The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-04-10
Railway Men al ST. Paul's Last
Night to Hear Rev. j..
Wesley Hill.
A Headlight and Lanterns Hung
Out In Front as Beacons
Of Welcome.
The Church Was Crowded and tho Sermon
= Stirring and Eloquent Word
Painting.

NOV. u. W0bloy I'LL uub CuWmeuceo u y
rios of Sunday evening sermons to the
trades and professions. Last evening was
the railroad mems night and they re-
sponded to tho invitation by the scores,
there being over 100 present, which with the
regular congregation filed the church TO
overlooking. The railroad men were Ger
tainly made to feel ut home, for not only
tho sermon pulsated with q warm welcome,
but the church was appropriately decorated,
. large headlight. throwing its radiance
down Broadway from the front OF 1t. and
tho inside being decorated with the Ian
terms Of varieRated colors used by tho
railway men. The music rendered by the
choir reflected great credit upon the
church as we'll as the superb leadership of
w. w. Higgins. Tho orchestra. which Ia
now rendering some very fine music, gave a
musical recital beginning at 1880 o'clock
which was highly appreciated by this con-
greeation. Tho sermon. on Religious
Railroading." was taken from Isaiah 43:l9.
the text being. "Bshold, / will do n new
thing; ] will even make a way in the wild
~erness." Mr.. Hill said in part:
What field docs the scripture not embrace?
It touches all the trades. employments and
professions. There ia something in 1t for
tho merchant. tho minister. the lawyer, the
doctor, the farmer. the soldier and sailor,
the miner az he digs for ore. tie operative
In the factory and the vast and noble army
of railroad men, who toll by day and night
in accommodating the public and bearing
the burden OF a nations trade. To this
clnss l desire to speak this evening; to these
fathers and husbands, brothers and sons.
many of whom nre deprived of the blessings
OF the sanctuary. as they toll "amid
showers Of sparks and clouds Of smoke"
who boar their breasts to the iron hand Of
fate. and at times dash through the very
''valley of the shadow OF DEATH" Away
there whore the night rules in her tent of
black, a sheet of Fl 9 flashes along the track.
The mad steed rushing like a meteor
leaps from the track. Why TINT gazing,
gaping crowd2 1t is the old sto:y; death
has done its work; there is the fearful
mutilated bodies of trainmsn. who sacri-
ticed their lives at the post of duty and
whose names will ever shine in the roll call
of the worlds heroes.
these men who thus face the yawning
chnsm, or frowning cliff, who tread their
way amid the clouds, and work OH %trestles
in the sky, are made of the firmest stuff,
md in their hardshiss and tolls nre doing
moro to develop our natural resources and
broaden civilization than any other class
H6lHJGu w UAO huoA0oe - VAO
land.
Let me call your attention to some points
of similarity commercial and re.
ligious rnilroading. In the first place both
beginnings. Thu origin of the railway is
traced to a continuance for simplifying tho
transit of coal in northern England.
There must first be a day Of Small
thinQs," a day when the vast enterprise
hangs as it were in a balance. when it meets
wikb 1ariaiou md Cnntamnf md oil Tho
powers of ignorance and superstition are
arraYcd against it. The world has moved
slowly in science. invention and discovery.
Ne plus ultra was written upon the pillars
human progress for a thousand years. But
times come when men are raised up to
stand on the hill tops of faith and shout,
"Something beyond" And so it was between
1902 and 1649 that railroading found its
small beginning. The first stage was u
rail instead of tho wheel, and a horse for
the locomotive. drawing what was then
considered the enormous load Of 1000
pounds. In 100 there was a marked ad-
vance. the wooden rails being covered with
iron to prevent wear. This was found to
be defective. and in 1740 cast iron rails
were substituted, which led to an improved
method of traction. also to the plan of
linking several wagons together, which was
the germ of the modern train. In 1904 tho
AAAbv Vou"' - was RA'N&A uiOAA buC koltS
which performed the feat of drawing ten
tons of bar iron at the rate of five miles an
hour, and thus through the immense capn-
bilities of the system stage after stage Of
Improvement has been passed. until to-day
we have n vast net work of iron covering
over !, 000, 600 miles.
Even 30 the gospel system beginning
with the narrow Ruage of Judaism is rapid
ly extending its lines throughout the entire
world. Hook back and zee it beginning in
the Uprdan nf k1en- GoA hirncaIf ,ropora
the plan and laid the track upon the bed
rock of redeemiug love. 1t began in a
promise, "The seed of the woman shall
bruise the serpent's head, and then was
until unde' the pressure of divine pow or,
this lightning express of Mercy started upon
its flight through the ages.
1t was on its way towards us in the time
of the patriarchs, priests and prophets.
Abel took passage upon it and it stopped to
take on board Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
It ran along the ancient Hebrew line down
into Egypt. Pharaoh had to get off the
track and let Gods people move on.
u went around the base Of
sinia and while the general superintendent
delivered tho rules and regulations all
the employees fell upon their faces and were
stricken with ave.. David strung his hnrp
and sang about it and the glory of pro-
phetic vision gathered about it. Int
sNS"S SNAoa Aileb tuo Tram
was buraened; it was %frcighted down with
ritual and clogged by CO, emony; mystic
phrases we're on the mile posts and sacri-
fcial fires cleaned all along the way. Tho
conductor Ind not yet come, but those who
took passage upon it saw his face Though
the light of symbolism and recognized his
hand in the bold and living colors painted
upon the curtain of providence or reflected
upon the ranorama of time. 1t was vet
''the day of small things" Prophscv had
not yet been fulfilled. Tho angels had not
yet eignnllod with their white lights from
the sky. but blessed be God. one day
shis gospel train rolled into the
station at Bethlehem and for thirty yenrs
moved through the sacred scenes OF Judea
md then the track was laid up Calvary,
where the train stopped for orders. and
while the universe hung in agonizing OK
pectanoy, the golden spike was driven con-
Meeting earth with heaven and the voice of
Christ ringing down from the CROSS. TT is
tinished," awakened u triumphant scout
among the celestial choirs. and straigLtway
The gntes of CORY were thrown open to VOL
come redeemed humanity and this gospel
train like n meteor of light flies through
pudea. into Asia. Africa, America, from isle
10 isle and sea TO sea. publishing peace,
proclaiming salvation and ringing the sll-
- It'll "a A--.- mr.