The St. Louis Republic., 1901-07-12
STILL APPEAL TO GOVERNOR
FOR PRAYER PROCLAMA ZION
Continued From page One.

assemble at their places Of worship for humble
and devout prayer
In testimony whereof. have hereunto set my
hand and caused to be affixed the great seal
| OF the State of Missouri
Done at tho City Of Jefferson, this seventeenth
day of May. in the year Of our Lord one thou-
| sand eight hundred and seventy-hve
BY the Governor:
Michael X, McGrath. Secretary OF state.
BELIEVE PRAYERS WE'RE HEARD.
| REPUBLIC SPECIAL
Macon. Mo-. July LIN The Repubiic OF
"Wednesday was a brief reference 10 HoV
ernor Hardfn's proclamation for prayers at
the time Of the grasshopper plague IN Mis-
! souri, in 1875. This Incident was cited py the
Reverend George w. Sharp OF Macon when
asked II executive recognition OF the pn"e:
of prayer as he had asked of Governor
Dockery. had ever achieved the desired ie-
suit
An old citizen of Macon to-day gave lis
| version of how Governor Hardin came to
| make his proclamation.
''rhere was not only plague OF grass
hoppers," he said. "but q drought that
| threatened to leave the farmers ent!reiy
without water. The situation was Sloomlly
discussed here as elsewhere III the State.
Finally. the Reverend Matthew Patton, q
veteran Presbyterian minister. announced
that on certain Sunday In May .ie would
deliver sermon on the efficacy or prayer
as applied tn mundane subjects. at the tcn-
clusion of which there would be prayers cf-
fered for a deliverance from the threatened
and then existing plague
People came from everywhere, as the
Reverend Mr.. Patton, was one or the
strongest preachers in the land then. While
grasshoppers were flying through the air
| and buzzing in the church, great crowds.
unable to secure admittance, thronged at
the windows and stood In the burning sun
for over an hour while the eloquent man
of God inside presented his reasons for an
abiding faith in prayer. 1t was one or the
most forcible arguments 1 have ever list
ened to. 1t is said the sermon was deliv-
cred for the purpose of interesting Gov
ernor Hardin and really caused the procla-
| nation. synopsis Of the sermon was
printed In the Missouri Republican and at
tracted wide attention. The Thursday fol-
lowing its delivery the proclamation was
issued, and almost instantly the insects be-
gan to move on. The rains came, and Mis-
souri, never had finer crops than were raised
in the summer OF 1876 following the viSita-
ton of grasShoppers."
Half q score OF citizens to-day corrob-
Grated the above, and said they well remem-
bered that almost instant relief followed the
day of fasting and prayer.
Few PrOstrntions Take Place.
The curious thing about the present hot
weather here is that laborers work out in
the sun all day with the thermometer at
| los. as it has been for a week, except on
Wednesday. when it went higher. and no
prostrations have occurred.
The men on the steam shovels and via
| ducts. where the heat is greatest, go right
ahead without complaint.
Farmers are charging cents per horse
for watering. Wells are padlocked to pre-
vent clandestine watering.
You can buy calves at your own figures.
A man was offered fifteen head of likely
animals yesterday for nothing If 1t did not
rain. by Sunday. The dryness Of the at
mosphere Is the salvation Of the people
from sunstrokes.