The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1896-08-25

part has a narrow aisle running through
the middle of the car, and wide seats
of hard WOOD. Entrance is through n
door at the car platformj and
| through little vestibule. At
the further enl of the chapel
Is a raised platform, on which is
an organ built especially for the place
and purpose. Close by is bronze
iectern, and on the wall are maps,
charts and illuminated Bible lessons.
In the racks above are oil manner of
religious but non.sectarIan literature,
tracts, little Bibles, lesson leaves and
newspapers for distribution. Back of
the chapel and separated from it by
an oak partition is the library and sit
ting room of the people in charge of
the car. library like that of the
average SunCGv-schooi teacher is fitted
In the walls and arranged ON revolving
book shelves. There is an abundance
OF magazines and illustrated weekly
newspapers. In towns whero the car
stays for fortnight or more these
books and periodicals form circulat-
ing library. They are lent 10 families
away out on the desolatc plains and in
mining camps and among the noun.
talns of the West, and all the chapel
car missionaries say their influence
for good is most incalculable. The
missionaries have found hundreds oil
families living in sod houses and mere
huts In the Territories who came from
homes of refinement and means in the
Eastern States, and had seen none oil
the periodical literature for years.
Beyond the library and sitting room
Is little kitchen, furnished with a
range, cupboard aud cooking utensils.
Still further are lavntory and water
cooler. Beds may be let down from
the sides of the library like the upper
berths IN n common sleeping car. The
cellar Tor the provisions of tie mis-.
sionaries is beneath the car. On the
roof OF the car Is great gong, that la
tung rs call TO service, and while
there is worship going on in the coach
the Stars and Stripes are raised from
the platform as n signal to engineers
of passing locomotives to make as lit
tie noise as possible.
When the chapel car is brought to n
town 1T Is run upon side track near
the station, and the sounding gong
and the uncommon appearance Of the
car itself soon advertise the fact that
meetings are to be held there. In
nearly every community the interest
In the car and the fact that there will
be religious worship in it are sufficient
in themselves to draw audiences that
not only pack the chapel, but also
stand up all about the outside OF the
car. Whenever a struggling village is
visited which has few people, once
members of churches and having n de.
sire to establish church there, they
use the car as a nucleus for the forma-
ton OF new church society. When
the car moves on to another town the
evangelical home missionary orgaciza-
tlons In the East are informed of this
new field for young pastor, and some
one Is sent there to found a new con-
gregation. In this way the original
chapel car, the "Evangel," has been
the means of starting some sixty
church organizations and as many
more Sunday schools in the last six
years. in tho distribution of Chris
tian literature, the four cars have put
over $500 Bibles into homes where
there was none, and has given several
times that nun Der to miners, cowboys,
plainsmen, and railroad laborers, who
said they had no Bibles. Besides,
there have been tens of thousands of
tracts, leaflets, and Sunday school les
sons distributed with discrimination
throughout the region west of the
Rocky Mountains.