The evening times., 1896-08-24
.PARsON MADE TROUBLE
His Revival Methods Stirred
Up a Neighborhood.
DOORS SLAMMED IN HIS FACE
Peaceful Hut Not Too Pious Citizens
of IA New York Village Resent His
Attempts To Hold Prayer Meetings
in Their Parlors-Hymns in a Beer
Saloon.

New city,N. Y, Aug. 24.-Tbere will bea
religious war in this neighborhood presently |
il matters continue on as they are going. |
The prcnonitory rumbiings have been heard |
already. The First Methodist Church is
the storm center aud the Rev. William $.
Harper the storm king.
Not oDiyNew City, but all tbcsurrounding
villages are involved-Nauuet, Bardonia,
Germonds, aud even far away Spring Val
ley. There are niurmurings at Pearl River
aud at Pomona, too.
Till the advent OF Mr.. Harper this was
vale of peace. He came 10 New City last
April from Drew Theological Seminary,
at Madison, n. j. He is not yet an or
dainei munster, but in the capacity of
n local preacher he assumed the Met ethuGist
pulpit. The normal attendance at church
was then about so per ccat on an occasion
OF great spiritual activity, such as church
festivals, when 1T sometimes mounted to
100.
Mr.. Harper thought his flock small and
larkiBg in, spiritual fpryor. He said So
Those who came he called torpid and
Gospel hardened' A those WHO stayed
away he launched even harder terms. And
sti!l his congregation did not Increase.
THE CAMPAIGN OPENING.
1t was ut this stage that the young
preacher began the campaign which seems
now 10 be rading to war. He sent cards OF
invitation to all the clergymen in the
neighborllood asking them TO join him in
a crusade OF cottage prayer meetings"
If, he argued. the people would not come to
hear the Gospel he would take the Gospel
to their houses.
Only one Clergyman accepted The invita-
tion. Two Others sent regrets. Tire exoep-
tion was the Rev Charles S. Furman, 4
membcrof the Hanson Place Bap,istChurch
Brooklyn, who is temporarily flling the pull
pit of the heCongregationaiC Church at Munsey
Mr. Harper and Mr.. Furman laid out the
] campaign.
They organized funr bands of workers
to conduct seventy prayer meetings in as
| many homes in and about Manuel. Mrs.
| Harper took part in the Counsels. Indeed,
the cottage prayer meetings were of her
suggestion, though her husband says the
idea came direct from the Holy Spirit. At
any rate, Mrs. Harper named the bands and
| designed their Insignia
Kings Workers, red ribbon
Seed Sewers, green ntbon. -
Soul Winners, blue ribbon.
| Gospel Messengers, pink ribbon.
| Afler giving final marching orders, Mr..
Harper went 10 Ocean Grove on Thursday a
| week ago, 10 find a cool wave and fresh i'll
| spiration. Hereturnedon Saturday pre- ached
| 10 a parched and diminished congregation
on Sunday. and on Monday afternoon the
| campaign began.
n ~ IIyC
The Kings Workers tred ribbon took the
| lead. Mr.. FurInan was in charge. The other
workers were Mrs. Harper, Mrs. Charlotte
Berdin, Mrs. A. A. Vanderbilt, Mrs. Louise
p. stagg, Mrs. Della Barber and Miss Carrie
Mckenzie, daughter OF the deputy sheriff.
The Workers Travelled In three buggies,
taking their way south ward toward Manuel.
Mr.. FurInan las Il voice of great force and
resonancy. He admits that oil one occasion,
when he preached at Viola, he made himself
distinctly heard at the cross roads, one mile
away.
AS the buggies wended along the country
roads the resonant pastor broke forth in
songs of praise, and the Rarnapo foothills
gave back the echoes. The farmers in the
fields stood at the heads OF their startled
horses us this novel and vociferous crusade
passed by
Before nightfall the Kings Workers had
held SIX cottage prayer meetings in six
.armhouses. Five Of them were complete
successes. The Workers entered the parlor
OF each house and Summoned the family.
The men were sumoDed from the field to
listen while the Workers prayed that the
hardbenrts ofths household might be quick
cned. Some OF them liked it, some didn't.
As the crusade advanced The Workers were
re-enforced by members of the successive
families. until at the last house they num-
bered fifteen.
At only one hoIsc did they meet rebuff
The doors OF this house were bolted and
the blinds drawn, though Mr.. Harper stated
he believed the family We're hiding in tn.
rear of the house. Not utterly discouraged
the Kings Workers mounted the front pi
aZZa and sang Onward CO. from Moody
and Sankey's hymns. The family are Ger.
man, and perhaps did not comprehend the
, full flavor of this choral rebuke. They re-
manned in hiding and the Workers onward
went. 'A"
BLACK KREvOLTSPREADS
Reports of the Kings Workers doing
reached the village on Tuesday and occa
stoned much feeling, some of it distinct!
| hostile to the crusade. The German who's,
, piazza had been invaded told his story. On,
5 of the men who listened spoke up.
I'D like TO see them critters singin' ant
carryin' on bout my house, b'gosh!"
The sentiment thus expressed assumed the
. form OF open revolt. 1t rained on Tuesday
r afternoon, but in the evening Mr.. Harpe
himself held an open-air meeting in from
: of his church.
There was a large crowd, but not an alto
e gether harmonious one. Around the edge
!, there was a fringe of disorder. One of tn
S ungodly urged his dog, faded Irish setter
e into combat with a stranger moDgrel, an
It the resulting noise spoiled one OF DR.. Hal
s per's best periods.
Five meetings were held on wednesda
by the Gospel Messengers tpink ribbon
There would hav. been more, but the Me
sengers found three houses locked in the
= faces. One of them was wagener's, VIII
keeps a beer saloon at the cross roads, tw
r. miles south of here. The Messengers too
e up a stand in front of this place and san
q 1.-THE Mistakes OF Ny Life Have Bee
a Many" Then they went home.
II BY this morning the spirit OF revolt ha
y uuadrupled, and men OF all classes al
q churches were saying what they would d
,r if "Harper's people came praying aro-
ihem.'
!. THEY ARE GOSPEL HARDENED -
d Don't object to prayin'in Its place." OF
e sturdy yoeman said, but don't see no sem
d in them folks goin' into houses, like We VIZ
d heathen. Who's this young fellow, Harpe
l