Telegram-herald., 1891-12-15
OF 1HI WORLDS FAIR
Rev. r. Dewitt Tslmags Talks
About the Sunday Opening.
TIE WORKISCaly'S DULL SABBATH
- World IL Growing Bsttsr-rhiiaa-
ehssphistst Are so Common They
No losx~r Attract Gen.
sraI Attention

lstered at the Morton yesterday. Isn't
tins an unusually busy day IN Grand
Rapldsg' be asked. ss he shook hands
with reporter Tor the rELEGR.a-HER-
AID in the lobby OF the Morton. II
have been walking around. and | de-
clded that this must he the time when
everyone WAS here to buy furniture.
In spite Of the rain the streets were
crowded and every store seemed iui!-
Grand Rapids is one of the hveliest
places know of. just came up from
Ann Arbor today. | lectured in Uni
versity hall Saturday night and
preached there last night. had mag
nIticent audiences too. Every seat vas
filled long before the lecture COM
menced."
"What kind of an audience do you
prefer preaching tor asked the re-
porter.
"Well, don't believe it makes much
difference. | find that ali audiences
are essentially the same. The human
soul IS very much like II piano, and
when you strike certain keys in one 1t
throbs through all. / except cranks. of
course. don't care anything about
talkin. to these 'idiosyncrats, if you
will lpermit me TO com term for them"
Speaking OF cranks." lnterposed
the reporter, ,"what do you think of the
scheme to close the Worlds Fair on
SundAvp
"Weil, hardly dare express an opin-
ion. | am usually very positive in re-
.rd rl.at 4 l.4i hut 1 {rc II ltr
admit that this is point which have
as yet been Unable to settle satisfactorily
TO myself. 1ffthe Worlds Fair Is To bs
open on Sunday, and that Sunday
made day for caronslng and disslpa.
ton, then am utterly opposed to the
fairs being opened. If on the other
hand the far Is. 70 be kept open solely
for sightseeing, as 1 said before, l
haven't come to any decision yet.
There is no one more enthusiastic over
the subject OF concerts and art exhibi-
tons and parks and expositlons than i.
Pictures are a constant education to
people, and l belieSe IN giving the
masses the freest possible access to
them; but | am undecided whether
this should be done on Sunday. You
see was brought up to observe Sunday
In the old Puritan way, and ones
younger associations always linger with
him. Still, in spite of this, j
have always advocated that the
Y. NJ. C. A. rooms should be kept open
at least part OF the day, Sunday. There
are so many young Ti1ep whose home
life is unpleasant and Incongenial-
clerks who room in the top floors Of
high blocks. and who have little or no
time to read except on Sunday. For
the benefit of thus class, who are really
the ones that need the benefit, am n
favor of Keeping the rooms open except
during the hours of church service.
My panacea for this entire question is
the Saturday half holiday. Give the
workingmen that, and in my opinion
the whole question would be solved.
But take the laborer in one of our big
cities. He is ground from Monday
morning until Saturday night. Under
the constant grind of day labor all his
vitality and energy have been crushed
out. Sunday morning comes after a
hot and suitry week. The house is hot
and uncomfortable, and the
suns rays are intolerable as
they are reflected from the
hot pavement. He wants to get awsv
from this, and go somewberes. But
| where Is he TO go? You might say to
| church. Well. perhaps he should; but
| ne won't; and / don't know that
| blame him. As a result, he wanders
Oft where he can find rest and amuse-
ment and green grass and trees and
| flowers. Generally this is IN beer
garden Tut he needs 1t and will have
| it, no matter where he has To go 10 get
| il. Now If he could have Saturday
afternoon to himself, So that he could
60 out and get breath of fresh ar and
| find relief from the cares aud ankle
| ties of hrs everyday work, IL would be
| no trouble To get HIM to observe prop
erly the sabbath. And furthermore.
the man can do Just as much work IN
| five days and half as he can IN SIX
days. l know, for have tried 1t with
myself and even If he couldn't do so
| much, the quality would be enough
better to more than compensate. 1t
was demonstrated tt 81 man would do
| as much work in ten as eleven hours,
and am confident that every sensible
man believes as much work can be done
in fixe days and a half as in SIX.
Men are growing more generous and
| charitable every day. They are giving
more freely. few wears ago Peter
Cooper endowed 3 college, aud IT was
considered wonderful thing. Today
men are endowing colleges, establish
ing hospitals. founding art galleries and
museums. establishing orphan ssylums
doing everything that broad and lib
ersI hearted charity can do. and Il IS
| becoming so common that We don
pay any attention TO IT. Men aren' I
paying So much attention TO the forms
and ceremonies and doctnnes OF re-
| ligon; but they are coming nearer to
that true spirit Of Christ