The Brunswick times. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 188?-1900, 1897-11-30
STANCE SCENES
AT TBNT-HBETING.
Religious Mania That Makes Peo-
pie Act Like Rabid
Lunatios.
OCCURRENCES UNDER TIE CANVAS.
People Give Their Coats, and Personal Be-
lOngings The Holy Laugh" and
the Religious RigOr.

1t is passing strange that such
things should occur within SIX miles
of civilization.
This is the comment that involun-
tarily rises to the lips of the sober
minded visitor who watches the re-
markable scenes that charactererIze
the tent-meeting now being conducted
at the Six-Mile Crossing, by travel
ing evangelist and two women who
accompany him.
A TIMES man, hearing the various
stories connected with the meeting,
went to the scene Sunday to investi-
gate. The rumors that had reached
the city proved 10 be but weak at
tempts at correct descriptions.
Imagine pine-grove, with small
clearing, skirted by road; and,
in this clearing, tent, in fair order
and repair, about half the size of that
which sheltered the crowds that saw
the dog show in this city last Satur-
day. Abut the tent, fully one
hundred vehicles, varying in character
from the neat equipage of the Bruins
wick livery stable to the rnde ox-car5
of the country farm. In the tent, q
mass of excited, shouting, singing,
seemingly crazy people; and, elevated
above the throng, a smooth -shaven
man, Bible in hand, fire in his eye,
uttering gospel truth in homely
phrase. Imagine these things and you
have fair idea of the meeting which
has practically caused suspension Of
all occupations throughout the
country sections of Glynn county.
He is not a bad-looking felIow-this
man who exercises such hypnotic
power over the sturdy ruralites cf the
neighborho0d. He has q keen eye,
that looks quite through you HIS
collar is rot encumherad with the
customary neoktie, and his coat is old,
but neat. He has something of thu
facial expression Of William J. Bryan,
and the voice Of a typical Gee gia
''cracker". The leaves of the Bible
that he uses are soiled and torn, and,
whsn he sings, you feel that his vocal
chords need tightening. But he has
created such stir among the people
who are regular attendants at his
unique services that we may we'll put
him down as man of force and
power and magnetism-and a good
business manager, too, if we look at it
impartially.
On Sunday, the services continue all
day, without a pause or break for
meals, or other necessaries. Hundreds
of people come and go, but there are
some who stay from daylight until
midnight-the regular communicants,
the hypnotized ones, the enthusiasts
who lie about the altar with their faces
to the ground and laugh like demented
ones. These never leave. Their house
hold duties are neglected, they care
nothing for the cares of family or
home; they have "reiigion"-of the
peculiar tent brand and the world
may shoot into uncharted space for
all they care. They are under the
spell Of a bypnotist, and, to them.
there is no existence beyond the
sound of that raspiug voice, beyond
the ken of those wonderful eyes.
"There are strange things in the
books of the Magi," writes an ancient
chronicler; but there are stranger
things under this tent. After the
service has progressed about an hour
the "holy laugh" gets in its wonderful
work. An old lady in the shadow of
the rude pulpit rises in her place and
begins weird cachinnation that re-