The age-herald., 1898-07-07
ETCHINGS FROM
 CURRENT TOPICS

While war and it's attendant tumult have engrossed the attention of the American people of late, almost to the exclusion of all other happenings of interest, a great army, an army without banners, has quietly assembled at the capital of Ten- nessee to advance the cause of active Christianity.
 Yesterday at Nashville the Christian En- deavorers, many thousand strong, gath- cred at their seventeenth annual conven- ton. There are delegates present from every state and territory in the union; from Canada, New Brunswick, British Colum- bia, Nova Scotia, and even from Prince Edwards island.
 The Society of Christian Endeavor which is a comparatively new organization, has grown to proportions of such great magni- tude that at present there is a member ship of three millions of men, women and children, scattered over various parts of the world. The committee of Nashville citizens, cooperating with the committees from the different states, territories, etc., had perfected such admirable plans for tho transportation and entertainment of the thousands of delegates that the result has been exceedingly satisfactory to all con- cerned. Each state society has its own board of managers which superintended transportation. Special excursion trains were run from every state to Nashville, where the delegates were cordially wel- comed by the members of the local recep- tion committee numbering two thousand persons. Some of the sessions of the con- vention are being held in the Union Gos- pei tabernacle which has a seating capaci- ty of nearly seven thousand, others at the auditorium and two more of the great exposition buildings afford places of meet ing for crowds of the delegates. while the majority of the Nashville churches have been placed at the disposal of the con- vention.
 The seventeenth great annual convention of Christian Endeavorers began last night with the usual preliminary services, the subject for discussion being the "Endow- ment of Power." This morning in ten of Nashville's churches, from 6:30 o'clock, to 715 there will be held prayer meetings; at 10 a.. m. will occur the annual council or the trustees and officers of the United Society of Christian Endeavor, augmented by the presidents of the various state, territorial and provincial unions. At 3 O clock this afternoon in the mammoth auditorium in the Centennial grounds, the convention will be formally opened by Dr. Francis E. Clark, the president of the or- ganization and the originator of the moves ment.
 Governor Robert L. Taylor will welcome this grand army of religious workers to Tennessee's capital, and he will be fol- A1,o tary. The cermonies incident to the open- ing of this tremendous convention will be simple and transformations, but impress sive to an unusual degree. After today the separate meetings will progress according to the well-arranged programmes, and un- speakable good will be accomplished by these earnest Christians for God and hu- manity.
 State and denominational rallies will oc- cur during the intervals of the sessions of the convention, and the social side of life will not be entirely lost sight of by the delgates and their entertainers.
 The music of the convention will be re- markedly fine. Messrs. E. o. Excel, of Chicago, and Perry s. Foster, of Wash- ington, will lead the immense choruses. Soloists of note have been engaged for the services and famous quartettes and jubilee singers will contribute towards the excellent vocal programme.
 Among the most celebrated speakers who will address the convention are Com- mander Ballington Booth. Commander Booth Tucker, Dr. A. c. Dixon, Rev. Sara P. Jones, Rev. s. P. Henson, Dr. D. J. Burrell, Dr. J. H. Burrows, Prof. Booker T. Washington and many other orators of more or less celebrity.
 The assembling together of such tre- mendous body of active Christian workers is sufficient to make men and women pause reverenty and to forget for short time, at any rate, the carnage of war in the contemplation of so sublime and wonderful a scene.
 Under the banner of the cross all de- nominational lines are obliterated, all sec- tartan creeds are put aside, and three mill lions of Christian Endeavorers are now represented in neighboring southern city by delegates numbering nearly fifty thousand.
 From such an assemblage will go out through the length and breadth of the land influences for good which no man can estimate BALL.