The herald., 1894-12-27
RELIGION IN POMONA.
A REVIVAL SPIRIT CAPTURES THE
WHOLE PEOPLE.
Evangelist Pratt Arouses widespread
Interest tn Spiritual
Affairs.

Special Correspondence to the HERALD.
POMONA, Cal, Dec. 25.-There has sell
dom if ever been 90 general and intense
a religious revival in all this region as
that now in progress in Pomona. Ger
tain it is that there never has been such
a spontaneous and sweeping upheaval in
religion in the Pomona valley as that
which has been seen here for the past
week, and that promises to become more
Widespread and turbulent in the next
fortnight or longer. Evangelist s. Hart
well Pratt. who came here from a series
of revival meetings in Los Angeles on
the Goth inst, has been holding religious
meetings at the churches in Pomona
each afternoon and evening. The Pres
byterian. Congregational, Baptist. Meth
odist and Christian churches have joined
in union services with the evangelist.
and the pastors of the churches named
with several OF the lay men. are working
day and night to further the labors of
the preacher.
The whole city OF Pomona has been
canvassed, everyone has been collected
to attend the afternoon or evening
meetings, thousands of cards Of invita-.
men ana women to attend at least one
OF Mr.. Pratt's mestings and business
men have closed their stores and the
usual weekly meetings among the sew
eral evangelical denominations have
been abandoned in order to give every
one an opportunity to hear the famous
pulnit speaker. His success with his
audiences has been rare, and so
thuroughly have the people OF Pomona
been aroused to religious activity and to
seeking for divine ligh that at this time,
when the whole world is thinking OF
Chrstmi is day and the pleasures and
joy of the holiday season, Pomona ia
everywhere discussing modes OF spirit
ual life and means OF salvation. There
were no regular Christmas tree exer-
cises III the evangelical churches OF this
place this eeascn, and in many homes
the Chrisimss stockings were not hung
up for Christmas dinners and festivity
were put aside, because OF the intense
religious feeling there is now abroad in
this valley, and the fact that nine out
OF every ten If the older folks are busy
attending Rev. Mr.. Pratt's meetings.
Out on the street, if you see knot of
three or four men earnestly engaged in
conversation il is moral certainty that
they are discussing come phase OF the
great revival now on in Pomona or the
last sermon Of the evangelist.
Sunday VAS the most important day
so far in the present religious rerivltica.
ton. There were literally religious
meetings of different kinds all day long.
At the Methodist, Congregational, Bap-
tist Presby y terlan and Christian churches
there were two meetings each In
the morning, and they we're all
attended by an unusual influx OF
OF people. The revival and the necessity
of immediate surrender to the claims of
Christ was the theme in all the evan
gelical churches at the regular morning
service. In the afternoon a mass meet
ing foI men was held at the Baptist
church at the corner of Fourth and
Ellen streets and nearly 1000 men
crowded into the building. 1t was GER
tainly the largest sssemblage OF the
male population OF Pomona ever wit.
messed Rev. Mr.. Pratt conducted the
meeting and preached powerful SER
mon on Who Are the Wicked? The
songs, in which the whole audience
joined, were sung with great fervor and
many were touched with emotion. At
the cloce Of the service fully one-third
of the audience rose at the inquiry OF
the evangelist to ask for prayers for
their salvation, and many were moved
to tears.
But the greatest meeting of all was
that of Sunday evening. The NJ. E.
church, which is the largest in this 10
cality, was packed almost to sufocation
with men, women, boys and girls. All
the $50 seats were filled before the first
song Of the service was sung, and half
hour later between 200 and 800 men and
boys stood up in the aises and about
tine rear Of the buildings, while fully as
many people were turned away st the
church doors because OF inability to pro-
vide them even standing room. Several
hundred people came from Spadra, On
taro. Lordsbufg, and as far away as Ell
Monte.
Rev. Mr.. Pratt preached an hour on
Religion in the Household. He held
his large audience literally spellbound,
and at times Ills eloquence and his tell
ing of pathetic scenes he had witnessed
in mis- pastoral career brought tears to
the eyes OF all present. A large number
OF people say they never heard equal
power and pathos in pulpit in Pomona.
At the close of the meeting 81 men and
women proiessed conversion to Christi
anity and asked prayers for themselves.
The meetings Monday have been at
tended by the usual large audiences, and
they will be continued for at least two
and perhaps three or four weeks longer.