The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-12-17
HOW He REFORMED
Engineer McCIure's Graphic
Story of His Life.
Addresses a Big Meeting at the
Auditorium.
ARRAIGNS YOUNG MEN.
Rather See Daughter Drowned
Than Wife of Average One.
Effort Made to Bar Reporters
From the Meeting.

The Mcclure mems mass meeting at
the Auditorium Sunday afternoon was
not the success in point of numbers
which was anticipated by those who had
it in charge
Ten thousand tickets were printed and
distributed and the leaders fully antici-
pated filling the Auditorium and turning
many away. A liberal estimate would
place the number of those in attendance
at 2,100, including the members of the
Topeka Ministerial union who had seats
on the stage. Governor Stanley was also
among the number on the stage. The
balcony was not used, the lower floor
being only comfortably filled
At the request of Engineer Mcclure
the reporters were denied the privilege
of taking notes on the address Those
who had found their way to the press
table were asked to leave the building.
When the reporters urged that the
speech when delivered to sach a large
audience was public property and there
by newspaper property they were told
that would make no difference and II
was intimated that they would be put
from the building forcibly If an attempt
was made to take the lecture
The directors of meeting were divided
upon the question. A few took con-
servative view of the situation and were
for letting the reporters hear the lecture
and let them use what in their judgment
should be used. The Ministerial Union
however were with MIR. Mcclure and the
reporters were forced to leave the press
table.
The audience was practically COM
posed of church members as was shown
when Mr.. Mcclure asked those who had
made a profession of Christianity to
stand up About seven-eighths of the
audience arose at that request.
Mr.. Mcclure, while not a polished
speaker has a way of ingratiating him
self with his audience. He is an old
railroad man and the goodly number of
railroad men as well as the others who
were there were at once won to him. He
showed his audience that he did not try
to place himself on another sphere from
them but was one of them, by his earn
est manner.
He said Fellows and men,
so now fellows this afternoon let's
break down all formality,' were the
! words with which he opened his address.
Mr.. Mcclure is rather a tall man,
wears Prince Albert and a lay down
collar He is bald and walks with a
slight stoop.
The dramatic story of his life is the
shocking story of a great many young
men His Waywardness all began while
working in the field one day when he
swore his first oath. He had been
brought up to reverence the name of the
Lord and that evening upon reaching thu
house he was unable TO look his mother
in the face. That night he was unable
to gain sleep before confessing his sin to
4 have been asked to do something"
he said, that hate to do; that dread.
have been asked to unfold to you my
life. I have buried my past. For the
past Is years I have been a Christian
And if anything I may say will be Of
any benefit to you I win consider that
my time has not been wasted
Holding a Bible above his head, Mr.
Mcclure said: Il have carried this BIZ
BILE on the engine with me for 16 years
1t bears the stains of the fingers of 4
great many trainmen who have long
since passed into glory I have carried
that Bible thousands of miles,
After swearing that first time he re-
solved never to swear again but it would
at times creep back to him. He used to
swear IN private and where his parents
would not hear him. Finally while he
was working on the Iowa Central rail-
road he became one of the most profans
men on the road.
Upon being reprimande1 by his fa ther
who overheard him swearing one day he
said the English language is not com
plete without the swear words"
Finally when Mr.. Mcclure and his
brother became SO bad that they could
hardly be controlled by their father the
father gave up trying to make good men
of them. He gradually began leaving
off attending Sunday school himself and
and from that time on from a man
worth $780, 900 his money began to creep
away; things went wrong, and he final
~ became a poor man.
father say that whisky was a good
thing. Yes" he said at is a good
thing to throw in the gutter" This
statement was greeted with much ap-
plause.
Mr.. Mcclure, in telling of the first
time he ever went home drunk, said:
Il, with my brother, was at a neigh
boris house one day. when a collection
of % cents each was taken up and a box
was bought, bearing the words Thomas
Cat Gin My brother took one of the
bottles, and 7 thought he never would
stop drinking. I took it and thought that
and shuddered and shiVered. He didn't
like it. You may say I can take drink
and let it alone but it is not every one
who can do that.
1--WE thought that the whisky was so
good that We got five more bottles one
to drink on the way home and four to
keep remember that it was in the
winter time and light snow was fall
ing. When we started home that night
my brother had to lie down in the bot
tom of the wagon, and ] did my best to
cover him up with a blanket and tried
to drive home over the prairie. I lost
the way and drove around and around
and. finally, thinking the horses could
do better than I, gave them the reins
and reached home early in the morning
can never forget what a blow that was
to my father. He helped me unhitch and
take my brother to the house. where |
told him to go to bed and I would look
ufdSSeu my DfOtHeE 70 our room, Wnere
I placed him in bed. Our room was sep
arated from that of our parents by a |
thin partition only. and I could hear my !
parents whispering and sobbing occa- |
sionally. and failed to get any sleep !
during the remainder of the night. The |
next day my brother and I went out |
behind the barn and had a long talk |
and resolved 70 Quit drinking. we went /
to the wagon and took the remaining |
bottles and broke them over the wagon |
wheel.
In telling of his courtship of the girl /
who eventually became his wife, he said: /
The first time I ever went to her /
house I was met at the gate by her !