The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-07-12
More Delegates from Afar
Than Ever Before,
SONGS SOAR TO THE SKIES.
A Multitude at Every White Ribbon
Service.

Chorus OF 5000 Voices, with the
Marine band as an AceompanI-
ment, Gathers Under the Eastern
shadows of the CapitoI-Ex-Post-
master General wnnamaker Un-
able to Keep his Appointment 10
spesi..
Washington. July u.-Thirty thousand
visitors is the number reached up TO this
time IN the registration booths Of the mr.
teenth annual International Christian En-
deavor convention now In seaslon here.
This number represents all endeavorers
not residents of Washington, who have
come to the booths for their registration
cards and badges since the opening OF the
convention on Wednesday. II does not in
clude a vast army of Washingtonlans and
suburbanites who have entered into the
enthusiasm of the occasion, and who are
attending the constant succession of meet
ings and who are as prOfusCiy decorated
with badges and ribbons as the Endeav-
orers themselves. If all who seek the meet
iugs on the white lot are counted as par
ucipants In this connection the number
placed at the head of this dispatch must
be doubled. Not even at Boston, where
there were 25,000 registered as from the
state of Massachusetts alone, We're there
such crowds at the evening meetings as
gathered last night and this morning and
around the three big tents south OF the
white house.
The local committee has received warn
ing to-day that large bodies of delegates
are moving on Washington from Della
ware Maryland, and Eastern Pennsyl-
vania, ana they expect large additions to
the registers.
Secretary Baer stated this morning that
this convention would outnumber IN dele
gates that OF any convention ever held
If the registration from within the states
were not counted. This he considered a
fair basis of comparison, as states like
Massachusetts are exceedingly strong In
Christian Endeavorer societies. The eX-
act figures of each states delegations
will be made public next week at the
close of the convention.
Under the eastern shadows Of the cap
itol to-day an unnumbered multitude gath
cred TO take part I'm the open air SER
vice of song and praise. All "keep-off
the-grass" signs had been lowered and by
/ o'clock streams Of people coursed
across the capitol grounds and through
the shrubbery unmolested by the police
to find places Of advantage on the ter
rade. Only tbs space directly before
the central stairway on the east front OF
the capitol was reserved. Here the cho-
rus of 5000 voices were to be stationed
and before them was to stand the marine
band.
The crowd packed themselves in snugly
around the space reserved for the chorus
1t presented a sea OF faces, extending be-
yond the distant statue of Washington
and spreading on either side far beyond
the limits of the capitol No speaker
could hope to send his voice half way
across this great assembly and President
Clark arose at 5 o'clock to announce
that owing TO the absence OF ex-Post-
master General WanamAker. the an
nounced speaker, the time would be given
up entirely TO a service of song and
praise.
An hour of music followed. with the
Marine Band and the great chorus alter
mating. =. s. Foster of Washington, who
built up the chorus and drilled it in four
sections for this occasion, was the con-
ductor. The programme ended with the
hymn America" in which the audience
Joined.
During the service President Clark pre-
sented the Christian citizenship banner
to the Endeavor Union of Cleveland o.,
for the best work during the year in pro-
noting Christian citizenship. It was re-
ceived in a brief address by the Rev. j.
". Tyler of Cleveland. Syracuse, N, Y
has held this banner for the past year.
Tonight two great meetings for citizens
were held in tents washington" and EN-
deaVor." DR. Charles A. Dickinson Of Bos-
ton and DR.. James X. Hill Of Salem. Mass,
presided. Addresses were made by Rev.
Drs. Wayland Hoyt of Philadelphia VIII
liam Patterson Of Toronto, Bishop Arnett
Of Ohio and others.
Tomorrow there Will be the regular sun
rise prayer meeting after which the en-
deavorers will be free TO attend church
according to their own desires In the f.
ternoon each denomination represented in
the convention Will hold a missionary rail-
ly. The Sabbath observance movement
win receive attention at $3.50 O'Clock in a
meeting at Central Hail, and Evangelist
D. Fay Mills viii address a meeting OF
men in tent Washington al 4:30 O'clock
The deferred matter of choosing the seat
of the 1888 convention was taken up ana
settled at a prolonged session OF the
board of trustees of the united societies
to-day. A half dozen cities were i'm COM
petition for the honor Nashville has
been in the lead from the start but
the trustees were somewhat doubtful OF
the effect of race prejudice in the south
upon the convention. White and colored
delegates TO the Christian Endeavor con-
ventions have always intermingeld freely
in the churches tents and hotels of
cities wherever the convention IS held
This has received full consideration from
the trustees, and the decision was made
late this afternoon in favor Of Nashville.
The resolution embodying the decision
reads as follows With the heartiest love
for and recognition of the desires and ef-
forts of the Christian Endeavor of the
other competing cities, the board of trus-
tees announces that they have decided
after the most careful con-
sideration that the convention of 1898
shall be held in Nashville, Tenn, and for
Christian Endeavor convention has as yet
heen held in the southern portion OF
the United States"