The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-08-30
NATIONAL LEAGUE STANDING.
MINISTER AS A TRAMP.
Worked I'm Disguise 20 Find why Men
Stay from Church.

stay from Church.
The Rev. George L MoNutt, of Indian
apolis, Ind. has adopted aInovel method
TO ascertain the reason why the laborinq
ciasses do not attend church. He gave
up his pastorate, wealthy one, and for
weeks toiled as a laborer.
Mr.. MoNutt was pastor of the Fourth
Presbyterian church In Indianapolis. He
got big salary, and apparently had
nothing to trouble himself about. But
he was made OF different material.
Although his sermons were of the kind
which attract the average man, Mr.. Nc
Mutt could not reach the class he desired.
Realizing that he was falling short of the
ends to which he aspired, he concluded to
give up his pastoral work for a time and
associate with the laboring Glasses, keep
Ing his own identity a secret, but so
mingling with them that he could better
understand their difficulties, and thus
prepare himself for preaching gospel
that Suight appeal to them more strongly.
His brother ministers tried to dissuade
Alr. McNutt, arguing that the conversion
OF the world did not depsnd upon him
alone.
Despite the cold shoulder which he re-
ceiVed from his brother minister Mr..
MoNutt reached the conclusion that bet
| ter results did not attend upon his min
istry because he was unaoquainted with
the needs OF the people whom ne wished
to reach.
McNutt had been reared In home of
plenty. He had been educated at one of
the best Institutions of learning in the
state, from there to the theological semi
nary and then stepping into the pulpit a
full-aedged minister of the Presbyterian
faith.
As preliminary step he resigned his
pastorate and provided shelter for his
wife and children, after which he donned
an old and somewhat seedy suit Of clothes
and started out to sea what deferred men
| from placing themselves under the infln-
ence of the Gospel.
His rugged features and athletic build
! b elped his disguise as a sturdy lAborer.
| he first applied at one of the factories
| at Marion for job. He was tired, hun
CRY ami dust-begrimed, but he waited for
| half a day for the iron gate OF the factory
TO swing open that he might approach the
| foreman.
His services were accepted, compensa-
ton 81 per day. The foreman Impressed
upon him that he must report at o. m,
working until IL m. resuming at p. M,
and continuing until p. IN.
He was assigned TO IA gang engaged in
unloading railroad iron, and he labored
until Saturday night, hour after hour,
through the long days, without anything
TO relieve the horrida monotony of the
work.
At night he was so utterly tagged gu {
| that he rolled into bed Immediately after
supper. Each morning he returned to
work with greater reluctance.
The first Thursday evening he remem.
bered that it was prayer meeting night
| M mn vtsrs .rhax lr& I,.x
so utterly exhausted physically that he
contented himself with the memory and
slept as soundly as though be had not
missed the service.
| When the week ended he left the job for
other fields. Throughout the. week he
gave no sign other than thRt he was O
| laborer, and those who worked with him
and who occasionally swore Ioundly when
1 things went wrong had no thought that
MoNutt was other than he seemed.
His experiences at Marion gave him
| less optimistic view of what may be ac.
complished by the Gospel, and he went
away with broader charity for the COM
mon lAborer.
He realized that men working as he
| worked, week after week ana month after
month for the common necessities of life,
could have little ambition save to keen
body and soul together, and they were so
worn ply sically when the week ended
| thar they cared nothing for Sunday save
as IL contributed to their bodily comfort.
| Mr.. MoNutt then sought employment
| as a farm hand. He asked for work, rep
resentinR himself as a tramp. lie found
the farming community generous in Its
| confidence and he was well treated.
When Sunday came he was invited by
his employer to attend church services,
and when he entered the church one of
the elders conducted him well forward to
a seat and demonstrated friendly inter-
est In him. His treatment in the county
church was happy contrast TO the recep-
tion accorded him In city churches where
he went In his tramp garb and he enjoyed
the services on that account.
Among the farmers where he was given
work he found "A commendable regard for
his bodily comfort and spiritual welfare,
and in nearly every instance he was treat
ed kindly. He also found the work less
laborious and the meals wonderfully
tempting as compared with the factory
employment and the cheap city boarding-
houses where he stopped.
The minister Is still continuing his In
auiries. based on actual personal expert
ence, and he is accommodating fund OF
infor m alton that some day may evolve a
broader and better Gospel than now
preached and one which, at least, will
make his own ministrations more strong
ly appeal to the GLASS he is SO DESTROYS of
reaching.