Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-01-14
SAM JONES.
The Evangelist Holds Forth
at the Pavilion.
TWO IMMENSE GATHERINGS.
He Gives the Preachers Shot and
States His Views ON Re-
ligiOus Teaching.

gIOuS IedcnlQg.
Sam Jones drew two of the largest
audiences into the Pavilion yesterday
that have ever assembled in that uilding,
it being estimated that at the afternoon
service there were 4,5O0 people within
its walls. So thickly did the crowd pour
in that at last there was scarcely stand
room, and guards were placed at the en-
frances to the staircases to prevent any
more people from passing into the GAL
leries, as it was feared that it would
break down. The stage was occupied by
members of the Young Mems Christian
Association and a number of local
preachers, small section being reserved
as pulpit. Into it, at about 8 80 o'clock
was ushered Sam Jones. and general
craning of necks at once took place, as
everyone was anxious to see what sort of
looking individual the celebrated evan
gelist was. They saw tall, slight, black
mustached and black haired individual
of about 80 years of age, carefully dressed
in suit of glossy black which set off
resplendently about half sec tion of inn
maculate shirt front. A satisfied smile
stole over his naturally pallid face as he
looked around on his immense audience,
and then with an enunciation that ap-
peared to be without effort on his part be
spoke in clear, ringing voice, every syl-
liable that he uttered being perfectly audi
BILE in the remotest corner of the building.
Being religious gathering the audience
felt somewhat constrained at first as re-
CARDS applause, but when Jones warmed
up to his work the bonds broke loose,
and from that time to the close of the SER
vice vigorous applause and hearty laugh
ter was in order.
The evangelist's style of oratory was
truly original He introduced slang, told
anecdotes, stormed and became pathetic
all sin a moment, and gave good evil
dence that his lungs were sound, fer
when excited he talked loud
enough to have been heard on
the opposite side Of the Sixth
Street Park. Speaking of evangelsts,
he said that he had an utter contempt
for man who went about the country
preaching without anyone knowing what
sect be belonged to. 81 am Methodist"
shouted Sam, "and go was my father
and grandfather and great-gran6father, !"
whereupon all the Methodists present
stamped their feet and clapped their
hands with delight. He spoke for over
an hour and then announcing that he
wonld give another address in the even
ing, he dismissed his auditors with q
benediction, and told them that if they
wanted to come and hear him again he
would be glad to see them, but if they
did not care about coming he did not
want them.
At the evening service there was the
same surging crowd, filling every nook
and corner, sitting on the steps and
clinging to the posts in desire to get
glimpse OF the orator. Some of his re-
marks are worth reproducing, as there
is no doubt that Sam Jones is witty as
well as verbose speaker. He said that
a man who was politically corrupt could
launched forth in TRADE on the utter
ances of the administrations of the
American people. "What can a State
expect that has swill-tub for a Gov
ernor and meal-tubs looking after its
cities ?" he asked, and then continued:
"I made that remark in city in Mis-
souri, and some of its residents the next
day asked me if intended it for q per-
sonal insult to them. / replied by
quoting the old proverb that if the shoe
fits, wear it,"
"God wants about ninety-nine per cent.
man and one per cent. preacher" he said
later on when talking about the present
mode of religious teaching. He added:
81 am tired of hearing people singing
in the Sweet Bye and Bye As we may
never get to heaven, let us make this earth
as much like heaven as we can. There
is too much bosh about the business alto
gether. A lot of old bench warmers sit
in the front seats of the churches every
Sunday and look very pious as they
chant hymns from well-thumbed books,
thinking meanwhile maybe how they
can get the drop on some one
the next day. l would like to
see a preacher who would leave
his altar and grab one of these humbugs
by the neck and fire him out. Why,
the next Sunday there would be 1900
people standing outside that church
waiting for the door to open, so that they
could see preacher who had done some
thing. And as he walked down the
streets they would say: There goes the
preacher who hit the old bench-warmer.'
"A pretty day overhead" friend re-
marked to me, recefStly. EYES," re-
piled. "but there are very few going that
wav."
The revival services will be held at the
Pavilion throughout the coming week at
10 80 A. M. and $50 P. M. daily. Mr..
Jones will preach at every meeting.