The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1890-02-20
"sam Jones" is a crowning success on

"Sam Jones" is a crowning success on
the money line. He is emphatically a
financial success, for he quietly and
adroitly works at the rate Of nearly one
hundred dollars per day, and the 'sdear
people" think he makes no charges and
the money is given to his orphans home.
From his own statement he has made
thousand dollars week from his book
as royalty for three years. And the
congregations generally give him one
hundred dollars a day forhis seryices,
besides an extra collection for the orphans
he has to support. The collection is
kept before the audience by direct and
indirect methods right through a meet
ing. Here there was anxiety on this
subject from the very start, and the subject
of money vas alluded to at every other
service for ten days, sometimes in the
morning, sometimes at night, but come
it would, either morning or night. First,
the subject came up indirectly by his
denouncing the accusation that he was
just preaching around to make money.
Then he told of the thousands he had
been paid 'more than any American
preacher" Then, to tie preachers, at a
morning service, he said: II take all
they will pay, and don't every preacher
here do the same7 1t is our duty to
| make the good brethren give all we can,
for their sake, you know" Again, he
said:, 81 am a charitable institution
like your lottery, therefore you all toler-
ate me-" and ''ifyou all don't pay me
anything, I can get along somehow
But the most daring Of all his assertions
was when, in very loud and defiant
tone, be said: "Ask any preacher on
this stage if I have said anything about
money to any one of them since my
arrival. I defy any to say Ihave." But
the price of bis. services was known to
most Of those preachers, for had he
not written lin substance) months before,
in answer to letter asking his charges: !:
~ make no charges, as I am so deeply
interested in your city; but for the same
time spent in lecturing I would receive
two thousand dollars" This is the sub.
stauce Of the letter. He had not said
money, but had aOritten very definitely
what he srpected, though he chcrged
nothing. "No chargess hoao HberalF
the peoplesaid'; but the managers behind
the curtains saw the expense account
rise to three thousand dollars. They
collected and collected for two weeks,
and got enough to pay the hall expen-
ses, then the third week Was the inter.
estiug time. Mr.. EXCEL had his books
on hand the boy travelled up and down
the sisles "hawking" loudly and persist,
emily. Three diferent:preachers exhort.
ed at different times on this song book,
and the young man worked the audience.
But four nights before the end of the
meeting layman was thrust forward to
take up two thousand dollars. After
much straining they got seven hundred.
The preachers then took charge, turning
themselves into collectors, but after
much sweating and many appeals they
raised eight hundred more. With q few
private checks the amount reached about
seventeen hundred dollars Tor Mr.. Jones
and his helpers, and the people thought
it was for his orphan asylum. When
the last sermon was over, the last hymn
sung, Brother Sam arose and said:
"Now all those who want to help those
orphans I have to care for ard wish to
bid me goodbye can come up and
put your contribution in this basket and
shake my hand as you pass. Those Who
cannot give anything will think as we'll
of them as I can" He drew chair to
the edge of the platform, sat down in it.
nut the collection basket on the floor
between his feet. Excell sang q tune;
the people, trooping by, shook his hand
and dropped dollar into the basket.
It looked like man milking COW.
Jones, Excsll and Stewart got the pail
of milk, and the "strippings" went to the
orphans.
Rev. Sam Jones will be ruined by
money. That is the impression made
upon the best of our people. The audi
ences we're thoroughly convinced that he
likes money. Once he said to a friend,
who approached him on this subject
"If the people are fools enough to give
me the money, 1 am fool enough to take
it," Whether this rumor is true or not,
he impresses you as one who loves mon
ey. As he sat over that basket Excel
came to the front and leaned over and
looked down upon the money; the
preachers came forward, learned over the
rail and peered around to see how much
we're the strippings. To have cotton
that scene photographed would have
been picture worth the whole amount
that dropped into the basket. The
writer was in the audience tremendously
amused aud-disgusted. Will it be
written "Sam Jones ruined by the silver
dollar"7 God grant it may not be so.