The Portland daily press., 1895-05-15
''SDlT on SATAN"
And "Sedom Of Maine" Among TX.
pressions Used
BY SOME OFTHE MEMBERS OF THE
EVANGELISTS ASSOCIATION.
They Are FittingIy Described as Youthful
and They Are Shocked at the Wicked
ness They Have Seen.

Boston, May 14-At the general ses-
sion of the eighth annual meeting and
conference of the pastors, evangelists
and business men of the Evangelists
Association OF New England, Tuesday, in
the Park street church, the evangelsts
spoke in strong Language of the condit-
ion of things In Maine. Many of these
young speak kers, for they were nearly all
young, have been working in the Pine
Tree State recently, and they pictured
in vivid colors the wickedness of th g
prohibition state, where rum seemed to
them to be king, and where they say
the churches are filed with backsliders
"The seat of satan" and "the Sodom of
Maine" were two of the expressions
used BY the speakers. They told of the
large sections where there had been no
church for years and of other districts
where bodies were buried without even
a clergyman's presence. Serious charges
were also made against citizens of the
| little town of BIookton, so miles from
Calais.
Mrs. E. Edwards, the first speaker, said
that during the past year she had been
| laboring iii little village in Maine
| where she encountered difficulties in her
work. There was no pastor there and
| the man who claimed to be deacon
had never been ordained, but held his
| position on his own responsibility. Lat
er she went to another bamleE near Ii er
| birthplace, where her work was very
successful, notwithstanding that state
ments had been made that she could
not do we'll where she was well known.
| p. Greenwood told how he felt him
self called from active business during
| the past year into evaugelistic work.
He did not feel himself called to India,
but he did feel call to go to Maine.
/ He went there and found 1T the coldest
] place he was ever in. His work there
1 was wonderfully successful. L have new
er got quite SO well acquainted with the
backsliders as did down in Maine, said
the evangelist 1t is well-known word
| down there.
| He told of another town, the deadest
town l ever saw" There hadn't been a
service in the church for Is years with
| the exception of two years. There are
miles and miles of territory in Maine
where there is no minister and nc
church services. Many times ministers
have TO be sent after for miles and miles
| TO preach funeral services ana often there
| are burials without the prayer OF an
officiating clergyman.
Allen Folger was the third evangelist
| to give his experiences. For II years he
has been in the work, yet he still feels
young. He said there is no work that
SO kept man young us the evangelistie
work. He told about one New Hamp-
shire town which he called a regular
Satan's seat" IL was here that some
of the leading people in the town, who
objected strongly to tho evangelistic
work, got up big dance in the Town
hall next to the church SO as to disturb
the last meeting, when the converts
were asked to come forward
John S. Blair devoted his entire re-
marks to the alleged terri BILE state Of
destitution of religion in the State o.
Maine.
I, Why do we talk about Asia and Afri-
ca and send our missionaries there anc
neglect entirely this wicked and bat
state of affairs.
Brother Folger said he was once in the
| seat of Satan. / have never been in the
Sodom of Maine. l never saw so muct
| lquor drinking in the prohibition state
as there was in the town of Brookton
There seems to be nothing but rum ir
Brookton, nothing but drinking an6
dancing aud gambling.