The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-02-16
ANACONDA NE VS..
A TORNADO EVANGELIST
Calling to Repentance at the
Methodist Church.
A CRUSADE AGAINST SIN
Some of the characteristics and Manner
isns Which Mr.. Weber Displays in
His Battle With the Powers
of Darkness.

The inclement weather last night
kept many away from the revival serv-
ices at the Methodist church, yet there
was goodly audience who listened to
the eloquent outpourings and soul-stir-
rinb exhortations of Mr.. Weber, the
Tornado" evangelist. The cyclonic
crusader against sin was at his best
last night, and even the empty benches
did not damp his ardor nor diminish
one little the fierce earnestness of his
onslaught.
The evangelist is remarkable man
In more ways than one. and withaI in
tense, intrinsically original. Origin
atty united to adamant sincerity is
marked on every feature of his face,
shows itself in every gesture and gyra-
ton. rings in every word whether of
gentle pleading-almost eroslike-or
angry, rage-torn denunciation. Sin
certify and originality constitute evil
IDENTIFY his forte 1t is seldom that the
irreligious of this city have had the
message of repentance and salvation
hurled at them and cooed at them with
so many surprises. From the moment
the evangelist opens his lips until he
closes them in the last fervent prayer.
surprise tumbles headlong on the feet
OF surprise, in manner, in diction, illus
trative incident, in climax and anti
climax until the listener feels the
hearts cords and muscles twitch and
strain in magnetic response
Mr.. Weber goes straight to the point.
No cut and dried rules of rhetoric can
force him from it. He pIunges over
these unessential barriers and obstacles,
brushes them aside with double con-
temptuous swing of his long, ever
moving arms and speeds on like an ar
row to it's mark; frequently leaving
sentence or plowinb apostrophe,
hanging in the air, while he speeds on
unheeding to his point. Surprises also
come in Mr.. Weber's use of Words
Under his skillful management and
manipulation, words find new meanings
and get new life and new associations
TO which, while the supercritical might
OBJECT, yet moments thought shows
that 1t Eliminates and WHITES
Mr.. Weber's manner in the pulpit or
rather around it, is full of startling
surprises which at once attract and
capture the attention He is hardly
quiet for one moment, but gyrates from
one side of the platfrom to the other,
ever-moying, ever-changing, swinging
his arm, now up to heaven. now down
TO earth, and now to the side. not with
eliminate grace, but with what is much
better, strong, powerful, smithy strokes
OF earnest supplication. He talks from
the pulpit, from the platform, from the
floor and from the choir rail. And his
words, like his poses and manner are
quick, nervous, earnest, convincing, |
emotional-an appeal. First they
startle, then attract and finally per-
suade. Every word is filled to the >brim |
with conviction. For instance, the fire.
quent ejaculation of MY God." CRATES |
harshly on the ear and Say, Boys" |
sounds queerly from the pulpit, but |
repetition wears off the strangeness |
and leaves only the magnetism of the |
personal appeal. Even the word hap
pity" which Mr.. Weber used last night, /
struck home and chung to many a mem
Dry.
Mr.. Weber last night changed his
text he was announced to preach on
sneaks He asked all the sneaks present |
to stand up, but no one responded. Then |
he said that some he had noticed in at
tendance at previous meetings were alb
sent, and as he wanted particularly to |
talk to them he would take another SUBJ
ject. So he took for his text Blessed =
and from this single word wove strong,
appeal-full of surprises-for
and true happness-1s- karat
happiness. First there was a clever lit
tie bit of analysis, showing the imma-
of mundane happiness, the
feetng show of earthly things. Heecon-
tended that neither health nor wealth
were necessary to happiness and, in
trating all his points with a fund of
witty anecdote. He told of one old lady
facked and twisted with rheumatism
who, when the pains were the greatest
torture, sang psalms and thanked the
Lord.
Neither was married life a synonym
of happiness, as could be readily seen
by the many happy old maids in the
East. In connection with this part of
MS argument he told a story. A friend
Of his conceived the idea of shipping a
carload of old maids from New England
1ut West, where he evidently thought
hat the commodity would be in de-
nand, but he couldn't get the old maids
o make the venture. They were happy
where they were. He added:
Say! You don't have to be married
o be happy! They We're happy and
hey wouldn't come out among you
oughs.''
Then he took up drink and told how
Happy and how like a king one felt when
he drink was in and what difference
n the morning. when its repentance.
md the little good the latter did unless |
he hog nature was changed.
Then the scene changed to the ruins
# Solomon's temple.
Honest, boys looking at those stu
,endous ruins, the thought came over
ne: My God. how was it ever possible
or man to do thist One stone over $500
ons in weight; pouf, and it is up in
lace, 40 feet from the ground. And we
hink we live in a smart age. Heyt'
And Solomon, with all his power and