranging chairs and
making comfortable the immense audience,
Mr.. Williams playing the part Of deacon
| During this time the choir sang several
| beautiful hymns. At about 5 o'clock Rev
| X. II. Burnett arose, read chapter and then
offered an earnest prayer for the people of
| this city that all yet uEcOnyerted might be-
| come Christians. 1t was a prayer full of
| sympathy and carnestDess, one calculated to
| call down the spirit of Christ and touch the
| heart Of the hardest sinner. His sermon
| following was about an hour long, on the
| subject Of "Moses' Faith" Every one who
heard him was pleased with the manner in
which be handled his subject. The audience
| =
| Burnett closed by coming down and calling
| for those who desired the prayers Of the
| Christian people to shake hts hand. Many
nearest him came forward, but it was soon
| found impTGctiCable for all to reach him, and
| request was then made for those who
could not reach him, to stand up at their
seats. There were perhaps more than q
| hundred who stood up. He then called upon
| those who desired to be Christians to stand
up, and many stood up. He gave them a
few feeling words, urging them to attend the
churches Of their choice and support them
| A collection was then taken up to defFay the
expenses Of the meeting, which amounted
with that previously taken, to a sum sufficient
to detray all expenses. Of this amount West
Lake Charles contributed literally.
After the collection had been taken, Mr.
Burnett made few timely remarks to the
| congregation, saying that from personal OBJ
| seTYation he had arrived at the conclusion
that Lake Charles was destined to become
large city. He urgeg them to stand by their
| town, and there was no better way to boom
| town than to stand by the schools and
churches and help literally in every railroad
enterprise.
A vote Of thanks was then given Mr.. J. L.
Williams, which was fully merited, for the
use of the opera house.
Special mention should also be made Of
1 Others. Messrs. Harry j. Onmeyer and Jerry
| O'Brlen, two furniture dealers, who aided
materially In the loan Of chairs, and also to
| Capt. Wehrtr who ran the steamer "Hazel"
| every night for the accommodation Of those
who desired to attend the meetings from
| West Lake Charles.
During the meeting there were received
| into the Methodist church thiTty-One mem
| bers, and about ten were received by other
| churches, besides there are others who
will doubtless unite themselves to the
| churches Of their choice at an early day
This has certainly been good year relig-
iously in Lake Charles. In February last,
though the weather was unfavorable, q good
portion Of the time Elders r. W. Merrill and
| y. w, TomIies held rhree weeks meeting
| In the Baptist church, resulting in about
/ forty uniting with the Baptist church and
several with other churches, besides about
| forty have been received into the Baptist
church since Ed. Rogers took charge in
| May last. This, with all those received by
the other churches, makes it a year Of great
progress in the Christian religion In the city
| of Lake Charles.