Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-03-23

REV. SAM JONES.
Mr.. Jones is a man of medium stature,
rather slender build, dark complexion,
dark eyes. He wears a clerical coat, but
his pantaloous are decidedly unorthodox.
They are striped with q gaudy stripe.
His diction is OF the Southern style, with
the Georgia dialect an inch thick, and
his grammar Is strained and twisted to
carry out the assumed character of the
Georgia hoosler. He speaks extempo-
ranPously, often stopping for some
minutes 10 get grip on
new idea, but when he gets the
grip he hangs on till he has
worked it dry. Ideas are not scarce in
his neighborhood, but only the good ones
are used. Every sentence he utteTs says
something His efforts so far have not
been in the direction of stirring up the
feelings of his audiences-rather of
creating feeling of good humor-and he
has succeeded. He talks like man who
would succeed at anything.
At the morning service there were
about 1000 people present. The weather
was fine, and a great many more people
would have been there but for the disa D.
pointments occurring on the previous
day.
But the evening service was the heavy
one. People hurried through their sup
pers in order to be early at the taberna-
Gle. They began coming in at
O'Clock, and long before
Mr.. Jones reached the scene
of action all the prefe. able front seats
had been taken, and the later arrivals
were forced to take the back seats, until
all the benches had been appropriated
and people crowded up the aisles, stand
ing, crouching, or in other such posture
found convenient. The chairs reserved
on the platform were all well filed with
hearty luuged singers.
The weather was all that could he de-
sired; the atmosphere in the auditorium
was pure, and people were glad they
were there. a well arranged set of cleo
trio lights made those on the platform
plainly visible from all parts OF the tent,
and the speakers slightest whisper could
be heard at the uttermost parts thereof.
There were fully 1000 people present.
Prof. z. o. Excel led the singing,
and fine leader he makes. He has a
voice like a steam pillow in full action
and when he turned his vocal organs
loose it seemed that the whole tent be-
came inflated and spread out. The &C
compartment of some 500 voices had
something 10 do with the volume of
sound, as may be imagined.
Before Mr.. Jones arrived the choir
sang There is a Fountain Filled with
Blood, - "He is Able TO Deliver, -
''Look and Live - ''At the Cross. -
Professor Excel announced that the
hymn books containing the words and
music used by the choir were for sale at
so much, the cloth bound articles coming
q trifie higher, and the audience was
urged to secure supply at once, as they
would not be on sale to-day, the Sab
bath
Rev. J. Morgan Wells led in short in
vocation to the Almighty for aid to the
evangelist in his efforts in Fort Worth.
The choir rendered "Come Thou Fount
of Every Blessing with such energy
that perspiration streamed down some of
the singers brows.
1t was announced that regular services
were to be held this morning in all
churches except Rev. MIR. Armstrong;,
the Missouri avenue and the Mulkey me-
mcrial churches, and no Sundav-scnool
viii be held at Mr.. Armstrong; church
to-day.
Mr.. Jones came to the front: "Dur-
ing tomorrow and throughout my stay
IN Fort Worth, - he said, ''there will
be services held each day in this taber-
nacle-at 1880 in the morning, in the
afternoon and 1880 at night. l propose
TO keep at it regularly until
accomplish good results, and [ want
90 say right here: Twenty years
ago last November ! married as nice a
girl as God ever made, and during ali
these twenty years we have lived happily
together, without jar or trouble Of any
kind, and wi en- leave home she is very,
eH,a
cries. Aud l want TO say to you
ladies', if shat woman could stand me for
twenty years, II looks to me like YOU
could get along with me for week or so.
l don't like these supercilious, finiky,
heightened kind OF people. Some OF
them hang back from taking part in
the services for fear they will
be failure. They say, IL it
is success they will help
II along. II the choir is respectable
they will get up in IT and sing. Maybe
you think we are not good enough for
you. This thing is not fast enough for
you, perhaps. why, God bless you, in
week from now this thing viii be running
down the road at a tremendous
rate, and YOU will be running along after
it. But / want the meeting to be run
quietly and orderly. We were visited to-
day by some fellers who were troubled
with two much of the over joyous, and
you know how much sense a man has
when he Is in that condition.
a. VIII take my text from Joshua XIV,
10: Choose you this day whom you will
serve, but as for me and ny house, we
will serve the Lord
Christianity, INV friends. is an act of
choice simply. 1t is not thing OF desire
simply nor of purpose, nor intention,
matter OF choice, simple, honest