The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-04-24

At Joe's Place Sunday Evening, at 1880:
O'Clock.
By Rev. James Armstrong,
OF the Methodist Church.
He will tell you How to Bar Splits and Not:
Get Whlpsawed on the Last Turn.
II You Strike a Kind Deal,
Don't Be Afraid to Set
Your Checks In.
...............
The boys said the sermon was a
"corker."
Out under a cottonwood tree an old
Methodist preacher held forth at Guthrie,
the first Sunday after the opening of
Oklahoma. His first sermon was char
acteristic of the occasion.
Il am poor, humble deputy receiver
Of the land Office of heaven, and l am here
to start boom for the new Jerusalem, a
city not of tents and dust, but Of ever
lasting mansions and golden streets.
There will be no claim jumpers there.
The devil is welcome to them. There will
be no early birds there who slipped by the
Judgment seat before II o'clock noon of
the Lords salvation Come up now and
tlle your declatory statements. Enter
your claim this very day and get a home
stead where the frost never falls, the hot
winds never blow and the grasshopper is
never seen. If you are hunting for a
town site every lot is a corner lot in the
new Jerusalem. Who will be a
'bOOmerH"
In Klngtlsher notice was posted that a
sky pilot" would hold forth on Sunday
in the Assembly hall, " the biggest tent
saloon III the town. Everything ran wide
open until Sunday morning, and then the
gamblers and saloon keepers shut up shop
Provision stores and all the other business
houses kept up the buying and selling,
but those supposed to be the wickedest
men IN town were quick to respond to the
call for an audience. Everybody who
was not awake early was aroused by the
bugler. This bugler was worthless
young cavalryman, who got into limbo the
second day for lifting a 6-shOoter. His
bugle was already in pawn Faro Tim re
deemed the bugle, then got the owner out
on the promise that he would lead the
singing for the services of the sky pilot
AROUsING THEM BY BUGLE.
The idea was decidedly unique but
Faro Tim didn't know bugle from a has-
soon, and having heard the young fellow
play, thought he had struck the boss
thing in engaging a "brass band" The
bugler proved a greater adept at music
than seemed possilae with so insignificant
an instrument. Bright and early he be-
gan his duties by marching around the
tented town sounding reveille. 1t is
musical, but eXasperating when people
are sleepy. He varied the call by singing
in stentorian tones the words which the
soldiers set to the music:
I can't get EN- up,
l cant get EN- up
] can get EN- up this morning
They won t get up this morning,
They won get up this morning
They won't get up this morning
They won't get up to-day.
A little later he began to give the
church call, and nobody was permitted TO
~ hot l,n,ao ~.
before church youth with fiddle under
his arm came strolling into town Faro
Tim nabbed him. Gould he play
preaChiu' tunes7" Cert and he was
engaged on the spot.
AT / o'clock the whole end of the great
tent was thrown back and the crowd
gathered in and around it. The par
sons pulpit was the bar. His baggage
had been stolen, and with it his Bible
This cot bruited about, and Lucky Dan
went down in his hip pocket, producing
a roll of dirty muslin. He unwound from
its folds small worn Bible and passed
it up to the preacher. Everybody knew
the Bible II was Lucky Dams mascot,
left him by his mother, and when a
lock of brown hair fell from it, curl
ing around the preachers fingers, evel,v-
body knew likewise that it was curl cut
from the head of Dams wife long time
before she got divorce from him The
preacher had no hymn book, either, but
he didn't regard it as of much matter.
He did not suppose that many of that
crowd could sing anyhow. After consult
ing the brass band" he announced that
they would play Home of the Soul. - and
he would like all to join in singing The
youth said he could play it and the bugler
said he could tag along"
A STRANGE GATHERING.
1t would be difficult for a stranger to
such scenes to picture it. 1t was town
of tents with few board shanties, set
down in the midst of an determination of
desOlation." There were hundreds of
men and a dozen women with twice as
many children huddled in and around the
tent. They were sitting on boxes and
beer kegs, and lolling on the ground. and
half a hundred cowboys were scattered
pictwesquely about. There was not a
billed shirt in the assembly Coats
were few. Guns peered from holster or
hip pocket Of nearly every man present.
Some were smoking, nearly all were
chewing tobacco, but nobody talked dur
ing the services. Throughout the prayers
every head was uncovered and not a few
knelt on one knee with heads bowed.
Then the youth played the first strains
of that sweetest of all the sweet songs
ever sung by Philip Phillips. The bugler
played a clear, sweet accompaniment,
and the sound filed the tent and fioated
off into the sun-bright air. Then the
preacher sang the first lines all alone:
l will sing you a song of that beautiful land
The far-away home of the soul.
His voice was clear and musical.
and the soul of a singer seemed to
haunt the tones of the youths violin.
The audience was spellbound. The
preacher leaned slightly forward as he
began the third line. His quick ear had
caught the sound of singing over to the
length where some women sat. On the
third word the voice ranged itself beside
| his.
CACTUS KITS CLEAR VOICE.
A woman's voice, clear and high and
| full, untutored, but wondrously rich as
she sang:
Where no storms ever beat on the glittering
strand,
While the years of eternity roll.
Easily the preacher dropped to the barry
tone, for he knew the woman could lead.
On the second verse others joined in, but
| above their discords, above the bugle and
above the throbbing willing tones of the
violin scared the voice of the woman.
o, how sweet it will be in that beautiful land
SO free from all sorrow and pain.