The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1899-07-06
DR.: TAItMAtaE AT.DUE WEST.
,
. .GIiFsAP oXA TON TO THE ORATOR.

-
His Speech Said to be the Best Ever
:. Delivered. at Erslsine College.
Associate Reform Presbyterian.
Dr.. r. Dewitt Talmage, the noted
divine Iwaa theguest Of honor at the re-
june, TO-. Accompanied by Mira. Tai.
mage the distinguished visitor reach cd
the town>abopt' midday and was driven
at once TO- the. homo of DR.. Grier, the
president Of the college.
Tho graduating class were guests of
>Or. Gricrs at the dinner BILE with DR..
Talmage.
BY hall past ono old and young and
middle.aged were eagerly moving to-
ward the college grounds and the COM
mencement hall, whore standing room
would soon be at q premium. Every
Une was on the tiptoe Of expectancy to
see and hear the man whose name for
8 generation had been q household
word, and whose sermons wore every-
where read and talked about.
By 3 quar>er past two the ushcrs
had filled every scat, and people wcre
timing the walls and pressing forward
into the alsles, while the Anderson
I'm perial Orchestra, ensconced over In
one corner of. the stage, continued to
give forth enliven;ng airs.
1t is an inspiring scene to look out
over d commencement audience at Due
West. Men have remarked upon it
who. have spoken before audiences in
every par! Of the country and in nearly
every State. They have bcen thrilled
as they looked out and around and
caught the inspiration Of the surround
lngs; and when the large door at the
rear was thrown open and Dr. Grier
and DR.. Ta.mage stepped upon the
nlpffnrm and Q1u t,>t r
served for them, the immense audience
bursting Into storm Of applause, it
was apparent that DR.. Talmage caught
the inspiration OF the moment.
DR.. Grier in a fow apt words handed
him over to the audience. DR.. Tai
mage placed himself on good terms
with his audience in his very nrstut.
terance, when, expressing thanks for
the cordial greeting they had Just
given him, he reciprocated by telling
them to come to Washington and when
they CAME TO como to his house, and
;then added, cautiously, as he looked
around amazed at the vast numb
) who were listening, but don't come
all ut one time" His delighted au-
: diencet was on rapport at once and
when little later he declared himself
an pptimist In his whole being he coulG
have caught in the sparkle Of hundreds
OF faces Q coinciding declaration. For
the next hour and half fun, fact and
fancy, humor and pathos, were dealt
! out with unstinted hand, and inter-
Bpersed. with it'all, words OF instruc-
tion and Of warning for the young men
: he: had come specially to address.
No one, apart from the personal pre-
eence OF tho speaker, could form an
adequate idea Of the absolute skill
" ffh w hinh hn. mi a uaI IA Ia
Come have said In years past that Tai
:" mage. while possessed OF strong and
tar-reaching voice, was nevertheless
:: den Client In evolutionary power. His
, address was marvellous in this regard.
~ gentleman present, who had heard
both the Booths In thoir prime, said :;
Ialmage has moro dramatic power
than ever cav in Booth" No ono
who heard the address in Due West
could doubt the strong; power OF tho
man over an audience. A we'll known
fresoyter1an minister, who Is himself q
splendld preacher and an eloquent
man, bnt somewhat critical OF other
) preachers, said ~ confess | have
>. been sornewhst pre- judicei against Dr.
'Eatmage, but oil my prejudices have
: been swept away by this address. I
=. have no money to spare, but would
not have missed hearing it for S1O0,"
some have said that Talmage WAS
getting old and that his best years
were behind him. Ills physical ap.
poaranoe indicates man In excellept
condition.. About six; feet tall and ii n.
Bing; the scales OF 1917, erect and agile,
he .seelhed a man. who practiced the
; laws 81 health, the gospel OF which he
40 eloquently preaohea,~a few Sabbath
days ago.
The physical condition has much of
-; course to do with tho effect produced
by speaker ON. the platform of orato:
sry. and one gentleman, divine of
thirty years standing, ,, commenting on
tho manner Of Dr..Talmage, was re-
minded to tell O story Of the late re-