New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-08-13
PREACHERS ON THE CURB
OPEN AIR GOSPELLINGS THAT ENLiVEN
4 TENDERLOIN SUNDAY EVENING.

On SUNDAY evening dll'I dp'ut ' ON''''
the idle ounger in NewYork may find interest
Ing occupation for himself at no pecunlary cost
whatever-unless he chooses to be very liberal
by making a tour OF street prayer meetings
Most of the street preaching Of New York is the
outcome of private and independent enterprise
it is not controlled by any great central au-
thority, except the municipal authority, which
grants permits for the occupation of the ad'
vantageous stands. The tenor of the sermons
has nothing in common beyond the general prin-
ciplcs of Christianity, with general tendency
to decry the churches" and if the speaker bo
at all doctrinally inclined, to exploit extreme
liberalism in Scripture Interpretation.
a very good fell for this kind OF observation
is afforded in the section bounded 10y Twenty
and Broadway and Eiehth-ave. in the other,
This region includes within it the very heart of
the Tendcrloin The dcnizcns of the Tcnderlon
are not currently supposed to bo devoted to re-
ligious exercises in public, whatever may be
their habits in private life And yet il is i'm
possible not to hc struck 10y the patient attcn
tion which, it would seem. almost any one can
obtain there by standing at street corner and
either singing religious songs or making q
haranEuc on religious subjects 1t must not Ice
forgotten that in the churches one sits to listen
to a sermon, while on the sidewalks Of the Ten
dorloin, even when the weather is calculated to
take the starch out Of ones knees. the crowds
stand for a considerable length Of time ana seen
not to weary
Within the limits indicated going uptown
you may find your first crowd Of attentive lis
toner's at Twenty third-st and Fifth-avc where
an ardent gospoller, apparently a Southcrncr
10y his manner and accent, holds forth in the
strctcst orthodoxy. The next gathering is a,
the Worth monument. nearly opposite the Hon
man House. This il the preacher who takes VI
collections to furnish nights lodging TO a con
siderable number Of the poor, whom he has al
ways with him. Next. going one block VI
Broadway, is a female preacher Of attractive ap-
pearancc and with a somewhat sensational bent
In her discourse not hesitating to speak freely
TO her audience about what may be- called the
improprietieS Of New York life, In order to tx
pose the essential hideousncss of sin and show
ing very pronounced hostility 10 the regular
churches. This woman holds the same stand
throughout the week and Is helped out by hei
husband. a man Of decidedly Western appear
ance, who generally attracts crowd. to begin
with. by vocifcrously rendering religious solos
SO far for the highways. Turning west into
the byways OF the Tcndcroin. sin stronger con
trasts are TO be found and stun stronger induce.
ments to be good Take first the meeting In
Twenty sixth-st between Sixth and Seventh
AYES This block is on the whole more thor
ourhlv French than rroL,llv any other n
Ney-York nearly all rho shor signs ar. French
and one hears as much French shaken thcr. q.
German in lower First ave Quite aupropriatc
~. the meeting here il French Tn, preacher
a man OF respectable mien and appcaraucc
uses the French LANGUAGE and French good
taste in tbo manner Of ms reading Of bri,f mas
sarcs from the Scrjpturos his short dis,ours.
and bis nravcr Rui th, r.tuarkall, foaiur. Of