The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-05-14
NIGHT SERVICES.
1t had rained and rained hard.

| future the city electric lights failed and
| darkness brooded in and over the big tab
ernacle, but the people turned out all the
same and between three and four thou
| sand gathered to hear Sam Jones' fare
well sermon.
Candles were obtained and lighted and
boys and girls scattered throughout the
| on the railing that surrounds the speakers
stand, and in the glare of hundreds of
| them Sam Jones preached to the crowd.
He started out by saying: IL never trou-
bic about weather, brethren" He then
lauded the Woman's Christian Temper
ance Union. What l say / say with all
my heart. The Womans Christian
Temperance Union has my heartiest sup
port and prayers, and it should have
yours. | believe in the prayers and work
of good women. | never put even straw
| in their way, and | thank God for the
noble work of good women. Frances
Willard, president of the union, is the
grandest woman in the world, and she is
| the finest speaker l ever heard. She can
beat any little old preacher in Texas. and
Sam Jones is in Texas, you know Some
| preachers don't believe in women doing
anything, but | do. They say she will
be wanting the ballot. l don't care if
she does. / believe in women doing any
good work and being anything except
the father of a family. God help you
women in Austin to organize for temper
ance."
He then hit the little red nosed politi
clans" who oppose the w. G. 7. U.
Branching off from this subject he urg-
ed the people to give liberal support to
the Young Mems Christian association, as
it would cost them less than to pay the
expenses of running the saloons. He IL
Illustrated what he meant by saying: odd
Bill Smith died and left 100000 to the
saloons, said some one.
"What, said another, left all that mon
ey to the saloons?
"Well, he left it to his sons and the sa-
looms will get it all, and that's the same
thing as leaving it to them.
"God bless the young men, and bless
every good thing in your town. Stand
by everything good and fight everything
| bad"
He then spoke directly to men, taking
for his text: what wait for, my hope
| is in God"
From this text he wove Il beautiful and
| impressive sermon, urging men to come
out for the right, and then to JOIN some
church. he didn't care which. IL you
don't like the church and say there are
| hypocrites in it, get into it yourself and
made forcible argument.
| He told the men not to wait until they
| feel like joining. "A dog runs rabbits be-
cause he feels like it, but when he don't
| feel like it he don't run them. If L was
running on feelings I'd 90 to hunting rap,
bits. If you'll just join the church your
feel all right. A man who does right al
ways feels right" !,
At the close of his sermon he asked
those who would lead better lives and join
| the church to come forward and take
him by the hand, and over 100 went for
| ward most of them men. On a Seconu
invitation many stood up for prayers.
Sam Jones stated that he thought at
least 5000 people had taken him by the
hand during the meetings, attestlng
their desire to live better lives, and pos
sibly 1000 of these took their first step
towards a Christian life.
He thanked the people of AUSTIN, the
preachers who had assisted in the meet
ings, the ushers, the police who kept or
der. Jeff Johnson and the newspaper re-
porters, who, he said, had done so much
| to make the meetings a success by their
| reports. He stated that several people
| from abroad had called at his room and
informed him and George Stuart that
they had found Christ in the forgiveness
of their sins, and scores of people shook
hands with Sam Jones and George Stuart,
and the greatest revival ever held III the
| Capital city of Texas came to a close.
REVIVAL NOTES.
| After the services yesterday morning
| Sam Jones took up collection for the
Salvation Army and raised about $40
| He gave, as he stated he would do, 80 OF
the sum to a sick and destitute man.
| Sam Jones. George Stuart, Charlie Till
man and Mrs Mays, Sam Jones' daugh-
| ter, left last night on the 10 o'clock Cen
| trail. Tom Durham went to Waco on the
International and will rejoin Sam Jones
at Columbia. Tenn, where he and Stuart
will hold a meeting. Tom Durham, sell
| ing song books and sermons with Sam
Jones and George Stuart, is an old time
gambler and well known race horse man.
MY home was in Brooklyn, but l was
connected with big gambling room in
New York" he said to Statesman re-
porter Yesterday. II would go over to
my home every Sunday, and one Sunday
when | returned | found the gambling
room empty. The porter told me that
all the boys had gone to DR.. Talmages,
and / went over there and found Sam
Jones was there, and L tell you he stirred
the boys up. That was about eleven years
or more ago. / left that church and went
to Chicago to sell pools on the races, and
then | went to Cincinnati to the races,
and was getting ready to 90 to New Or
leans to the races, but took the typhoid
fever and lay in the hospital eight weeks.
When / got well, myself and companion,
race horse man and gambler, went to
hear Sam Jones. who was holding meet
ings in Cincinnati. He preached ON
the 'Prodigal Son. and tell you never
heard anything like it. said to my
friend: Look here, this pool and gamb-
ling business won't do me; I'm going to
quit
"'What are you going to dO!' he asked:
And | told him l was going to take Jones
sermons have them printed, and sell them
at his meetings with other books and pa
pers. did so, and l followed Sam over
the country about a year without ever
speaking to him. He caught me selling
papers on Sunday once and stopped me.
FINALLY | followed him down into Geor-
gia. Sam saw me at the meeting and he
came up to me and said: You are here
again, are you? Now you just come home
with me- And I've been with him ever
since, and that was ten years ago..
Leading members of the First Baptist
church will meet at the church tonight
to see about calling a pastor.
DR.. Solomon will hold services at the
Tenth Street Methodist church every
night this week, and all are invited to at
tend them.
TAYLOR TOPICS.