The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-10
''SIwmming'' Parties Through China
town One of the Attractions
for Christian Workers.
PAVILIONS NOT Big ENOUGH
POLICE TURN THOUSANDS AWAY
FROM THE NIGHT MEETINGS.
Interesting Session of the Mothers
COnference-Christi EndeavOr-
er EIOauence on Tap.

SAN FRANCISCO. July 9.-To-day's pro-
ceedings and the incidents of the great
convention have fully demonstrated the
fact that never before in the history of
this organization of phenomenal growth
has any of it's annual gatherings been
crowned with such success. 1t has required
the efforts of big squad Of police TO keep
the people away from the monster halls in
which the meetings are being held. For
more than an hour before the time set for
the opening of the services this evening the
streets near Woodwards and Mechanics
pavilions were literally packed with men,
women and children. eager for admission
and almost before sundown the buildings
capable of accommodating twenty thousand
were so crowded that the fire authorities
positively refused to admit any more of
the Endeavorers or their friends. 1t is to
to the credit of the police that admirable
order was maintained and casualty
marred the enthusiastic religious demon
strations.
Thousands of people from the East
poured into town to-day and it is esti-
mated that not less than So, 900 visitors have
already arrived. although several trains are
still delayed. The arrangements for the
convention made by General Secretary
Baer, aided by the local committees are
admirable and everyone is pleased. 'Slum-
ming" parties through Chinatown are be-
ing organized and are proving a source of
peculiar attraction. To-day seems to have
almost touched the high water mark of re-
ligious fervor, but it is predicted that by
Sunday wave of even greater excitement
will sweep over the city. Withal, much
hard earnest work is being done and the
practical results of the convention will be
surprising when the full record is written.
In fact the weather has been perfect
every day since the visitors began to ar
rive. The visiting Fasteners are con-
graduating themselves upon escaping the
torrid wave now sweeping through the
Central and Eastern States. 1t is noticeable
that many who came to town wearing their
thinnest summer clothing have taken on
more substantial protection against the
cool breezes from the Pacific. But they
are having a glorious time, and the pleas
ant weather is especially pleasing to those
who have endured the extreme heat all the
way across the continent AS early as day
light this morning little parties of a dozen
or two could be seen going towards the
parks, Cliff House and Ocean Beach, in
search of pleasure while hundreds of
others attended early morning prayer serV-
ices at the different churches Long before
the hour of calling the meeting to order in
Mechanics and Woodwards pavilions
crowds filled every available space in the
big buildings. The delegates were even
more enthusiastic than on the first day of
the convention, nearly ali having had sutti-
cient time to recover from the fatigue of a
long journey and more or less discomfort
of a railway trip. The thousands of lady
delegates, in striking toilets and wearing
badges and ribbons of bright coors, looked
fresh and happy, and when the song serv-
meetings they responded with a will that
showed their whole spirit was in the un-
dertaking. Fine California fruits and fow-
ers have been artistically arranged in
numerous booths in the pavilion, and each
delegate is invited to sample the fruit and
carry away a pamphlet reciting the re-
sources of each county in California