The evening world., 1894-05-17
MANY SOUGHT SALVATION.
Gen. Booths Bonneted and JerSeyed
Host, with Au1iliarieS and OutSid-
erS, Had a Notable Day.
NOW THE GREAT CONGRESS- IS ENDED.
salvos Of Hallelujahs, Pssls Of Song and
Lots Of Earnest Talk Made
Many Converts.

1t began to be evident yesterday that
the congress of the Salvation Army
meant something else besides mere
parade for the purpose of letting folks
know that there was such thing as a
Salvation Army.
At the "Penticostal service" in Calvary
Baptist Church yesterday morning, there
was a regular old-time revival meeting,
only the Salvationists don't call it a
'mourners' bench" They say "penitent
form" When the meeting closed there
were sixty-eight kneeling at this "peni-
tent form"-not all persons seeking con-
version-comparativel few of those in
deed, but most of them church members
and many who wore either the scarlet
jersey or the poke bonnet, or at least
the Salvation Army shield.
They who wore the Salvation Army
badge were those whose conscience smote
them because they hadn't the courage to
wear the uniform in public. Some Of
them felt that they ought to go on and
be officers. They are at work in the
world and get good salaries. II they
want to be officers 1t would mean just
bare living, at say SC or 81 a week, and
that not guaranteed. 1t takes struggle
to make the sacrifice. They went up to
the form to have 1t out.
In cold blood 1t would be hard to get
many Salvation officers. That Is what
the congress Is for. Church members
who came and kneeled down were there
to ask for "the second blessing" which
is the name for entire sanctihcation, the
taking away Of all desire to sin. Gain
ing that, they become auXilaries of the
army, a host OF sympathizers and friends.
and 1t would astonish most people to
know how large and influential that host
is.
When congregation Is very decorus
and respectable 1t is not very enthusi-
astic. But sing a good rowing tune
over and over again, till the words are
learned, with fiddles and cornets and
concertinas going and tambourines jing-
ling, and the blood begins to stir.
"Clap it out now," shouts Commander
Booth and the sharp rhythmical beat
with all the syncopations and off
beats" that Salvationists Know how to
put in, makes the people sit up.
II can't see your hands," says the Com
mander. please raise them above your
heads Away up!' The hymn goes on and
hundreds of hands rise in the air and
the lungs fill with oxygen and formality
goes to the four winds and the discrete
and quiet man becomes a boy again.
1t took a little while to get up enthu-
siasm in the dim light Of the church
yesterday; Only one or two stood up at
the third. God bless him. Now for the
fourth! Keep standing sisters! God
strengthen your ankle-bones."
When there were twenty, or such a
matter, the benches were fiXed and then
there came a rush. You could see a
young man hesitating His lip trembled;
the tears ran down his face. All of a
su 1den, with strong crying, he ran and
scene with cries of "Hallelugah" the
the persistent rhythm of
The heavenly gales are blowing.
The cleansing stream is flowing.
Beneath its waves I'm going:
HalleluJah! Praise the Lord!
and one gets an idea of the way the
emotions were stirred. 1t was the same
way at the Association, Hall meeting,
only Mrs. Booth was there, the most
beautiful of all the Salvation Army
women: Poke bonnets and blue blouses
can only heighten her charms; and she
were saved yesterday. There, was a
banquet at the Forty-seventh street
garrison in the evening.
lie great ndll Oh cooper Union was
full in the evening when Commander
Booth asked the congregation to wave
their handkerchiefs. 1t was like the
bursting into boil of vast cotton field.
The Council meets to-day, but the big
hurrah last night practically closed the
Congress.
1t wasn't a doleful meeting at ALL
tune to save his neck. but who can
the Golden 'citty Of the Saints. That That
sweet-faced Dinah Morris of woman,
had to keep hunting the new key which
Capt. Marshal had slid into. The con-
gregation roared the chorus
body who believes he's going to heaven
say 'Hallelujah! A great shout went
Now sing like that" and you never
heard anything like it,
There were experiences like these: II
got the victory over tobacco yesterday"
Before l was saved / had reasons to
but now it's different"
Pm a converted Bowery boy"
I'm In Canaan and living on the fat OF
the land"
And so they went on.
One man told how he had been converted
on man-of-war In Montevideo, and took
so long about 1t that the Commander
collection, and 1t wasn't big enough. how
Commander Booth got s22 more by asking
for 1t and sending the sisters hustiing out
among the audience, how a little three
year-od on the platform clapped Its tiny
hands in unison with the music; how the
sinners came focking to the ''penitential
form" would take too long to, tell but
1t was all so interesting to the people
that they stayed and stayed on.
However, something like 1t can be seen
any Tuesday at 1920 M. at the Church
OF the Strangers, Eighth street and Mer-
Ger, right next to Broadway.
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