The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1900-07-27

Continued from last week.
Six weeks was the average length
Of time that these meetings were
continued, although some of them
were kept up until they merged into
the Woman's Christian Temperance
Union.
In Richmond, this state, the door
of the first saloon visited was closed
against the women, but they sang
and prayed just the same. knowing
as one good "Quaker" mother,
Martha Valentine, said that, "Jesus
heard just the same" The Holy
Spirit touched the heart of the pro-
prietor, and in less than week, he
changed his business, became a
temperance worker, and voted for
prohibition.
An intoxicated man who entered
the church with them when they re-
turned after their tour of the saloons,
said: II want to hear you pray
They prayed, the man himself also
prayed, gave up the drink, became
a Christian, and is now in glory,
praising the Lord for his deliverance
from the power of Satan, who had
such hold on him through the sa-
loon.
While kneeling in front Of one of
the saloons in Richmond, an attempt
was made to drive the women away
by burning pepper, the fumes of
which came up through the cellar
grating into the face of a sister who
was praying, but SO oblivious was
she to all outward circumstances,
that it did not even produce cough,
nor was she aware Of it, until she
had finished her prayer.
There were more than 30 saloons
in Richmond when the crusade be-
gan, but it was said twenty-one
years later, that not more than three
men were living who persisted in
keeping saloon at that time. With
in three months after the crusade
three OF the saloon keepers died
suddenly, and Others were accident
ally killed later.
On Feb. Dist, 1874, call was
made for a meeting of the Christian
women Of New Albany.
The wife Of Rev. Charles Hutch
inson, pastor of the Third Presby-
terrain church, presided, and one of
the largest churches Of the city was
filed with the best women Of the
place.
The workers were divided into
committees of three, each committee
being provided with a memorandum
containing the number OF saloons,
and the names of the saloons they
were to visit.
Marching silently down the street,
and unceremoniously opening the
door as they entered the saloon,
they commenced singing, followed
by prayer.
For six weeks or more, these
praying women, as they were called,
daily, through rain and snow and
sleet, visited saloons, and not one
however timid, refused to take part
in the services.
Other towns all over the state
we're equally Jealous and persistent
in this work, and an examination of
the files of the papers published at
that time in these towns, would
furnish interesting records Of the
historic events of the crusade in In
diana.
Indianapolis had no singing and
praying crusade, but the state being
under the Baxter law, meetings
we're called, and committees Of in
vestieation appointed, which did ef-
fective work against the saloon. The
first meeting was held sometime in
February, 1874, in the Friends
attended by 300 Of the most
prominent ladies' in the leading
of the city.
At the second meeting, held Feb.
2Sth, in Roberts Park church, plans
Of work were laid out and a temper
airy organization effected.
Our dear Miss Lodie Reade, in
her corresponding secretary's ad-
dress in 1894, said: "Twenty.one
years ago a woman's trembling
prayer fell upon the frosty air at
Hillsboro, Ohio. Only a woman's
timid voice raised against her ad-
versity-the saloon. But to-daythe
whole world swings in an atmos-
phere clamorous with the protests
81 the home against the saloon.
To-day that prayer has an embodi-
ment in an organization OF the
OF the world before
which the powers OF darkness trem-
BILE. We rejoice that Indiana was
one of the first states-I think ONLY |