The San Francisco call., 1899-05-26

PiicSS VI Lie WOrh IN Wnlcn we are en-
Saged which l regard as probably the
best of all. That is the work among the
Iallroad men. Three years ago we in
naS1 anegSu1aated series Of meeting in the west vest
oakland yards which were emlnentiy
successful. We were obliged to hold
nlght meetings on account of the men
nsied 10 oyertiowing. In Sacramento
after several days preaching to the EN-,
Ptoyes we received written testimonial
! OF thanks. from 1856 men who had been
moved to believe in the word of Christ.
Ihe distributing Of tracts and Chris
uan literature forms no small part of the
can not stop. as our field is 1000 miles
long and 800 miles broad, so when we
come, to certain stations we throw out a
bundle of tracts and religious papers and
| thereby. The grand part of the work is
IN IN reaching the homes. of the people, and
C. H. Rust of the chapel car "Glad
| Ild1nes, which was dedicated five years
ago, stated that he was endeavoring to
save souls in the Northwest.
The work is difficult" said Mr.. Rust
because we are obliged to deal mostly
with foreigners, who abound in that local
| lty. l cannot describe to you the well
come that is accorded to us in places
where 1eHgious services are seldom il ever
| heard. We have always received the best
| treatment and the kindest attention from
| the railroad men, who are more than
| anxious to help US in every way they can.
Il remember that one day telegraphed
ahead to division superintendent in Wis
! consln and asked him to sidetrack US in
| the same place we had been on our last
| visit few months before. He replied
| that he would sidetrack US wherever we
| wanted except on the main line, but
would build another track if We thought
it necessary. 1t is such little things as this
that make our work pleasurable. Every
where we have received encomiumS from
| railroad Superintendents as to the eff
cacy of our efforts with the employees,
and one manager told me that the men
] h inn he hAff for n1fr
| visits and their service was improved by
! our teachings"
Mrs. Rust then sang a hymn, accom-
panied by her husband, and received the
thanks of the presiding officer.
S. @. Neal was the next speaker of the
evening. and proved entertaining as well
of the Ladies chapel car Messenger of
Peace, which was dedicated in Roches-
ter, n: Y, five years ago. In introducing
Mr.. Neal, Mr.. Smith said he had found
him in the Salvation Army some years
ago. He was reading Bible said Mr..
Smith, and | thought he was too good
for the Salvation Army, so l brought him
over to our camp, and the wisdom of our
choice is exemplited in the noble work he
is now doing in connection with the chapel
car service
Mr. Neal said in part:
God has Enthusiastically set his approv-
ing seal the chapel car work The
preaching of the Gosepel on wheels is
essentially a success in every sense OF the
word. Instead of having the. people come
to us, we go to them and invite them into
Gods house.
Our work has been prosecuted in Kan
sas-the driest, hottest and cranklest
State in the Union; but we have accom-
plished great deal for all that. We have
turned people away at our meetings ana
have had as high as 1S0 worShiperS by
actual count in the car at one time listen
ing to the Word of God. At Eureka. In
Grand County, the crowd desiring TO be
admitted was SO large that we were
obliged to adjourn to the congregational
church-the only church in the village
Even that was inadequate, and we had
an enormous meeting at the courthouse
We remained in that town eight weeks,
and before We left subscriptions had been
collected for the building OF a Baptlst
the edifce was dedicated free of debt. !.
THE building OF churches as result OF
our campaign in the service of Christ
with chapel cars is a grand record OF
which we are pardonably proud. In Day
ton and Garden City two other churcneS
have been built, costing SloQO each ana
three churches in Western Kansas now
stand as monuments to the excellent re-
suits of chapel car work.
Religion is essentially missionary. You
have got to tell it to somebody else and
that IS what we are doing. So great is
the interest in our work that people come
forty miles over mountainous roads to
experience the consultations which relig-
ious instruction affords.
Mr. Neal and his wife then sang a
audience with much fervor and repeated
at the request of Mr. Smith.
Boston Smith followed with lecture
illustrated by a series of lantern slides.
Several printed hymns with accompany
ing photographs were projected ON the
screen and the voices in the immense au-
dience rose with one acclaim IN singing
the praises to the Lord Christ.
The six chapel cars engaged in evan
gelistic work were presented. besides the
pictures of those who were or are now
In charge The exterior of the car was
shown IN the bleak countries where the
work is generally carried on, and showed
the poor homes of the laboring man in
the distance. The interior, with its tiers
seating three on one side and two on the
other, eXemplifed the convenient arrange
ments for the preaching and hearing OF
the sermons Two of the cars are pro-
vided with organs, as singing is probably
the principal feature Of the exercises
MIR. Smith referred to the pleasing TACT
! that forty-three roads now give free
TRANSPORTATION to the chapel cars and have
materially assisted the work. The diff
cultes attending the project have been
sensiby decreased owing TO the co-opera-
ton of the roalroads, and was deeply ap
| preciate by the Baptists. The colportage
work inaugurated by the American Bap-
tist Publication Society was illustrated
and represented the colporteurs on horse
back, in buckboards, sleighs, closed
wagons and on bicycles:
.'These men," said Mr.. Smith, ''go to
places where the chapel car cannot 60.
They climb precipitous heights, and in the
distribution of tracts, Testaments and
Christian literature they have performed
woman service The people of noun
famous districts are largely reached by
them, and all honor is due to these men,
who are assisting in the work of the Bap-
fist church to bring souls to God"
The following programme has been ar
ranged for to-day:
Third session-1O a. m. devotional exercises;
1O:15 report of committee on publishing de-
partment followed by address by Rev. My
ron Cooley California tchairmaD; report of
the committee the missionary department.
followed by address by Rev; l.. L, Henson,
Indiana (chairman); addresses by the society S
workers Work Among the Mormons," Rev.
Jay Pruden Utah; Work bIr among L the e, Danes 1
Frontier Coporteur Work. Rev. L. W.
Gowen Idaho; IL m. general business and dis
cussion.
2:10 report OF committee on Bible work, fol-
lowed by an address by A B. Banks. DID,
California; report of committee finance,
followed by an address by D. P. Leas, Penn
sylvania (chairman); 245. The American Bap-
Eerr r n