The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-11-02
BLUE RIBBON WORK.
Francis Murphy Addresses a
Splendid Gathering.
HUNDREDS COULD NOT GET IN.
The Evangelist Not at His Best and n
disappointment to Some-His
Life Story.

Francis Murphy, the temperance evangelist.
leetured In the Armory last night before an
immense audience. Every seat in the hall was
nlled and every available space on the floor
was occupied, fully thousand persons stand
Ing In the aisles and areas. The gallery extend
Ing entirely around the large hall was also
crowded to its full capacity and the
rostrum occupied by the speaker was occupied
by choir OF over 100 Of the best singers in the
city. Long before the opening hour the build
Ing was completely TILED, and hundreds of per-
sons were turned away because of lack OF room.
All the central churches of the city had omitted
their evening service to allow the congregation
TO attend this meeting.
MI. Murphy was introduced by Rev. s. Alonzo
Bright, of Trinity Methodist church. He was
roundly applauded upon taking the speakers
stand. Mr.. Murphy introduced Mr. H. KIM
Dali, a commercial traveller, who wss one OF Mr.
Aurphy's converts In Chicago five years ago He
gave the great evangelist the credit for saving
MS lie by breaking him of the drink habit.
Mr.. Murphy's talk was interrupted at frequent
intervals by applause and by laughter when he
would make a particularly strong point. I'm
fortunately he was not at his best, and the adj
dress was acknowledged by mis- most ardent adj
mlrers to be one OF the poorest he ever delivered
lie thanked the preachers for the large crowd,
and said that he had with great difficulty made
his way through the throng himself
Mr. Murphy began his talk in an easy, off.
hand manner He was there, he said, in the
interest OF men and women, not sects or creeds,
TO talk on the old, old story of temperance
Every mans life was a book, and it was his
own lie that he proposed to speak OF particu-
larry 1t was the victories one gained over
himself that gave him courage.
Mr.. Murphy told of his birth in an humble
cottage in Ireland; of his early life and his
youth; of the great vessels passing by going to
the New World; of his sweet mother and her
tender care of him and the sad parting when, at
the age OF l6, he came to America. Wealth had
come to them before he left home and they had
had wine on the table: that was where he had
acquired the taste for liquor. The wine cellars
were curse to the nation and the money spent
In them should be given to the Christian
churches
The speaker cautioned young men to save
their money. A dollar was good friend and
ten-dollar debt would often drive a man out of
his home. To the young men he directed an
admonition to keep their names spotess. A
hundred dollars saved from small earnings was
as good training as two years in Yale college.
Mr.. Murphy paid glowing tribute to the i'm
portance OF the home influence for good
and to the work of Bishop Ireland in the inter-
est of temperance.
To the young man away from home he wanted
to say for them not to forget their mothers and
fathers. When he left his mother he thought
flowers, and he would have succeeded had it
not been for the social evil OF drink "But,
thank God" he said, Francis Murphy stands
before you today, saved!"
He did not drink because he was a mean
man-nobody that he had ever known had
When he arrived in America after a voyage of
over seven weeks, he went to q
hotel, and, with the others, he commenced
to drink and soon all his money was gone. He
hired out to a farmer and worked along for sew
eral years. He married, and at the age of SO he
was sent to q drunkards institute. Six children
and his wife were left at home alone. One day
a preacher came into the institute and few les
sons from him changed the drunkard into a
man. His family came to him. anu before the
seventy-fve men in the institute he prayed for
help, and got it, and knew that he was saved.
For twenty-five years he had been free from the
letters of drink and he predicted that God
would close the dram shops of the country just
as He had saved him.
In closing Mr.. Murphy said he hoped that the
people OF Seattle would stand together for right
till the last man was saved.
At the close of the lecture O number of young
ladies passed through the audience tying blue
ribbons on the lappels Of the coats of the men
Another meeting will be held tonight and every
evening for a week, and noontime meetings will
be held att he city mission ON South Third street
near Jackson.